ACS Athens ETHOS, Fall 2016

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

Our Mission: ACS Athens is a student-centered international school, embracing American educational philosophy, principles and values. Through excellence in teaching and diverse educational experiences, ACS Athens challenges all students to realize their unique potential: academically, intellectually, socially and ethically - to thrive as responsible global citizens.

Reception Desk: Ext. 206, 233 Office of the President: Ext. 201 Office of Enrollment Management, Communications & Technology: Ext. 263 Admissions Office: Ext. 263, 251 Finance: Ext.202, 207 Office of Alumni Affairs/ Procurement: Ext. 207 Human Resources Office: Ext. 204 Cashier: Ext. 208 Bookstore: Ext. 214 Transportation Office: Ext. 239 Health Office: Ext. 217 Cafeteria: Ext. 236 Academy Office: Ext. 222 Academy Discipline: Ext. 404 Middle School Office: Ext. 261 Middle School Discipline: Ext. 267 Elementary School Office: Ext. 229 Office of Student Services: Ext. 226 IB/AP Programs: Ext. 247, 248 Academy/MS Library: Ext. 219, 220 ES Library: Ext. 293 Athletic Office: Ext. 327, 401 Institute for Innovation and Creativity: Ext. 402 Stavros Niarchos Learning Ctr: Ext. 237, 265 Theater Office: Ext. 331, 302 Security: Ext. 240 Night Entrance Security: 210 6393555

Ethos is a bi-annual publication of ACS Athens showcasing the life and activity of the Institution.

Publisher: ACS Athens Editor-in-Chief and Creative Director: Leda Tsoukia Co-Editors: Peggy Pelonis John Papadakis Production team: Frances Tottas Melina Vassiliadis Copy editing: Leo Alexandropoulos Contributors: ACS Athens Faculty, Staff, Students, Parents and Alumni Concept and Publication design: Leda Tsoukia Copyright©2016.

All rights reserved. No part of this magazine (text or images) may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher

ACS Athens (American Community Schools) 129 Ag.Paraskevis Street, GR 15234 Halandri Athens, Greece E: acs@acs.gr

W: acsathens.gr

T: +30 210 6393200-3, +30 210 6016152

F: +30 210 6390051

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

Behind the scenes of the “Sustaining Excellence of Accreditation Protocol

by Dr. Peggy Pelonis 3 Q&A with the President, Dr. Stefanos Gialamas As published in Business Partners, July 2016 6 Welcome to the ACS Colloquium 2016 - Greetings 8 Reflections on the ACS Colloquium 2016

by Ann Fesl and Dr. Evelin Toumpakari 12 Peers Teaching Peers New Mathematical Concepts

by Angeliki Stamati 13 Culminating Assessment Projects in Mathematics Designed by Students

by Dora Andrikopoulos

14

Learning Math Conceptually in Grades K-2

by Sophia Moros

16

The Math Studio

by Matina Katsiyianni

18

Can I Get Rid of My Shadow?

by Dr. Abour Cherif & Dr. Stefanos Gialamas

Imagine!

20 22

by Dr. Abour Cherif & Sana Kassem

Math is Elementary, my dear!

24

The Educational & Diagnostic Testing Center

by Chris Perakis, Anna Makris, Cynthia Quajian

Redefining Education

by Danai Papaioannou

54 54

School Partnerships

by Dr. Yulla Lamprou 55 Co-Teaching: How to Change Teaching & Learning

by Christina Hara Marinou & Zoi Karatza

Action Research Reflective Narrative

by Sarah Kaldelli & Lia Sinouris

Captain Chip – A Canine Literacy Partner

by Christina Birbil

56 58

60

Αpplying Occupational Therapy Strategies in the Junior Kindergarten Classroom

62

by Georgia Mentes

Social Studies for students who take English as a Foreign Language

by Venie Gaki

64

The journey towards the ACS Colloquium 2016

by Jenny Grigoropoulos

66

Instructional Methodology i2Flex: a Reflection

by Heike Arnold

67

by Fay Safaris

Romeo and Juliet Revisited

Reflections on the ACS Colloquium 2016

by Julia Stephanidou

by Eleftheria Ferentinos, Korina Kokkali, Ioanna Lamprou

We are always evolving

and Labrini Rontogiannis

by Hercules Lianos

26

The Colloquium 2016: Snapshots of i2Flex

28

Reflection onmy Colloquium Presentation

68 70 71

by Dr. Maria Avgerinou

by Yi-Nai Wang

The ACS Athens 6-12 Research Framework: Developing Habits of the Mind for Life

by Penny Kynigou & David Nelson

by Janet Karvouniaris & Dr. Maria Avgerinou

Instructional Methodology: i2Flex

by Kathy Jasonides & Angelos Dimitropoulos

The Implementation of i2Flex Methodology in a Language Class

30 32 34

An invitation to work and learn differently Design Time: An Elementary School ‘Genius Hour’

by Christina Birbil and Alexandros Hoc

The Third Grade ‘Living Wax Museum’ Project

by Alexandros Hoc, Ashley Martinez, Stavi Dimas

Music and Multiple Intelligences Instruction

by Dr. Antonia Fyrigou

by Peggy Apostolou

Exploring Colonial America Through Research Based Creative Writing

Reflection on my Action Research and Attendance at the Colloquium

by Eleftheria Maratou, Helen Sarantes, Marla Coklas, Evi Evloyias

36

by Leigh Anderson

Teaching Grammar through the Writing Process

Rhyming … Rules!

by Carly Killam, Elementary School Faculty

by Irini Rovoli

37

Collaborative Methods in the Classroom Socratic Seminar: A Display of Student Learning Making Stories

by Stavi Dimas & Amalia Zavacopoulou

Creative learning in the Writing Studio

by Bobby Zervas

Mapping out the IB Psychology Internal Assessment

by Angela Chamosfakidis

38

40 42

44

by Demetri Pelidis

The 11th and 12th grade Advisory Program

by Theodora Panteli

Middle School & Academy Advisory Programs

by Mandy Dragatakis and Stelios Kalogridakis

A Teacher’s Discoveries about “Best Fit”

by Katerina Pisanias

Shadow Teacher Partnerships

by Alexandra Katsiki

45

46 48

52

The Role of the Shadow Teacher

by Iliana Eleftheriou

Reflection on the ACS Colloquium 2016

by Jasmina Mohamedali

52 53

78 80 81

82

by Sonia Kormaris 82

Blended Learning in a multi-level Language class

by Natasha Stratoglou

Reflection on the ACS Colloquium 2016

by Dr. Elina Prodromidi

43

A journey of Collaboration: 9-12 Academic Advisory

76

Writing to Think and Learn in Greek Language and Literature class

CONT ENTS

by Jonathan Ruelens, David Nelson, Evelyn Pittas

74

ACS Athens: a Unique Reflective Learning Organization

by Dr. Demetrios Sampson

Allowing Open-Endedness as Best Practice

by Emilia Drogaris

84 84 85 86

Structured Collaborative Observation

by Sophia Stella Soseilos 86 A Reflective Dialogue of a Journey into Boundless Learning

by Christina Bakoyannis and Hrisi Sandravelis

Reaching the Heart

by Sevasti Koniossis

Helping People in Need is Powerful

by Annie Constantinides

88

90 92

3

Behind the scenes of the “Sustaining Excellence” Accreditation Protocol

by Dr. Peggy Pelonis, Dean of Student Affairs

“I

t takes a whole school to educate a child” Only 583 days to the colloquium! We had time. ACS Athens had just completed the Standards Review and passed the Accreditation for Growth protocol in 2014. ACS Athens was chosen however, to partake in a new protocol; the only international school to set the bar higher and lead the way for other schools to follow… we had time… it was an honor… ACS Athens had achieved excellence. Sustaining it was now the challenge. Moving with the times, changing to meet the needs of students, moving away from traditionally ingrained mindsets that dictated how to be expert teachers imparting knowledge to passive, receptive young people. Why change? Imparting knowledge had worked for centuries. Because there was a vision, to ‘empower individuals to be architects of their own learning’; because the goal is for students to think critically, to make best fit choices, to be active in social change, to work, play and live an ethical life; because it must be holistic education for mind, body and spirit.

