March 11, 2016, Issue #9
 
Upcoming Workshops!
REGISTER NOW
March 18

9:00-12:00

Location: Marlborough School

Facilitator: Alison Park

Learn More
March 28
9:00-2:30

Location: The Bay School

Facilitator: Giselle Chow

April 14
10:00-2:00
Location: Campbell Hall
August 15-18
8:30-3:00
Location: The Center for Early Education
What is the CATDC?

 

The California Teacher Development Collaborative (CATDC), is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing professional growth opportunities for teachers and administrators from independent schools. Its member schools represent the diverse range of small and large elementary, middle, and high schools from all over the greater San Francisco Bay and Los Angeles areas.

What is the mission of the organization?

The aim of the CATDC is to: 1) Promote enriching professional development opportunities.

2) Support collegiality and cooperation among teachers and schools.

3) Inspire teachers to become educational leaders.

I thought you were called the BATDC?

The BATDC started in the San Francisco Bay Area in the year 2000, and has since grown to include a network of over sixty independent schools in the region. In 2012, a group of LA area heads of school asked if the BATDC could replicate its proven model by launching a branch of its operations in Southern California. Now, following the completion of the two-year pilot program, and with a thriving group of over thirty member schools in Southern California, we have changed our name to the "California Teacher Development Collaborative."

How can I take part in the CATDC's offerings?

1) If your school isn't already a member, encourage them to join here

2) Register for our upcoming events, and keep an eye out for our spring schedule of workshops.

3) Get in touch and let us know what kind of professional development opportunities you're looking for.

4) Let us help you leverage the power of the network by connecting you with colleagues from other schools. 

5) Join our mailing list to stay up to date on all our future workshops and events.

A Message from the Executive Director,
Janet McGarvey

Please enjoy this edition of the Buzz with its focus on creativity! Innovation...creativity...disruption... California independent schools have always had a great deal to offer in demonstrating not only forward thinking, but also in leading in pedagogy and curriculum, sustainability, equity and social justice, and inclusion. Teachers lead by example, and as they constantly strive to improve their craft through continual questioning, iterative practice, and reflection, they experience the same profound satisfaction and excitement as their students by deepening understanding. The mission of the CATDC has always been to support local educators in sharing their challenges and successes, in finding resources for what they want to know more about, and for providing opportunities for connection and learning with like-minded colleagues. I hope that you have found inspiration and renewal through the CATDC. This month's newsletter offers a few different takes on what creativity means and how it is expressed and nurtured in schools. Enjoy!


And: Creativity and Inclusivity 
By Lori Cohen, The Bay School of San Francisco
A major focus in schools these days is innovation: making, designing, creating. In the latest iteration of Bloom's Taxonomy, "creating" is considered a higher-order skill. When students are able to take what they have learned and make something new based on their knowledge, then they're demonstrating creativity.
However, whenever I ask students to do something "creative," most scoff back with: "I'm not artistic/creative," or "I don't work that way," or "but I can't do that."
And who can blame these students? When we show students images of Renaissance art or the latest version of the Tesla, and we tell them, "This could be you someday," we put a high premium on creativity. These works become unattainable, and therefore, when students are asked to be creative, they already have limited themselves in their own boxes of self doubt.   Read more... 
Five Ways to Get Creative & Still Do Your Job 
By Andrew Davis,  Crystal Springs Uplands School

1. Walk (Preferably in Nature)

Recent  research by professors at Stanford  confirm what Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerburg, and others have known: walking meetings lead to improved divergent thinking. Consider making one meeting a quarter with each of your direct reports a walking meeting. Team teaching? Regularly schedule a walking meeting to bring more creativity to your lesson plans. Other  research  suggests that getting outside will give you a creative boost.

2. Limit Your Word Count

From the haiku to the iambic pentameter sonnet, poetry-creativity on a page-is filled with examples of how limited resources inspire creativity. As educators we can similarly impose artificial constraints. Take the first draft of a newsletter and cut the word count by 25%. Change your 90 minute faculty meeting to 55 minutes. With less words or less time you will be forced to be creative. You will also have a happy readers and a happy faculty!  Read more...
Showcasing Innovation at the 2nd Annual Design & Maker Class Colloquium
By Eryn Hoffman CATDC
This summer, the CATDC will collaborate with Windward School to co-host the 2nd annual Design and Maker Class Colloquium in Los Angeles on August 8-9th. This event is based on the latest research on the nexus of creativity, neuroscience, teaching, and learning. It brings together teachers and administrators from throughout the country to explore together how principles of design and making can challenge students to think and learn in new ways. Over two days, participants will attend informational sessions, panel discussions, speakers, and in-depth hands on workshops. Equally important, they will collaborate and network with each other, building a community of local designers, makers, and 'shakers' looking to bring these principles into the classroom.   Read more...