How Your Phone Changed Photography

www.good.is

 

An interesting, if not fairly obvious, post from GOOD on how photography has changed in nature over the last twenty years (1993 - 2013)....

How Your Phone Changed Photography

This undoubtedly changes the game in terms of student engagement and communication. Think about the possibilities with students when the ability to create content is as easy as turning on the phone (or allowing it in school....), downloading one of a hundred different photographic apps (instagram being the most well known), and displaying it publicly and nearly instantaneously.

As recently as two years ago, I proctored an online class on Digital Photography. There are two observations here:

1. I thought it was great that we could offer an online class and that the digital camera was fairly new. 
2. The speed at which this class and its content seems antiquated is mind boggling. 

So how do we re-orient ourselves as educators to be prepared for a world in which what we work with kids with in one year is obsolete the next? This is the biggest challenge for teachers, especially as it pertains to integrating technology. 

It will necessitate a mind and culture shift in terms of student engagement, student assessment, and, ultimately, what an independent school graduate looks like when they leave our school. 

One of the things we've been looking at is this idea of COD or Combine Our Devices. What if we could get to a point where students had a school issued device that fit certain parameters, and the could choose one other digital device to enhance that device? If we could harness the enthusiasm and excitement to use these devices and focus it on the learning outcomes we are looking for, we could do amazing things. 

Ebenezer Scrooge and the Missing Oxytocin

Interesting article on the neurochemical that determines how greedy we are from the Dana Foundation:

Ebenezer Scrooge and the Missing Oxytocin

Study Habits of Generation i

Granted this is a study commissioned by a mobile study app, but the illustration was what I had to include! This is from STUDYBLUE.


Via: STUDYBLUE.com

Portfolio Program: A Review

Last month I presented a summary of the Portfolio Program to the board and thought it would be worth sharing here.

Nature By Numbers, Cristobal Vila

Beautiful.

Study on ADHD: Computer Interface Helps ADHD Symptoms

To medicate or not to medicate: an ongoing debate for families whose sons or daughters have ADHD. In this study, we see a potentially new approach to treat ADHD symptoms without medication. Interesting stuff.

Study on Computer Interface to Treat ADHD

Leadership at Canterbury

In early November, Tricia Fisher, Sam Turner, P'15 and '18, and I presented at the NCAIS Biennial Conference on the development of our Leadership Program at Canterbury. What follows is the Prezi we used to outline our plan of action. We've also developed a Vision Map, which we will be able to use over the next 18 to 24 months as we implement our new vision for leadership at Canterbury School.

NCAIS Leadership Presentation on Prezi

The Flipped Bully: NC Cyberbullying Law

Our Director of Technology, Kathy Hartsell, passed this article on to us and I thought it was important to make you all aware of some of the new or enhanced laws that are now in effect in North Carolina regarding cyberbullying.

New NC laws, kids cyberbullying teachers outlawed

Gene Predicts Sleep Patterns and Time of Death

A fascinating article on a gene discovered by Harvard doctors that can predict the best times to plan daily activities and, when the time is right, what time of day you're most likely to pass away....

Gene Helps Influence Sleep Pattern and Time of Death

The Future Of Learning, Networked Society

I found this video at Karl Schaefer's blog and had to pass it along. The coolest part is Knewton - individualizing learning and creating individual paths for success. A grand idea to be sure, but a glimpse into the future...

How to Avoid the Artificial Maturity Trap

I thought this was a timely post relating to how we perceive our kids in a society that pushed them toward adulthood far too quickly. One very nice thing about a K-8 model is that we have the ability to "keep them young" because we don't have the downward pressure of high school life.

How to Avoid the Artificial Maturity Trap

Old School Can Still Work

At Canterbury we are in the midst of a big push to integrate technology in the classroom. However, we are intentionally taking a balanced approach so that we aren't throwing the baby out with the bath water so to speak.

In 5th grade our writing curriculum steps up in terms of expectations and output. In Nadav Avital' (5th Grade Humanities and Composition) capable hands, however, students are guided step by step through a variety of different types of writing from research to personal narrative to expository and beyond. I was in his classroom this morning and was expecting some heavy techie work going on as they were discussing a writing strategy.

Instead, I found charts galore - fastened in all corners of the classroom - with examples, webs, highlights, and underlines to help the students as they wrote their own pieces. So, after an earlier post about how Google is enhancing the educational experience of our middle school students through the collaborative nature of its Apps, I wanted to take a moment to make sure everybody understood that the time-tested and effective pedagogical approaches are not being neglected in our classroom.

Why Google?

This year we have moved our students and teachers over to Google as a platform for student work. The alacrity with which the students and teachers have embraced this transition has been breathtaking. I thought it would be time well spent outlining how we are using the new Google platform, present a few anecdotes from the classroom, and orient us towards how this could be used in the future.

