One of the enduring principles of comedy is juxtaposition.
Take, for example, this joke from actress Sara Silverman:
“When I was 14, I started dating my father’s best friend. It was weird.”
“But not as weird as my father having a best friend who was 14.”
So, too, is juxtaposition in the comedy of life.
On October 20, Kent ISD hosted a screening of the film “Most Likely to Succeed” at Celebration Cinema. It’s an engaging film that poses this question: Our schools were designed at the turn of the 20th Century by business and educational leaders to prepare workers for the mass production of products. Can these schools prepare today’s students for the jobs of tomorrow?
All in attendance agreed it was thought provoking. There was great dialogue about an education organized around rote memorization in a world of search engines, the critical thinking and problem solving skills required in today’s workplace, and the failings of an accountability system built on the standardized test.
Heady stuff, indeed. And the next morning, I find this in my email inbox:
LANSING, Mich. — State Sen. Phil Pavlov, R-St. Clair Township, announced Wednesday that the Michigan Senate Education Committee will conduct a series of hearings on Michigan’s academically failing schools, beginning Wednesday, Nov. 4.
Juxtaposition. From dreaming about what education could be, what it should be, to what it is in a world where our schools are governed by students’ scores on standardized tests. Their performance on a single test, on a single day, is the determining factor in whether a school building, and typically a district, is considered a success, or a failure.
There are so many more factors to consider. All of the research shows children of poverty start kindergarten well behind children from middle-class suburbs because they’re exposed to fewer early learning opportunities, they’re more likely to suffer health and nutrition deficiencies, etc., etc.
In the early grades, there are developmental issues and differences between genders. Boys are generally behind girls. Some boys really don’t have the biological building blocks in place to be proficient in reading at third grade. Few learn well by sitting quietly in rows reading books.
As the writers and producers of Most Likely to Succeed point out, grouping students by age and, later, by age and subject, are organizational tools, not educational tools. There is no evidence these organizational tools are anything more than an easy way for adults to manage large groups of students.
The research indicates all students are different, all develop in different ways and all would benefit from a system based on competency. A competency based system would make learning the most important factor in a student’s education. Some would master concepts faster, some slower, but none would be judged as failures because they were unable to master a concept by a certain age or a date marked on a calendar for standardized tests to be administered.
Forgive me for this overgeneralization, but mostly, our elected officials believe our current education system is expensive and our scores on standardized tests are too low. Virtually everything in education policy orbits around these two bits of information.
Please, don’t get me wrong. All of our elected officials are well intentioned people. I admire their public service. I’m all for efficiency. But most of the discussion surrounding education is focused on the wrong things.
What should we focus on? I’m not the expert. But let’s go back to juxtaposition.
Think of the excitement of four or five-year olds when they first go to school. And then, think of the dull and disinterested response you get when you ask a teenager what he or she learned in school today: “Nothing.”
Shouldn’t that be the focus of education reform? Shouldn’t we ask what happened to the love of learning?
Why do the majority of students say they’re bored every day in school? We should be looking for ways to fulfill the wisdom of William Butler Yeats, who famously said “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”
Let’s light a fire. Please watch Most Likely to Succeed. Please ask your legislators to watch it too. And then let’s have a conversation about how we can make our schools better.
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School was out for the day, but students didn’t need to go far to get to their next project. On the West side of Godwin Heights High School, a variety of decorative plants and flowers were laid out in wait of the young green thumbs to put them in the ground.
“I just like to help the community, I love to plant stuff,” said student volunteer Vanessa Flores, who said she has a garden at home.
The beautification project was initiated by Marcia DeVos, a teacher in the Regional Emotionally Impaired program and a coordinator for Godwin’s Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports program (PBIS).
From left, Students Enida Jahaj, Juana De La Cruz, and Vanessa Flores
DeVos said the idea stemmed from the district’s recent improvements to security and building upgrades, made possible by a community-approved bond. “There hasn’t been money for anything but the essentials,” she said. “Beautifying an area of the school that has long needed it is part of our message of Godwin pride.”
Students delivered evidence of Godwin pride by getting their hands dirty on what was one of the last hot days of the season.
“I’m proud of how supportive Godwin Heights is with students and how positive and supportive everyone is with each other,” said student Felicia McCallum, while digging with her friends.
