If your kiddo comes home asking about Jimi Hendrix...

there's good reason.

Along with the great creators and innovators that the children are studying as part of the Renaissance theme, Hendrix's genius was of topic at this morning's school gathering.

Jimi Hendrix? How in the world would Jimi Hendrix make it into an all-school meeting? Elaine's brilliance of capturing the moment, that's how.

This morning Elaine led the school gathering and mentioned that since there were no student birthdays to recognize, she thought she'd talk a little bit about someone's birthday that she'd heard about on the radio this morning.

She told the students a little bit about Jimi Hendrix, who is considered by many to be one of the greatest guitar players of all time.

She mentioned that Jimi had mastered the guitar at a young age and, with that mastery, was able to free his mind to create some of the most amazing guitar music. She said he created music with the guitar that people couldn't ever imagine could happen.

And then she looked across the room at all of these beautiful faces and told them that she thought of our Summers-Knoll students when she was thinking of how Hendrix worked hard to master something and then made something so beautiful and amazing out of his passion. That they were working hard every day to learn and master math and writing and science and art and that she believed that they too would do and create things that would be just as amazing as Jimi Hendrix's work.

[This would be the part where I got totally teary.]

And these beautiful kids looked right back at her with the confidence that they too could be the next Hendrix or maybe the next Leonardo or Galileo. That their potential was limitless and that their gifts and talents could be used in the venue that best suited their lives. As Leonardo used the pencil so Hendrix used the guitar.  That's what was so amazing (and what set off the misty eyes). Elaine's gift for taking something in the moment and weaving this great story of mastery and passion into what she thought our children could accomplish themselves. Plus the look on the faces of the kids who live daily with the knowledge that their guides on this journey of learning believe in them and in their abilities in such a profoundly cool way.

So I leave you with Little Wing and hope that this post finds you fulfilling some powerful part of yourself, something you've mastered and feel passionate about, something that you can share with the world that expands the mind and fulfills the heart.






(The school gathering: Which I love, by the way. What a cool way to start the day as a community, centered on learning and seeing everyone's smiling faces!)

The Creativity Crisis

I just received this great email from Miina (mom to Emi and Ella) and thought I'd pass it along. Great article. Thanks, Miina!

********

Hi Fran,
I thought maybe this article about creativity would be of interest for
SK parents to read...? If you think so too, please add the link to the
parents blog.

The Creativity Crisis
For the first time, research shows that American creativity is
declining. What went wrong—and how we can fix it
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/10/the-creativity-crisis.html

I think especailly this paragraph fits very well to S-K's way of
teaching (or how it should be done):

"Researchers say creativity should be taken out of the art room and put
into homeroom. The argument that we can’t teach creativity because
kids already have too much to learn is a false trade-off. Creativity
isn’t about freedom from concrete facts. Rather, fact-finding and deep
research are vital stages in the creative process. Scholars argue that
current curriculum standards can still be met, if taught in a different
way."

Thanks!
Miina

Begin the Begin

The school looked so fresh and lovely today after what must have been hours of cleaning and readying by our faculty and staff. New faces came peering around corners and looking down the hall while old friends gabbed and laughed and celebrated another chance to learn and play and grow.

This is the third year my son David awoke to begin his school year at Summers-Knoll and as I looked at the sweet Kindergartners coming in this morning, I could barely believe that the time had flown from when he himself walked through with big, anxious eyes. In our family, each year we "begin the begin" (with that fabulous REM song rocking in our ears)...we do a mad dash out for school clothes, scrub the dirt from our bare feet and get to bed early to train for the upcoming mornings. We talk excitedly of new teachers (full of surprises) or old teachers (comfortable as slippers) and what may happen with school approaching. We nest a little, prepare a little, Fall blows in to remind us that it's time and that the beginning is beginning. And then we walk, once again, into the familiar beauty of a that stone-covered building which has become a second home, into the arms of waiting friends who bring stories of their summer days and who, like we, are full of anticipation for what is to come.

Any of you who have peeled through old posts on this parent blog know that I am amazed at what transpires at Summers-Knoll. The deep relationships children develop amongst themselves, the camaraderie between faculty, the appreciation I feel for so many parents knowing my child by name and meeting him with a warm smile and a kind word. His brain is alive in this space and his eyes dance and thrill at the experience of new adventures, scaffolded by loving, thoughtful and intentional guides who want him to develop into a smart, competent and responsible young man. And, goodness, how did he get to be in second grade already? This school is a gift to us, magical and sound. Lovely. Real.