One note is that we are hardly the first school to be using Google in the classroom or as a base platform for student work. Google offers a school-specific platform for student-to-student, teacher-to-student, and teacher-to-teacher collaboration that is free. What follows are the different ways in which we are using Google with our students.

What We Are Using

• Google Drive: We are using the Google Drive App as our new server. All student (and teacher) work is saved to their Google Drive account. Google Drive (and all the Google Apps) are cloud based, which means the content and material can be accessed from anywhere the student can get access to a computer (or tablet or smartphone) and WiFi (or 3G or 4G data plans). 
• Google Docs: Docs is Google's version of the Microsoft suite of software. A Doc is essentially Word, Presentation is PowerPoint, and Spreadsheet is Excel. Additionally, there is a Form and Drawing app within Google Docs. The best part, almost any file or document can be uploaded and converted to a Google Doc and then shared with collaborators.
• Google Sites: Sites is the website template that Google offers. Students and teachers can use this App to create websites that can act as static websites or collaborative wikis. We are using Sites most prominently in the 8th grade Portfolio program. 
• Google Blogger: Blogger is the blogging App. Teachers and students can use this to develop blogs on subjects or projects. We are using Blogger to manage our production of Honk, as well as for our Science classes. 

Some Examples

1. 8th Graders are sharing their introductions to the Portfolio products and mentors and Mr. Skeen are offering feedback and revision directly to the students in almost real time. 
2. Mr. Schoultz is sharing worksheets with children for homework. They need only sign into Google and go to their Drive and their homework is ready for them to complete. When it comes time to "hand in" the homework, they need only press Share. 
3. Mr. Vogel is using the research tool on Google Docs to leverage the power of the Google search engine to find scholarly articles on a research paper topic and provide proper citation in 0.000098 seconds. 
4. Mr. Carrick is sharing a selection from The Outsiders to his class, showing the document on the screen and students, when called upon are highlighting and discussing the different examples of imagery. 
5. Mrs. Niegelsky is sharing notes from class directly with a student who was sick, so they can use them complete the homework. 
6. We have sent out multiple surveys that have been created with Forms. Parent/Teacher conference sign up is done through a Spreadsheet. 
7. Mr. Skeen is taking video of his students first attempt at a dramatic speech, sharing it via a private YouTube link, and providing feedback and pointers directly through a Google Doc that is linked to the video. 

How You Can Learn More

John Schoultz, our Middle School Technology Coordinator, has offered multiple workshops for parents on how we are using Google in the middle school. If you are interested in learning more please contact him at schoultzj@canterburygso.org

Genius vs. Talent

I came across a blog post by Daniel Pink that referenced an article he wrote delineating between genius and talent. The most interesting part was his selection of two quotes. From the post:

Two quotations in the stories stuck with me. The first comes from Mihaly Csikszentmilhalyi, who wrote:

“The unifying similarity among geniuses and innovators is not cognitive or affective but motivational.  What is common among them is the unwillingness or inability to strive for goals everyone else accepts.”

The other is from Arthur Schopenhauer:

“Talent hits a target no one else can hit; genius hits a target no one else can see.”

Very interesting point and one we as educators often misconstrue as defiance or day dreaming. Perhaps in the 21st Century world we need to orient ourselves to talent and genius. 

Electives Selection Sheet: Trimester 2

Please find a link to the Elective Selection Sheet for Trimester 2.

Selection Sheet: Trimester 2

Chapel Buddies: A Precious Moment

Jackie Fuller, one of our Kindergarten teachers, shared this photo with me. It is two 6th graders who stopped by their Chapel Buddies' Kindergarten classroom right as they were beginning their lunch. The 6th graders decided they would lead the prayer. Classic.

Parent Education Opportunity

Student Support Specialists, Katie Leezer and Judy Cram,
will host an information session in Berry Hall on October 18th at 2:30.

Katie and Judy will introduce their department and give an introduction to how student support services help Canterbury students. Parents can arrive early for carpool and secure their parking space! The session will end before student dismissal.

This information session was scheduled early to help parents, especially new parents,
navigate student support services after their first conference.

Questions? Please contact Parent Education Chairs, Kristi McCormick
kmccormick@ese-co.com or Kelly McKee kmckee8008@gmail.com.

Finding Kind: After the Movie

On September 30, Canterbury middle school girls and their parents were invited to view the film, Finding Kind at Greensboro Day School. It is a documentary following two college-age girls who set out across the country to talk with middle and high school girls about the pitfalls of girl bullying and offer them strategies to Be Kind to one another.

The stars and producers of the film, Lauren Parsekian and Molly Thompson, came to Canterbury on October 1 to meet with our middle school girls and discuss the topics that came up in the film. It was a wonderful opportunity for our girls to hear about the ways we can all be kind to one another.