Where to begin? What did we have? A leader, Stefanos Gialamas, who believed sustaining excellence was possible and that the people in this institution were capable of doing so. An accreditation Coordinator and Dean of Academics, Steve Medeiros, whose rhetoric touched the hearts and minds of everyone he guided through this process. It was a good place to start and… we had time. Now, looking back much of it is a blur… a strategic planning team coming together to identify a ‘big question’: “How, given the

frequent and constant changes around us, can we continue to ensure that all students attend the best fit institution of higher learning”? Everyone got to work and began by pondering: what is it that we expected from the students? To ask questions, research, synthesize information, identify best approaches or answers, be open to feedback, self reflect, revise and implement results, while maintaining personal integrity. Everyone at ACS Athens had to be on the same page. Individual questions of best practice were identified through a rigorous research process in teams. New, changed, or revised practices were implemented in each classroom or specialized area. A research expert guided faculty through the rigors of sorting through the literature and honing in on what was important, Critical friends groups were set up to provide a safe place for faculty to share practices, frustrations, challenges and receive feedback in a ‘safe’ environment.

Self observations were recorded and student observations noted.

What about the colloquium? We had time... right about now the Action Research process was in place and as a result, programs were indeed revised, updated, changed altogether, new practices were implemented, self reflections led to different approaches as well as individual professional growth and students responded with curiosity and enthusiasm. Behavior issues decreased, innovative projects increased, differentiation strategies were broadened... and the colloquium was still far away. A few skype sessions with Middle State Association to prepare for the visit brought the reality of the colloquium closer. What is a colloquium anyway? an academic conference. It now hit home!! We needed to prepare to share ‘best practices’; our own ‘best practices’, those at which we had arrived, that fit our students, our school culture yet left room for curiosity and exploration beyond our borders. In addition to the daily teaching / counseling / specialist responsibility every faculty member, staff member, administrator, support person worked to put together the manifestations of the last two years of work... Did we have time now to bring it together? Video sessions discussing processes were created, poster presentations were designed, group meetings for brainstorming became the weekly norm, reflections and feedback sessions naturally evolved and still there were revisions / changes and improvements… was there still time? Meetings were set, panel presentation participants volunteered to be a part of the process. The energy escalated, the fatigue made no dent in the excitement of the upcoming event... we had to make time.

Guests arrived: from academia, heads of schools, directors of educational organizations, the Middle States evaluator… The time was here. Introductions were made, the questions researched were posed, the ‘ Morfosis talks’ came to life, panel presentations, group discussions, poster sessions, live streaming; teachers, counselors, specialists; administrators; parents; students and guests were caught up in the energy of the two days; a love of learning manifesting through demonstrations of ‘best practice’... and it was then that we sat back and realized that without probing or guiding in any one direction... everyone communicated the same message in different ways; their own unique way of making learning exciting, tapping into the distinct learning style of students and expecting nothing less than excellence. This was the time... A hair raising realization that indeed ‘sustaining excellence’ comes when students are at the center of the institution and when the entire school is committed to nothing less than optimal learning for all... it was happening every day, in every classroom, in every counseling session, in every corner of the institution and we knew... that the process was indeed transformative; transforming educational practice and leading the way in supporting students to be architects of their own learning and living a life with ethos.

■■

4

Erratum The authorship for the article entitled Transformative Learning Experiences of Pre-Service Teachers at ACS Athens: Navigating New Cultural Terrain, published in the Spring 2015 edition of ETHOS, should read Eleoussa Polyzoi and Karen Magro, University of Winnipeg. We regret the unintentional omission. In addition, please note that this article represents a streamlined version of an article that appeared in the open access publication: Polyzoi, E., and Magro, K. (2015). Inner Landscapes: Transformative Learning Experiences of Canadian Education Interns in Greece, in Education Journal (University of Saskatchewan), 21(1), 115-136.

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

12

28

Teaching Mathematics and Science conceptually

i2Flex Methodology

36

Writing to Think and Learn

44 Best Fit

52

All Infographic Posters from the Colloquium are available at: https://goo.gl/ kEBWBJ or scan QR code:

Learning Support Programs

64

Teaching ESL/EFL holistically

74

Collaborative Learning Communities (CLC)

76

Reflective Teaching & Learning

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

process that engages an entire school community in designing and implementing a school-wide research effort to identify areas for growth and improvement, to examine thoroughly the research into best practices in those areas, and to create new knowledge and best practices by conducting action research investigations during the process of implementing new initiatives.

Q. What does it take to get there?

Modeling Education st for the 21 Century Interview with Dr. S. Gialamas, President of ACS Athens As published in “Business Partners” magazine of the Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce July 2016

Q:

You have been called one “of our highest performing schools” by the President of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA). What does this mean?

We need to begin with the process of accreditation itself. Accreditation is a system of accountability that ensures that schools, through a process of intense self-study and external validation, can demonstrate that they meet standards of quality in all areas of their operations to ensure that each student receives a quality education and to demonstrate a continuous commitment to improve students’ learning. ACS Athens has been accredited by the MSA since 1974. Based on our record of achievement since our last re-accreditation in 2007, MSA chose ACS Athens to be the first international school to pilot a new accreditation protocol that they call Sustaining Excellence. This is a

It starts with a vision. In her closing remarks at the ACS Athens Colloquium held this past April to report on and share the findings of our school-wide research, Dr. Jane Pruitt, our MSA Visitor, stated, “Accreditation provides a systematic process that requires a school to ask why it exists, to establish a vision for the future, and to determine specific paths for reaching that vision.” At ACS Athens our work is guided by a commitment to making our vision real: Empowering individuals to transform the world as architects of their own learning.

Q. How is the vision translated into action?

Dr. Pruitt also reminded us that “excellence is not accidental, but it is the result of a deliberate decision to continue to achieve excellence.” This means that a successful school must have a commitment – shared by all stakeholders – to an educational model that has the pursuit of excellence (intellectual, academic, social, physical, emotional, ethical) at its core. At ACS Athens, we are committed to the implementation of an educational model that we call the Global Morfosis Paradigm, which holds that for learning to be successful, the teaching and learning experience must be holistic, harmonious and meaningful – and guided by ethos.

This is a school-wide commitment, shared by Board, administration, faculty and staff. Specifically, this means that as educators, we are committed to continuing professional development and life-long learning; to becoming mentors, guides and inspirers by example; to creating a culture that sets high standards for civic responsibility, based on respect and caring; to sustaining a notion of professionalism that encourages us to take risks and to escape from a fear of implementing innovation. In this way, our school professionals become the “architects of their own learning,” that we wish our students to become.

Q. What kind of leadership is needed to promote such a commitment?

Leadership, too, must model the kind of learning it wishes to inspire. Educators committed to implementing the GMP model we’ve described need leaders who will provide support (time, resources, training, vision), encouragement, genuine recognition of effort, and venues and vehicles for sharing new knowledge and best practices. At ACS Athens, the latter includes promoting conference presentation and attendance; participation in our teacher-developed Collaborative Learning Communities; publication in in-house and

7

public academic, educational and popular journals, magazines and newspapers, webcasts and podcasts.

25 ACS Athens educators are contributing authors of a book, Revolutionizing K-12 Blended Learning through the i2Flex Classroom Model, which will be published this summer.

edge and understanding they gained from a year-long research into the refugee/migration crisis in a student-organized and led Model United Nations. And again, we can point to the fact that over 95% of our graduating seniors have been accepted at a best fit college or university.

Q. What did this process look like in action?

But there is more: becoming architects of their own learning means that students understand that they have the power (and responsibility) to turn their learning into action. The refugee/migration project we mentioned earlier began with a question from two middle school students who asked what they and their classmates could do to assist the refugees and migrants in Greece. Their question led to a yearlong collaborative investigation into the roots and realities of the current crisis, which, in turn, led to their holding a day-long conference devoted to the issue as well as their organizing three targeted campaigns to collect specific items their research had taught them that the refugees and migrants in Greece needed – and which were then delivered to refugees and migrants in Lesvos and Pireaus by students and teachers and administrators. And their work was the impetus for our current initiative -- again a collaborative effort by students, teachers and administrators – to provide a meaningful educational and recreational experience for a group of unaccompanied migrant children in our Summer Camp. Reflection on this initiative will allow all involved to plan future action – and the cycle of research translated to praxis continues.

