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Exploring the Possibilities!

The purpose of the blog is to provide additional support to educators as well as parents and community members who wish to create schools which will provide children with the experiences needed to flourish!

​Anne Shaw, Director, 21st Century Schools

Constitution Day is September 17

7/29/2016

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Scene at the Signing of the Constitution, a famous oil painting.
You have probably seen the videos of random surveys out in public and particularly on college campuses which reflect a near total lack of knowledge about history or our country. For this reason, a senator created a bill which made it law to teach about the Constitution at least one day per year!

Federal law passed in 2004 requires that all schools that receive federal funding provide a course to all students on the Constitution on Constitution Day, September 17. The law is known as H.R. 4818, and the text is found at section 111(b):

​“Each educational institution that receives Federal funds for a fiscal year shall hold an educational program on the United States Constitution on September 17 of such year for the students served by the educational institution.”

As a fourth grade teacher I covered the chalk board in my classroom with life-size copies of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution which I had purchased at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. (I laminated them first.) It was amazing to me how often students would walk up there and start reading it - they were fascinated. They made a very impressive and beautiful display. The links in this paragraph are to the National Archives in Washington, D.C. where you may order beautiful, life-sized copies very inexpensively!

(Yes, the students can also view the documents on their computer screens.  But sometimes a tangible, life-size visual is much better.)

Find many resources for Constitution Day at our Curriculum Resources site.  Make Constitution Day a powerful experience for you and your students!
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Who was Yankee Doodle?  Why did he put a feather in his cap and call it macaroni?

7/29/2016

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These questions, and many more, can be explored using these resources.  From the arts to history . . . these are wonderful ways to engage students in many courses.  These are great resources for Constitution Day as well as the upcoming Presidential Election 2016! 

​What are the connections between the American Revolution and what is happening in America today?
 
Integrate technology through videography and filmmaking – students can create . . .
  • Mini-documentaries like those seen on the History Channel, Biography Channel, Science Channel, Discovery Channel . . .
  • A cooking show (I recommend using the format of Good Eats with Alton Brown).   
  • Talk shows interviewing characters from the past such as Yankee Doodle or John Adams
  • Create live or recorded commentary and analysis on the current presidential election.  This could include analyzing speeches, advertisements and distributed materials.
View the Yankee Doodle resources here, and find more technology integration tools here.
 
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The Social/Emotional Environment

7/16/2016

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​Learning is serious, but that doesn't mean it has to be grim!

A new school year is about to begin (in many countries). Despite the ongoing problems which plague education, educators are preparing, anticipating that this will be the best year yet in their classroom, on their campus or in their school district.  

While most agree that the purpose of schooling is for students to acquire academic content, we contend that schools have a greater purpose, which includes the academic.  We agree with John Dewey, who said that school is .  .
​ 
​“a place to gain content knowledge, but also a place to learn how to live. In his eyes, the purpose of education should not revolve around the acquisition of a pre-determined set of skills, but rather the realization of one's full potential and the ability to use those skills for the greater good.”[i] 

​Before we jump straight to focusing on the academics, we must prepare the learning environment.  This includes the physical environment - from facilities, to how we arrange classrooms, to schoolyards. Next, we must intentionally design the social/emotional environment.  Then, we are ready to prepare the academic environment - and that starts with high expectations.

This post will provide you with many tips on how to create the optimum social/emotional environment - starting with what to do on the first day of school!  Enjoy, and please add your ideas below!
​
Another excellent resource for the new year is this post, How daily meditation improves behavior - and increases creativity.

Click here to find your tips on creating the optimal social/emotional environment!


[1] John Dewey, Wikipedia
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