“It was so great to see our students take ownership of that project and put their time into it with no expectation of a reward other than helping our school look welcoming to the parents and community,” said DeVos after the event.
Arnell Scott, left, helps Katie Hoffman free a plant from its pot
Once again, the Godwin Heights community stepped up with anonymous donations for plant purchases. Kyle Groenink, an intern at the Fredrick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, volunteered to develop a landscaping plan and Mill Creek Farm Perennial LLC in Comstock Park sold plants to the school at cost.
Science teacher Katie Hoffman said the project was “all about building school culture,” and ties into an initiative by Principal Chad Conklin and other staff members to improve the school climate and involve students within the school community. “(DeVos) is a very hard worker, and probably doesn’t get enough credit for what she does,” added Hoffman about the project’s leader.
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Kent County Health Department vision and hearing technician Denise Knight asks Murray Lake Elementary kindergartener Marley Beauchamp what the dots on a page look like to her.
By: Paul R. Kopenkoskey, Charles Honey, Erin Albanese and Linda Odette – Schools News Network
Marley Beauchamp slips on a pair of 3-D glasses, but it’s not because she plans to munch popcorn while watching a popular animated film.
Instead, Kent County Health Department vision and hearing technician Denise Knight holds in front of the Murray Lake Elementary kindergartener a book that shows a page with a seemingly random array of dots printed on it. Knight asks Marley what she sees, but she is hesitant to answer. Knight then asks if she sees a butterfly. Can she touch the wings on the page? Marley shakes her head “no.”
Known as the Butterfly Stereo Activity Test, this is one of a battery of eyesight evaluations the health department conducts. The screening does not diagnose a potential vision problem, but may refer a student to an eye-care professional for further examination.
“For her to pass the test, she has to see a butterfly,” Knight said. “It pops out as a 3-D image.”
Michigan law requires hearing and vision screening prior to admission to kindergarten. Once a child is in school, free screenings continue on a regular basis, specifically between ages 3 and 5, and then first, third, fifth, seventh and ninth grades. Screenings are provided at no cost to families, and are conducted by a local health department, usually in school.
Seeing is Learning
Whether it’s learning how to read or do fractions, good vision and learning are connected. Experts say around 80 percent of what a student learns in school is from information presented visually.
Students who can’t see properly don’t have a learning disability, but it can be a sign of possible eye health and refractive problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness or color blindness, among others. And that can make it tough to understand and remember what was taught.
Those are key reasons why the Kent County Health Department’s vision program, which provides screenings in all schools in Kent County, checks for several things: visual acuity, eye muscle function, nearsightedness, farsightedness and symptoms of other possible eye problems.
In Kent County, of the 52,427 children screened during the 2014-15 school year, 4,620 were referred to an eye-care provider.
Of those, 2,202 students did go to an eye-care provider for an evaluation and treatment, if needed, said Chris Buczek, public health supervisor for KCHD’s hearing and vision screening programs.
Parents may also schedule to have their children screened by appointment at the KCHD, 700 Fuller Ave. NE. They usually choose this option if:
They or school staff have a concern and the student was absent when the KCHD was at the school
The family is new to the area
The child will be entering kindergarten and was not in a preschool or Head Start, where they would have been screened
The student was unable to follow the directions for a successful eye screen when a KCHD technician was at the school
“Often, parents may not even be aware we have been there at the school unless the child does not pass,” Buczek said. “We are required to send letters to parents of all students who do not pass. Some schools will publish in their newsletter that we are coming.”
Vision screenings are essential, experts say, because students may not be aware they can’t see correctly, which can snowball into other problems.
Vision screenings are essential because students may not be aware they can’t correctly see, which can snowball into other problems.
“It is not uncommon for students to have some behavior issues, such as lack of concentration or listening, if they cannot see,” Buczek said. “And students may be able to see better with one eye than the other. This could be amblyopia, where one eye does the work of both, and the ‘not-as-good eye’ is in danger of shutting off. This is the main concern for preschool-aged children, since if it is caught early, treatment can be done to diminish the issue.”
Steve Jepson, president and chief operating officer of Michigan-based Rx Optical, says increased screen time is also being researched for long-term effects on the eyes.
“Many believe that this damage is similar to an accelerated aging of the retina, which is irreversible and has the potential to significantly compromise vision at much younger ages,” he said.