So here is to the beginning of our journey together. If you are new to our community, it is now *your* community. Grab a returning parent and ask a question, linger for coffee and talk to Joanna and the faculty about what is going on with  you and your family. Your family's threads strengthen the fabric of our community in special and important ways.

[and, if any of you would like to write for the parent blog, please let me know!]

Fran Loosen
(mom to David Giardino, 2nd grade).

Great kids, great families making a difference.

Today over my morning cup of Mighty Good Coffee, I had the chance to catch Paul Schutt (Dad of Oli in Mrs. Adhikary's K/1 class) on Michigan Radio describing his "3 Things" he'd do to improve Michigan.

Paul's response was fantastic and reminded me of the amazing parents we have in this school who work daily to build community, improve our economy, seed arts and culture and weave the fabric of what makes this area special. Take a minute to go beyond the drop off "hello" with any SK parent and you will find smart, connected, caring and giving people who have wonderful passions to share.

Walking a Step Behind

I am an orange and my son is a blue. I sit a few kids down from him in the lineup, our white uniforms only differentiated by the belts we have earned in our time under Master Fancher's watchful eye. David ranks above me, having studied longer than I and having (in reality) put much more heart and soul into the study of Tang Soo Do in his short time as a student. When he's the senior belt, the customary Korean salutation comes easily off of his lips at the end of our work. As a student, he is eager to respond to Master Fancher's questions at the close of class. He bows with deep respect to Master Fancher, not only his teacher but his best buddy Toussaint's dad. This is his space of confidence and competence. Once we were talking about the things that kids are good at in school. "Stanley R. is a math guy", he said "and he knows all of the bus routes in Ann Arbor. You could ask him anywhere to go and he could tell you. He's that good." So I asked what his 'thing' was, and he thought for a minute, his dark eyes a bit narrowed while he considered it. "Karate," he finally said with an enormous smile.  "I think I am really good at karate."               (above: David G. gets his blue belt)

I started studying Tang Soo Do after taking David to martial arts classes for a couple of months. Parents who were participating in the class would say "Oh, it's just a matter of time until you join...it's fun, why not work out if you are going to sit there?" And, slowly, nearly all of the parents joined, drawn a bit by the "why not?" of the class, a bit by the bond that it created with their child. Now we have Ollie G in our class, Ian B., Amelia M. and Stanley C....followed by Karen G., Kristen B. and Steve C. who aim great kicks, work hard and take seriously the work at hand.

(Karen G. rockin' the flying side kick)

But walking a step behind my son in this process has added a dimension to our relationship that I never would have anticipated. For the hours and days this child has spent in my tutelage, he is now a bit of the teacher...and a gentle and loving one at that. "Mom, so I was thinking about your stance tonight," he says, with sweet and honest eyes, "when you are kicking your arms are too far away from  your body. Someone could hurt you. You should try to keep them in tight, to defend yourself." And, he's right. When doing my kicks tonight I noticed that I was not keeping close to my core, that I felt off balance. He'd noticed and been able to give me that feedback in a way that not only did not make me defensive, but made me want to ask him more. "What else did you see, D?" "Well, you do really well on that front kick, and the side one, those are your best two. The back one you don't do as well. But I think if you keep working on it you will get it. It's just a matter of keeping with it. That's what Master Fancher says."


And to that, I smiled. My 4' tall warrior providing me with insights that were valuable and honest, but loving and fair at the same time.

There are so few times we get a chance to walk a step behind our children, to let them teach us what they know and to share insights that maybe we have missed along the way. Being at S-K has taught me that teaching-- from child to child, adult to child, child to adult-- is the highest form of learning. By letting our children share with us what they know and engage in their learning, we both win. As the ancient saying goes "when one teaches, two learn".

P.S. If you are considering martial arts for your child, there is no greater teacher (in my humble opinion) than Master Mark Fancher, S-K parent. Classes are held multiple times per week at the Washtenaw Community College Occupational Ed building. Mark is amazing with the children and does this work (after his day job and multiple community commitments) because of his love for the Tang Soo Do tradition and what it brings to young people. 

The 5 Codes of Tang Soo Do:
1) Be loyal to your leaders
2) Obedience to parents
3) Honor friendships
4) Always finish what you start
5) In fighting, choose with sense and honor

A little thought to ponder.

