30 Strategies for Education Innovation

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Strategies for Education InnovationStrategies for Education InnovationDesignShare.ComDesignShare.Com

Prakash NairPrakash Nair

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Designshare.com 30 Strategies for Education Innovation

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Early Praise for30 Strategies for Education InnovationBy Prakash Nair

Prakash Nair has synthesized key learning theories and current practices into 30 strategies thatstress how the learning environment needs to be humane and attentive to individual children'sneeds. Considering that billions of dollars are needed for renovation and construction of newschools, this publication proposes an educational outlook that challenges traditional practice, whileoffering important insights about the promise of schools for the future.

Henry SanoffProfessor of Architecture, North Carolina State University

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Prakash Nair has certainly put forward some challenging ideas. I think it will also be a valuable

guide for facility planners particularly as it highlights many of the issues to be debated, discussedand deliberated in developing educational specifications.Jeff PhilipsPrincipal Consultant, Research & Development, Department of Education & Training, Western Australia

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I found the manuscript 30 Strategies for Education Innovationan excellent document in thecontext of school improvement.

Tim Sandercock

General Manager, Educational services, Delfin Limited, South Australia________________________________________________________________________________________________

This manuscript contains a wealth of good ideas that are presented in an invitational, easily-accessed manner. Kudos to you for this effort.

Thomas R. Hoerr, Ph.D.Head of School, New City School, St. Louis, MO

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As a career educator I congratulate and applaud Prakash Nair on the development of thisimportant guidebook for education. He has successfully taken many vital strategies and moldedthem into an easy to understand guidebook. This guidebook will be a valuable tool for all thoseinvolved in educating children. Bravo!Ben SenderChief Executive Officer

TechKNOW Associates Corporation, NJ________________________________________________________________________________________________

I have been a classroom teacher, director of a middle school in East Harlem (one of the schools ofchoice with a student body of 250 - an example of your item 3) and Director of InstructionalTechnology responsible for all aspects of Technology integration in East Harlem. I just finished


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reading the manuscript 30 Strategies for Education Innovation. Prakash Nair never ceases toamaze me. As I was reading it through, I kept shaking my head in agreement. I taught in a middleschool with 1500 students. Never mind learning the names of the students...it was difficult toknow all the teachers. Nair's point on isolation was right on the money. At the small middle schoolin East Harlem, everyone knew everyone, which made it not only an effective model, but a safeone. I recognized many of the strategies in this manuscript that my colleagues and I atTechKNOW have found and continue to find extremely effective as educational tools. Nair hasmanaged to distill all of these strategies and more in a clear and easy to read guide thateducators, parents and the community at large will find both thought provoking and valuable.John Ferro,President, TechKnow Associates Corporation, NJ

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"Prakash Nair has produced a very valuable and readable booklet around the current issues to dowith school design. It is impossible to read this publication without coming to the conclusion thatthere is radical work to be done in many of our schools to bring them into the 21st century.Paradigms need to be broken. This booklet is a welcome addition to the literature on school

building design change."Andrew Bunting

Director, Architectus, Victoria, Australia________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Nair's Strategies successfully and responsibly bridges the issues, trends and leading edge thoughtof a rather pluralistic educational reform movement with the latest school design concepts whilesimultaneously offering a very practical and reasonable approach to analyzing any given localcondition and making it better for real and meaningful learning."

Jeff LackneyAssistant Professor of Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI________________________________________________________________________________________________

Prakash Nair is an exceptional visionary and leader who is effectively driving change in educationpractice internationally. His document, '30 Strategies for Educational Innovation' comprises acollation of key strategic, contemporary, and effective teaching and learning practices which canbe used as a blue print to guide today's leading educators as they strive for best practice andongoing improvement in curriculum and pedagogy.

Tim GourlayManager, Facility Services Section, Department of Education, Tasmania, Australia

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Prakash Nair's 30 strategies provide an excellent scaffold; relevant and important reference pointsto inform debate around current educational improvement efforts.. They provide an easy, readilyaccessible source of theory underpinning best practice that challenges our thinking about how wedo things


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in school. As we become more involved in our planning for our redevelopment and theimplementation of a new curriculum framework, I find myself coming back to the strategies againand again!

Judy Bennett, PrincipalOgilvie High School, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

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"This guidebook will help educators and lay people alike identify ways in which they can begin torethink and change schools to meet 21st century needs. Prakash mirrors what the "clients"(students) are trying to tell adults. Here is a guidebook which will help adult leaders and reformerslisten and change educational practices that no longer work."

Anne Taylor, Ph.D., Hon. AIAProfessor and Director, The Institute for Environmental Education, University of New Mexico

________________________________________________________________________________________________

A framework for positive change! Prakash Nair provides a thoughtful guide for dialogue andprioritization in creating successful schools.

Jim Brady

Council of Educational Facilities Planning International, Planner of the Year, 2003


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1 Designshare.com 30 Strategies for Education Innovation

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STRATEGIES FOR

EDUCATION INNOVATIONBy Prakash Nair

Preface - Why This

Guidebook and How to

Use It?

his Guidebook is written to help

close some big gaps in

education - the gap betweenresearch and action, between statedgoals and policy and betweenperception and reality.

Few will argue that these gaps existwhen it comes to the way educationis delivered in this country. In whatother industry would the majority ofproven research be discarded in

favor of an overused, discreditedmodel? In education, the researchunequivocally supports a student-centered model but schools andschool systems overwhelmingly favor

the older mass-production model ofschooling. Where else is there sucha gaping chasm between the stated

goals of an organization and thepolicies that are adopted toaccomplish those goals? Ineducation, there is widespreadsupport for the idea that everystudent is important and yet, inpractice, systems are set up to favor

a few at the expense of the many.As for the gap between perceptionand reality, the perception amongmost parents, communities andpolicy makers is that failing schoolscan be "fixed" by doing more of whathas failed. The reality is that failing

schools need a completely newapproach that engages students and

co-opts them into the learning

process. And what about thesuccessful schools, those whosestudents rank high on standardized

tests and go on to college inimpressive numbers? These have aneven lesser incentive to change eventhough they are better at selectingtalent than at nurturing it.

Why do these gross disconnectsexist? Mainly, the problem lies in theentrenched nature of bureaucracies.Systems designed for a different timeand for a different set of needs have

since become fragmented and deeplycompartmentalized. Even wherethere is commonality of purpose, the"systems" themselves remainhopelessly gridlocked. Communities

need to bypass the system and focusinstead on making a set of specificstrategies happen. Systemic

roadblocks can be more easilyidentified and overcome when theyprevent some specific strategy from

being implemented. This approachis more practical than wholesalesystemic improvement which isnearly impossible to implementexcept in the most desperate ofcircumstances.

Another attractiveness of thismethod of instituting change throughthe implementation of specificstrategies, is that it is very flexible

and can be tailored to the needs ofany given community. It permitsdistricts with modest goals to begin

with small victories and use them toleverage more widespread change.For those with more ambitiousexpectations, change efforts can befocused on specific strategies. Even

widespread change is more easilymanaged when broken up into easilymeasured chunks.

By providing a simple and commonvocabulary that all school

constituents can use, this Guidebookbridges the gap between laypersonsand experts. It can thus help diverseschool constituents to work togethertoward realizing shared expectations.

The following sections show how

various school constituents canmobilize support for their goals usingthis Guidebook as a resource.

30In education, there is widespread support for the

idea that every student is important and yet, inpractice, systems are set up to favor a few at the

expense of the many.


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If you are a districtsuperintendent, school boardmember or businessadministrator

Use this Guidebook to take stock ofwhere your district is relative to your

own vision statement. There is avery good chance that almost any

vision statement that you havecrafted will be better served via the

adoption of some or all of the 30strategies. If you are redefining yourvision or creating a new strategicplan for your district, consider howyou can incorporate these ideas tothe extent that they capture theessence of what you are trying toaccomplish in your community. Justas important, use this list todetermine what resources you willneed to allocate to accomplish yourgoals. You should also discuss thelist with your school principals and

ask them what you can do to supportthe actual implementation of these

ideas at the school level. Have yourprincipals complete the attachedsurvey so that you have a sense of

their priorities relative to those of thedistrict at large.