Districts, Professionals Lend a Hand
Sometimes it’s a financial struggle for parents to have their children checked out by an eye-care professional or to pay for glasses. In those cases, school districts can often help bridge the gap.
Forest Hills Public Schools participates in a program called VSP Sight for Students, which covers the cost of an eye exam and glasses for those with no insurance who can’t afford the services and meet specific income guidelines.
If students at Byron Center Public Schools need glasses and parents can’t afford them, they’re referred to BC Ministries. The local group assists families with paying for a more thorough examination and, if needed, glasses through one of the local optometrists.
The Godfrey-Lee district has Cherry Street Health Services come to the schools for a period of time during the school year. The independent nonprofit only assesses students whose parents have completed a form for services through Cherry Street, regardless of whether they have had glasses in the past.
Cherry Street will test students for vision, refer to them to a specialist if needed and furnish glasses for those who need them or need their current prescription updated. They also test for glaucoma, while the district’s nurse, Rebecca Quigley, also inquires about other diseases.
Students age 10 and older can also be seen any time during the school year by appointment in any of the district’s school-based health centers, which are housed at Ottawa Hills High School, Union High School and City High School, as well as Burton Elementary/Middle School. Grand Rapids Public Schools nurses and health department staff work to help families receive follow-up care for students who fail their screenings. Some of GRPS’ schools take part in the See to Succeed Program, provided through Cherry Health Services, which provides dilated eye exams, vision screenings and glasses, if required.
“Parents are notified by their individual school buildings of upcoming screenings via school newsletters and other forms of communication,” said Laura Martzke, GRPS nursing supervisor.
Kelloggsville participates in Cents for Kids, which is funded entirely by the district’s employees through payroll deduction or one-time donation, said Tammy Savage, director of instruction.
Local Businesses Step Up
Dr. Troy LeBaron, owner of Professional Eyecare of West Michigan in Kentwood, has provided free eye exams, frames and lenses to students who are referred by Kent School Services Network, a Kent ISD effort that brings health and human services directly into schools.
Last year, LeBaron’s help amounted to at least $25,000 in exam costs and materials, including repairs or replacement of broken or damaged glasses, he said.
“Over the past few years we have roughly seen around 400 students, and that feels really good,” he said.
LeBaron sets aside time to serve students who can’t afford glasses, as identified by KSSN coordinators. He fits in emergency appointments as well. Students must be referred through school.
“My reward is helping these students become productive members of our community and the many thank-you cards that we have received,” LeBaron said.
He’s expanded his services, which started with low-income students in Kentwood two years ago, to other districts that notify him about a student. He said more people have learned the importance of annual vision and heath exams as a result.
“Teachers are becoming very good at detecting vision-related learning disorders,” he said.
Sparta Area Schools works in tandem with the health department, the Sparta Lions Club and a local optometrist. Vision screenings are done first by the KCHD, usually in the fall at the district’s school. If it’s determined a student needs glasses, they are referred to Sparta-based optometrist Dr. David Harkema.
If parents have financial challenges, registered nurse Amy Roelse coordinates with the Lions Club to pay for the cost of glasses.
“We don’t want finances to be an issue for students,” Roelse said. “If they do not have insurance to cover glasses and can’t afford glasses, I take care of that whole process. I work with Dr. Harkema and the Lion’s Club to get approval for the glasses. The Lions Club picks up the bill, and the organization has never told me ‘no’ in 15 years.”
Connect
To schedule a hearing or vision screening call the Kent County Health Department at (616) 632-7047, or click here.
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
Chinese students Zheng “Kelly” Haohua and Guo “James” Kaixiang chatted with Band Director Jane Detweiler about playing instruments in the Wyoming High School band. Brazilian student Gabriel Lopez Alves quickly alternated his arms in a fast up-and-down motion using battle ropes in gym class, and Thai student Noparrat (Mint) Likhithattaslip and German student Veronika Rieks settled into their seats in English class.
It was a typical day at Wyoming High School. But this school year, the already diverse student body has gotten even more so thanks to new agreements with international student-exchange agencies. Thirteen students from 10 countries recently arrived to attend Wyoming High School for up to two years.
Five students from Guangzhou, China, are attending through the Weiming Education Group. Eight others come from Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Germany and Turkey, coordinated through Educatius International and other study abroad companies.
