Over the past two years the topics presented have included
inquiry labs, fifth grade research projects, social studies discussion, and
“stepping up to questioning.” The Board has heard students and teachers
describe their work, watched classroom videos, and learned about professional
development programs such as lesson study and action research. This approach reflects an underlying belief
that it is more productive (and interesting) to have a series of connected
conversations about an important question than to have a periodic stand-alone
dog-and-pony shows.
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| Model UN provides the opportunity for students to research an issue and present their findings in a persuasive manner. |
At its November meeting, the Board of Education held its first conversation of the school year, focusing on "Finding a Voice: Communication and Public Speaking." The discussion provided an overview of how verbal communication skills develop with respect to focus, presence, use of technology, and scope of audience:
Having something worthwhile to say stands at the center of this process: our youngest students begin with “show and tell” -- informally sharing information about themselves, their likes and dislikes, and their families. In the intermediate years, students learn to report what they have learned about a specific subject. Later still, they examine issues from multiple perspectives, determine their own beliefs, and weave what they know and believe into a coherent narrative.
The background document can be found here.