As part of our ongoing commitment to the well being of every one of our students, our Middle School Counselor, Emily McCollum, has taken some of the ideas that came out of that assembly and put them into practice. The most visible part of this approach is the Kind Wall in Armfield Cottage. Three sections of the hallway wall has been painted in chalkboard paint, so that students and teachers can write kind things to each other. Once a month, Mrs. McCollum will wipe the board clean and we can start all over again.

Canterbury's Kind Wall

Civil War Expert Visits the 8th Grade

On October 11,  in one section of 8th grade Social Studies, the students were treated to a special presentation by Ted Bartley, grandfather of one of our 8th graders.  

Mr. Bartley showing off his Civil War button collection.

Mr. Bartley and his wife traveled to Greensboro from their home in Virginia to talk about his Civil War collection. He brought artifacts from over 45 years of collecting to show the students. He talked most specifically about the Battle of Gettysburg, but also brought relics from other battles. Included in his cache of treasures was Confederate money, belt plates, a replica of a North Carolina soldier's uniform, pictures, and his favorite type of artifact: buttons. Mr. Bartley was able to convey the importance of the artifacts to the students and the students were able to see some of the things that they had studied about in and out of class. 

One artifact of particular interest that he brought was a signed report card by Robert E. Lee from Washington College from 1868 where he was the president at the time. Later the college became known as Washington and Lee University, alma mater of Mr. Skeen!  The students were treated to Mr. Bartley's knowledge and storytelling ability and all left with a better understanding of the Civil War!

A report card from Washington College (later renamed Washington & Lee) signed by Robert E. Lee. 

Fall Conference Sign Up

Please see the Fall Conference Sign Up Sheet below. Also, if you are interested in learning more about how we are incorporating Google into our classes, please sign up for a training session with John Schoultz, our Middle School Technology Coordinator.

Fall Conference Sheet 2012

8th Grade Feb Trips Letter

Hello,

Below you will find the link to the 8th Grade February Trip Letter.

8th Grade February Trips Letter

Canterbury Alum (and JV Soccer Coach) Wins National Award

Caroline Newman, Class of 2004, has been awarded the 2012 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA)/Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship. 

http://www.news-record.com/node/144501

Electives Selection

This afternoon we had our electives pitch. The selection sheet can found at the link below:

Electives Choice Sheet, Trimester One, 2012-2013

Mindset List

Every year Beloit College publishes a Mindset List for the incoming freshman class. It is a list of 100 ways the students in the class view the world. It was originally conceived as a list to help faculty gain perspective on the students they would be teaching. Since its inception it has been used in the corporate and government sectors as well.

What a fascinating idea! This is, technically, the same generation that our middle school students are a part of so it is worth the time to peruse the list and see what it says. Besides, it's a pretty entertaining list! A sample:

5. If they miss The Daily Show, they can always get their news on YouTube.

9. They have never seen an airplane ‘‘ticket.’’

18. Their folks have never gazed with pride on a new set of bound encyclopedias on the bookshelf.

67. Chronic fatigue syndrome has always been officially recognized with clinical guidelines.

73. Lou Gehrig’s record for most consecutive baseball games played has never stood in their lifetimes.

6th Grade Orientation Presentation and Notes

INTRO SLIDE


Hello! and welcome to the middle school. Over the next 45 minutes we will be throwing a lot of information your way. Some of you are middle school veterans, others are embarking on this stage for the first time.

We think we have something for everybody today. I’ll start by explaining what you can expect from your child in general during the middle school years, move into how we believe Canterbury's middle school best serves your child during those years, and end by highlighting some of what we have in place to accomplish our vision of what a great middle school child looks like at the end of 8th grade.


Next, Justin Zappia, our Athletic Director, will touch on Canterbury Athletics, and Kathy Durham, our Director of Student Life, will outline some of the nuts and bolts of the day-to-day Canterbury middle school experience. We’ll end with some time for your questions.

So let's begin:

SLIDE 2 (based on Developmental Designs research)

Adolescents undergo more growth during their middle school years than at any other point in their lives. Your child's adolescence will dictate their (and your) middle school experience. Essentially, their life will be defined by four goals during this time:

1. Separate from the adults,
2. Develop strong peer relationships,
3. Find their identity, and
4. Have adults sign off on who they want to become.

The most important thing we as the adults in their lives can do is understand where they are developmentally, meet them there, and create structures that will help accomplish these four goals in safe and healthy ways.

VIDEO: Ryan’s First Day in Middle School

Adolescent growth happens across three facets: physical, social-emotional, and intellectual

Physical

1. Middle schoolers grow at different rates and at different times
2. For some 6th graders and most 7th graders puberty begins and hormones begin firing throughout the whole body while,
3. The brain is under construction and not ready to handle the overload of messages, hence:
4. A lot of impulsivity and lack of self control  - not all the time, but it is common

Social-Emotional

1. Middle schoolers are exceptionally moody
2. Because they are seeking to establish strong peer relationships, they are hyper-sensitive and self conscious
3. At the same time, they are seeking their independence and identity so they push boundaries and often discover sarcasm as a primary means to push those boundaries. (and by the way, according to the middle school child, adults know nothing. Just FYI.)
4. But, by the end of  8th grade they have begun to identify the values they believe uphold their perception of themselves and will demand fairness in all things.

