Flipped Classrooms and Broken Silos: Education Trends in Needham and Beyond
How are educators making learning more meaningful, inspiring, and accessible in a changing academic and business environment? The Needham Education Foundation invited the community to explore these questions and others in an enlightening dialogue with Dr. Daniel Gutekanst and local experts from Olin College, MIT, and businesses to find out about:
- Needham Public Schools initiatives in interdisciplinary learning
- How online instruction and other creative teaching models engage students in learning beyond just the classroom
- How educators are breaking down silos between academic disciplines to better prepare students for higher learning and real-world problem solving
This event took place on November 28, 2012, where participants engaged in an audience Q & A and joined speakers for dessert after the panel discussion.
Keynote Speaker and Moderator
Daniel E. Gutekanst, Ed.D, Superintendent, Needham Public Schools
Panelists included:
- Robert Martello, Professor, Olin College
- Mark Somerville, Professor, Olin College
- Kirby Salerno, Co-Founder of ClassroomWindow, a web-based education resource provider
- Mark Chang, Director of Product, edX
- Leah Alpert, MIT student, Needham High School graduate, and intern, Khan Academy
Travis Roy Brings Motivational Message to Needham Kids
Travis Roy, former BU hockey player, will speak at three Needham elementary schools next week, with his powerful message of believing in yourself and setting positive goals, regardless of the challenges you face.
Roy achieved his own goal of winning a hockey scholarship to Boston University. But 11 seconds into his first collegiate game in 1995, a crash into the boards broke two vertebrae and severed his spinal cord, leaving him paralyzed him from the neck down. With intensive physical rehabilitation, Roy completed his college degree; became an author, motivational speaker and activist; and launched a foundation to fund research on spinal cord injury and to help survivors.
His appearance at Mitchell, Broadmeadow, and Newman schools will kick off those schools’ Disability Awareness Programs for 2012-13. Roy’s powerful presentation at Eliot and Hillside schools last year made such a strong impression that parents and school leaders sought to bring his message to the other elementary schools. Roy’s visit next week is funded by a grant from the Needham Education Foundation (NEF).
“Travis Roy’s message is simple yet powerful: No one is immune from the adversity life hands us, and we all have a choice in how we face these challenges,” said Suzanne Lissy, a Broadmeadow parent who lead the effort to bring Roy to Needham again and chairs the Disability Awareness program at Broadmeadow. “His motivational message mirrors many of the themes threaded throughout our Disability Awareness programs.”
Roy will speak at Mitchell School on Monday, October 22, at Broadmeadow on Thursday, October 25 and at Newman on Friday, October 26.
Revolutionary War Reenactment at Hillside
On a beautiful day in October 2012, a few hundred lucky students at Hillside Elementary School were transported back in time to the 1770s with the help of the Rehoboth Minute Company: 13th Continental Division.
The company’s costumed revolutionary reenactors transformed a corner of Hillside’s campus into a revolutionary war encampment, allowing the students to see, hear, touch, and smell a piece of history.
Throughout the day, small groups of third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders visited each of the six tents that were set up to demonstrate different aspects of life in a Revolutionary War camp.
At the officer’s tent, students considered how the lives of officers and regular soldiers differed. The children were able to examine the officer’s uniform and eagerly peppered the officer with questions. The children then watched a uniformed soldier prime his weapon at the weapons tent, where several examples of pistols and muskets were displayed. From there, the students went to the doctor’s tent, where they talked to a revolutionary doctor and nurse, saw and smelled some of the herbs that were used to treat common ailments in the 1770s, and even examined some of the surgical tools that were used at the time.
The importance of drum and fife music was addressed in the next tent, where students passed around a replica of a Revolutionary War drum. The smell of the open campfire led the students to the next station, where two costumed soldiers were making wax candles and lead balls. The final stop was at the tiny privates’ tent, where the kids heard more about the daily life of regular soldiers.