If you are a school principal

Use the 30 strategies as a tool tobrainstorm with your teachers and

staff. Use the attached survey togauge their preferences and also geta quick sense of their readiness for

change. Match staff developmentprograms with specific strategies as

needed before implementation.Discuss those strategies that are

favored by your school communitywith the district establishment inorder to align expectations andgarner district support and anyresources they can offer.

If you are a parent or ParentOrganization member

If you are looking at alternativeschools for your child, discuss the 30strategies with your child, prioritizethose that are most important to

your family and use your prioritizedlist to "rank" the schools according to

how many and how well thestrategies are practiced there.

If you are a member or executive ofthe parent organization, call a

meeting to discuss each item on thelist relative to their applicability inyour own school setting. Strategies

that seem to fit the philosophicalmodel of your own school can thenbe prioritized and recommendationsfor the implementation of those notyet adopted can be made to the

school establishment.

You can also use the ideas slated for

implementation as the basis toobtain supplemental funding and/orresources from the businesscommunity and other entities such aslocal higher education establishmentsand philanthropic organizations.

If you are a teacher

Selectively apply strategies that youfeel will result in greater studentengagement and participation - butonly after you discuss them with

your students. If you favor somestrategies, but are unsure how toapply them in your classroom, use

the research sources provided in thisGuidebook and the Internet to learnmore. You should also talk to your

principal about suitable staffdevelopment to reinforce skills thatyou will need to introduce your

selected strategies into theclassroom.

If you are a student or student

government representative

Study the 30 strategies and talk toyour fellow students and teachersabout implementing those that youare able to build consensus around.If necessary, prepare a "petition"

signed by your fellow students topresent to your school principal andthe parent organization requesting

the adoption of strategies that youfavor.


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Introduction

ll around the world, a new kindof educational model is takingtentative steps toward the

mainstream. This model is far bettersuited to provide the knowledge and

skills that students will need tosucceed in a new global economythan the traditional model stillpracticed in most schools.

The new model embodies manyideas which are not new but are onlynow being seen as a real alternative

to traditional schools. The reasonswhy these ideas are taking root haveto do with the simple fact that the

old mass-production model ofeducation simply doesnt work for

most, if not all, students. The oldmodel was designed to weed out the

smart students destined for college

from those who would work in non-academic vocations. But that kind ofdistinction is no longer valid.

Today, meaningful, usefuleducationis something allstudents need

regardless of the career choices theywill eventually make. Schools need todo more than just select students

according to their cognitive abilities.They need to become places where

diverse talents are recognized andnurtured, where every student ismade to feel special, has an

opportunity to realize his or her fullpotential and succeed on his or herown terms - in other words, theyneed to become "New Paradigm"schools.

The pressures for change ineducation are building fast. These

include:

Demands by parents that

education work for allchildren; The increased push for

accountability from education

officials; The information and

communications revolution;

New research and greater

understanding of the way welearn as children and adults;

Changing employment patternsin a global economy.

The 30 strategies for innovationdiscussed in this Guidebook, takentogether, represent a new,alternative, education model. It ishighly unlikely that any one schoolcan or will utilize all 30 ideas.

Additionally, some strategies aremore relevant to younger students,

while others apply only to olderstudents. However, a true NewParadigm school will embrace a vast

majority of these strategies.

Overarching Principles

There are some overarchingprinciples that cut across many of

the strategies discussed here. Infact some of the strategiesthemselves can be viewed as

overarching. For example, ideaslike personalization and project

based learning cut across manyother strategies.

Beyond this obvious overlap, thereare other overarching principles thatunderpin the philosophy of New

Paradigm schooling they includeleadership, lifelong learning andcultural diversity.

Leadership

Few innovation strategies cansucceed without real leadership.

However, in the world of education,good leadership at the top alone isnot enough to improve student

achievement. This is particularly truewith the larger school systems likeNew York City and Los Angeleswhere the leaders of the system are

many layers removed from the

teacher in the classroom. We needto redefine leadership to include allthe elements within a school system

from the superintendent to theprincipal to teachers, students,parents and community

representatives. This kind ofdistributed leadership provides thebest opportunity to effectuate real

change and is advocated by leadingreform efforts including Breaking

Ranks Changing an AmericanInstitution, the landmark publicationabout reforming the American HighSchool. Peter Senge in his book,Schools That Learnprovides manyuseful ideas for educators, parentsand other school constituents toexercise leadership while workingtogether.1

Lifelong Learning

In the world of education, LifelongLearning is a popular, if somewhat

misunderstood, idea. From theperspective of educational change,there are really two distinct parts tothe idea of lifelong learning thatneed to be addressed. The first ideais to think about a childs learning inschool becoming the foundationalphase of a life of learning. In thisscheme, the emphasis of educationshifts from teaching disconnectedcontent to teaching learning skills

because it is the ability to learn thatwill keep both relevant content andlife-skills current as the child grows

up and takes his or her place as aresponsible, contributing adult in

society. Many of the strategies

1Schools that Learn. A Fifth

Discipline Fieldbook for Educators,Parents and Everyone Who caresAbout Education, by Peter Senge,2000.

A

Cultural diversity is an important strength in todaysincreasingly global society. It may even be the

answer to one of the most pressing problems facingthe world today that of cultural polarization.


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discussed in this Guidebook such asinter-disciplinary curricula,cooperative learning and projectbased learning emphasize life-skillsover mastery of content. But there

is a second, and often neglected,aspect to the idea of lifelong learningand this is the opportunity that

schools should afford to adults tocontinue their education. Accordingto the OECD, which has identifiedsome obvious reasons why adultsneed to keep learning:

From a purely economic viewpoint,competencies of individuals are seenas important because they contributeto 1) boosting productivity andmarket competitiveness; 2)

minimizing unemployment throughdeveloping an adaptive and qualified

labor force; and 3) creating anenvironment for innovation in aworld dominated by globalcompetition.

From a broader social perspective,knowledge, skills, and competenciesare important because of theircontributions outside the domain of

economics and work. Theycontribute to 1) increasing individualparticipation in democratic

institutions; 2) social cohesion and

justice; and 3) strengthening humanrights and autonomy as

counterweights to increasing globalinequality of opportunities and

increasing individualmarginalization.2

All schools, but particularly thehundreds of new schools that areconstructed and renovated everyyear must provide times, programsand methods for community access

to education something that rarelyhappens today. Not too many adultswill feel comfortable or welcome in a

traditional school setting and thatmust change. These settings must

2Lifelong Learning and Sectors of

Education. Organisation forEconomic Cooperation andDevelopment. Building Partnershipsfor Progress.

become welcoming, comfortable andenjoyable places for adults tocongregate and if they do, they willautomatically become better placesfor younger students to learn as well.

Once the question of where hasbeen dealt with, schools also need to

address the issue of by whom inother words, a good communityschool that provides opportunities forlifelong learning will break down thebarriers that prevent the coordinateddelivery of education and services bya bevy of government, private andnon-profit organizations that exist inmost communities. An effectivestrategy to accommodate lifelonglearning is also an effective way tobreak down the isolation thatstudents and teachers of traditional

schools feel and to make educationitself both during the school dayand beyond real and meaningful.

Cultural Diversity

It is readily apparent that, for mostorganizations, cultural diversity is animportant strength in todays

increasingly global society. It mayeven be the answer to one of themost pressing problems facing theworld today that of cultural

polarization. Schools are animportant place to begin a culturallyrich life experience. There are fewthings about the world into whichour children will graduate that ismore certain than the notion that itwill be more culturally diverse than it

is today. Students who experienceand learn to value diverseperspectives from an early age are

more likely to become well adjustedmembers of the global society theywill inherit.

While a culturally diverse school

population should be an importantpolicy goal, it is easier said thandone in locations whose populationsthemselves lack diversity.Understanding the importance ofcreating culturally diverse schoolcommunities, districts are resortingto the use of magnet programs and

specialized schools and academies toattract a diverse population to areasthat may otherwise not be able to doso. For example, the InterdistrictDowntown School in Minneapolis

attracts students from 10surrounding districts and is thus ableto create the rich diversity that many

inner city schools lack. In theabsence of a diverse studentpopulation, it becomes even moreimportant for schools to usetechnology to make local, nationaland global connections that exposestudents to people and opportunitiesthey miss by virtue of their culturalisolation.