Intellectual:

1. Children often begin middle school as concrete thinkers: everything is right or wrong, black or white.
2. They can be resistant to reflection and would like nothing better than to put something on paper and never be bothered by it again.
3. They like to argue, but beginning at the end of 5th grade and into 6th and 7th grades they grow into an ability to think conceptually and abstractly.
4. They begin to identify organizational and study skills that work for them.
5. By 8th grade, our students are putting together Big Picture thinking skills, willing to reflect and revise, and want to do well on meaningful projects - still, don't expect them to admit this to you!

So through all of this growth, your children will experience highs and lows. They’ll need to know how to react to both. They’ll often be confused and sometimes anxious or frustrated and, while they would never tell you outright, they are craving guides and boundaries that will help them (as Developmental Designs puts it) "navigate the waters."

We are partners in guiding your children and our students through those waters. We believe our middle school is set up to meet the kids where they are developmentally. As you will see, the look and feel of a middle school is different than that of a lower school - a little noisier, a little looser. While it may seem very different, it is a natural off-shoot of the foundation that the lower school has provided.

The structure and processes of the middle school mean we are able to meet your children where they are developmentally and bring them to a point where they can enter high school as well-rounded, value-driven individuals, ready to contribute to their new school community and the community at large. 

VIDEO: 8th Grade Independent Latin Project - The End Game

It all begins with Canterbury's vision of what an excellent middle school educational experience for your child should look like.

SLIDE 3

We start with a whole child approach. A complete education necessitates that whatever we do, we make sure we address all aspects of your child’s life in ways that lead to the well­-rounded individuals we seek to graduate. The cornerstone of that approach is an emphasis on academics. For this whole child approach to work, we must foster trusting and respectful relationships with our students, and also with you, the parents, as well as our colleagues at school. When decisions need to be made in the pursuit of our goal of educational excellence, we make sure those decisions are guided by middle school best practices and our students’ best interests. Linked to this last point, is that we must be certain those decisions and whatever structures are in place ensure the social and emotional well being of our students. As excellence connotes, we must have high expectations of the students and ourselves in pursuit of the 21st century skills that our students will need as they enter high school and beyond.


So what does that vision look like on a day-to-day, month­-to-month, or year-to-year basis for your children here at Canterbury? We implement our vision in many different ways, but it can be divided into four main categories: Student Leadership, Structures, Student-Focused Support, and Communication.

Throughout the year, you will hear more about the various items that fall under the categories you see up on the SmartBoard, but I would like to highlight a few that I think are particularly relevant here today.

Developmental Designs

1. DD is the "older sibling" to the Responsive Classroom philosophy the lower school uses. The research and practices of both are similar. The Iinchpin to DD is the advisory. As you saw in the Directory, your child is part of an advisory and that advisor will be your child’s advocate for the entire 5th grade year. It will be in this group that the students’ build their first sense of community in the middle school, but it will not be limited to the advisory.
2. One of our goals as a faculty is to ensure that we continue to infuse the DD principles of relationship, autonomy, competency, and fun into all aspects of the school day including classroom routines, all school routines, discipline, and social norms. You will be hearing more about the Developmental Designs program from me and your advisor. You can also visit my blog to see some posts on the topic. We have been steadily working on DD in the classroom and beyond, and are excited to continue to implementation across the middle school.

Student Support Team

1. Since my arrival at Canterbury we’ve had the Student Support Team to facilitate conversations related to our implementation of the middle school vision and to work to support our students in all aspects of their experience at Canterbury. This team includes myself, Kathy Durham, Director of Student Life and Unity in Diversity, Emily McCollum, Middle School Counselor, Judy Cram, Academic Counselor, and Nathan Finnin, our chaplain. 
2. With this team in place the middle school has multiple expert perspectives examining student life, as well as school processes, procedures, and frameworks to make sure we are doing the best job possible.

