A Perfect Size of School

Dunbar's number- 150- is the largest number in which groups of humans can maintain stable social relationships. This is the number of students on campus at any quarter at SEED Academy.

In Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point, he looks at the maximum size for any functioning group. He believes that at some number, intimacy and trust is lost, and thus the efficacy of the group diminishes. Supported by case studies and biological research, Gladwell explains that humans have the capacity to exist in groups of up to 150, citing numerous supporting examples.

Reading this in Gladwell's book was confirming. Envisioning SEED Academy, we want to have four sections of 10-12 students per grade level. Therefore the projected size of the 9-12 program at SEED academy is roughly 200. While at first this seems to have overshot Dunbar's number and Gladwell's finding, at any given quarter, 50 of the students will be off-campus in the Experiential Program. This leaves 150 students on campus.

Therefore, in a way by happenstance, we have envisioned a school size that will, according to Malcolm Gladwell, operate at maximum capacity without losing stable relationships.

Practical, Lifelong Skills

The EXPERIENTIAL PROGRAM at SEED academy teaches students lifelong skills, rarely taught in independent secondary schools. When teaching math, students often ask: "When will I ever use this?" While the answer I give- that students in high school are trained to think clearly and analytically- the truth is that I often wonder why more applicable skills are not taught.

Then I think: What are some things that an 18 year old should definitely know how to do? Speak another language. Change a tire. Start a good fire and be able to cook over it. Fix a leaky pipe and do basic home repair. Be alone, happily. Be honest with oneself. Grow food. Help others.

Freshmen Year: Students spend 10 weeks in the White Mountains, exploring watersheds and learning to BE in the woods. By the end, students will spend one week ALONE. With only a tarp, a lighter, access to a creek and some simple food, these students will live quietly by themselves for 7 days, developing a deep connection with nature and a deeper sense of self. They will come away from the program with an ability to be alone, with a love of (or at least an appreciation for) wilderness, and a resounding feeling of independence.

Sophomore Year: Students spend 10 weeks building simple homes in underprivileged communities. With a hammer as their tool, each student will learn about home maintenance and repair. More importantly, this altruistic endeavor will push students to think about what it means to give. Evening workshops will challenge students to consider their own privileges. The end goal is for students to become aware of disparities in opportunity and become committed to social equity.

Junior Year: Students spread their wings and spend seven weeks in a home-stay in either China or a Spanish speaking country. Students will learn to cross cultural bridges, challenge their view of the world, and come away fluent in their language of study. Then, students will finish the trip with three weeks on an organic farm. Learning about food production, students will have the chance to get their hands dirty while continuing to hone their language skills.

Senior Year: Students depart to the East, spending eleven weeks in the north of Thailand. Three weeks will be spent in a Buddhist monastary- living simply, practicing meditation. Three weeks will be spent at a UN refugee camp, helping indigenous groups who have crossed the Burmese border in refuge. Three more weeks will be spent teaching english in underserved schools. In the last two weeks, seniors will spend time processing their trip and their high school experience, as well as planning for their CAPSTONE PROJECT, where they will study, research, and then communicate on a topic

Graduating seniors will have spent 10 weeks in the wilderness, 10 weeks building homes, and 21 weeks out of the country. They will have lived in Buddhist temples and volunteered in UN refugee camps. They will have learned to build a fire and cook over it, and they will have grown their own food.

These graduating seniors are global citizens. They are worldly and self-sufficient. Their perspective is enormous, but not as large as their hearts.

Smart Presentation

These videos (the link is below) come from a presentation on Smart Use of Smart Boards. We looked at how Notebook Software interacts with SmartBoards and the use of Wikispaces for the presentation of class videos and notes.

In particular, we looked at how we might flip the notion of class time and homework time. In other words, we could create videos which students would watch at home. During class, after learning the skills at home, students would work on projects in groups to practice and deepen their understanding of the topics learned at home.

The role of the teacher becomes that of an "experienced learner," going from one group to the next, helping them consider the various problems, and making sure they understand both the theory and practice.

http://www.flipshare.com/viewFbReshare.aspx?i=b1fc9f15-541f-4689-a596-f2fbb7cd2a58&s=55896921&langmedia=en-us

SMART USE of SMART BOARDS

Tonight I'll be presenting on the Smart Use of SmartBoards to the NMH Math Department. A video of the presentation will be coming later. I see the use of SmartBoards not as flashy technology, rather a way to greatly improve the way in which we teach and structure the time in the classroom.