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The 30 Strategies

The following chart shows all 30 innovation strategies (listed in no particular order). Each strategy is linked to one or

more of three categories - pedagogy, organization and non-academic. Pedagogy refers to any strategy that requiresteachers to adopt teaching methods or practices in order to implement it. Organization refers to the need forsupport from the school administration, educational establishment or other governmental or constituent group toimplement the strategy and Non-Academic refers to any strategy that has non-academic benefits (many proponentsof New Paradigm schools believe that these benefits are just as important, if not more important, than the academic

benefits of school). This chart begins to explain why New Paradigm schools are not easy to develop. Many of thesestrategies require extensive preparation by teachers, the "blessings" of, and significant organizational effort by, theeducational establishment and, in many cases, outside sources of support and funds. However, by organizing themin a manner that clearly shows why they are important and how they can benefit schools, there is a greater chancethat they will begin to be more widely adopted by communities everywhere.

Number Innovation Strategy Pedagogy Organization Non-Academic

1 Personalization X X

2 Multi-age Classes X X X

3 Small Learning Communities X X

4 Student Advisories X X

5 Small Learning Communities withAcademies

X X

6Multidisciplinary Curricula withBlock Scheduling

X X

7 Cooperative Learning X X

8 Project-Based Learning X X

9 Peer Tutoring X X

10 Peer Instruction X

11 Team Teaching X X

12 Community Service Learning X X X

13 Looping X

14Business Partnerships for

Assessment, Resources and

Funding

X X

15 Global Connections X X X

16 Internships X X X

17 The Resurgence of Art X X

18Laptops and Wireless Technologyfor Anytime, Anywhere Learning

X X X

19 Parent Involvement X X

20 Student-Led Performances X X

21 Non-Academic Life Skills Curricula X X

22 Meaningful Career Counseling X

23 Social/Emotional Counseling X

24Physical Fitness Programs -

Beyond Sports

X

25 Outdoor Learning X

26Student-Run IndependentNewspaper

X X

27Relevant Staff Development and

Adequate Staff Preparation TimeX

28 Portfolio-Based Assessment X X

29 New Paradigm School Buildings X

30After School Programs andCommunity Use of Schools

X X


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Personalization

Personalization of learning isan important underpinning of

the whole New Paradigm model ofeducation. It starts with the ideathat learners are not products that

can be mass-produced by schools. Ifone accepts the undeniable truththat no two children are exactlyalike, then it must logically follow

that no one system of education canwork for all students. From thisfollows the notion that a goodeducational model will "personalize"each student's learning experience.

The idea that each student has an"Individualized Education Program" isnot new to those who specialize ineducating children with learning

disabilities. Now, the idea of an"IEP" for allstudents is gainingcurrency. Personalization includesnot only what will be learned inschool, but also howit will belearned.

While it is possible and perhaps evendesirable to postulate certain"standards" which define the kind of

skills and knowledge that constitutesrobust learning in any givendiscipline, each student must have

adequate and individualizedpreparation to master thesestandards. Further, a school thatpromotes personalized learning willmake every effort to deliver

education using a variety of meansand methods in an attempt toinvolve all students. Personalizedlearning is therefore compatible withthe idea of Howard Gardner's"Multiple Intelligences Theory which

identifies eight different intelligences

whose development is essential forsuccess in a variety of today'sprofessions.3 Being "clever" or

3 Howard Gardner's MultipleIntelligences Theory identifies the

following nine "intelligences" that allhuman beings possess:Cognitive/Analytical,Bodily/Kinesthetic, Spatial, Musical,

"smart" in the traditional sensemeant having a high IQ, but weknow today that this kind ofcognitive intelligence alone is no

guarantee that students will beprepared to face life's challenges.Personalized learning environmentsdevelop not only an individual'scognitive and analytical skills, but arealso concerned with the developmentof their other intelligences andcreating responsible citizens.

Multi-Age Classes

Author Daniel Pink once

asked, When was the lasttime you spent any significant timewith a group of individuals who wereall the same age as you? Age-basedgroupings dont make sense in thereal world and make no sense inschool either. While there arecertainly some developmental stagesthat are more or less age-specific,even these milestones are not exact.That means, it makes eminent sense

to group students in ways that offerthem the best opportunity to get a

rich learning experience and not onthe basis of their age. Accordingly,multi-age groupings (in and outside

classrooms) are a more suitableway in which to organize a givenstudent population.

At the Quinns Beach Primary Schoolin Western Australia, multi-ageclassrooms are commonplace. Farfrom creating a chaotic atmosphere,multi-age groupings at this schooland many others across the worldare unusually self-directed, withstudents appearing to be far moreengaged in their work than intraditional teacher-centered, single-

age classrooms.

Interpersonal, Intrapersonal,Naturalist and Existential.

3

When it comes to schools, there isample evidence that smaller isbetter. But smallness is not a virtueunto itself. It is a means to an end,

and the end is to have each studentfeel that he or she is part of anintimate community where (to

borrow a line from the popular TVshow Cheers,) everybody knows

your name. That means it is notenough to simply break up a large

school into houses or pods forthe purpose of creating smallness.Students need to identifyclearly withtheir smaller community and feel a

sense of belonging, common purposeand loyalty to the smaller unit.

As to how big this unit should be,there are various theories. Someinsist that the small learningcommunity should be no larger than100 students, yet others say that itcan work well up to 150 students.

However, there is general agreementthat the smaller this unit, the more

likely it is to provide the sense ofsecurity and belonging that studentsneed.

Student

Advisories

It is almost impossible to think about

a school and not see the "classroom"as its basic building block. And, yet,

as this report on New Paradigmschools illustrates, there is absolutelyno logical or educationally compellingreason for classrooms in schools - atleast not classrooms in the traditionalsense. With personalization, multi-age classes, project-based learningand team teaching, schools have anopportunity to organize themselves

differently than they have done in

1

2

3

4

Personalization includes not only what will belearned in school, but also howit will be learned.

Small Learning

Communities


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the past. One such organizationalstructure is the "advisory".While small learning communitiesremove the anonymity associatedwith large institutional settings,

advisories carry the idea of studentbelonging one step further.

Advisories team up a certain number

of students (no more than 15 forpurposes of manageability) with anadult mentor and try to keep thiscore group together for as long aspossible.

In the case of the Met School inRhode Island, perhaps the mostsuccessful national example of howsuccessful advisories can work4,advisories remain in placethroughout a students high schoolyears. Students are thus able to

develop positive, long-termrelationships with peers and withcaring adults. In order for them to

work well, it is important foradvisories to meet as a group often.

At the Met School, daily meetings are

the norm.

Small Learning

Communities with

Academies

In the case of middle and highschools (grades 6 and higher), there

is evidence that developing smalllearning communities around somecommon themes is the most

effective strategy to improve studentengagement and a sense of

belonging. Academies can run thegamut from computer technology toveterinary science. But the key to

their success in not so much thatthey prepare students for any

particular career, but that theydevelop essential life skills associatedwith the world and workplace outsideschool.

4One Student at a Time: A DeeplyPersonalized Public High Schoolby

Elliot Washor and Dennis Littky, NewHorizons for Learning.http://www.newhorizons.org/lifelong

/adolescence/washor.htm

The move is gaining momentum tobreak up larger, comprehensive high

schools all across America intothemed academies. The Bill andMelinda Gates Foundation has setaside tens of millions of dollarstoward this cause. There are nationaland statewide networks that assistschools in setting up academies. Thelargest such organization is the New

York City-based National AcademyFoundation with over 1,000 memberacademies around the country. NAF

defines its mission thus, Themission of the National AcademyFoundation (NAF) is to sustain anational network of careeracademies to support the

development of America's youthtoward personal and professionalsuccess--in high school, in higher

education, and throughout theircareers.5 In California, the Career

Academy Support Network is housedwithin the Graduate School ofEducation at UC Berkeley. Itspurpose is to support the growingnumber of career academiesdeveloping around the country,

5 National Academy Foundation,http://naf.org/

fostering their growth andimprovement.6

Multi-disciplinary

Curricula with Block

Scheduling

It is true that nothing that is worthlearning can be taught or learned in

the traditional 45 - or 50-minuteblock that most schools employ.Block scheduling is an alternativeway to break up the school day intolarger time segments that permit

students to enjoy a richer learningexperience. Another disadvantage tothe traditional school day is that itdivides up time according to subjectclassifications like language arts,mathematics, social studies, scienceand art in ways that isolate these

subjects from each other and fromtheir natural richness as they areencountered in real life. In thissense, the word multidisciplinary is

just a fancy way of saying real.