Communication

1. Protocol: I ask that you follow the protocol laid out for you on the slide here when there is a classroom issue or non­classroom issue that comes up. It often solves problems quickly and can get everybody back on the same page with only a minor bump in the road.
2. Blackbaud Parent Portal: We will be rolling out a new website with vastly improved functionality and interactive capabilities. The part that will benefit you the most will be the parent and student portals that will allow you to sign in to a secure and individualized website that will show your child(ren)’s life at Canterbury. This page will include schedules, classes, assignments, grades, progress reports, report cards, activities, teams, announcements (class, division, and/or whole school), forms, and more. You will be able to choose from a number of different ways to be notified of any changes that are happening on this site. Once this site is ready to roll out, we will be offering parent education in a number of different forums, so don’t be too intimidated right now. Just know that this will be the one-stop-shop for everything Canterbury as it relates to your child. Most specifically, class assignments and grades will be open for all middle school students.
3. Middle School Homework/Test Calendar: Until Blackbaud is fully functional, we will be using a Homework calendar that is embedded in the website under News/Calendar and Middle School Academic Calendar. We have had this system in place for some time. Two years ago we implemented a homework page for all homework assignments, tests, quizzes and projects. You will be able to go to this one page to see what is happening in 5th grade by day, week, or month. I am asking the faculty to post their homework assignments to this page by 3:30 on Monday for the week. If there are any worksheets to be completed, they will be uploaded to teacher’s individual pages, which will be linked to this master page. This Calendar Page is meant to be a guide to the homework assignments, and these assignments may change as a result of remediation, change of pace, or enrichment during the week. As such, teachers will make these changes in the students’ agendas. As a result, please refer to your Agenda first for homework assignments. By using a combination of the Homework/Test Calendar Page and agendas, we maintain our stress on personal responsibility, while providing guideposts for you in terms of where your child should be when it comes to homework.
4. Middle School Director's Blog: l often write blog posts highlighting what is happening in the division including curriculum previews, Developmental Design information, Student Support Strategies, the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development of the middle school adolescent, examples of student work, and a list of special events. My intention is to keep you abreast of what is happening in the building and help inform you about the intricacies of middle school life.

While there is a ton left to discuss on that schematic, I do want to allow time for Kathy to give you her information, and leave time for questions.

SLIDE 4

SLIDE 5

New and Very Cool Things About 6th Grade

SLIDE 6

I hope this has been informative for you - I’m sure you have a ton of questions. Please know that my door is always open, my phone (almost) always open, and my email definitely open! So please do use me as a resource when you need me. We are all here to help make this transition and your middle school years the best possible years they can be. In an effort to practice sustainability and save paper I've posted this presentation, my comments, and two articles that highlight how to handle adolescents at home and the importance of partnership between school and families in children's education.

THE ARTICLES

What’s Best For Kids? Tips for ParentsUnderstanding and Appreciating the Wonder Years by John H. Lounsbury

5th Grade Orientation Presentation and Notes

INTRO SLIDE


Hello! and welcome to the middle school. Over the next 45 minutes we will be throwing a lot of information your way. Some of you are middle school veterans, others are embarking on this stage for the first time.

We think we have something for everybody today. I’ll start by explaining what you can expect from your child in general during the middle school years, move into how we believe Canterbury's middle school best serves your child during those years, and end by highlighting some of what we have in place to accomplish our vision of what a great middle school child looks like at the end of 8th grade.
Next, Kathy Durham, our Director of Student Life, will outline some of the nuts and bolts of the day-to-day Canterbury middle school experience. We’ll end with some time for your questions.

So let's begin:

SLIDE 2 (based on Developmental Designs research)

Adolescents undergo more growth during their middle school years than at any other point in their lives. Your child's adolescence will dictate their (and your) middle school experience. Essentially, their life will be defined by four goals during this time:

1. Separate from the adults,
2. Develop strong peer relationships,
3. Find their identity, and
4. Have adults sign off on who they want to become.

The most important thing we as the adults in their lives can do is understand where they are developmentally, meet them there, and create structures that will help accomplish these four goals in safe and healthy ways.

VIDEO: Ryan’s First Day in Middle School

Adolescent growth happens across three facets: physical, social-emotional, and intellectual



Physical

1. Middle schoolers grow at different rates and at different times
2. For some 6th graders and most 7th graders puberty begins and hormones begin firing throughout the whole body while,
3. The brain is under construction and not ready to handle the overload of messages, hence:
4. Alot of impulsivity and lack of self control  - not all the time, but it is common

Social-Emotional

1. Middle schoolers are exceptionally moody
2. Because they are seeking to establish strong peer relationships, they are hyper-sensitive and self conscious
3. At the same time, they are seeking their independence and identity so they push boundaries and often discover sarcasm as a primary means to push those boundaries. (and by the way, according to the middle school child, adults know nothing. Just FYI.)
4. But, by the end of 8th grade they have begun to identify the values they believe uphold their perception of themselves and will demand fairness in all things.

Intellectual

1. Children often begin middle school as concrete thinkers: everything is right or wrong, black or white.
2. They can be resistant to reflection and would like nothing better than to put something on paper and never be bothered by it again.
3. They like to argue, but beginning at the end of 5th grade and into 6th and 7th grades they grow into an ability to think conceptually and abstractly.
4. They begin to identify organizational and study skills that work for them.
5. By 8th grade, our students are putting together Big Picture thinking skills, willing to reflect and revise, and want to do well on meaningful projects - still, don't expect them to admit this to you!