"I don't believe children can develop in a healthy way unless they feel that they have value apart from anything they own or any skill that they learn. They need to feel they enhance the life of someone else, that they are needed. Who, better than parents,... can let them know that?" 
 - Mister Rogers

How do we give children the opportunity to show that they are valued beyond their skills and possessions? How can we let them know that they are empowered to do great things and make real change in the world?  Something to think about as we parents help shape the future through our children.

Not So Ready for the Summer...If It Means No Math!

David and I were driving to school today, peering out at the snow blowing about and singing Lisa Loeb's "Are You Ready for the Summer?" at the top of our lungs. The song was revving into "No more math and history/summer time has set us free!"when David stopped singing, looked at me and said "No more math? AWWWWWWW! No fair!"

I nearly fell over laughing.  Here is my 6.5 year old kid pining away for the sun and the thing that he thinks of first in being "freed" from school is the idea that he won't be able to work in his math book.

The kid. loves. his. school.

I walked inside still chuckling and told Susan Carpenter about the exchange in the car. She confided that when the kids in her class are chatting a little too much, she shakes her head and says "hey guys, you're cutting into math time", to which the kids respond with an "oh no!" and get back with their work.

Her kids. love. math. (and spelling too...all sorts of things, actually)

It's still so amazing to me to watch kids zoom into school, excited to learn, feeling that what they do is fun and enjoyable, not arduous and boring.

Recently I read a paper written by a researcher at the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement at the University of Minnesota that was describing what they call "Authentic Intellectual Work", work that "requires high-level cognitive performance (i.e., rigorous, in-depth understanding instead of only superficial acquaintance with memorized bits of knowledge) and it results in personally, aesthetically or socially useful products and services, instead of completed exercises that were contrived only for the purpose showing of competence or to please teachers." (Avery, Patricia G. Authentic Student Performance, Assessment Tasks, and Instruction)

Now, they don't talk about fun here, and they don't talk about missing your math book in the summer or wanting to take your spelling list out on the playground, but they do talk about work that is personally meaningful. Work that resonates with children beyond simply showing what they know or scoring well on a test.

The paper demonstrated two assignments given to two different 8th grade geography classes in Minnesota.

The first thing that struck me was that the Figure 2 assignment is a (somewhat simplified) variation of the kind of experiences that our K-5th graders have every day at S-K.

The second thing was the contrast in the depth of learning that each assignment enabled.

The third thing was that our S-K project would integrate art, music, food and culture into the assignment. Children would be working in groups to discover and synthesize the information. Each would bring his/her own talents to the team. They would learn together and work to the best end as a team.



Imagine what information a child holds in his or her mind after a textbook-based assignment like Figure 1 versus a project-based learning experience like Figure 2.

The article concluded with some excellent questions designed to spark thinking about the quality of learning experiences for students:

1) To what extent does the task require students to organize, synthesize, interpret, explain, or evaluate complex information? (Student Construction or Knowledge)  

  

2) To what extent does the task require students to use methods of inquiry, research or communication characteristic of an academic or professional discipline? (Disciplinary Content and Process)    

3) To what extent does the task require students to address a question, issue or problem similar to one they have encountered, or are likely to encounter, in life beyond the classroom? (Value Beyond the Classroom)


Peel through the layers of the teachers' blogs and see how the projects they do in class ignite and excite the learning mind and how they stack up to those questions. As the authors of another paper note, "Participation in authentic intellectual activity appears to motivate students to invest in the hard work that learning requires, including learning the basics, more so than traditional schooling. Teachers report that authentic work is often more interesting and meaningful to students than repeated drill aimed at disconnected knowledge and skills. Research also indicates that students exposed to authentic intellectual challenges are more engaged in their schoolwork than students exposed to more conventional schoolwork." (Avery, 1999; Kane et al., 1997; Marks (in press); Newmann & Associates, 1996).

Our classrooms abound with amazing learning that leads children to stretch their inquisitive minds and become critical thinkers and creative problem solvers as adults. And budding math nerds who sigh that summer means the loss of math time even in the deepest winter snow. :)

Hopefully the weather will clear and permit us to gather together this Thursday for our S-K Community Meeting. I look forward to seeing you all there.

P.S. In case your own kids aren't ready to give up math for the summer, be sure to check out S-K's amazing assortment of math, language, science and creative arts programming for summer camp.  Brochures are available at the sign-in desk and hurry to register as there are indications that the camps will be in high demand this year.