6 Career Academy Support Network,http://casn.berkeley.edu

5 6

At the Met School in Rhode Island, advisories remain

in place throughout a students high school years.


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Cooperative

Learning

Education Week defines cooperative

learning as, A method of instructionthat encourages students to work insmall groups, learning material, then

presenting what they have learned toother small groups. In doing so, theytake responsibility for their ownlearning as well as their

classmates.7 In other words,

cooperative learning is a system inwhich students become bothmotivated and motivators. Byshifting responsibility for learningfrom teachers to students,cooperative learning takes away the

us vs. them mentality that the

typical school organization naturallytends to encourage and creates in itsplace a new dynamic where studentsfeel empowered and eager to

succeed on their own terms and notonly to please their teacher.

Project Based

Learning

This strategy is implicit in variousothers described here. PBL is a way

to make learning meaningful andreal. Instead of learning materialout of textbooks, students work inteams to tackle real-world problems.Often, students will collaborate with

peers across the world on globalprojects, forge meaningfulrelationships and build virtualcommunities of learners in theprocess. There are manyadvantages to PBL as a way to

promote learning. Among them:

Develops collaboration skills; Deals with real-world problems

so students can make importantconnections between what they

7 Education Week Glossary on theweb. 2003 but updated regularlyhttp://www.edweek.org/context/glossary

learn in school and its relevanceto the world outside school;

Results in a deeper and moreholistic understanding of thesubject being studied;

Provides the means to integrateskills in various disciplines in

much the same way thatproblems in the real world needa multi-faceted approach tosolving them;

Provides a good vehicle for

delivering multidisciplinarycurricula.

Peer Tutoring

There is a saying that the

best way to learn somethingis to teach it. In schools across the

world, students become betterlearners as they take on the role ofteachers and mentors to younger

children. Peer tutoring is alsovaluable because students can oftenforge stronger bonds with other

students than with adults and aremore easily able to develop interestand motivation in the youngerlearner. While there are someproblems with this approachincluding the fact that not allstudents are good teachers and also

that the quality of instruction maynot be as high as desired, there aremany advantages to peer tutoring asset forth by University of Western

Australia below:8

Involves students directly in the

teaching and learning process;

The act of teaching othersenhances student's ownlearning;

Encourages collaboration

between learners; Enriches learning environment; Shares responsibility for teaching

between teacher and learners; Uses expertise in the learning

group;

Can be viewed as a strategy fordealing with individualdifferences in the classroom.

Peer

Instruction

While peer instruction is not a new

concept (it is what happens when

8 Issues of Teaching and Learning,

Vol. 3, No. 3, April 1997, theUniversity of Western Australia.http://www.csd.uwa.edu.au/altmodes/to_delivery/peer_teaching.html

7

8

9

10


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two friends study together), it israrely practiced in the classroom.The problem lies with two questions

how best to implement peerinstruction in class, and what kind of

role does it entail for the teacher?There are also questions regardingthe quality of the instruction and the

resulting quality of learning thattakes place using this system.Beyond that, there are the obviousconcerns regarding the organizationof the classroom itself and how peerinstruction may be disruptive, noisyand chaotic within the confines ofsmall spaces.

Eric Mazur at Harvard has addressedthese concerns and has used amethod of peer instruction that canwork successfully even when it is

applied to groups as large as 250students.

Mazurs technique involves theteacher posing a question to thewhole class. First, each student is

given a moment to think about thequestion and formulate his or herown answer. Then, the teacher asks

students to discuss their answerswith whoever is sitting next to them,after which each student is asked togive his or her answer to the

question once again. Invariably,Mazur finds, a vast majority ofstudents are able to get the rightanswer after only about a minutesdiscussion with another student evenif only a few of them had the correctanswer prior to the peer-to-peer

discussion. Another benefit of thepeer-teaching technique that Mazurdiscovered is that it gives students a

greater sense of confidence in thecorrectness of their responses afterdiscussing the topic with a peer than

they had when formulatingresponses in their own minds.

Peer instruction in practice confirmswhat many of us know intuitively.That we sharpen our knowledge andunderstanding of most subjectswhen we get a chance to discussthem with our colleagues andfriends.

While the exact form of peerinstruction may vary from class toclass, there seems little doubt thatwhen students talk to other students,they do become engaged in ways

they never would have if they werepassively listening to a lecture.While this is not an argument to do

away with the lecture format, itcertainly suggests that teachersshould supplement lectures withopportunities for classroomdiscussions between the studentsthemselves.

Team

Teaching

Strategies like Project Based

Learning can work in isolated

classrooms with a good teacher, butthey are most effective whenteachers of various interests andabilities work together as a team todeliver a multidisciplinary programfor the students. Team teaching isalso beneficial because it makesteaching a less lonely profession thanit has traditionally been. By workingclosely with their peers, teachers

themselves gain the benefits ofcooperative learning. Studentsbenefit from team teaching curricula,

not hampered by a teachersweakness in any given area becausethat might be a strength another

teacher in the group possesses.Team teaching also facilitates the

use of block scheduling that wasdiscussed earlier.

Community

Service

Learning

Community service learning is now

becoming an integral part of mosthigh school programs. Many schoolsare requiring students to compile a

certain number of hours ofcommunity service for graduation.

But like all good ideas, this one isalso only as good as itsimplementation. Community service

programs work best when students

are matched up by the school andcommunity organizations inaccordance with their uniquestrengths and interests. In thisscenario, community service also

becomes a vehicle to deliver qualityprograms to the recipientcommunities. As for the students,

they gain an important lesson ingiving, are better prepared for thechallenges of college, and sharpenand strengthen the social andtechnical skills they will utilize in thereal world after college.

Looping

Most students willconfirm what we

already know that teachers areamong the most important people in

their lives. However, the extent towhich a teacher can really know astudent diminishes sharply as the

number of students that teacher hasto teach on a daily basis increases.How many parents have attendedparent/teacher conferences in alarge school where the teacher hasto shuffle through her papers to see

how a student has performed ontests and homework assignmentsbefore she can even comment on

how the child is faring in her class?Dont blame the teacher for this it

is hard for anybody to keep detailedtrack of 150 students who flit in andout of the classroom. Looping allows

students to return year after year tothe same teacher.

John Strachan, writing for New YorkTeacher,9 notes, The strategy has a

huge upside, according to loopingproponents like Brehaut and Rappolt,who heads the Port Byron TeachersAssociation:

Having the same teacher and

classmates for two or more yearsprovides stability for students,

9Maximizing learning through

looping: Sticking with one class hasadvantages, teachers say. New YorkTeacher, October 25, 2000.http://www.nysut.org/newyorkteacher

/2000-2001/001025looping.html

11

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reduces anxiety and increasestheir confidence.

Teachers and students don'tneed to learn new names and

personalities every year, soactual learning time increases inthe second year.

Classroom discipline problemsdecline, while parental supportand involvement increase,

because the longer time framemotivates parents, students andteachers to resolve problemsthat might otherwise betolerated.

Business

Partnerships for

Assessment,

Resources and Funding

It is one thing for students to do

good work to please a teacher andsomething else altogether for themto understand how the work isviewed by professionals in theindustry. In Eeva Reeders geometry

class at Mountlake Terrace HighSchool in Seattle, students completea six-week architectural assignmentthat involves the design of a schoolfor the year 205010. This project isonly possible because thearchitectural firm of Wise/Miller isactively engaged with guidingstudents in class and also doing anactual assessment of student workbased on team presentations in the

firms office. This kind of realconnection to the world of workoutside school makes learning the

theory more meaningful for students.