So through all of this growth, your children will experience highs and lows. They’ll need to know how to react to both. They’ll often be confused and sometimes anxious or frustrated and, while they would never tell you outright, they are craving guides and boundaries that will help them (as Developmental Designs puts it) "navigate the waters."

We are partners in guiding your children and our students through those waters. We believe our middle school is set up to meet the kids where they are developmentally. As you will see, the look and feel of a middle school is different than that of a lower school - a little noisier, a little looser. While it may seem very different, it is a natural off-shoot of the foundation that the lower school has provided.

The structure and processes of the middle school mean we are able to meet your children where they are developmentally and bring them to a point where they can enter high school as well-rounded, value-driven individuals, ready to contribute to their new school community and the community at large. 

VIDEO: 8th Grade Independent Latin Project - The End Game

It all begins with Canterbury's vision of what an excellent middle school educational experience for your child should look like.

SLIDE 3

We start with a whole child approach. A complete education necessitates that whatever we do, we make sure we address all aspects of your child’s life in ways that lead to the well­-rounded individuals we seek to graduate. The cornerstone of that approach is an emphasis on academics. For this whole child approach to work, we must foster trusting and respectful relationships with our students, and also with you, the parents, as well as our colleagues at school. When decisions need to be made in the pursuit of our goal of educational excellence, we make sure those decisions are guided by middle school best practices and our students’ best interests. Linked to this last point, is that we must be certain those decisions and whatever structures are in place ensure the social and emotional well being of our students. As excellence connotes, we must have high expectations of the students and ourselves in pursuit of the 21st century skills that our students will need as they enter high school and beyond.


So what does that vision look like on a day-to-day, month­-to-month, or year-to-year basis for your children here at Canterbury? We implement our vision in many different ways, but it can be divided into four main categories: Student Leadership, Structures, Student-Focused Support, and Communication.

Throughout the year, you will hear more about the various items that fall under the categories you see up on the SmartBoard, but I would like to highlight a few that I think are particularly relevant here today.

Developmental Designs

1. DD is the "older sibling" to the Responsive Classroom philosophy the lower school uses. The research and practices of both are similar. The Iinchpin to DD is the advisory. As you saw in the Directory, your child is part of an advisory and that advisor will be your child’s advocate for the entire 5th grade year. It will be in this group that the students’ build their first sense of community in the middle school, but it will not be limited to the advisory.
2. One of our goals as a faculty is to ensure that we continue to infuse the DD principles of relationship, autonomy, competency, and fun into all aspects of the school day including classroom routines, all school routines, discipline, and social norms. You will be hearing more about the Developmental Designs program from me and your advisor. You can also visit my blog to see some posts on the topic. We have been steadily working on DD in the classroom and beyond, and are excited to continue to implemention across the middle school.

Student Support Team

1. Since my arrival at Canterbury we’ve had the Student Support Team to facilitate conversations related to our implementation of the middle school vision and to work to support our students in all aspects of their experience at Canterbury. This team includes myself, Kathy Durham, Director of Student Life and Unity in Diversity, Emily McCollum, Middle School Counselor, Judy Cram, Academic Counselor, and Nathan Finnin, our chaplain. 
2. With this team in place the middle school has multiple expert perspectives examining student life, as well as school processes, procedures, and frameworks to make sure we are doing the best job possible.

Communication

1. Protocol: I ask that you follow the protocol laid out for you on the slide here when there is a classroom issue or non­classroom issue that comes up. It often solves problems quickly and can get everybody back on the same page with only a minor bump in the road.
2. Blackbaud Parent Portal: We will be rolling out a new website with vastly improved functionality and interactive capabilities. The part that will benefit you the most will be the parent and student portals that will allow you to sign in to a secure and individualized website that will show your child(ren)’s life at Canterbury. This page will include schedules, classes, assignments, grades, progress reports, report cards, activities, teams, announcements (class, division, and/or whole school), forms, and more. You will be able to choose from a number of different ways to be notified of any changes that are happening on this site. Once this site is ready to roll out, we will be offering parent education in a number of different forums, so don’t be too intimidated right now. Just know that this will be the one-stop-shop for everything Canterbury as it relates to your child. Most specifically, class assignments and grades will be open for all middle school students.
3. Middle School Homework/Test Calendar: Until Blackbaud is fully functional, we will be using a Homework calendar that is embedded in the website under News/Calendar and Middle School Academic Calendar. We have had this system in place for some time. Two years ago we implemented a homework page for all homework assignments, tests, quizzes and projects. You will be able to go to this one page to see what is happening in 5th grade by day, week, or month. I am asking the faculty to post their homework assignments to this page by 3:30 on Monday for the week. If there are any worksheets to be completed, they will be uploaded to teacher’s individual pages, which will be linked to this master page. This Calendar Page is meant to be a guide to the homework assignments, and these assignments may change as a result of remediation, change of pace, or enrichment during the week. As such, teachers will make these changes in the students’ agendas. As a result, please refer to your Agenda first for homework assignments. By using a combination of the Homework/Test Calendar Page and agendas, we maintain our stress on personal responsibility, while providing guideposts for you in terms of where your child should be when it comes to homework.
4. Middle School Director's Blog: l often write blog posts highlighting what is happening in the division including curriculum previews, Developmental Design information, Student Support Strategies, the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development of the middle school adolescent, examples of student work, and a list of special events. My intention is to keep you abreast of what is happening in the building and help inform you about the intricacies of middle school life.