Elizabeth Lee, a parent at Hillside, discovered this group in a different town, where she witnessed how well they engaged the children. Knowing that third-graders at Hillside study Needham history from 1711 to the present and the fifth-graders have a big unit about the Revolutionary War, Liz recognized that the Rehoboth Company’s demonstration would dovetail nicely with existing curriculum. “Our goal is to reinforce, supplement, and bridge the social studies curriculum in grades 3 through 5 by igniting the minds, hearts, and imaginations of Hillside students to the commitment, struggles, and sacrifices of those who fought to create the United States of America,” she wrote in her grant application. Now an NEF board member, Liz was on hand at the demonstration, watching her goals being met.
“The Rehoboth Militia covered a tremendous amount of Revolutionary War history in little over an hour, all in a way that demonstrated, fascinated, and created lifelong memories. Kids, teachers, and parents had a great time!” she summed up. The excitement of the day concluded with a line of soldiers firing their muskets (with blanks, of course!). As the smoke cleared, the children cheered, and then they marched back into the 2010s by the beat of the Revolutionary War drum.
Press links:
Student Directed Play at Needham High School
Needham High School senior Lynne Richman smiled with pride when the play that she directed, ”You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” received well-deserved standing ovations after both performances. The initial funds necessary to direct and produce the play were made possible by an NEF grant.
Lynne’s response to her show choice: “I knew I wanted a show with a small cast, simple costumes, and few set changes. I browsed through many lists of shows with this lens, and Charlie Brown was the perfect choice. It had everything I wanted, and it was family-friendly and the music was fun!”
According to David Neves, director of fine and performing arts for Needham Public Schools, the production was successful in many ways. “Our senior did a commendable job of pulling all the pieces together in directing and producing the show. She showed great poise and flexibility throughout the process of juggling rehearsal schedules, assembling her “team” of student assistants, working with administration and staff in use of the space for rehearsals, and, in the end, culminating in a very positive production. Lynne was also very wise in selecting a show that would work well with the talented cast and be small scale enough to be manageable. She demonstrated the ability to make artistic choices to maximize the effectiveness of the production while still remaining within the constraints of her budget. She definitely grew immensely as a result of this experience. We are so very thankful that NEF provided us with the seed money to make this a reality both this year and into the future. We look forward to seeing which senior students next year might consider this opportunity.”
Yo-Yo Dancer Spins a Positive Message for Kids
Thanks to an NEF small grant, life coach and yo-yo dancer Brett Outchcunis (aka DJ Ooch) brought his upbeat SuperPOWER antibullying program to Needham for third- through fifth-graders. His program, which supports the NPS mission to address bullying, uses an entertaining mix of storytelling, dance, and yo-yo tricks to empower students to draw on their unique SuperPOWERs and to be a part of the antibullying solution. A self-proclaimed former bullying victim, Outchcunis shared his own personal experiences to connect with students and give his message credibility. During his presentation, Outchcunis emphasized the value of self-confidence and showing respect for others. He gave tips on how to recognize bullying situations and report bullying incidents to adults.
Outchcunis’s energy and positive message got enthusiastic reviews from his elementary school audience:
What teachers are saying…
“Ooch was both entertaining and educational. My students are still doing the Ooch cheer. The program really supported what we do in the classroom.”
“This type of program is just what elementary school students need. It is hip, upbeat, engaging, and entertaining. DJ Ooch was enthusiastic and talented.”
What students are saying…
“My favorite part was learning that everyone has a SuperPOWER!”
“If I see someone get bullied, I would tell a grown-up.”
“Bullying is when one more powerful person tries to take the confidence of another less powerful person.”
International Dance Educator Leads Hands-On Workshops and Performance
Indian culture came alive this winter for more than 300 Broadmeadow Elementary School students during an Indian classical dance residency from international dance educator and performance artist, Tara Ahmed. Ahmed has performed and taught in India, Colombia, Brazil, Turkey, and the United States. Her television appearances include WGBH’s DanceFest and Greater Boston Arts programs.
A complement to social studies, geography, music, and PE curricula, Ahmed’s residency promoted fine arts and cultural awareness.
This dance residency supported Broadmeadow’s vision of traveling around the world through dance as a means of teaching students about different cultures. The second-grade students participated in four weekly hands-on Indian dance workshops and completed the program with a performance of their new techniques for the kindergarten through third-grade classes.