Other kinds of partnerships with the

business community can also be very

helpful to schools. Businessinvolvement in schools runs thegamut from sponsoring studentprojects and trips to donatingspecialty equipment and furniture.

10Schools for the Year 2050.

Edutopia, George Lucas EducationalFoundationhttp://www.glef.org/reeder/open.html

For example, Dave Master, an artteacher in California, built a world-

renowned animation program in hisLos Angeles high school bypartnering with the major Hollywoodstudios. The studios suppliedspecialty equipment as well as expert

assistance to the school to supportthe students. Sometimes wholeschools are created with businesssupport. For example, CART (theCenter for Advanced Research and

Technology in Clovis, CA) is a publichigh-tech school largely sponsoredby leading corporations.

Global

Connections

Not all schools will be able to take

advantage of the proximity of relatedindustries as Dave Master was ableto in Los Angeles. However, with the

advent of distance learning, it is now

possible to reach experts whereverthey might be. Schools are

increasingly using the distancelearning capacities they are installingas part of their technologyinfrastructure to reach national andinternational experts. Such globalnetworks are good not only becausethey bring expertise to schools theymight not otherwise be able to get,

but also because they forgerelationships between studentsthroughout the world based oncommon goals and aspirations. DaveMaster himself is now developing aninternational network of animatorswho volunteer their time to work

with students from around the worldvia distance learning technology.This program also permits studentsspread across six continents tocommunicate and work with each

other.

Heres how the local newspaperreported the formal opening of aschool in Tasmania, Australia by theState's Premier, Jim Bacon. Mr.

Bacon addressed a large audience inthe schools assembly hall, where hegave a spectacular demonstration of

the schools technological capability.Mr. Bacon was joined on stage byeducation architect Prakash Nair,who appeared on a giant screen viathe Internet from his office in New

York.11 My talk with the Premierwas not only seen by the invitedaudience of 500 attendees, but alsoshared with the entire schoolcommunity via monitors distributedthroughout the school. One of the

11The Advocate, Tasmania,

Australia March 26, 2003.

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first things I said to the Premier was,When you build a school like this,you build a thousand bridges. Youare no longer an isolatedcommunity. While particularly true

for Tasmania, which is an islandcommunity with few ties to themainland, the problem of isolation is

hardly unique to Tasmanian schools.Distance learning technology inschools, combined with moreestablished technologies like emailand Internet access and dedicatedschool websites, are now helping tocreate nations without boundaries

people connected by commoninterests and aspirations, not dividedby artificial national boundaries.From a learning perspective, thiskind of access to people and expertsall around the world provides

students at even the most remoteschool with opportunities for beingpart of the larger, global community.

Internships

There is a growingschool-to-career

movement in high schools

everywhere. Such programs areaimed at improving studentengagement and achievement by

giving relevance to the curriculum.The newly emerging internship

programs are designed to preparestudents for the world outside schoolwhile exposing them to career

choices. This approach is differentfrom the older vocationalinternships which were simplydesigned to give students proficiencyin one particular industry. Bothapproaches are legitimate and havebeen proven to improve studentachievement in and outside school as

well as college attendance rates. Atthe Met School in Rhode Island,

students spend two days per weekat internships that they select basedon their interests. Across four years,one student interned with an

engineer, a judge, a choreographer,and a marine biologist. He completedmany personalized projects such asco-directing a musical and

developing water quality systems inNarragansett Bay.12David Woods, Principal of SevenoaksSenior College in Perth, Western

Australia, considers internships to be

so important, that he has assigned afull-time staff coordinator to developthe industry contacts needed to set

up good internships with localcompanies. Sevenoaks hassucceeded in signing up over 400companies to provide internships tothe students at the school.

Resurgence of

Art

Artists and creativity have alwaysgone hand-in-hand, but the study ofart in school used to be seen as

something separate from and lessimportant than the hard subjectslike math and science. Only now areconnections being recognized

between the creativity that is implicitin artistic endeavors and thecreativity that the global society will

demand from all citizens. Creativepeople invent, imagine, problem-solve, create, and communicate infresh, new ways. Every businessrequires creative thinkers in the form

of scientists, engineers, medical

researchers, technology innovators,business entrepreneurs, artists,performers, writers andillustrators.13

Beyond the use of art as a means tonurture and strengthen the creativespirit that resides in all children,there is now an added impetus forart to assume its rightful place in ourschools the advent of technology.

12

One Student at a Time: A DeeplyPersonalized Public High SchoolbyElliot Washor and Dennis Littky/ NewHorizons for Learning.http://www.newhorizons.org/lifelong

/adolescence/washor.htm13 Crayola. The Importance ofCreativity.

http://www.crayola.com/parents/powercreativity/

With technology, learning is quicklybecoming a multi-media experiencewhose demands include not onlytechnological know-how, but alsoartistic skills. Regardless of the

subject being studies, demands arenow being placed on all students topresent their work professionally,

and this takes a certain level ofartistic competence.

By combining their artistic ability withtechnological competence, studentsare also expanding their careerchoices. Today, there are manyprofessions where art andtechnology are interwoven. Theyinclude graphic arts, advertising, setdesign, architecture, computeranimation, claymation, digitalphotography, computer art,

computer game design, digitalpublishing, industrial and costumedesign and even filmmaking, which

now involves extensive off-cameraeffects that are created in thestudio.16

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Laptops and

Wireless

Technology

for Anytime, Anywhere

LearningThe following summary by JamieMcKenzie about the benefits oflaptops and wireless technology for

Anytime Anywhere discusses whywireless networks utilizing mobile

computers are preferable to the still-prevalent practice of putting a fewdesktop machines in the back ofeach classroom. (Also see a relatedpublication by NCEF on this

subject14). Jamie McKenzies list

published in the journal From NowOnis paraphrased here:

Ease of Movement:Untethered laptops can be

moved anywhere in the buildingand require no special furniture.

Relaxed Fit: Laptops are easier

to accommodate within existingclassrooms because of theirsmall footprint.

Strategic Deployment: Laptopcomputers can be deployed on

rolling carts where they areneeded most, creating one-to-one learning opportunities that

traditional methods ofdistributing computersthroughout a school do not

provide. Flexibility: Laptops can be used

within existing rooms and can be

configured to fit the teacherspreference and the nature of thelearning experience, whether

that is team, group, or individual.

Wireless laptops place no

14The Role of Wireless ComputingTechnology in the Design ofSchools, Prakash Nair, National

Clearinghouse for EducationalFacilities.http://www.designshare.com/Research/Nair/wireless.pdf

additional demands on furniture

or space. Cleanliness: Elimination of

cables and wires means that 25or even 30 laptops can beaccommodated in a room

without creating a mess. Low Profile: Unlike desktops

behind whose large monitorsstudents may be hidden, laptopshave low profiles, allowingteachers and students to have

important eye contact. Convenience: As with the

Quinns Beach example, wirelesslaptops' ability to be readilyavailable when needed andeasily stowed when not makesthem more likely to be used.

Simplicity: The simplicity,

comfort, and reliability ofwireless laptops means thatteachers and students can focuson learning, not on hardware.This may help technology attain

the full use that has been hoped

for but often not realizedbecause of technical difficultiesor inconvenience.

Speed: There is almost no setuptime for wireless laptops. Theycan be up and running without

needing to locate and connect ordisconnect a wire. This is a huge

advantage and another way in

which the technology itselfbecomes subordinate to the task

of learning.

Parent

Involvement

Sometimes, it is not how good animprovement program is, but howwell it is understood that matters.

Parents are likely to resist changethat takes them outside their comfortzone. There is a general sentimentthat when it comes to the educationof our children, it is better to live

with the existing system with all itsproblems than to experiment withnew ideas. The only way toovercome this fear is by workingclosely with the parents so that theydevelop a real understanding for the

need to change and then becomeactive partners in the change

process.

Parent involvement in New Paradigm

schools goes far beyond typicalvoluntary efforts of the school PTA.With the proliferation of charter

schools, parents are increasinglybecoming involved in developingschools from scratch. One greatexample of a parent-inspired school

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is the Avalon School in Minneapolis.The other is the Discovery 1 Schoolin Christchurch, New Zealand.Neither one of these schools looks orfeels like a traditional school. Neither

has classrooms and almost all thelearning at these schools is rigorousand experiential.