While there is a ton left to discuss on that schematic, I do want to allow time for Kathy to give you her information, and leave time for questions. 

SLIDE 4

SLIDE 5

New and Very Cool Things About 5th Grade

SLIDE 6

I hope this has been informative for you - I’m sure you have a ton of questions. Please know that my door is always open, my phone (almost) always open, and my email definitely open! So please do use me as a resource when you need me. We are all here to help make this transition and your middle school years the best possible years they can be. In an effort to practice sustainability and save paper I've posted this presentation, my comments, and two articles that highlight how to handle adolescents at home and the importance of partnership between school and families in children's education.

THE ARTICLESWhat’s Best For Kids? Tips for ParentsUnderstanding and Appreciating the Wonder Years by John H. Lounsbury

Canterbury Middle School: 2012-2013 School Year Preview

2012-2013 Preview

Reconfiguration

As you all know, the 5th grade will be part of the middle school this year. We have been preparing for this move for over a year now, and are excited to implement the change. We believe this move is developmentally appropriate and will add a wonderful new layer to the middle school experience.

As part of this transition, we took the opportunity to look at our program and are set to implement some very exciting things. Fifth through 8th graders will all take a leadership course designed to have students think specifically about what leadership is and how we can live it out each day. We have a new Big Brother/Big Sister program between the 5th and 8th grades. We increased our composition offerings in all four grades to focus on writing across all subjects. We continue to research and implement best practices in education and, with the prospect of a new science and technology building on the horizon, we are preparing our program to offer the finest educational experience possible to all of our students.

There is one specific piece of the Reconfiguration work of which I would like to remind you: the new Middle School Grading Policy. This policy will go into effect at the start of this school year. Throughout the 2011-2012 school year, we discussed an approach to grading that acknowledges the need for 1) a logical progression of difficulty as it pertains to how much we weigh summative assessments, formative assessments, and student responsibility and 2) the need for consistent policies when it comes to re-tests, late or missing work, and extra credit. Attached to this letter is an outline of the new grading policy in the middle school. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Technology

We are very excited about the technological improvements to our program we will be implementing this year. They will certainly enhance the learning experience for your child. First, we will have another laptop cart in the building. With this additional cart we now have three laptop carts and a computer lab containing a total of ninety-five Mac computers. Along with this incredible hardware infrastructure, we will also be using Google for Education Apps, particularly Google Docs, extensively this year. This platform will augment the learning experience for our students through a significant and meaningful increase in both peer-to-peer and student-to-teacher collaboration, communication, and feedback. All of this software use remains under our Canterbury domain and security standards while allowing students to store and access work from any computer at any time through the “cloud.”

Finally, as I mentioned in the April Reconfiguration Report, we will be rolling out a Student and Parent Portal called NetCommunity that will allow an individualized look at your child’s school experience including announcements, grades, class schedules, assignments, and extracurricular activities and schedules. In tandem with our grading policy, this should provide very clear insight into your child’s progress in as close to real time as is possible. We know you will be excited to have this kind of access. You will be receiving more details on this new service very soon.

Trips

One of the hallmarks of the middle school experience is the trips we offer to our students throughout their time with us. Trips are a wonderful way to address the whole child through experiential learning opportunities. This year we will be discussing the nature of our trips and how to best maximize our resources to provide the finest educational experience. This will mean that trips will take on a different look in the 2013-2014 school year. I will be soliciting your feedback as the conversation begins and also keep you up to date with the conversation’s progress.

2011-2012 Year in Review

High School Placement

You will remember that we began a more formalized high school placement program in 2011-2012. The purpose of this program was to provide a one-on-one family approach to finding the right high school for each student at the school. We are uniquely positioned to offer this service because of two factors. First, as a small PreK-8 school, we know our students and families very well, allowing for a caring and informed perspective on all of the high school options out there. Second, as an academically challenging PreK-8 school, we have developed and continue to build strong relationships with prestigious public, magnet, independent, and boarding schools seeking students who reflect our Middle School Vision. We will continue this program next year under the direction of Kathy Durham, Director of Student Life and Unity in Diversity.