We are committed – as teachers and administrators – to modeling in our own work, the kind of student-centered, inquiry-based learning model we wish our students to engage in. We can best describe the process of engaging with the Sustaining Excellence protocol as a series of five steps: action research, creating new knowledge, empowering individuals, providing “safe” and constructive feedback – to create a learning experience that is transformative at a deep level. By “transformative,” we mean an experience that reshapes the way we think, understand, act and perceive what is possible. These same five stages define the kind of learning experiences we want to create for our students in and out of the classroom.

Q. What can you point to as manifestations of success?

First, there is the fact that we have been re-accredited

by MSA on the basis of meeting and exceeding their 12 standards of quality and on the basis of our research proposal and the presentation of the results of our research at the Colloquium. A number of our faculty presentations at the Colloquium have been archived on our website (http://bit.ly/2aJXdGd) they truly demonstrate the level of intellectual and academic excellence, born of a genuine passion for teaching and learning, that mark their work. Or we can see it in the work of our students daily in the classroom: in the investigations designed by students in our Elementary School Science Center; or in the experience of fourth graders learning math as they interact with our canine partners in the Dogs in Learning project; or in our eighth graders demonstrating the knowl-

■■

8

by Robert Palm ACS Athens Trustee, Parent and US Embassy Member

F

or the past two years I have been a member of the ACS Athens Board of Trustees, where we have only been exposed to the process of the Middle States Association re-accreditation process in concept. To witness the fruits of this labor in the ACS Colloquium this past April was truly remarkable. ACS Athens is truly a place that grows over time, never remaining stagnant despite the economic reality for the past years in Greece. I see this firsthand in the educational growth of my Third Grader. I feel fortunate to have been a small part of this event (the colloquium) and I feel motivated to increase my efforts on the board to help to sustain ACS Athens’ “momentum of excellence.”

Welcome to the ACS Colloquium 2016 A Reflections on the ACS Colloquium 2016

by Dr. Jane W. Pruitt, Accreditation Officer Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

I

t was an honor and a privilege to have participated in the first international Middle States Association Sustaining Excellence colloquium presented

by American Community Schools of Athens. I was very impressed with the way in which the school embraced the structure provided by the protocol for re-accreditation as a tool for school improvement.

True to the spirit of the process, ACS Athens identified the focus of their inquiry, researched proven practices, and engaged all faculty in the action research. Equally impressive were the results. The presentations included numerous examples of creative instructional approaches to meet the needs of all students. ACS Athens has made a significant contribution to improving the art of teaching and to the vision of making all students architects of their own learning.

■■

■■

by Dr. David Gleason, Clinical Psychologist, ACS Athens Advisory Council Member

s a member of the ACS Athens International Advisory Board, I was delighted to participate in the “Sustaining Excellence” colloquium this past April. Perhaps more than that, just the idea that ACS Athens has an International Advisory Board, that it continuously seeks input from its faculty members, administrators and local Athens-area professionals as well as from like-minded professionals from around the world, is a major statement about how committed ACS Athens is to being the best school it can be.

To be sure, by participating in this colloquium, I got to witness, firsthand, ACS Athens’ commitment to “developing new paradigms and establishing and implementing cutting-edge methodologies” for effective education and character development of its students and faculty members alike. While there was so much to take in, I was particularly impressed with the “Morfosis Talks” in which teams of faculty members promoted not only their research, but also, how that research resulted in more effective practice. Further, I had the distinct pleasure of attending one of the breakout sessions on “Collaborative Inquiry and Professional Development,” itself a lively discussion led

by David Nelson and Penny Kynigou about how their “Critical Friends Group” program for faculty members has led to increased faculty collaboration and mutual support – both of which naturally counteract the common “silo effect” that many teachers experience as they plan and teach their classes in relative isolation … without the mutual support of their colleagues. I am proud to be associated with this wonderful school and look forward to continued involvement with ACS Athens in years to come.

■■

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

by Paul F. Davis

Warm greetings from Florida.

I

sincerely appreciate your kindness facilitating the internship for me at ACS Athens. It was a life-changing experience. I greatly enjoyed being able to see how Mr. Pelidis (Demetri) leads his classes, counsels students, hosts and welcomes international admissions officers from Universities (UK, USA and Europe).

Everyone was so kind, warm and hospitable.

Attending and participating in the colloquium was a genuinely enriching experience. I was very impressed by the level of commitment among your educational leaders and teachers. The research, reflections and knowledge provided in each of the sessions and workshops was very engaging and enriching. The love your staff, teachers and students show for one another is inspiring and creates an atmosphere for ongoing personal growth that causes all to mature, increase in excellence and thrive.

I will forever be grateful to you for allowing me to be present and a part of your great academic community.

Wishing you continued success and happiness.

■■

by Dr. Abour Cherif, Dean Emeritus, DeVry university, USA

I

would first like to thank the ACS Athens students who welcomed me and were eager to ask challenging and significant questions whenever I encountered and interacted with them in the last two days.

I will never forget, for example, the young boy who asked me how he can talk with his plant that he just planted and started to grow!

I would also like to extend my thanks to the faculty and academic administrators who opened their divisions and classrooms for me to visit and to openly share their thoughts and insights, some of whom also attended the two days of workshops that we conducted on teaching sciences at the elementary and middle school levels. I would also like to thank the staff and the academic leaders of ACS Athens for all their help and for their invitation to be part of the ACS Colloquium 2016, which focused on sustaining excellence in teaching and learning resulting in a very successful and significant educational and transformative event that I have never witnessed elsewhere.

In the past 30 years, I have been visiting schools in both Canada and the USA at all levels of education. I have not yet encountered an academic institution or educational learning environment that can compare to ACS Athens. Based on my first-hand experience, ACS Athens stands in a league of its own; an education category that I confidently can say, have not

seen anywhere else in K-12 levels. I believe ACS Athens stands out to that effect based on: ◉◉ Academic and educational vision, mission, values, philosophy, and goals ◉◉ Curriculum and instructional decisive quality ◉◉ Structural, administrative, and academic credential ◉◉ Faculty and academic leaders credentials and qualifications Learning environment that are designed to meet students where they are and innovatively and creatively help them reach their maximum potential in learning and success In a few more specific examples, the fifth grade science lab the school maintains, is not only a state of the art, structurally well designed, and well equipped, but distinguishes ACS Athens from other public and nonpublic K-12 schools. Having a science lab such as this provides the opportunity for K-5 student to study, explore, and investigate scientific concepts, principles, and phenomena that students are eager to discover.

It enables ACS Athens to provide the educational experience for students to learn science and positively make and establish a career in science as one of the possible goals in life.

I am very impressed and proud to see that this type of learning environment is supported with highly qualified faculty that helps and guides students to succeed using an innovative curriculum, an effective teaching approach, learning methods and strategies, and well-designed assessments. The instructional strategies meet the needs of every student in the school regardless of their academic background, culture, native language, way of thinking and learning. This leads to another significant difference that differentiates ACS Athens from many other K-12 schools. Faculty is the backbone of every educational institution, whether elementary, secondary or at the post-secondary level.

ACS Athens faculty stands high in both its academic credentials and in the quality and effectiveness of the pedagogical innovations that those faculty has been implementing in their laboratories and classrooms.

In summary, and using an analogy from chemistry, based on what I have read, and witnessed first-hand, what is happening in ACS Athens is “An Informative, Continuous, Total Transformation” focusing on creating the best learning environment, utilizing the most innovative curriculum, and unique pedagogical strategies to educate the whole being of every student towards success with joy and confidence. As Peggy Pelonis, the ACS Athens Dean of Student Affairs stated, “to create new knowledge by exploring and changing the current, moving toward unfamiliar and the unpredictable with joy and confidence to author the future of their own generation at local, national, and international world.”

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

What I saw and experienced by interacting with students, faculty, staff, and academic leaders, as well as their educational programs, is indeed “An Informative, Continuous, Total Transformation” at all levels.

Transformations from one set of perspectives into a state of modern and continuous improvement was the hallmark of my experiences.

The ACS Colloquium 2016, with its visionary academic leadership, highly qualified faculty, innovative curriculum and pedagogy, and students who learn how to author the future of their own generation, has raised the bar beyond our own solar system. I am confident that the faculty and academic leaders will maintain their efforts in educating their students to become the future leaders of the global citizens. It is this sense of awareness and realization that made me understand why Dr. Gialamas, the president of ACS Athens has always been insisting in calling the school’s teachers as faculty and educators because they are truly the sculptors of the students’ characters and identities.

