Stuck on Sticky Learning? November 20, 2009
Posted by brightfuturespress in 21st century skills, Bright Futures, Career Academies, Career Academy, Career Clusters, Career Exploration, Career Pathways, Career and Technical Education, Educational Trends, Integrated curriculum, Life Skills, Programs That Work, Project-based learning.Tags: Bright Futures Press, Diane Lindsey Reeves, Sandy Mittelsteadt, Sticky Learning, Wally Holmes Bouchillon
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Project-Based Learning isn’t new. Some of education’s most prominent
voices — Rousseau, Piaget, Dewey — were advocates of various aspects
of it for decades and, in some cases, even centuries ago.
When thousands of British children were evacuated to the relative
safety of makeshift boarding schools during World War II, innovative
teachers made up for the lack of textbooks and other traditional
resources by using project-based learning to effectively teach
history, literature, science, and math.
In more recent days, study after study has found compelling evidence
that it is an effective way to engage students, cut absenteeism, boost
cooperative learning skills, and improve test scores.
Even though project-based learning has been advocated by brilliant
educators, tested by time, and validated under the scrutiny of
academic research, there has never been a better time to put it to use
in classrooms at every level and with students of all ages.
Why?
According to Sandy Mittelsteadt and Wally Holmes Bouchillon, authors
of a new book called Sticky Learning: A Make It Real Planning Guide
for Engaging Students in Project-Based Learning, project-based
learning becomes a springboard for launching incredibly effective 21st
century “sticky learning” experiences when it blends four key
ingredients:
1. Integrated curriculum
2. Action-based inquiry
4. Real world application
the pursuit and authentic application of knowledge.
In short, sticky learning works because it sticks!
To order copies of Sticky Learning Toolkit, go online to http://www.brightfuturespress.com/Item186/Sticky_Learning.aspx.
They Must Have Been Doing Something Right July 10, 2008
Posted by brightfuturespress in Bright Futures, Career Clusters, Career Exploration, Career and Technical Education, Life Skills, Programs That Work, Uncategorized.Tags: Old Salem
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By Diane Lindsey Reeves, Bright Futures Press
A couple years ago my daughter and I visited the Old Salem village in Winston-Salem. Old Salem is a historical museum portraying the day-to-day life of early Moravian settlers in North Carolina. One of the first things we learned about the inhabitants of this village is that they had an average life span that was several years longer than the national average at that time.
Hmmm…I couldn’t help but wonder why. Surely, the quality of their lifestyle had something to do with it. But what were they doing that was so different from other communities?
My conclusions are far from scientific–perhaps based more on the musings of a mother and educator who would like more for her children and grandchildren. But I suspect these people made it easier for their offspring to succeed by doing three things:
- Surrounding them with a caring community that was completely committed to helping them find their way toward responsible adulthood
- Equipping them with a solid education that emphasized both academic and practical life skills
- Providing real world training opportunities that empowered them to survive and thrive on their own with marketable skills
In other words, they provided the ultimate “leave no child behind” experience—without the end-of-grade tests!
One of the most powerful examples of this premise was evident in the Single Brother’s House. By the age of 14, the village’s young boys were brought here to begin a seven year apprenticeship. Essentially, this is where they learned to be men, where they learned how to be productive, contributing members of their society, and where they learned to how to make a good living. In addition to providing relatively comfortable room and board for many of the boys, the House also included a school, a chapel, and a variety of occupational training opportunities in fields considered high-demand in that era. On-site was a fully functioning bakery, slaughterhouse, tannery, and brewery. In addition, master craftsmen shared their expertise to help prepare a new (and highly skilled) generation of tailors, joiners, clockmakers, shoemakers, tinsmiths, and other viable trades.
And, get this…
There were equal educational opportunities for girls! Quite a radical concept for the late 1700s. Girls received the same offering of well-rounded academics, arts, and music. Their training differed in that, instead of official apprenticeships, they were trained in crafts more associated with home-making such as weaving, fine needlework, and laundry. But prior to marriage, they too were offered opportunities to put these skills to work as teachers and workers in the Single Sister’s weaving shop, laundry, and other enterprises.
The common denominator for both girls and boys was this–nobody was pushed out of the nest before they were ready to fly!
While there are many aspects of those bygone days that are best left in the past—like their match-making tendencies! —, these people were obviously doing something right. What can we learn from them? How can we give today’s young people the same strong foundation for succeeding in life and work? And, for that matter, are there programs out there that are already doing this sort of thing in imaginative and effective ways?
I suspect that there are and that’s what this blog will explore in the coming weeks and months.
So share your discoveries! Toot your favorite program’s horn! Let us know what you think! Most of all, come back often for inspiration and ideas about how we can get it right and give this up-and-coming generation their best shot at bright futures!