This year we are proud to report that the Class of 2012 matriculated to twelve different high schools including Page, Grimsley, Northwest Guilford, Northern Guilford, The Elon School, Weaver Academy, Greensboro Day School, St. Mary’s, McCallie, Deerfield, Christ School, and Baylor. Additionally, almost all of our graduates who will be attending Page or Grimsley selected the International Baccalaureate track. We are very proud of our newest alumni and wish them all the best as they approach new challenges in high school.

One last point as we move forward: for the eighth year in a row a Canterbury graduate was selected as a local public school’s valedictorian or salutatorian.

8th Grade Portfolio Program

Last year was the first year for the Canterbury Portfolio Program. The core purpose of the program is to incorporate the necessary skills for success in the 21st Century and is in line with our mission of educating the whole child. More directly, it provides a context for students to see that education is a continual, integrated, and relevant process.

Eighth graders spent the year developing a portfolio of digital products which proved they had acquired the ten skills of a Canterbury graduate. The skills are:

1. Solve a real-world problem using concepts from math and/or science.
2. Demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language.
3. Clearly and concisely outline a position on a topic and be able to explain and compellingly persuade others of its implications through writing.
4. Demonstrate a commitment to care for self and others the world over.
5. Participate in and demonstrate your role as a member of a team.
6. Demonstrate knowledge of your faith as it has developed in your life.
7. Develop a fundamental understanding of emerging ethical issues and dilemmas regarding new media and technologies.
8. Explore an understanding of either justice, integrity, mercy, or compassion through the arts or literature.
9. Exercise leadership.
10. Respond to an experience of failure in a way that acknowledges innovation, involves small successes, and frequent mistakes.

Projects varied widely from papers and paintings to PowerPoints and Prezis; from podcasts and iMovies (including videos of work with the Special Olympics and NCAIS Honor Band) to virtual models of lunar bases.  Students presented their portfolio to a panel of administrators, answered questions about their work and experiences, and received immediate feedback over a two week period in May.

Overall, the program was a success. It provided the 8th graders with a venue to reflect on their learning, a real-world experience in project and time management, and a serious and meaningful opportunity to analyze and concisely deliver remarks about the work they completed over their middle school career at Canterbury. These are essential skills for citizens of our world and the 8th grade class did a fantastic job of putting those skills to work this year.

Based on feedback from students, parents, teachers, and mentors, we have implemented changes to the program which should make for an even better Portfolio experience in 2012-2013. Some of those changes include:

• Students will now meet in Portfolio class once a week instead of every ten days.
• Thanks to the Class of 2012, students will have exemplars of each skill.
• Students will have the opportunity to have up to two skills pre-graded.
• The mentor training program has been enhanced through a Portfolio handbook.
• The platform for the Portfolio will move from a blog to a Google site.
• The presentations will last one week, instead of two, and grades will be delivered after all students have presented.

We believe this program is crucial to our mission to educate the whole child and fulfills its purpose to provide a context for students to see that education is a continual, integrated, and relevant process.

iPad Pilot Program

In November 2011, I wrote to outline the goals of our iPad Pilot Program. In summary, we wanted to measure the effectiveness of the iPad in a one-to-one setting. We used as our guideposts the following questions:

• How effective can the iPad be in terms of organization?
• How effective can the iPad be in terms of classroom note taking?
• How effective can the iPad be as an e-reader?
• How effective can the iPad be in terms of student/teacher communication and collaboration?

Over the course of the iPad Pilot Program, we found that it was effective if used to its capacity. In terms of organization, note-taking, and teacher collaboration, its use demonstrated the value fairly quickly. Unfortunately, we were only able to get e-texts for our literature class and while iBooks was exceptionally effective in terms of classroom use, home reading comprehension, and note organization, it was of limited scope because the rest of the classes still depended on hard copy versions of their text resources. Furthermore, the e-versions of texts or curriculum-based resources are not cost effective nor have they been developed to the point where it makes sense to put everything a student needs on the iPad.

So, at this time, we cannot confirm that giving an iPad to every 7th and 8th grade student would be beneficial. Each student would still require other textbooks and/or information. In the words of one of our 7th graders, “it isn’t worth it if it is just going to be another book I bring to school.” So for now, we will not be implementing a one-to-one model with iPads in the 7th and 8th grades.

We do feel that the software development is moving rapidly enough that we might be able to implement their use in the near future. Apple’s recent announcement of their partnership with three major textbook publishers, as well as their creation of e-reader development software, means we will see high quality resources at a reasonable price point to consider moving to a one-to-one model in the future. When that times does come, we will have the research and training in place to be able to move - if we choose - into that model quickly.

I am excited about how these three programs developed over the 2011-2012 school year and for what 2012-2013 holds in store. We continue to work to make them as effective as possible in developing the whole child by challenging the mind and nourishing the spirit in a diverse community guided by Judeo-Christian values.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Sincerely,



David Skeen
Middle School Director
Canterbury School