Again, I would like to thank you, the president, academic leaders, and educators as well as students for inviting me and giving me the opportunity to interact with all the stakeholders of ACS Athens. Thank you for providing the opportunity for me to witness and experience of an educational philosophy which offers «student-centered» teaching, is building on individual talent and skills and is making students «architects of their own learning».

Congratulations to all of you for a job well done and for transforming and establishing ACS Athens as a model for international education with a unique new set standard. And for you specifically, Dr. Gialamas, congratulations for your leadership and for your ability to transform wild dreams into innovative informative visions, and visions into practical reality that have not been seen or done anywhere else! It is indeed a manifestation of creating and sustaining excellence in teaching and learning for responsible global citizens. ACS Athens as a model for desirable transformational education, is a model that needs to be duplicated world-wide.

■■

by Constantine S. Sirigos, Director of Outreach and Development, ACS Athens

T

he recent Sustaining Excellence Colloquium was the occasion for my welcome to the American Community Schools – Athens. A welcome, but not my introduction. That came many years ago when my best elementary school friend, George F. Poole, regaled me with the wonderful experience he and his sister Anthea had there during the year their family lived in Greece.

After the process began last January that culminated in my appointment as ACS Athens’ first Director of Outreach and Development for North America, I had

a series of encounters with alums and parents of students that echoed the testimony I heard as a child, reinforcing the pride I felt in my appointment.

75 years is not a long time for a great private school to develop, especially in a country that experienced as much tumult as Greece has since the end of World War II, and I was looking forward to actually witnessing what I heard about.

After having the good fortune of spending some beautiful spring days at ACS Athens, I could easily have labelled what I experienced as a miracle. It was most clear, however, that the warmth, joy, professionalism and love for the school by its students and teachers were no accident, a sentiment reflected by the ringing words of Dr. Joan Pruitt: “excellence is not an accident.

It is the result of a continuing decision to achieve excellence.”

On the one hand, I walked in on a celebration. On the other, the colloquium was a most serious affair, marking ACS Athens’ formal re-accreditation from the prestigious Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools until 2022 with the “Sustaining Excellence” protocol.

I learned from a video message by Dr. Hank Cram, MSA President, that ACS Athens was the first international school to use the Middle States Sustaining Excellence protocol for Self-Study, a pioneering and challenging blueprint for continuous self-improvement on all levels.

Absorbing the words of students, teachers, and academic officials alike I gained an intellectual understanding of the success of the school and its students.

But it was one thing to hear the presentations – they were both professional and passionate, a fine blend not to be taken for granted and reflective of dedication of all the participants – and quite another to feel the energy of student and teachers, and their devotion to the school.

It was the love I felt that truly explained for me the phenomenon of my encounters with people connected to ACS Athens.

During the “Final Reflection” of MSA Accreditation Officer Dr. Joan Pruitt at the colloquium - presented in the beautiful and state-of-the-art auditorium that made a powerful impression on me as soon as I entered, moved that the gifted and highly motivated students had such a wonderful stage for their talents so early in their lives – she declared «students said ‘our teachers are amazing,’ parents said ‘we love it here,’ higher education officials said ‘ACS Athens is the model for continuous improvement.»

The analysis and the expressions of joy left me with one thought ringing from both hemispheres of my brain: “I must tell my sisters to send their children and their friends’ children to ACS Athens.”

■■

11

12

Teaching Mathematics and Science conceptually Reflections on the ACS Colloquium 2016

by Ann Fesl, Academy Faculty

T

he colloquium was an excellent opportunity for my colleagues and I to collaborate, to enhance our learning and teaching, and to share our knowledge. I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Nikolaos Romanos and Dr. Evelin Toumpakari for a presentation during a breakout session. We were able to combine our expertise in our particular subjects along with student work to present new ideas for the use of mathematics, particularly algebra and calculus, in a chemistry classroom. Throughout the process I was able to learn from my colleagues and from the student work. In addition to learning from my own presentation I was exposed to a wide variety of new ideas and techniques from all of the presentations throughout the two days. The two day professional development was packed with applicable ideas that I can implement in my teaching. I gained a much larger appreciation for many of my colleagues and was overall impressed with the production of the event.

■■

by Dr. Evelin - Christiana Toumpakari, Academy Faculty

T

he Colloquium was for me a chance to express my thoughts and approaches to teaching math as well as to collaborate with colleagues. One of our goals when teaching math is to transmit concepts in such a way that the students recognize them in other contexts. This is what made our collaboration with Dr. Romanos and Ms. Fesl so interesting. There are math concepts underlying the rate of chemical reactions. Some of them are introduced in early years starting with the slope of straight lines. Later on, in advanced high-school classes the concept of slope is extended to the notion of the derivative and related topics. It was fascinating for me to try to pinpoint the pure math component in the context of Dr. Romanos’ teaching of IB Chemistry. It was also a great experience to collaborate with my fellow math teacher, Ms. Fesl in order to present the mathematical concepts together on many levels and to see her vibrant way of teaching the slope.

■■

Students:

Teacher:

“It’s easier for us, students, to learn from other students, as they know how we feel and they know how we feel and communicate better”.

“The students interpret the information better and understand the position of the teacher better.”

Throughout this process, students do not only reap academic benefits but also social and emotional benefits. Phenomena such as peer-pressure and social -exclusion are eliminated, since cooperation and understanding are encouraged. The direct interaction between students promotes active learning.

Above all, students become the architects of their own learning.

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

tionary teaching methods. Nevertheless, we cannot disregard the past because the use of it can equip us for the success of the present. For my action research I chose to take the “Peer Teaching” process and adapt it for my Algebra 2 and Trigonometry class. Students, one or two at a time, were assigned a new mathematical topic that had never been taught before. They had a ten day time-frame ahead of them to do online research, use textbooks and ask questions. Then they would come back to class and they would introduce the new mathematical concepts to their peers. They had the liberty to choose their own teaching protocol and even come up with their own designed worksheets.

While teaching, the presenters had the opportunity to reinforce their own learning by instructing others.

The peer-teachers were allowed to deepen their learning by breaking down the new mathematical content in order to share. They were active learners and allowed to talk through course in their own words. To do all of the above, the peer teachers had to become inquirers, to engage deeply with new mathematical concepts.

The benefits of the students who were part of the audience were equally rewarding. Students felt more comfortable and open while they were interacting with another peer. The students in the audience developed deeper understanding and felt accountable for completing their work.

Peers Teaching Peers New Towards the end of the“Peer Teaching” process, all stupresenters and audience, used a rubric to asMathematical dents, sess the process. I created a rubric to assess the depth conceptual understanding. Through this rubric, Concepts ofstudents reflected on the process. The data collected

by Dr. Angeliki Stamati, Academy Faculty

“P

eer Teaching” goes a long way back. In the past it was called Monitorial system or Lancasterian system and it was practiced most extensively in the 19th century, when the older or better scholars taught the younger or the less academically proficient students. In the system as promoted by the English educator Joseph Lancaster, the exemplary students were taught by the adult teacher that was in charge of the school. Those students transferred their knowledge to the sub-performing students. The basic principles of the monitorial system can be found in educational efforts undertaken separately by Robert Raikes and Andrew Bell in the late 18th century. The system found its strongest advocate, however, in Joseph Lancaster, a London schoolmaster. By 1806 Lancaster’s monitorial system for the education of poor children was the most widely emulated in the world.

At ACS Athens, we aim to cultivate and expand the learning of our students and bring it to the peak of the 21st century’s cutting edge learning, by incorporating in our teaching the i2Flex method and other revolu-

indicates that students were inspired by this method.

They have even asked for this process to be applied in other courses as well. Also the peer teachers demonstrated significantly improved performance in assessments that involved the specific topics they taught.

References: [1] Boud David, Ruth Cohen and Jane Sampson, eds. Peer learning in higher education: Learning and with each other.

Routledge, 2014.

[2] “Monitorial system” Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2016.

[3] Crouch Catherine H., Eric Mazur. Peer Instruction: Ten Years of Experience and Results. American Journal of Physics 69, 970 (2001).