Several plan to attend college courses next school year through the Wyoming Middle College, a dual-enrollment program with Grand Rapids Community College.
Brazilian student Gabriel Lopez Alves experiences physical education in America
“I want to learn English really well,” said Chinese student Xie “Niko” Wei, from China, who is interested in economics and business. “I hope I can graduate this year. I want to enjoy every second in America. I want to learn all about the culture of Americans and how this country works. As we know, America is the strongest country in the world. There are a lot of different things we can learn.”
Spanish student Lucia Oliveros-Rodrigues said she’s come to develop her language skills and learn about America.
“I came here because I wanted to change my life and improve my English,” she said. “I want to learn six different languages.”
Why Wyoming is a Perfect Fit
Weiming Education Group coordinators approached Wyoming administrators about hosting Chinese students because of Wyoming High School’s diverse student body and strong English Language Learner support system, said Superintendent Tom Reeder. The student body already represents 20 different birth countries with a large EL population. Flags from every country line a hallway by the main office.
Standing out because of one’s nationality just doesn’t happen at Wyoming, said Superintendent Tom Reeder.
“We thought, ‘Why not bring even more diversity?'” Reeder said. It is the first time in several years that Wyoming has enrolled international exchange students.
Weiming has partnerships with several Michigan high schools including East Kentwood, Rockford, Traverse City, Byron High School in Byron Area Schools, Oxford High School in Oxford Community Schools, and Brother Rice High School in Bloomfield Hills Schools.
Nopparet “Mint” Likhithattaslip, from Thailand, exchanges phone numbers with Veronika Rieks, from Germany
“The exchange students are fitting in real well,” said Dean of Students Jesus Hernandez, who is helping coordinate the program. “They will need support in the building, and the staff stepped up and want to help.”
The district receives $10,000 per student from Weiming Education Group and $4,000 per Educatius student, in addition to state per-pupil aid, Reeder said.
All in the Family
The students are living with local host families, who are introducing them to culture through food, travel and customs. Senior Vanessa Cage’s family is hosting Chinese student Zhu “Mike” Zicheng. Since his arrival, they’ve gone to a water park, shopping and on other excursions. Other students have visited the lakeshore, taken bike rides and gone camping with host families.
“It’s really fun. Mike’s really funny,” Vanessa said. “He taught us a lot of Chinese words. I know my name in Chinese.”
As a student, Vanessa sees the international program as a positive.
“I think it’s better for the whole school,” she said. “I’ve gone to four different schools and they weren’t diverse. That’s why I love this school. Everybody’s nice here. I haven’t met anyone who puts people out for what they are.”
Hernandez and Reeder said they are hopeful the program will expand over the next few years.
“It’s that whole piece of understanding each other, understanding people from different parts of the world who our kids can gain knowledge from. I think it’s part of the Wyoming dream to see this expand. Absolutely,” Hernandez said.
Crestwood Middle School psychologist Kathy Lennon was feeling surly. She was not about to listen to social worker Cathy DeHaan lead a session at the EKConference 2015.
Lennon sat at her desk and picked loudly at the cardboard on her coffee cup. “How are you doing?” DeHaan asked as she approached Lennon to see what the problem was.
“Fine!” Lennon said.
“It looks like maybe you’re stressed out,” DeHaan said.
“It looks like maybe you’re stressed out, and you’ve got a class to teach so you might as well teach it!” answered Lennon.
The professionals were reenacting how a student escalates into defensiveness, and how best to respond to their behavior in the workshop titled, “Mental Health Issues in School and Verbal De-Escalation.” It focused on how a student’s mental health impacts success in school, touching on depression, anxiety, marijuana use and related behaviors.
Teachers match gender and sexual orientation terms to their definitions during the workshops, “Understanding and Supporting LGBTQ Students” (Courtesy of SNN)
Playing to their Strengths
The EKConference allowed DeHaan to share her knowledge with other East Kentwood High School and Crestwood Middle School teachers. Educators chose from 74 workshops spread over five sessions.
Co-created last year by teachers and academic coaches Luke Wilcox and Tracey Kooy, the purpose of the conference is for staff members to tap into one another’s knowledge. Sharing expertise ultimately leads to better teaching, they said, and educators are carrying what they learn into the classroom.
