A key philosophy at High Meadows is fostering continued learning and growth. This past summer, some of our teachers broadened their learning in unique ways.  

 

In June, Kindergarten/First Grade Teacher Rebecca Drage was one of 75 tea chers worldwide that participated in Columbia University's two-week Klingenstein Summer Institute for Teachers. The program provides early career teachers an opportunity to learn  from top professors, master teachers, and fellow educators in an atmosphere of intellectual  rigor, self-reflective disc overy, and collegial support. Attendees explore teaching styles, educational philosophies, and educational issues.

 

"We met in small groups each day to discuss whole-school initiatives such as div ersity and social justice and how to apply them in classrooms," Drage said. "We also learned from specialists about the cognitive science behind teaching methods, or why we do what we do when we teach. We explored our own teaching philosophy and worked with our discipline groups to explore specific elements of our teaching such as backwards design, project-based assessment, and experiential learning."

 

One of the benefits of the program was the connections Drage made with other educators. "This conference will have an impact on me for the rest of my career," she shared. "It was interesting to share ideas and resources. I found that High Meadows is doing many of the areas presented or is actively addressing them. I walked away with lots of ideas and a personal charge of how to be more involved with our school's initiatives."

 

While Drage participated in a formal learning program, Fourth/Fifth Grade teachers Melissa Casorio and Jennifer Hannah traveled to Ecuador where Casorio lived for three years.

Ecuador travelers Melissa Casorio and Jennifer Hannah

"I really connect with the people and culture in Ecuador," Casorio said. "It's like a piece of my heart is always there. I learn so much every time I go back, and the bonus is that I can share it with my students."

 

 

Back at High Meadows, Casorio enjoys sharing her knowledge of Ecuador's geography and culture with students. "The kids love to hear about the Ecuadorian people and Incan traditions, which ties in well when we study ancient cultures. I share food, tell stories, and sometimes speak Spanish to the kids. Having these authentic touches makes learning that much more fun."

In 2016, High Meadows received a $360,000 grant from the Goizueta Foundation in part to support a comprehensive STEAM (Sciences, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) initiative over three years. As part of the initiative kickoff, Kirsten Fournier (Fourth/Fifth grade teacher), Margaret Jones (Associate Head of School and Lower Years Principal), Brenda Major (Co-Art teacher), and Lynn Williams (Co-Art teacher) attended the Project Zero Perspectives conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania offered by the Harvard Graduate School of Education. 

Founded in 1967, Project Zero hosts professional education institutes that introduce participants to learning frameworks and opportunities to explore ways to deepen student engagement, encourage learners to think critically and creatively, and make learning and thinking visible.

In pre-conference sessions, the group visited the Maker's Space at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh and a local school to see kindergarten students learn about electricity through hands-on activities. The conference included workshops held at the Carnegie Mellon museum, the University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning, and Quaker Valley Middle School, a leader in the Pittsburgh area in implementing Project Zero practices across the pre-school to high school continuum. These visits and workshops reinforced the importance of creating effective learning environments where students learn by doing and have opportunities to develop thinking skills through authentic first-hand experiences. Frameworks explored include:

• Cultures of Thinking - A framework that leverages key cultural forces to transform classrooms into places where thinking is valued, visible, and actively promoted. It is designed to bring out the best in students, take learning to the next level, allow for great discoveries, and propel the individual and the group forward into a lifetime of learning.

Overview of Agency by Design Framework

While High Meadows already uses many of the strategies inherent in these frameworks, the group will share their learning to reinforce and enhance teachers' ability to capitalize on children's natural curiosity to figure things out and encourage them to be deeper thinkers. 

Local storyteller Barry Stewart Mann thrilled K/1 students earlier this month when he told them four stories from around the world. His visit coincided with the How We Express Ourselves unit of study in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program that High Meadows follows. 

The students learned how folk tales are passed down from generation to generation and how stories can teach universal values. After listening to the stories, the students reflected on which stories they liked and what they learned from them.  Check out some of the students' reflections. 

On October 1, High Meadows will begin accepting applications for the 2018 - 2019 school year. Have questions about the admission process? Visit www.highmeadows.org or contact Director of Admission Laura Nicholson at [email protected] or 678-507-1170. 

Curious about what makes progressive education learning environments different from traditional educational environments? Join the High Meadows Center for Progressive Learning for a free book study of Loving Learning: How Progressive Education Can Save America's Schools by Tom Little. Visit www.highmeadowscenter.org to register. Book discussions will be held Oct. 2, 16 and 30.