[4] Goodlad Sinclair and Beverly Hirst. Peer Tutoring: A Guide to Learning by Teaching. Nichols Publishing, Ny 10024, 1989.

[5] Barbara J. Millis and Philip G. Cottel Jr. Cooperative Learning for Higher Education Faculty. Series on Higher Education.

Oryx Press, Phoenix, 1997.

[6]NSF-AIRE at Reed, Science at Reed Reviews.

[7] Neal A. Whitman and Jonathan D. Fife. Peer Teaching: To Teach is to Learn Twice. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 4, 1988.

■■

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

classroom, to investigate and explore.

Project-based learning allows students the freedom and flexibility to explore, to discover, to experiment and to carry out investigations in and out of the classroom.

Research says that knowledge is retained longer when students are engaged mentally, physically and emotionally on significant activities.

“Play is the highest form of Research” Albert Einstein Through carefully planned out units of work and by using the performance indicators of the units taught in a particular quarter, students have been given the opportunity to demonstrate their conceptual understanding and procedural fluency in mathematics. Students have had access to different ideas and resources they could use. However, the choice has been their own.

Below are some photographs of student creations.

Videos have also been created to record students working throughout this process and their presentations.

Because their work has been based on their interest and own choices, students have been engaged and committed to their work. Students have genuinely taken charge of their own learning. Some projects have demonstrated more sophistication than others depending on the levels of thinking required. Some projects have demanded more mathematics to solve a problem while others have simply needed the understanding of the concept.

Culminating Assessment Projects in Mathematics have designed posters, puzzles, riddles, they Designed by Students have researched and carried out investigations, they created board games, electronic games and Students have i-movies. Students have demonstrated their underby Dora Andrikopoulos, JK-12 Mathematics Coordinator, Academy Faculty

T

he 2016 ACS Colloquium was an excellent opportunity to share “Best Practices”.

A substantial portion of my Action Research this year has been on “Student Designed Culminating Projects”.

During one of the Breakout Sessions, I presented a slide show describing and showcasing student- designed projects and how this process enhances conceptual understanding in mathematics.

The following information was shared: Independent, flexible learning is encouraged. Through open-ended questions we stimulate further curiosity, imagination and intuition in our students. Students develop a greater zeal to go beyond the walls of the

standing through interactive journals, they have designed and created their own constructions and models. Other activities include making choreography in dancing, creating original artwork, creating musical pieces and seeing the connections to mathematics.

Students have also been given opportunities to interpret graphical representations and to write stories.

Students have often used manipulatives throughout their investigations. They have observed patterns, seen relationships and made connections. They are continually becoming better problem solvers. They are achieving mathematical proficiency.

The belief that everyone in the class can successfully design and create a project has been a powerful factor in establishing a culture of learning. This process has required flexibility in order to respond to student

→

Continued on page 94

15

Students designing a model of their “Dream House”

Students creating a model

Data presentation

Students designing a math board game

16

Learning Math Conceptually in Grades K-2

by Sophia Moros, Elementary School Principal

“M

ath Rules” or “Math Rules!”

FINALLY… primary students are no longer being told what processes are needed to solve mathematical equations or word problems! Instead of telling students which rules to use educators are providing students with more time to investigate concepts during math class so students can build flexibility with number sense. Giving children the needed time to explore, work with manipulatives and have discussions about all the possible avenues in finding solutions with their teachers & peers creates a deeper understanding of the relationships between numbers and patterns. In turn, these exchanges guide students toward the development of finding solutions more independently - where they are able to build accuracy and efficiency through trial and error. The benefits of trial and error are endless, but the top 5 reasons students are more successful with communicating math skills are as follows: ◉◉ helps refine thinking

Photos portray students exercising number sense, probability & measurement

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

Alloting time for student application, discussion & reflection

◉◉ provides opportunities to explore mathematical relationships ◉◉ creates a reserve of ideas for various strategies ◉◉ provides real-life situations to apply particular strategies ◉◉ tests logic and reasoning skills when coming up with solutions Math should not be something students are taught methodically through drill. When students are simply given a worksheet filled with an array of repeated addition problems, then the task becomes procedural and short term memorization takes effect. Moreover, students who struggle with the task will compensate by repeating answers from previous problems with similar patterns. On the contrary, giving kids (even one) word problem during a math lesson & expecting multiple-step responses demands answers with sensible written explanations, number sentences, and an image, chart or picture to illustrate their thinking, which covers more ground than any repeated word problem or any procedural task. The above example forces children to see their world differently and to put numbers together in ways they aren’t allowed provided in through worksheets. This also promotes implementing correct vocabulary, making connections to other problems and creates a bridge for expanding their thinking into other units or in a home situation.

Giving kids a contextual problem and letting them de-

velop an understanding of the mathematics behind it changes the dynamics of an elementary classroom and allows for deeper understand of mathematical concepts.

If students have not developed fluency with single-digit numbers they face stumbling blocks when trying to continue learning advanced math skills. If number fluency isn’t established between ages 5-7, children will struggle with larger numbers and other operations in the latter years. Fluency is defined as “knowing how a number can be composed and decomposed and using that information to be flexible and efficient in solving problems.” (Sherry D. Parrish) Therefore, allotting at least 50 minutes a day for math class is an absolute must. A typical elementary math class begins with a 5 to 10 minute “mini lesson” guided by the classroom teacher, who lays out the topics, models skill & clearly states expectations for the day’s lesson. Then a minimum of 30-40 minutes is given for exploration and investigation so students can explore various strategies to solve the day’s problem. After this, students gather as a whole and share the methods they’ve used, while the teacher works as a facilitator and helps students structure their responses. It is during these math conversations that students begin to implement precise vocabulary and make sense

→

Continued on page 94

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

sented. Everybody, including myself, left the theater with a sweet first taste.

The second day began and people were even more eager to participate in this wonderful experience. That day was dedicated to students’ learning and their personal testimonials about their educational experiences at ACS Athens. Reflective dialogues, poster sessions and student demonstrations of learning took place.

The Math Studio was one of the places where students gathered to demonstrate their work.

The Math Studio is a part of the “Learning Commons” of ACS Athens. It is placed in the third level of the Hasib J. Sabbagh Library and it has been established in order to enhance students’ learning and deeper understanding and appreciation of Mathematics. At ACS Athens, we provide extra guidance and support our students through the Math Studio. Since learners have changed over the years we as a school also try to evolve and adjust to those changes. That’s why we have created this alternative choice in which students can feel more relaxed while they study Mathematics. The goal of the Math Studio is to assist students with structured, long-term support that aligns with course curriculums and allows students to evolve at their own pace. the Math Studio students are encouraged to learn The Math Studio Inbydifferent discovery rather than being “told”. They experience kinds of activities, like simulations, games,

by Matina Katsiyianni, Math Studio Coordinator & Middle School Faculty

“T

he object of education is to teach us to love what is beautiful.”

Plato - The Republic

Time: Thursday, April 21, 2016.

Place: American Community Schools of Athens.

ACS Athens faculty, parents, educators from around the world and people interested in international education gathered in order to attend the first ACS Athens Colloquium, “Sustaining Excellence”. Vivid dialogues, interesting discussions and hearty laughter revealed a warm and comfortable atmosphere.

Lights...Camera...and…Action!

The attendees took their seats inside the theater and the presentations began! Everyone was staring at the stage and was excited about being present for a unique educational experience. Morfosis talks on how to create a constructivist / inquiry-based teaching and learning environment started taking place.

Talks on how to implement instructional methodologies like the “i²Flex” in a classroom, on how to teach Mathematics conceptually, or how to teach writing to think and learn were only some of the topics pre-

and role playing. Furthermore, they have access to various relevant resources and they get immediate feedback from the Math Studio Coordinator, according to the topic they study.

During the Colloquium students from different grades and levels gathered in the Math Studio, to demonstrate its function and the way they make use of the space. There were students working on different kinds of activities and within different set ups. First of all, there were students working in groups, teaching each other. Peer teaching is a very fruitful and at the same time a joyous experience for the students as they manage to help each other, learn from their mistakes or the mistakes of the others and also work in a comfortable environment. On the other hand, there were students working independently on test materials. In the Math Studio there is a great resource of quizzes and tests from which students can learn by assessing themselves and also work under the same conditions of class testing. Moreover, there were students working on online activities. These types of online activities really enhance learning, as they provide the students with immediate responses and hints.