“It’s great for the teachers because we are learning from each other and we are able to hear from different areas of specialty,” Lennon said. “There are so many different subjects to hear about.”
Throughout the day, educators covered topics on technology, art, history, writing, leadership, special education, reading, test preparation, speech, fundraising, math, science, teaching, English-language learners and new teaching approaches.
Counselor Jennifer Bailey shakes a pop bottle, symbolizing growing stress which leads to an explosion during a workshop on mental health (Courtest of SNN)
Workshops were as diverse as exploring ways to use GoFit heart sensors in physical education, and how teenagers use American music and pop culture to establish voice, identity, craft and civic responsibility.
The goal is to give teachers a place where they can easily collaborate, follow up and feel comfortable doing so, said Kooy, an English teacher who has been involved in a research project with the University of Toronto for three years based on professional development needs. Traditional professional development sessions are led by visitors on a one-time basis.
“When teachers can choose their learning, they are more invested,” Kooy said. It’s not everyone learning the same thing, because that marginalizes learning and it doesn’t allow us to seek out where we have a weakness. If we can visit sessions where we feel we can learn the most, it’s empowering.”
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Wyoming, Kelloggsviile, Godwin Heights and Godfrey Lee Public Schools students fill their summer days with fun and activities through TEAM 21, which blended summer school and recreation
By: Erin Albanese – School News Network
In recent years, Michigan school children have enjoyed a three-month summer break, by law not returning to the classroom before Labor Day. But as administrators work to add days to the school calendar, that soon may change.
Paradoxically, the state prohibits schools from starting before Labor Day unless they are granted a waiver, but it is also bumping up the required number of school days. Districts must be in session 180 days and 1,098 hours for the 2016-2017 school year. That’s up from 170 last year and 175 this year.
Kent County superintendents are meeting in mid-October to fit more days into the schools’ common calendar for the 2016-2017 school year, with several ideas on the table: a pre-Labor Day start (by applying for waiver county-wide unless the law is changed), a shorter winter break and eliminating mid-winter break. The common calendar aligns winter, spring and mid-winter breaks so area children have the same days off.
Kent ISD Superintendent Ron Caniff said adding days to the school calendar in June may mean an overall benefit to tourism dollars created by the Labor Day mandate may no longer hold true. Students are already involved in sports, band and extracurricular activities before Labor Day. Most of all, starting school earlier makes sense for many schools.
“At the elementary level, a compressed summer schedule also could be beneficial to prevent regression of learning that occurs over the summer months,” Caniff said.
Wyoming Public Schools’ calendar has stretched from late May or early June until the Tuesday after Labor Day for several years. That will soon change, and Superintendent Tom Reeder, who is on the committee, said starting before Labor Day would align the start of school with extracurriculars.
“I would like to start earlier than Labor Day, when things are back with band and sports and the students have had a break,” he said.
For Kelloggsville Public Schools, the added days won’t change anything, said Tammy Savage, the district’s director or instruction. The district’s school year goes later into June than surrounding schools.
Wyoming students meet a goat during Team 21
“Kelloggsville has 180 student days in their school year and always has,” Savage said. “It is our belief that in addition to the academics, being in school provides social and emotional support as well as numerous after school activities.
“Additionally, with a high (number of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch) we are able to provide two healthy meals each day,” she said, noting that she would like to see the Labor Day law reversed so school can start a week or two prior to the holiday.
Bill Passage Would Change the Law
House Bill 4396 would allow Michigan’s school boards to set their own start date instead of a mandated start after Labor Day. The bill is co-sponsored by Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids. The bill would lock in a four-day holiday weekend, giving students Friday before the holiday off.
For this school year, 100 of the state’s 900-plus districts have applied for waivers to start early anyway, including Greenville Area School District.
Former Superintendent Pete Haines, now Ottawa Area ISD superintendent, said he applied for the waiver because many of the high school students are dual-enrolled at Montcalm Community College, which starts classes before Labor Day. Many other Montcalm County schools also received waivers. Greenville Area School District opened its doors Aug. 31.
Aligning the calendars makes sense, Haines said, but there are other reasons an earlier start works better.
“Frankly, kids are ready to get back,” he said. “They are just ready.”
The issue of snow days also factors into fitting in school days and hours, he said. The last two years have been especially snowy.