Expanding the Dialogue: What Do Kids Need to Succeed in the 21st Century?
As college drop-out rates rise and young adult unemployment reaches levels unseen since the Great Depression, a growing consensus of business and academic leaders are asking whether a traditional four-year college education is always the best path to a successful career. The mission of the Pathways to Prosperity Project at Harvard Graduate School of Education is to get this question out in the open—and encourage Americans to explore new approaches to education reform that offer multiple paths to career fulfillment.
This question was explored at the October 11th NEF symposium, “Expanding the Dialogue: What Do Kids Need to Succeed in the 21st Century?,” the first in the 2011–2012 NEF Community Education Series.
Featuring a panel discussion including Needham Public Schools superintendent Dr. Daniel Gutekanst and keynote address by Pathways to Prosperity director William Symonds, “Expanding the Dialogue” encourages discussion of why our existing education model fails to prepare many young adults for the workforce. In a more promising vein, it invites the audience to consider alternative ways to better prepare our kids to make a smooth transition from adolescence to adulthood.
Says Symonds: “Going to college for four years is not the best answer for all young people. We need to provide other pathways for them to succeed. I’ve spoken with parents a few years after their children graduated from college, and many of those students are struggling. These parents have a growing sense that going to a four year college doesn’t necessarily guarantee success in today’s economy.”
In addition to Dr. Gutekanst, symposium panelists include Dr. Edward A. Bouquillon, Superintendent, Minuteman Career and Technical High School and Patricia Eagan, Senior Staff Consultant, Verizon State Government Relations and Board Member, Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education.
Flame Rocks Needham Schools
In October 2011, FLAME rocked the town in a musical kick-off of Disabilities Awareness at Broadmeadow, Eliot, Mitchell and Newman elementary schools. An international touring success that has released four CDs and been featured in PEOPLE and on Good Morning America, FLAME is a band of musicians with disabilities spanning autism, blindness, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy. To advocates of disabilities awareness in Needham, FLAME is a living example of the program’s message: That people with disabilities can live rich and productive lives doing what they love to do.
Says Martha Cohen Barrett, a coordinator of the disabilities awareness program at Eliot School: “Our goal is to demystify disabilities and show children that people with disabilities can do many of the same things that people without disabilities can do.”
“We call these programs ‘disability awareness,’” says Jacquie Sherman, who with Barrett, helped bring the program to Eliot, “but they are really about ‘diversity awareness’.”
Funded by a $5,000 grant from the Needham Education Foundation (NEF), the Needham Commission on Disabilities and the PTCs of the schools on the tour, the FLAME performance both energized and inspired Needham students:
“They taught us that if you want to do something, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t!”
“When they were young, they were told they could never play an instrument or sing and now they are in an amazing band!”
“They put us into a “dancy” mood and it was one of the best bands I’ve ever seen!”
“I forgot they had any disabilities… they were just great musicians.”
“I loved hearing how they overcame such difficult things in their life.”
“It felt awesome to dance…it felt like we were celebrating with them!”
“At 10:45 it had to end. The band had to board the bus, the students and teachers returned to class. However, in a mere 45 minutes, four hundred of the Mitchell family made the journey from curious to anxious to amazed to appreciative to inspired. We saw wheelchairs and crutches. We saw people who looked different. We saw people who couldn’t see us. But, we also heard from the experts – people who persevered against odds, people in the know – who knew that fears can be overcome, courage is there for the taking, hope is free, and dreams are meant to be real. We also heard a whole lot of great music.”
–Excerpted from Letter from Michael Schwinden, Principal, Mitchell Elementary School
NEF Brings Month-Long Chinese Cultural Celebration to Broadmeadow School
Close to 400 Broadmeadow elementary school students will participate in a Chinese Cultural celebration lead by award-winning teacher and professional dancer, Chiao Bin Huang of Carlisle. The dynamic program for kindergarteners up to third graders enriches social studies, geography and physical education through a series of workshops in January. It culminates on February 2 with a hands-on, student-performed Chinese New Year performance.
By engaging students directly in Asian customs, the Chinese Cultural Celebration explores similarities and differences between Asian and other cultures. Huang uses kinesthetic, music, drama, discussion and other mind/body experiences to teach students about the Chinese New Year and common Asian practices.