This immediacy makes the online activities a very valuable tool for teaching purposes. Science states that the reward of dopamine release, observed in immediate responses helps “stamp in” memories and increase motivation. Furthermore, there were students working on a group activity. They had planned to create a poster as a study guide for an upcoming test on Lines. Students cooperated in a productive manner, in

19

order to offer the best they could. All of them contributed to this creation in a different way, according to their talents and abilities.

The demonstration of the function of the Math Studio made clear to the audience who attended to check the facility for themselves. Students managed to show its use in the best way, through their own experiences.

Although students view the teacher as having all of the answers, teachers are guides who assist students in finding the answers themselves. However, conventional ways of teaching cannot accomplish this when addressing the varied needs of all students in a classroom. The ACS Athens Math Studio is present to further ensure that no student is left behind and that all students are motivated and inspired to do their best.

All this was excellently presented and witnessed at the ACS Athens Colloquium!

■■

20

For many years, my colleagues and I had volunteered to visit elementary and middle schools to teach selected math and science topics using the guided inquiry method before a group of the school’s own teachers.

Essential to the success of this method is getting to know the learners and focusing on their interests and needs. The following is an account of one of our visits to a second-grade class in a Chicago-area elementary school.

Our encounter with these children and with shadow exploration started when Jeremy, a member of the class, interrupted a demonstration we were doing in front of a group of teachers and students on how to use the guided inquiry method. Neither the class nor the subject of the demonstration were about shadow, light, or anything related. From nowhere, Jeremy stood up and asked, “Sir, can I get rid of my shadow?

“How can I get rid of my shadow or make it disappear?”

Before any more questions came rushing rapidly from Jeremy’s inquisitive mind, I asked him: “But why do you want to get rid of your shadow? What is bothering you about your shadow? Isn’t your shadow your best, most loyal friend?” Jeremy answered, “It is following me wherever I go; I cannot hide from it. Sometimes it is a long shadow, sometimes it is short; sometimes it is thin, sometimes fat; sometimes it’s a single shadow, sometimes I see more than one of my shadows at the same time; sometimes it’s on the floor, sometimes part of it is on the floor but the rest is on a nearby wall.” And before any of us, teachers could answer, Jeremy added confidently and firmly, “All these things can drive you crazy, so I would like to get rid of them, or at least get a break from them.”

Can I Get Rid of My Shadow?

Recalling By now, consciously or unconsciously, we had had our shifted from what we initially planned to do a Teachable attention in the classroom, to focus on Jeremy’s questions and on an exploration of shadows with this student Encounter for go and his classmates. We became so excited that we to ask permission from the five teachers who Instructional forgot were there to witness our demonstration of teaching using guided inquiry. But we also realized Improvement to athatsubject to answer Jeremy’s questions, it would be necesMeet Student’s sary to explore light and how light travels and spreads.

Interests and Needs Getting Started:

by Dr. Abour Cherif, Dean Emeritus, DeVry University, USA & Dr. Stefanos Gialamas, President, ACS Athens

I

ntroduction:

Young children are fascinated with shadows in general and their own shadow in particular. When they discover their own shadow, they start to wonder and ask questions such as these: What is a shadow? Why do we have a shadow? Can we manipulate our shadows? Is a shadow real or an imaginary image?

We asked the rest of the students if they had the same concerns and questions. One by one they started raising their hands or moving their heads, which gave us a positive indication and a justification to abandon our planned lesson and to focus on this intriguing set of questions. Once again, we forgot to ask for permission from the teacher of the class and the other visiting teachers.

We turned to the whole class and asked if any of the students knew how Jeremy could get rid of his shadow. There was a silence. We tried to give the students enough time to think, but no one came forward with any suggestions or ideas. We did notice, however, some concern and frustration on the teacher’s face

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

of the class. We didn’t know if they were frustrated because we had shifted our main goal for being in the classroom, or because the shadow was not an interesting subject to them, or because time was running out to accomplish something worthwhile, or because there was complete silence from the students. In any case, we decided to ignore the signs of frustration and use it as a means to continue and speed up with whatever we intended to do with shadow.

We asked the students if they could individually draw their own shadows on a piece of white paper. All the students completed the task eagerly and a few noisily wondered what to do or would be asked to do next.

We took the drawings, put them on the floor in the middle of the classroom, and asked the students to form a circle around them.

We looked at the drawings together one-by-one and discovered that some of the students drew their shadow on the left side of themselves, some on the right side, others in front, and still others in the back of themselves. We asked them why they drew their shadows in these different locations from themselves. We also pointed out that the shadows were not drawn in the same size and length. The students looked a little bit confused at the beginning, but soon some of them seemed to know the answer. One student said, “My shadow changes from morning to noon, to afternoon, to evening.” Another student, who had been quiet most of the time, jumped in saying, “My shadow always disappears at night.” Another student got his courage up and added, “It depends on where you stand.” A classmate joined to say that “you mean where you stand and the time of day.”

We used the students’ answers and comments to guide their thinking and direct their attention toward something that might be useful. We said, since you think it depends on where you stand and the time of day, then what changes during the day? Some of the students raised their hands, and a few didn’t even wait to be recognized and said, “We move around and we don’t stay in one place.” Others said, “The sun moves around.” One student tried to correct the others by saying, “Ms. Adams said last year that the earth moves around the sun.” One more student added, “In Sesame Street, they said the earth moves around itself and around the sun.” Another student protested, “No, no, my mom said it moves around itself in a day and around the sun in a year.” We asked this student to repeat what she had said and gave the class enough time to discuss things among themselves. However, here we also realized that it was the best time to redirect the discussion and guide students toward the concepts of light and its nature.

So, we asked the students if they saw a relationship between their shadow, light, and the time of the day.

All of them said, YES. A few added: you need light to make shadow. Others said: no light, no shadow; where there is light, there is shadow. We isolated these statements and asked the students if the statements were correct, or if you needed something else

→

Continued on page 94

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

ing process is to have the students travel and take exploration trips to the inside of the components of the world.

Allow the students to use any form to describe their journeys. They may want to write an essay, make a presentation or use illustrations and any other visual aids.

Teachers can encourage students to be creative and to free their imagination during their journey of exploration of the selected destination.

In a chemistry class you can start by sending the students inside single atoms and have them discover the subatomic particles, the energy levels, the physical and the chemical properties of the element that is made of these specific atoms. You can extend the exploration to cover different compounds and discuss the number of atoms in each molecule and the different types of bonding between the elements of the compounds chosen. For example, students can consider chemical compounds as spaceships flying in space and have them describe what could happen when they visit some of these spaceship compounds or when these spaceships encounter and interact with each other.

Imagine!

by Dr. Abour Cherif, Dean Emeritus, DeVry University, USA & Sana Kassem, Academy Faculty, ACS Athens

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”

Albert Einstein

T

hroughout the years, science educators have found that students, regardless of their grade levels, academic majors, ages and personalities, respond positively to activities that require imagination.1 These activities do not only make learning fun, enjoyable and challenging but also help reinforce learned concepts, especially abstract concepts such as the difference between atoms and molecules, elements and compounds, the different parts of a cell, the inside of the human body, the composition of stars, planets, and the universe as a whole.

A simple exciting and motivating activity that will make students understand the nature of our physical world and that will engage them in an active learn-

1.

Christopher Cunningham Imagination: Active in Teaching and Learning http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/ viewcontent.cgi?article=1063&context=teachlearnstudent

In biology, students take a spaceship and travel inside one of the organs or organ system of the human body or of a tree. Have them describe the events and the adventures they encounter inside each organ. You can ask them to travel inside the cell, describe the problems they will face passing through the cell membrane. Was it in a channel, pumped inside or squeezed across the phospholipid layer? Let them unwind the DNA of cells and use the strands to go to the moon and come back.

In physics, the students-astronauts can travel in a spaceship to study different clouds, name them, describe their thickness, their composition and come back to the Earth inside the precipitation of this cloud. Let them visit different planets or stars and galaxies. Have them describe the landscape, the environment and the climate of the space bodies. Maybe one of them will discover extraterrestrial creatures.