Please watch the video (which will be uploaded later) if you are interested.

Reading at the Coffee House

Tomorrow night I'll be reading this great poem at our school's "Coffee House."

The poem is called "Becoming Joey" by Paul Gorski.

It's incredibly powerful. I first read it in the book: White Teachers, Diverse Classrooms.

Teaching Philosophy

Statement of Teaching Philosophy

I believe that, while content is important, what we teach is often just a medium through which we engage teenagers in meaningful human relationships. While I want my students to learn Calculus, I equally want them to be compassionate and caring. While I want them to show their work and thought-process, I also want them to be creative and curious. I believe that the top priority of an Independent School is to promote conscientious and caring human beings with the academic prowess to become positive agents of change.

I believe in equity, first and foremost, and try to incorporate issues of equality in my teaching. I believe that my role in schools is to help chip away at the disparity between those with access and those without. I think it is imperative that we engage our students and teachers in discussions about race, gender, class, and other important diversity topics so that we can work toward understanding each other better.

I believe in inquiry-based learning. I believe that the teacher’s role in the classroom should be that of an experienced learner, not the one with all of the answers. I believe the focus of each lesson should be on “thinking” rather than “knowing.” This can be accomplished through projects which allow students to learn through discovery. That being said, I believe there is a place for more traditional lectures in a class.

In a math class, I believe that a teacher must strike a delicate balance between challenging a student and fostering self-assurance. The role of a teacher is to challenge each student appropriately. This, of course, requires the teacher to know each student substantially. I believe that confidence affects students’ performance in math more than in any other course. Recognizing that there are many different learning styles, and adapting our teaching style to reach each of our learners, allows each of our students to be more successful.

I believe that appropriate use of technology is one way to aid many of our students. I have recently been recording classes on the SmartBoard and posting video of each class and pdf files of the class notes. Students have been able to review old lessons or print out notes from the day. I have found this most helpful to students with dyslexia and dysgraphia. As teachers try out new methods of incorporating technology, we are reminded of what is like to be a novice. This is in and of itself an invaluable lesson.

Lastly, I believe in a strong sense of collegiality among the faculty. Independent Schools are inherently busy, and teaching is largely a solitary act. We need to create viable opportunities throughout the day and week for teachers to share ideas and work together. When we inspire and are inspired by our colleagues, we cannot help but create a vibrant learning community.

Some wisdom from a Zen Master

I just came off my hammock, which was slung between two mangrove trees on Playa Flamingo. My dog Omaha slept beneath me, in the shade cast by the hammock. My wonderful wife Kelsey read nearby, head resting on a fallen log.

I was reading an excellent book, Novice to Master: An Ongoing Lesson in the Extent of My Own Stupidity, by Soko Morinaga. The following two pieces of wisdom, which pertain hugely to education, come from that book and I feel compelled to share them.

Lesson #1: Teach Children to Understand their own Power

"School teachers often see it as their sole duty to entice children to take an interest in studying. Many parents believe the ability to parent lies in rearing children who cry out as seldom as possible, who chafe as little as possible.

I ask you to consider this carefully, though. Is our society, into which these children will eventually enter, an understanding society?... It is a society full of people who relish the failure of others, who savor the poverty of the next-door neighbor as they savor a tender morsel of duck... When children are brought up by teachers who seek always to entertain, to sympathize, and to allow their students to have their own way, and by parents who try in any way they can to prevent their children from knowing pain and inconvenience, what happens to them when they are thrown out into the kind of world we have?

I wonder why it is that parents, teachers, and other adults do not try to provide children earlier with the opportunity and the training to realize for themselves the power inherent within themselves, the power we all possess to stand up and work it out ourselves in times of trouble. Only when we taste frustration does the spirit of intrepidity, the resolution to rally and march on over every obstacle, arise from our innate force, from our inherent power."

Lesson #2: Having a Still Mind

"The truly still mind, with which you were born, is the mind that moves freely. Without ignoring anything, it reacts wholeheartedly to everything it encounters, to everything on which it reflects. And yet, for all that, it is the mind that is never seized by anything, but is always ready to react on the spot to whatever it encounters next. The mind that is still is the mind that never forfeits its freedom and is able to constantly keep rolling and rolling and rolling.

The mind that neither ignores anything nor attaches to anything is not something that is obtained through training. It is the natural "power" with which you entered this world. Those of us who are called Zen monks enter the monastery in order to awaken through practice to this power that we inherently possess, to freely demonstrate it, and to bring it to life."