Students in TEAM 21 spend a summer day swimming
“There is a concern over summer slide,” Haines said, referring to learning lost during vacation. “This does open the dialogue for what a more balanced calendar would do.”
More or Less School? History Shows Different Trends
As a way to buoy tourism, the post-Labor Day start law was enacted in 2005 to give families one last summer hurrah before school. This year, with the holiday falling as late as it possibly can on the calendar, most students don’t start school until Sept. 8, following more than three months off.
At the time the law came into effect, former Gov. Jennifer Granholm said it would not affect children because districts will continue to spend the same number of hours at school, with wiggle room for vacation days and how late in the spring districts remain in session.
The change is another about-face for the state. Michigan increased its school calendar requirements through the 1990s, bumping the mandated minimum classroom hours from 900 to 1,098, with a minimum of 180 days in session, according to the report, “School Daze: Michigan’s Shrinking School Year,” created by The Center for Michigan, an Ann Arbor-based think tank.
The goal was to incrementally increase the minimum-day requirement until it reached 190 days in 2006-07. Instead, legislators dropped the day requirement completely as of the 2003-04 school year, leaving a 1,098-hour mandate in place. Lansing told districts that they could shorten the school year by making each school day a few minutes longer, according to the report.
“Eliminating the days requirement coincided with single-state and then the national recession, and some districts dropped back to as few as 145 days a year in their efforts to save money,” according to The Center for Michigan report.
Across the country, many states require 180 days of instruction, and many are in school well before Labor Day. Minnesota and Virginia also have the post-Labor Day start-date law.
Another thing to consider is the oft-cited problem of summer slide, when students who aren’t engaged in dune climbs or museum tours slip back reading levels and forget their math. Many districts already work to make summer more enriching for students through various summer programs.
Godfrey-Lee Superintendent David Britten said the reasoning behind the Labor Day law is “stupid,” but students experience learning loss as a result of not receiving instruction in an in-depth, meaningful way. As for the Labor Day start, he’s not convinced it’s much of a factor.
“I don’t think it matters,” Britten said. “I think it’s what we do during the school year that makes the difference, and that’s what we want to focus on.”
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
Hamilton Early Childhood Center student walks a path of mulch, rocks and logs (courtesy photo)
By: Erin Albanese – School News Network
Hamilton Early Childhood Elementary Center special education teachers Julie Gaines and Sue Farnham recognize when their preschoolers are overwhelmed, need a break or could simply benefit from time outdoors.
Now they have a place to bring their youngsters. Many have sensory processing issues and find relief in listening to the soft music of wind chimes, sinking their bare toes into sand, smelling lavender, touching shiny rocks and feeling the breeze or sunshine. They can blow bubbles or check out a colorful peace pole, and the state of tranquility and moments of freedom work wonders, the educators say.
Hamilton staff and custodians recently transformed a small school courtyard into a sensory garden, offering a calming place where students can roam, develop a host of skills and use their five senses in ways they are comfortable.
“It’s a great place for them to safely explore,” Gaines said. “They get to make the decision about what to do out there. There are a lot of things to touch… sand is very popular. When our students have been working hard on a focused activity and they’ve concentrated hard, they might need a break.”
Using his sense of smell, a student sniffs a perennial flower
But it goes beyond needing recess time. Children with sensory processing issues inappropriately interpret or organize information taken in by the five senses. For example, an everyday sound such as the hum of a fan that would hardly be noticed by most, might be highly irritating to someone with sensory processing issues; or the feel of clothing might be offensive. A person with sensory challenges might also crave sensory input and want to touch everything, or push heavy objects, or to hear a particular sound repeatedly.
“Our sensory garden offers our children a variety of sights, sounds, textures, smells and experiences that they can explore at their own pace and according to their comfort level,” Gaines said. “The natural light and open space is less irritating than an indoor room might be for them. And of course the beauty of nature, fresh air and sunshine is healthy for the staff too.”
The garden contains a variety of plants hardy enough for curious students to touch
An Outdoor Extension
Hamilton has had an indoor sensory room — with swings, a ball pit, bicycles and other items — since it opened four years ago. Along with break-time for overly stimulated students, it’s also used for gross and fine motor-skill development by occupational and physical therapists. The room abuts the sensory garden.