But parent influences can besignificant even when the traditional,government-sponsored schooldevelopment model is followed. Theaward-winning Reece CommunitySchool in Tasmania, Australia, whoseplanning was led by the StateDepartment of Education, washeavily influenced by parents.Parents played an important role inthe committees established todevelop this school. Not surprisingly,

the Reece School practices amajority of the strategies identifiedin this report.15 New Paradigm

schools see parents as legitimatepartners in the way schools aremanaged and run, and this is one of

the key factors in their success.

Student-Led

Performances

Play is a legitimate form of learning

and is often the only form that workswhen students are disenchanted withthe educational process. Childrenare natural performers, and this isone way to introduce play into thelearning equation. Performance is away to get children to becomeengaged, active and motivatedparticipants in school. Performancescan range from impromptu skits inthe classroom to elaborateprofessional- quality stage

productions.

Halsey Junior High School in Queens,

New York allows its students towrite, produce, direct and act in aseries of contemporary skits as part

15For information about Reece and

other international award-winningschools, please seehttp://www.designshare.com/Awards/Review.asp?ProjType=HIG

of its annual production. Theseperformances involve literallyhundreds of students and introducethem not only to the traditionalrange of dramatic skills, but also

teach them important lessons inplanning, collaboration, accounting,public relations, administration and

management. Students are willing

to put a lot of effort into thisendeavor, because it is always well-

received by their audience of peers,parents and community residents.Often the enthusiastic cheers fromthe audience drown out importantdialogue on stage, though no one

seems to mind.

Another great example of usingperformance to engage students isthe All Stars Project (ASP) based in

Newark, NJ, Philadelphia andOakland, CA. The ASP createsoutside of school, educational andperforming arts activities for tens ofthousands of poor and minorityyoung people. It sponsors

community and experimentaltheatre, develops leadership training

and pursues volunteer initiatives thatbuild and strengthen communities.16

The great thing about performance-based education is that it can be

used to teach just about anything,with little or no infrastructure. This isevident from the wide acclaim

earned by one national award-

winning social studies teacher whowas featured by Disney in its

Creative Classroom series. Hissecret? His classrooms are almost alldevoted to helping students discoverthe joy of learning throughperformance. By the students own

admission, this teachers class helpthem develop a deeperunderstanding of the subject matterand also makes them think bothcritically and in ways that allow them

to apply skills learned in one contextto a different context and time.Imagine what it would be like for astudent to play the part of ahistorical figure based upon thoroughresearch and study of that character

and the social context in which thatcharacter lived, and compare the

16 All Stars Project, Inc.http://www.allstars.org/index.html

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quality of that learning experiencewith learning the same material outof a textbook.

Non-Academic

Life Skills

Curricula

Conflict Resolution: The abilityto peacefully resolve conflicts isa vitally important skill. Mostindividuals are left to figure outfor themselves the best way inwhich to deal with conflict - be itwith members of the family, withfriends or with colleagues. Butmany schools actually "teach"

students how to deal with andresolve conflicts in their life. Notonly is this important in building

better citizens, but it alsoaddresses the problem of

conflicts interfering with astudent's ability to get the mostout of school.

Character Education: Sincehumans are not necessarily born

with character traits like caring,civic virtue and citizenship,honesty, justice and fairness,

respect, responsibility andtrustworthiness, they need to be

introduced to these virtues inschool - particularly when theydo not have adequate role

models at home. However, it isnot possible to "teach" character,because these are virtues thatmust be appreciated andpracticed over time. Schools arefinding that it is far easier tobuild character in non-traditionalsettings where students workindependently and cooperativelyin hands-on environments. Bymore closely duplicating the

work environments of the realworld, students are able to"practice" virtues and perfect

them while their essentialnatures are still developing.

Teaching Wisdom: It is a wellaccepted notion that "wisdom" issomething gained with

experience - and many believethat age is a prerequisite forwisdom. However, wisdom isnothing more than the ability toface life choices and make good

decisions, decisions with thepotential to yield the best long-term results. Another aspect of

wisdom is the ability to makedecisions that positively impactthe maximum number of people- thus differentiating wisdomfrom selfish acts that may yieldpositive benefits for oneself atthe expense of others. RobertSteinberg, Professor ofPsychology and Education at

Yale University, is an ardentbeliever in the idea that wisdomcan be taught. Unlike IQ, whichis mostly inherent and difficult if

not impossible to change,wisdom, according to Steinberg,can be acquired. Further,

Steinberg maintains, wisdom isan even more important "lifeskill" and certainly a better

predictor for success in life thanIQ. To prove his point,Steinberg talks about how

"smart" people can make"stupid" decisions - implying that"practical intelligence" or wisdomis not the same thing as

intellectual intelligence or IQ.Steinberg defines wisdom as ahuman quality "based oncommon values that run throughmost religions and cultures:reciprocity, courage, sincerity,honesty, integrity and

compassion. It involves knowingwhat you know and what youdon't know. It is sustained by

balance: balance between one'sown and others' interests; byshort- and long-term

perspectives."17

It is important for children to"learn" how good decisions havepositive life-long impact, butchildren are often asked to learn

17So you think you're smart,stupid?The Guardian, Tuesday,June 25, 2002.

wisdom by osmosis - watchingadults make decisions.Obviously children who grow upwith wise adults who make gooddecisions are more likely to learn

wisdom themselves. However,rather than leave it to chancethat children may be able to

watch and emulate good rolemodels, schools can followSteinberg's lead and "teach"wisdom. This can be done viahighly visual and interactiveexercises where students areexposed to hypothetical "realworld" scenarios and then askedto make good decisions. Througha process of discussion, childrenget to understand theramifications of their decisionsand are taught the difference

between short-term gratificationand long-term fulfillment. Bylearning to make good decisions

in school under a variety ofsituations, students acquire anessential life skill - that of

wisdom.

Meaningful

Career

Counseling

Career counseling in school hascome a long way from the traditional

"career day" or worse, the "tracking"of students according to so-calledability. Today, we know that

students may be "intelligent" in ahundred different ways. In a forum

on educational planning published onDesignShare.com, I had noted, Letme hasten to debunk the myth that

kids who are good or even brilliant atscience and math are more

intelligent than those who are not.Let's face it. In this increasinglycomplex world, we need such whizkids more than we ever did and weshould do everything we can toencourage them to achieve theirfullest potential. But do we have tomake the other kids who have nointerest in science and math look

stupid in the process? Whathappened to actors and musicians

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and artists and architects? Thecounselors and naturalists and chefsand jewelers and librarians andhistorians and writers, marathonrunners and entrepreneurs? Society

will still need all these people so whyare all children forced to competewith the future geneticists and rocket

scientists?18

Good career counseling programsmeet children where they are andnurture the talent that all childrenhave. New Paradigm schools buildon students innate strengths andabilities and encourage them topursue their interests in careers oftheir choice. Career counselingrecognizes that while some studentsare certain about the career theywant to pursue as adults, others are

less sure about their life goals.Despite their uncertainty, schoolscan do a lot to prepare students for a

good career by focusing on the lifeskills that most adults will needregardless of their career choice.

These include social and emotionalintelligence, collaboration skills,research skills, and critical thinking

ability.

Social/

EmotionalCounseling

Studies have shown that social andemotional skills are a more important

determinant for life success thanprofessional competence in any

particular field. While it is not likelythat a reclusive personality can beconverted into a social butterfly, it is

possible to teach childrensocialization skills at an early age.

The best way for them to develop

18But Are They Learning? AConversation between Bruce Jilk andPrakash Nair, Forum onDesignShare.com.http://www.designshare.com/Research/Nair/Are_They_Learning_Forum.htm

good social skills that they can use inlife is to practice these skills while inschool. Student-centered schools, byvirtue of giving more opportunitiesfor students to work in collaborative

settings, thus provide better lifepreparation.

Similarly, students who are havingdifficulty in school due to emotionalproblems can be counseled at anearly age to work through theirproblems. They can also be taughtimportant emotional skills they willneed to use in life - such as angermanagement and understanding theconnections between their feelingsand their life experiences or "sub-text". In student-centered schools,students who have weak social andemotional skills are also easier to

spot, since they are unable to "hide"behind high academic achievement.Not only can these students benefit

greatly from the more social natureof student-centered schools, but theyare also likely to be helped through

peer and adult counseling - bothessential components of a NewParadigm school.

Physical

Fitness

Programs -Beyond Sports

Why do schools focus so much on

sports and so little on physicalfitness? While sports has universalappeal, and schools shouldencourage all those interested toplay sports, it is a well-known factthat only a tiny fraction of students

who play sports in school actuallycontinue to pursue sports as a

physical activity after school. Beyondthis problem, it is also important toremember that only a small

percentage of a school's totalpopulation can participate in itssports teams. As for the rest of the

students? They are relegated toboring "gym" periods with listless(and often forced) physical activity.

In America, it is obvious that publicschools are doing a terrible job in thearena of physical fitness. Today'steens are more obese and lesshealthy than at any time in recent

memory. For example, in Texas,nearly 40% of all 4th and 8th gradersare obese.19The lack of a sustainable physicalfitness regimen is not only a healthproblem, but it also has directramifications on the academicperformance of students, their rateof absenteeism, and their mentalhealth and overall well-being.The way to attack the problem is todevelop physical fitness programs inschool that students can continue toutilize throughout their life. Suchprograms run the gamut of activities

from dance and aerobics to yoga,walking, hiking and bike-riding (thelast two in areas where outside

terrains permit). Indoor activitiescan include jogging on indoor tracks,recreational swimming and weight

training. When student "gyms"begin to look more like adult physicalfitness centers, they are more likely

to develop healthy, lifelong habits.

A more complete physical fitness

regimen in school will include relatedclasses in nutrition, health andcooking. The idea is to teachstudents that good health is involvesa balanced diet and a regular

regimen of exercise - and that theseaspects of living can actually be funand enjoyable while serving to enrichall aspects of one's life.

So, educators across the country,including Texas, are turning to whatis being embraced as a socially

gentler, scientifically smarter NewP.E. Students spend part of theirclass time engaging in their choice ofpopular cardio activities such as kickboxing, Pilates, fencing, juggling andtai chi, and part of it studyingsubjects such as cholesterol, dental

19Texas Department of Health

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care, drug prevention, bloodpressure and body composition.20

Outdoor

Learning

An argument can be made thatkeeping students in indoor

classrooms for extended periods oftime over the course of many years,"chained" to hard chairs for theostensible purpose of learning, isnothing short of inhumane.Children, even more than adults,need to move around and experiencethe outdoors. In fact, there isdefinitive research about theimportance of sunlight and fresh air

being essential for healthy humandevelopment and academicachievement. By imbuing outdoor

activities with some educationalpurpose, schools achieve the dualgoals of making learning moreauthentic while simultaneouslyallowing children to be more

physically, socially, emotionally andspiritually healthy.

Student-Run

Independent

Newspaper

One of the biggest obstacles that

New Paradigm schools have toovercome is the hard-and-fast rule inmost schools that students becomesecond-class citizens when theyenter the school building. Other than

20New P.E. Finds Way into

Schools by Paige Hewitt, HoustonChronicle, May 7, 2003

prison, it is hard to find anyinstitution in which the "inmates"have so little power. The irony of thissituation is that schools are intendedto serve the student population,

and it is hard to understand how theidea of "service" became equatedwith a demand for subservience to

the "rules" of the adultestablishment. An institution whosebasic purpose should be to developstudent autonomy toward preparingstudents to enter the world asresponsible citizens is insteadfocused on fostering dependenceand obedience to authority. There isnothing in the research that suggeststhat such control exercised byschools over every aspect of astudents day and behavior has anybeneficial effect - and so the idea

that "it is for their own good" holdsno water at all.

How to solve this dilemma? Oneanswer is to give students a realvoice in school. An independent

student-run newspaper unimpededby adult interference can begin toserve this purpose. But can any

school afford to allow students toproduce a journalistic piece withoutcensorship? Actually, yes. A pilotprogram run out of a New York City

public high school (Middle CollegeHigh School at LaGuardia CommunityCollege in Queens) does just that --and in spite of the fact that thestudent body is made up entirely ofkids transferred from other highschools due to ongoing behavior

problems. Students produce anindependent daily newspaper with nooversight whatsoever from any

school official. Instead, thenewspaper is produced withguidance from professional

journalists who work for the City'smajor newspapers. Fears that a

completely independent studentvoice would wreak havoc on thedelicate student-staff balance ofpower in school have notmaterialized at all. Because studentshave so much power to write whatthey want to, they take theirresponsibility seriously. Taking their

cue from their professional advisors,students really research their storiesand are careful when they sayanything critical about theestablishment by making sure that

their facts are accurate. Since theyare responsibly written, such"negative" stories, whenever they

have appeared, actually encouragethe school's establishment to solvethe problems the stories address.The journalism project is not just anexercise in student independence. Ithas become a tool of empowerment- solving many social pathologiesassociated with an inner city highschool. It shows that when studentsstop feeling powerless and are ableto take charge of their own destinies,school begins to have a differentmeaning in their lives, becoming a

positive stepping stone for lifesuccess.

This student journalism pilotprogram was so successful that ithas been accepted by Columbia

University's Journalism School forreplication in schools throughout thecity and possibly nationwide.

Relevant Staff

Development

and AdequateStaff Preparation Time

I have interviewed many teacherswhose classrooms are models ofNew Paradigm schooling. They areuniformly of the opinion that thismethod of teaching - serving as aguide and mentor and allowingstudents to "discover" knowledge, is

far more unpredictable and difficult

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to manage than a traditionalclassroom. It is no longer possiblefor a teacher to rely exclusively onso-called lesson plans and repeatthem year after year.

In order to be good facilitators inproject-based learning (PBL)

environments, teachers needsubstantially more preparation timeand more staff developmentseminars that expose them to thelatest research and effectivemethodologies for managing non-traditional "classes". But once theyare freed from the isolation of theirclassroom, teachers are also eager toteam with colleagues to designmultidisciplinary projects. For PBL tobe effective, it is not unusual forteachers to need up to two hours of

preparation time each day.

"Rubrics" and

Portfolio-Based

Assessments

Multiple-choice tests are just aboutthe worst way to assess how muchprogress a student has made inunderstanding a given subject. One'sability to remember something longenough to spit it out on a test is

quite different than "learning" thematerial so that the knowledge canbe applied in other contexts and

become a useful life skill. Deepunderstanding of a subject is bestevidenced by original student work

that demonstrates thatunderstanding. With project-basedlearning has come the need todevelop better and more authenticassessment measures.

In her non-traditional geometry classdiscussed under the PBL strategyabove, Eeva Reeder developed a rich"rubric" that measured studentlearning in a variety of areas.

Reeder's rubric was also keyed to theState's standards. Another form ofassessment is the student portfolio.

A portfolio of student work - oftenstored electronically on the Internet

at a student's own website - is now

becoming a legitimate and moregenuine assessment of how much astudent has actually learned thanperformance on a test. Portfolioscan be created not only for older

students, but for younger ones aswell.

The primary purpose of a studentportfolio is to provide both teachersand the students themselves with ameaningful measure of learning.Good student portfolios done by highschool students also becomevaluable tools to help them gainadmission to a good college or evenenter the workplace. Showingprospective employers actual workproducts is a far more convincingway to indicate the students abilitiesand increase salability in a particular

industry than a good set of "marks"or grades which proves good test-taking skills but little more.

New Paradigm

School Building/

Campus Design

It is impossible to accept the idea ofNew Paradigm schooling and notalso understand that these kinds ofprograms are best conducted in non-

traditional learning settings. Forexample, as the earlier discussion onadvisories illustrates, New Paradigm

schools challenge the preeminenceof the classroom as a school's basic"building block", challenging the

"cells and bells" model for schoolplanning and organization stillprevalent today.

When designing a brand new school,there is no reason why classrooms(at least in the traditional sense asthe primary location for most"learning") should enjoy the kind ofpreeminence they have in the past.Several new school buildings that

could be considered exemplars ofNew Paradigm teaching are

organized without traditionalclassrooms.21

Despite the success of these trulyNew Paradigm learning

environments, it is highly unlikelythat educational establishments andlocal communities will be ready to

start building schools withoutclassrooms. This reluctance to breakaway from tradition must be seen inlight of the reality that a majority ofthe world's school buildings havealready been built - and almost all ofthem have classrooms. The goodnews is that New Paradigm schoolscanstill work even with a basicbuilding arranged aroundclassrooms. Sometimes, just re-labeling the classroom and arrangingit so that the lecture format is no

longer the primary form ofinstruction within the confines of thisroom can work wonders. In writing

for Education Week, I described thisand several features of a newparadigm school building as

follows.22

Research is still sparse when itcomes to evaluating the benefits ofnontraditional learning spaces on

learning outcomes. However, sincethere is solid evidence that

progressive methods of education dowork when properly implemented, itmakes sense that school facility

design should follow suit and supportthe new teaching and learningmodalities. Here are 11 ways in

21 These include: The Zoo School,The Interdistrict Downtown School,Crosswinds Middle School, the

Avalon School and the Harbor CityInternational Schools in Minnesota;

High Tech High in San Diego; theCenter for Advanced Technology andCareer Exploration in Virginia; TheReece Community School in

Tasmania, Australia; and theDiscovery 1 School in Christchurch,New Zealand.

22 But Are They Learning?Commentary by Prakash Nair,Education Week, April 3, 2002.

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which small, learner-centeredschools will be configured, thoughthe list should not be read as someprecise prescription for what willwork in a particular community.

1. Learning Studios Insteadof TraditionalClassrooms. Classroomswill give way to multipurpose"learning studios," placeswhere different children

could be engaged ondifferent tasks in variousactivity zones. Daylight willbe abundant, fixed furniturewill be eliminated, and therewill be adequate room for

both individual space andgroup gatherings.

2. Kivas, Atriums, and

Learning StreetsReplace Corridors. Beyondthe learning studio, newlearning environments will

have fewer corridors wherestudents run past oneanother and more openareasboth within andoutside the buildingwheresocial interaction isencouraged. A number ofschools that have put theseideas into practice areshowcased in theDesignShare- and SchoolConstruction News-sponsored Awards 2000 andAwards 2001 programs.

3. Project Rooms forProject-Based Learning.

These will be high-ceilingedareas with ample power,

gas, work tables, andspecialized equipment. Theyare places where students

can work on long-term

projectsusually buildingsomething. Such rooms aredistinguished from thetraditional science labs and

art rooms by the fact thatthey are not specialty-oriented. That means onestudent could be building anarchitectural model next toanother who is painting alarge canvas next to astudent building a robot. Aswith the world outsideschool, projects won't startand end with bells, andstudents will work on themat their own pace.

4. From ProgrammedSpaces to Resource

Areas. The school library or

media center, cafeteria, andfitness center will become

resource areas that studentscan use as they see fitnoton some predeterminedschedule.

5. Multi-age Groupings. As areflection of the real world,

most student groups will bebased on aptitudes and

interests and represent arange of ages.

6. Learning Outside School.Older students will spend asignificant part of their

timeperhaps as much astwo or three days a weekoutside the school building,involved in communityservice and school-to-workprograms, and all studentswill share the wealth of thecommunity's many learning

resources, like libraries,parks, and museums. Thismeans that buildings may

not need to accommodate asmany students as before and

could be built to a smallerscale.

7. Parent and CommunityUse. Areas will be designedwith all the amenitiesneeded for school-hours useby parents and volunteersand after-school use by allcommunity residents.

8. Teacher Workrooms.Places will be provided forteacher research,collaborative work, andstudent meetings that treatteachers like the

professionals they are.

9. A Place to Think. Students

will have places where theycan enjoy a moment ofsolitude, where they will be


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allowed both the time andthe space to think or notthink. Almost every creativeendeavor is achieved at leastin part through moments ofsolitude. Given the freneticpace of modern daily life, theneed for places that nourishthe spirit and provide thosemoments has never been

greater.

10. Technology as Liberator.

With wireless laptops andother digital communications

devices proliferating, andwith the Internet becomingavailable to students when

and where they need it,there will be less reason forstudents to be situated in a

classroom to learn. Wirelesstechnology will also permitequipment previously fixedin place, such as dataprojectors, printers, andscanners, to move freelyaround the school.

The school day will not endwhen students leave thebuilding. Learning will

continue at home, asstudents and teachers talk to

one another via e-mail, orperhaps audio and videochat sessions. With more

online course offerings,many classes will have noconnection with the schoolbuilding at all. Classmateswill not be limited to thosewho share the same space,but will include those whoshare the same interestsintown, in another town, or

even in another country.

11. Living, Not Static,Architecture. The buildingwill be designed as a living

space for maximum flexibilityand change, so that the mixof learning areasindividual,

team, small-group, andlarge-groupcan be

adjusted easily as needsvary.

After-School

Programs and

Community

Use of Schools

While the term "community schools"is widely used, one would be hard

pressed to get consensus on whatexactly this means. Mostly,

community schools refer to schoolswhich open early in the morning andclose late at night so that they

service the entire community and notonly the students who attend the

school. However, the problem withmost community schools is that they

strongly delineate the academic andnon-academic components of theprograms offered so that there islittle synergy between the two. Thisproblem has been effectively solvedby the Children's Aid Society (CAS) inNew York City, whose communityschools are developed in order to

strengthen the community while atthe same time improve bothchildren's and adults' opportunities toget a better education.

The CAS' idea of setting upcommunity schools in partnershipwith the City's Board of Education

and a number of other public serviceagencies in New York City, has beensuccessfully realized at variouslocations within the City. According

to the CAS vision that led to thecreation of these schools, "Thecommunity school would be anintegral part of the neighborhood, afocal point in the community towhich children and their parentscould turn for a vast range of

support and services. It wouldsimultaneously reach for the highest

educational goals and standards, andcontain all of the health, welfare andyouth development services of alarge social welfare agency. Medical,dental and mental health services,family life education and evensummer camp opportunities wouldall be accessible through this one

30

What we proposed was not simply to use the schools inthe after-school hours, but to work side-by-side with

parents, teachers and the broader community to ensurethat children are given every chance to succeed


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building, while the comprehensivefocus of every activity would be thepromotion of children's learning anddevelopment. The building would beopen up to 15 hours a day,

weekdays and weekends, year-round. What we proposed was notsimply to use the schools in the

after-school hours, but to work side-

by-side with parents, teachers andthe broader community to ensurethat children are given every chanceto succeed."23 Community schoolswhose creation was coordinated byCAS have vastly improved school

achievement and its value to thecommunity by a variety of measures.There is improved academic

performance, improved attendancerates, greater parental involvement

and improved student-teacherrelationships, schools are safer andenvironments are more cheerful and

welcoming to both parents andstudents.

Conclusion

In the end, this Guidebook is aboutrepairing what we have today and

not replacing it altogether. Thereare purists who will argue that the

current system, created for adifferent time and world is so farremoved from what todays learners

need, should be scrapped altogetherand not be subject to band-aid fixes.

If one could wave a magic wand andinstantaneously create a new systemof education, the purists argumentwould be valid. However, we have 60million public school students in 15thousand school districts in the U.S.alone and one could safely arguethat close to 99% or more of these

23 Building a Community School.Third Edition. The Children's AidSociety, New York.

districts and the students they serveoperate under the traditionalteacher-centered model ofeducation. However, the climate forchange within the traditional systems

is right because of the manypressures they face from alternativesystems. The most visible

alternatives to the traditional model

are offered by home schooling,charter schools and online schools.These alternatives systems havestrong advocates and are growingrapidly. As the alternative modelscontinue to grow in size and

respectability, the influence and sizeof the traditional educationestablishment will diminish. Some

will argue that, in most communities,the traditional establishment will

simply disappear as it becomesincreasingly irrelevant. Of course,some of the more agile

bureaucracies (if

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30 Strategies for Education Innovation