How would these look like? Are they single-celled or multi-cellular? What source of energy do they use, carbon-based or sulfur-based? Are they Aerobes or anaerobic organisms?

Why not embark on a journey in a submarine to explore the deep oceans or the glaciers to monitor the effects of the global warming on the depth, thickness and the glaciers of the ice caps.

Through these exploration students will discover the fascinating aspect of atoms and molecules, cells, living organisms, Earth, planets, stars and deep oceans.

They will appreciate how all these structures come together in harmony to create our beautiful world and our fascinating universe, a universe that is as infinite as their own imagination.

23

For those teachers and educators who are looking specific example to start with, the following is just one example that students in middle, high school, and Joiner College enjoyed engaging in. It called imaginary journey with Chemical Compound around us.

1.

Select eight compounds from those which are made up of more than two different elements such as NaOH (sodium hydroxide, commonly known as lye), H2CO3 (carbonic acid), C12H22O11 (table sugar), MgSO4 (Epsom salts), H2SO4 (sulfuric acid), NaHCO3 (sodium bicarbonate, commonly known as baking soda), K2CO3 (potassium carbonate), NaH2PO4 (monosodium phosphate), etc.

2. Write the chosen compounds on the white board. Write either the chemical formula or the compound name, as seen above in (1).

3. Ask each student to: ◉◉ Select two different compounds from the list on the white board, and write them down in both chemical formula and in written words. ◉◉ Go on an exploration journey within each compound she or he selected from the list. The students have to describe their exploration trips with the selected compounds in one or two written pages (for each trip). The description should include, but not limited to: i. Number of elements in each compound ii.

Names of the elements in each compound

iii. The number of atoms in each element within the compound iv. The total number of atoms in each compound, and v.

The types and number of chemical bonds in each compound. vi. In addition, they should also include the chemical formula, molar mass, appearance, density, melting point, boiling point, potential risk, solubility (in water or others), organic or inorganic classification, flammable or non-flammable, related compounds, to name a few. vii. They must also include why the two compounds the selected are compounds and not molecules.

4. Encourage students to be creative and to free their imagination during their journey of exploration of the selected compounds. For example, you can also consider these compounds as spaceships flying in space. Then ask the students the question of what could happen when some of these spaceship compounds encounter and interact with each other.

5. Let the students know that they may include illustration, and other visual and vocal aids if needed.

■■

24

Math is Elementary, integrating math and language teaching, innomy dear! Byvative courses can provide experiences that bridge 3 year Action Research Paper

gaps in literacy students’ math knowledge, expand their communicative competence in English, and ultimately prepare them for success in future math coursework.

In the constructivist classroom, the focus tends to shift from the teacher to the students

There are basically 5 important & easy steps to help the ESL student succeed:

by Fay Safaris, Elementary School Faculty

A

A constructivist teacher provides time, opportunity and dialogue with the students, encouraging them to make conceptions in order to go deeper into inquiry.

1.

Teach students the academic vocabulary

◉◉ creating a classroom atmosphere that encourages autonomy

◉◉ Vocabulary instruction is essential to effective math instruction. Not only does it include teaching math-specific terms such as “yard” or “meter,” but it also includes understanding the difference between the mathematical definition of a word and other definitions of that word

◉◉ guiding students to take charge of their inquiries

◉◉ Demonstrate that vocabulary can have multiple meanings

◉◉ making inquiry based investigations

◉◉ Encourage students to offer bilingual support to each other

◉◉ empowering students to construct their own understanding

My question was: How can constructivist learning help students close the learning gaps in Mathematics for ESL students?

The conclusion I came to through my 3 years of classroom study and other research was that:

◉◉ Provide visual cues, graphic representations, gestures, real life pictures ◉◉ Identify key phrases or new vocabulary to preteach. This helps students decide which math

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

function they should apply: “add”

“in all” means I

2. Help students read for understanding of the written math problems ◉◉ ESL who have had formal education in their home countries generally do not have mathematical difficulties BUT, their struggles begin when they encounter word problems in a second language that they have not yet mastered ◉◉ Demonstrating the logical thinking process while translating words into pictures and, finally, into number sentences helps them learn the process they need to follow to arrive at the correct result 3. Through example, show students the importance of building background knowledge ◉◉ Modify the linguistic complexity of language and rephrase math ◉◉ Guide students to mark the important parts in word problems

important in the content area * They need to “Use it or lose it!” as I say in class. ◉◉ Have students translate symbols into words, and write the sentence out. (Frayer Model) ◉◉ Create a “sentence frame” and post it on the board. (The answer is: “ 101 puppies came to play”) ◉◉ Have students share problem-solving strategies. (“Did someone get the answer a different way?”) ◉◉ Allow students to discuss how they are thinking about math. (If a student asks you to show how you the teacher got that answer… ask another student to come to the board and show how they did it.) ◉◉ Incorporate writing activities like math journals. (Using simple prompts and writing out the answer is important in order to fluently express their mathematical thinking in written word form.)

◉◉ Build knowledge from real world examples ◉◉ Use manipulatives purposefully 4. Increasing student language production is also

→

Continued on page 98

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

Reflections on the Colloquium

by Eleftheria Ferentinos, Korina Kokkali, Ioanna Lamprou, Elementary School Faculty

O

ur presentation aimed at giving parents and educators insight on how we approach number sense at the Early Childhood level. As we were planning and documenting our activities and observations, we were able to reflect and assess our own teaching strategies and techniques as well as look into new ways of presenting these concepts to our students in a constructivist approach. This process enabled us to really take the time to assess our practices and confirm that the practices already in place are aligned with the constructivist philosophy.

It was also beneficial to have time to sit down with colleagues of the Early Childhood department to discuss and document the continuum of how number sense is represented at each grade level. This documentation was then put into a pamphlet form, which has been helpful in guiding parents with useful information that can be used at home to reinforce math concepts taught at school.

■■

by Labrini Rontogiannis, Middle School Faculty

A

t some point all children dream of becoming a teacher. We pretend to teach, pretend to read to a class, we like the idea of grading papers and putting checks, x’s and stickers. But that dream often diminishes as other more desirable professions come to light in the years that follow. Few make their dreams reality when they set foot into their new classrooms for the first time. But, teaching is no small task. Teaching drains you emotionally and physically.

During the year, you try and find ways to re-energize and replenish because, after all, teaching is also one of the most rewarding and satisfying professions. Opportunities for professional growth is undoubtedly one of the most crucial and effective ways of doing this.

Every September, we are asked to reflect upon our goals for the upcoming year. But two years ago, this goal transformed itself into an action research proposal, which, in turn, manifested itself into our very own, individualized professional development. The work and research of the last two years allowed me to look at my teaching from an entirely different and unique perspective. The action research process took my teaching to a whole new level. I, in turn, became a

27

Celebrating YEARS global relocation

student in my own classroom learning how to better my teaching. What started with a question evolved into the beginning of something truly formidable. The culminating event, the colloquium, was an opportunity for us to truly “show off” what we do. Simultaneously, we all got to see all the incredible work that happens right under our very own roof.

It was a long, arduous year filled with challenges, but in the end, it became something no one expected.

We had an opportunity to reveal the projects we had been working on so meticulously. During the session, “Snapshots of i2Flex,” I presented my work on using video lessons to facilitate the i2Flex methodology.

Despite the fact this is a topic I am now, well-versed in and have shared before, there was something special about presenting my work for my colleagues and distinguished guests. First, preliminary findings were shared, followed by a presentation on how the use of video lessons facilitate the i2Flex methodology in order to better accommodate curriculum demands. It was demonstrated that this method improves student motivation when learning science and allows students to build on higher order thinking skills within a K-12 international school setting.

For this Science teacher, action research and i2Flex has been an incredible journey in discovering what she can do as an educator and how she can best reach her students.

■■

The culminating event, the Colloquium, was an opportunity for us to truly “show off” what we do.

Simultaneously, we all got to see all the incredible work that happens right under our very own roof.