Hamilton houses Kentwood Public Schools’ preschool programs, a Bright Beginnings Program for infants to 3-year-olds and the district’s special-education early childhood program. All students will use the garden at some point, with special education classes using it the most, said Lori Eaton, the center’s director.
The garden provides hands-on learning. Students can touch plants, watch ants do their busy work in an ant farm, and walk a path made from rocks, mulch and logs.
There’s room for play in the garden too
“It’s going to be amazing,” Eaton said. “Through every sense of the word, they can learn so much out there.”
Farnham, also a speech pathologist, has already used the garden for summer school to meet sensory needs as well as help with motor skill development, language development and communication.
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
As Godfrey-Lee Public Schools superintendent, David Britten put the district on the cutting edge of digital education by implementing a one-to-one laptop program in 2009, before many other schools had done so.
Since then the approximately 2,000-student district has stayed at the forefront of technology use in education. In 2013 Godfrey-Lee received a $550,000 School Improvement Grant, with the bulk going toward technology which officials used to purchase MacBook Air and Pro laptops and iPads.
Washington, D.C., officials have taken notice of Britten, a prolific blogger, social media user and technology-savvy administrator. The U.S. Army officer was selected by the U.S. Department of Education as one of 100 school leaders to participate in the first-ever National Connected Superintendents Summit at the White House. He was recognized for leadership in helping the district make the transition to digital learning.
“I personally knew the value of technology in learning and in evolving careers,” said Britten, who leads the district with the most economically disadvantaged students in Kent County.
“When I took on the district in 2008-09, I wanted to be sure our students had the same access to technology as I began to see in some of the progressive schools around the country. I didn’t want their socioeconomic status to hold them back.”
Godfrey-Lee began with a five-year vision of providing every secondary student with a digital device, beginning with sixth grade. Money from the SIG grant and bond funds put the district two years ahead of its timeline. Officials have evolved the program as a hybrid of 1:1 plus bring your own device, allowing students and staff members to use the device of their choice.
Next up: more devices at the elementary school, programming, coding and 3D printing, Britten said.
Godfrey-Lee Superintendent David Britten stands in front to the podium at the White House
A Day at the White House
At the summit, Britten and other school leaders met with President Barack Obama, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and a host of other U.S. Department of Education and senior administration officials to discuss promising approaches to using technology in the classroom.
A big focus was connecting students with tools they need for digital technology learning. The Obama Administration’s strategic plan, the ConnectEd Initiative, aims to connect all schools to high-speed Internet and provide digital technology learning tools to every student.
“Districts and schools need dynamic, empowered leadership to prepare their schools for the future,” Britten said. “I was amazed that less than 40 percent of schools provide devices and connectivity to high-speed Internet outside of an occasional shared computer or static computer lab.”
Every school superintendent in the country was asked to sign a pledge with the president to make districts “Future Ready” and committing to the following:
* Fostering and leading a culture of collaboration and digital citizenship; * Transitioning schools and families to high-speed connectivity; * Empowering educators with professional learning opportunities; * Accelerating progress toward universal access to quality devices; * Providing access to quality digital content; * Creating access, equity and excellence – particularly in rural, remote and low-income districts; * Offering digital tools to students and families to help them prepare for success in college; * Sharing best practices and mentoring other districts in the transition to digital learning.
“School districts across the country are helping teachers harness the power of technology to create personal learning environments for all students,” said Secretary of Education Duncan in a press release. “We want to make sure every child – whether he or she is in the inner-city, in a rural community or on a Native American reservation – has access to knowledge and the chance to learn 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
Twelve to 15 planned regional meetings will focus on what school districts have in place and what could be possible with digital technology. The events will also include the unveiling of digital tools that facilitate incorporation of technology into short-term and long-range education planning.
Britten said schools moving forward need to include student voices in technology planning, provide ongoing teacher training, and empower teachers to be innovative and take risks.
“In the end, high-quality instruction is still the difference-maker, with digital technology opening up new avenues for communicating, collaborating, creating and publishing within a flexible learning environment. Great teaching is still the equalizer, not specific types of technology.”
In the early grades, there are developmental issues and differences between genders. Boys are generally behind girls. Some boys really don’t have the biological building blocks in place to be proficient in reading at third grade. Few learn well by sitting quietly in rows reading books.