Hands-On Workshops and Performance Immerse Students in Asian Culture
Through collaboration with Broadmeadow’s second grade teachers, Huang will conduct four, 30-minute workshops in each of the four second grade classrooms on January 5, 12, 19 and 26 from 12:30 to 2:30pm. One classroom will learn the lion and gold ring dance; a second, traditional ribbon dancing; and a third, martial arts. The fourth classroom will perform a play about the Chinese New Year. All second graders will learn to sing a song in Mandarin.
The lessons taught during the workshops will come together in a 45-minute Chinese New Year Celebration performed by second graders for kindergarteners, first, and third graders on February 2 at 1:30pm. The grand finale is an audience sing-along of a Chinese New Year tune sung in Mandarin and using hand gestures.
NEF Grants Support Fine Arts and Cultural Awareness
Funded by a grant from the Needham Education Foundation (NEF), Huang’s fine arts and cultural awareness program complements two previous NEF grants awarded to Broadmeadow. The first, in 2004, funded “diversity book bags” containing multicultural books, games and music. A 2006 grant brought content from China’s Silk Road to fourth graders.
About the Artist, Chiao Bin Huang
Chiao Bin Huang is a professional dancer, choreographer and fine artist with over 20 years of experiences teaching dance, paper arts and Chinese in schools, theaters and professional venues throughout Massachusetts. Her Chinese New Year Celebration for the town of Carlisle earned the Gold Star Project award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council in 2006. She is a graduate of the dance department at the Chinese Cultural University in Taiwan and holds a Masters of Arts in Theater Education from Emerson College. Huang has performed with Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road project residency as a Chinese paper-cutting artist and dancer.
NEF Presents “Let’s Talk: Keys to Your Child’s Academic Success”
The Needham Education Foundation (NEF) is bringing groundbreaking research in children’s education to the Needham community on Wednesday evening, February 24, 2010.
“Let’s Talk: Keys to Your Child’s Academic Success,” will be presented by Harvard Associate Professor Nonie Lesaux and members of her research group. For her trailblazing work, President Obama bestowed the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) upon Lesaux in July 2009.
Dr. Lesaux will focus on the critical importance of higher level vocabulary and dialogue in children’s education, presenting results from a large‐scale study of middle school students in San Diego, California. Analysis of the data from year one of the study is soon to be published in the top reading research journal, Reading Research Quarterly. Lesaux and her colleagues, Perla Gamez and Joan Kelley, will present these findings as well as the latest information from year two, highlighting the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and reading achievement, and discussing how the results support the need to build children’s vocabulary at home and at school.
The NEF requests those interested in attending, RSVP to info@nefneedham.org by February 17, 2010. Admission is free and the program will run from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in Milas Hall at the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering. Light refreshments will be served before the discussion and a question and answer session will follow.
Lesaux, Gamez and Kelley will explain that encouraging your children to read is essential, but it is only a piece of the academic puzzle. Their research concludes that children need exposure to academic vocabulary and practice using academic words in order to read and understand middle school and high school textbooks, and ultimately achieve in school.
“Challenging our children with rich dialogue is integral to their school success,” said Lesaux. “My research team is going to address what constitutes the kind of dialogue that has an impact on children’s learning, and how parents and caregivers can infuse meaningful, educational conversation in today’s fast‐paced family lifestyles.”
“For example, we’ve all heard we need to have dinner as a family but what needs to take place while we’re sitting at the table together? Our discussion will offer ideas for having conversations with your children that will have them thinking about new concepts and ideas they’ve never contemplated before. With innovative thinking comes higher level vocabulary and comprehension that then crosses over into children’s studies.”
“This is the first time that NEF has sponsored this kind of event,” said Frank Fortin, co‐president of the NEF. “It is rare for professionals of this caliber to present their research to the general public and even more unusual for this research to be shared before publication.” Harvard Graduate School of Education Dean Kathleen McCartney has said Lesaux’s work is “already changing education policy in the United States, and making an impact on the training of many education professionals.”
Watch a video news story of the program, produced by the Needham Channel: