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They Think, Therefore, They Learn As a society and parents we expect our schools to prepare our children for whatever comes next, 4th grade, college or a career. However, times change — it’s no longer the world we grew up in. An education that only emphasizes lectures, memorization and testing is not the best way to build the skills children need to be successful. The lack of preparedness is most evident in the significant percentage of dropouts among college freshman and the need to expand remedial courses at the college level. And, if this is the best the system can do on average — imagine how difficult it is for students that learn differently. Now, imagine that same child trapped in a large classroom environment. Every year at the Concept School, we welcome disenfranchised families who are looking for a school where their child with mild learning differences can get back on track and ready for college. At this point, the student is often emotionally drained, has given up on learning, is sick of homework, and sports an IEP as thick as it is ineffective. It is the greatest part of my job to see these students rekindle the desire to learn and build relationships with their peers. These rejuvenated students are encouraged to reach new personal heights at TCS with the development of these skills:
not for special projects… not for advanced students… but, everyday just like successful people do at college and in the workplace. Middle school to high school is a great time to be practicing the skills they will need to get ahead. The engine that drives these results is a collaborative classroom with a low teacher student ratio. In a collaborative classroom, successful learning involves an interaction of the learner, the materials, the teacher, and the content. The emphasis is on thinking — in major content areas and across the curriculum. To accomplish our mission of students owning the content and learning how to learn, we use these strategies:
The everyday interaction in a TCS classroom is all about communication and collaboration. Through introspection, dialogue, and examining different perspectives students become knowledgeable, self-determined, and empathetic. Involving students in real-world applications and linking new information to prior knowledge requires effective dialogue and interaction. The principle tools of writing and verbal communication improve as students take on the task at hand. The opportunity to use video, computers, acting — whatever tool best fits — enriches the classroom. As the curriculum comes alive, content is absorbed. For example in an Early American History class, students were studying the American Indian. In the course of understanding the Indian culture, groups of students fashioned little Indian villages. For about a week these quite elaborate constructions of twigs, clay, and earth sat proudly at the back of the classroom. Then the teacher said they would have to move to another area so that the forts and houses of the new white settlers could move in. The Indian simulation was moved to an area where the previously constructed rivers, gardens, and hunting grounds no longer existed. The students felt the impact of relocation and “reservations” that didn’t match previous lifestyles. Their journal entries reflected their loss. I doubt any of them will forget what it meant to be an American Indian at that time. Learning in a group has many advantageous over more traditional instruction. Not the least of which is harnessing the power of a group. An effective group can accomplish more meaningful learning and solve problems better than any individual can alone. As a teacher, I much prefer coaching a collaborative class than lecturing and testing on Friday. Perhaps the hardest thing for people unfamiliar with the collaborative classroom to appreciate is how much students are learning. After all they are happy with school and not overwhelmed with punitive homework or memorizing facts. Lauren Vangieri is the Director of Education at the Concept School. If you would like to learn more about what TCS has to offer, visit us at www.conceptschool.com, or call 610-399-1135 for information about attending an Open House.
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