28

Teaching is the highest form of understanding

Aristotle

T i Flex Methodology 2

he scholarship of teaching, according to Boyer (1990) refers the systematic reflection on the design, implementation and outcomes of teaching in a form that can be publicly reviewed, critiqued, evaluated and built upon by peers. Until recently this practice has been generally supported only at the level of higher education. We have broken new ground at ACS Athens as our educators became true ambassadors of the scholarship teaching in the K-12 (Avgerinou, 2016): they shared their Action Research outcomes with the wider public through both their presentations at the ACS Colloquium, and their contributions to the soon to be published book, Revolutionizing K-12 Blended Learning Through the i2Flex Classroom Model, edited by Dr. Avgerinou and Dr. Gialamas (in print- June 2016).

Janet Karvouniaris, Emeritus Faculty and co-author of the chapter, “Humanities: An Innovative Classic,” moderated the Presentation Session, Snapshots of i2Flex on Friday, April 22, Day 2 of the colloquium.

Teacher/authors Ms. Labrini Rontogianni, Dr. Tonia Firigou and Ms. Jenny Grigoropoulos each revealed snapshots of their respective journeys into the uncharted territory of i2Flex to a diverse international audience of distinguished guests.

Colloquium 2016 Snapshots of i2Flex: Teacher/Author Above and beyond the daily responsibilities of reflecTalks tive professionals, these teachers are engaged in the scholarship of teaching in order to improve their own

by Dr. Maria Avgerinou, Director of Educational Technology and eLearning

practice and advance the profession.

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

“Flipping and Flexing in Science: Video Lessons and the i2Flex Model”

“i2Flex and the Community of Inquiry Framework: How their Blend Transformed my IB French Class”

“The i2Flex Instructional Methodology Implemented in Middle School Classes for Young EFL and Foreign Language Learners”

Labrini Rontogiannis has been a teacher at ACS Athens for 11 years and has been teaching Science in the Middle School for 6 years. She recently completed an M.Ed. in Educational Technology which continues to inspire innovation in her classroom using technology.

Dr. Antonia Fyrigou has been on the ACS Athens faculty since 1999 and has taught both in Middle School and High School. She is an IB teacher and an IB examiner in French language and serves as the Coordinator of Languages Department.

Jenny Grigoropoulos teaches EFL and ESL in the Middle School. She is certified to teach ESL K-12 and Business Studies 6-12 and has recently become an IB examiner for Business Studies ■■

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

Janet Karvouniaris & Dr. Maria D. Avgerinou

The ACS Athens 6-12 Research Framework: Developing Habits of the Mind for Life

by Janet Karvouniaris, ACS Athens Faculty Emeritus & Dr. Maria D. Avgerinou, ACS Athens Director of Educational Technology and eLearning, Lead Researcher

T

his presentation gave an overview of the development of a 6-12 research framework designed to meet the existing need for a uniform online research curriculum with tools and resources for teachers and students. The framework aids the development of a spiral research curriculum toward the articulation of research skills being taught across the 6-12 curricula. Also, it enhances the i2Flex school culture for teaching and learning by providing students with a framework and “toolbox” to use independently or in guided sessions. Finally, the framework makes accessible on the ACS Athens website the ACS Research Guide, resources available in the ACS Athens Learning Commons of the Sabbagh Library, i.e. the Writing and Math Studios.

It was anticipated that the audience will walk away with an understanding of how the synergy of the spiral curriculum, the big 6® and the i2Flex facilitates and promotes the purposeful integration of research across the various subjects and disciplines in grades 6 through 12, in ways that are meaningful and relevant to the students’ current and future academic needs - thus feeding into the concept of research skills becoming “habits of the mind” for life.

■■

31

Infographic available as presented in the Colloquium: http://bit.ly/2abXHHi

32

dents moving and exercising, not sitting behind a laptop. As for me, I taught the Humanities course in the traditional face-to-face way for about 25 years with little, if any, use of educational technology.

Yet, here we are about to tell our stories of how we have transformed our teaching and our courses through i2Flex pedagogy and methodology, which is now the teaching and learning culture of ACS Athens. What is i2Flex? i2Flex is a type of student-centered, blended learning, but as you can see it comes with specific components. These components reflect the qualities that we want our graduates to have acquired during their years at ACS Athens and to carry with them throughout their lives.

My i2Flex journey with the high school interdisciplinary Humanities course began about two years ago, when I decided to investigate how this traditional course might benefit from i2Flex methodology but still maintain the aspects that had made it successful over the years. Based on review of the literature, discussions with colleagues, and with our mentor, Dr. Avgerinou, my teaching partner (Amalia Zavacopoulou) and I redesigned the entire course with a format that is now 50% online and 50% face-to-face.

Instructional Methodology: i2Flex Here is a screen shot of our home page on moodle, the

by Kathy Jasonides, Humanities Faculty & Angelos Dimitropoulos, Physical Education Faculty

I

n this presentation two ACS Athens faculty members who might be considered rather unlikely candidates for fully transforming their classes through the i2Flex (blended) pedagogy and technology, tell their stories about how they did just that. The audience saw how a P.E. teacher uses mobile technology to teach a fitness training class while keeping his students physically active at the same time. They also heard how a teacher who has been teaching the ACS Athens Humanities class for more than 25 years, completely redesigned the course into a 50 % face- to-face and 50 % independent web-based format.

The audience became acquainted with the instructional methodology of i2Flex through a rich variety of new and emerging technologies that can be used to enrich P.E. classes and make them more interesting to students. They also saw some examples of how the i2Flex methodology was employed to make a traditional course more relevant to the current generation of students without sacrificing the basic elements of the course that has made it an ACS Athens classic.

Humanities: It is a pleasure to have this opportunity to share our i2Flex stories with you. I should mention that you are looking at two of the most unlikely people to be using educational technology in their classes.

As a P.E. teacher, Angelo is all about getting the stu-

learning platform we use. It is open to Unit 2, and the red circles indicate how each week has two sections, the face-to-face and the independent web-based section. Each section has instructions and resources that prepare students for the work that will be done that week. We then identified some i2Flex techniques and tools that could help facilitate teaching and learning in the course, while also engaging and motivating the students.

Here are some of the techniques. Actually, journaling and brainstorming had always been techniques used in the face-to-face class, but now we wanted to see how web-based tools might increase the learning potential of these techniques. I concentrated mostly on three tools: VoiceThread, Digication , and moodle. VoiceThread is a web-based tool that allows students to communicate via text, audio and visuals. I was particularly interested in seeing how I could use VoiceThread in connection with My Action Research Question, which was: Can I use i2Flex methodology to engage students in more meaningful and effective pre-writing activities?

I decided to try VoiceThread (VT) for a brainstorming activity to prepare students to write a character analysis of one of Chaucer’s more colorful characters in the Canterbury Tales, the indomitable Wife of Bath. And here is the wife herself as she appears on a VT slide.

This activity had three phases: ◉◉ In an independent web-based session, students posted responses to three guiding questions on the VT slides.

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

activities can be challenging, I but have found it well worth the effort. ◉◉ Why? 1.

I think it stimulates me to be more creative in my teaching

2. I see that my students are more engaged in the learning process 3. I also find that class discussion in face-toface sessions is more thoughtful because students have already built context during their independent web-based sessions Reflections on Learning Students say they find this redesigned learning experience more relevant, and they like the way it helps them with brainstorming, pre-writing journal and with building context for face-to-face class discussions and activities.

Finally, here is our class hard at work during an independent web-based session, with teachers being the guide on the side . . . not the sage on the stage!

Physical Education: KEY: Keep Educating Yourself

◉◉ Students shared postings in small groups, again through VT in a web-based session. ◉◉ Finally all small groups shared their VT postings in a full face-to-face class discussion.

Another interesting tool is Digication, a digital portfolio which we use in connection with the independent web-based aspect of the course as a way of giving formative assessment on students’ pre-writing journals. Students like the quick teacher feedback it allows, and the efficient way it helps them keep their pre-writing portfolio in order.

Reflections on Teaching

Technology is everywhere. It is affecting the way we live and almost every moment of our lives… for most of us at least… The world of sport is continually changing over the years, and the use of technology is just one of those areas that has made an impact on many sports in the modern day. Many sports are experiencing a significant attitude change. With all due respect to Mr. McEnroe and all tennis lovers (watch video)…

Attitudes like this wouldn’t fly today since instant replays and related software, are now used worldwide to assist officials making the right calls. Software packages are designed for fitness and nutrition professionals to organize data and produce reports.

So, it is safe and wise to use technology in Physical Education or will the use of technology result in making our students more inactive?

About 3 years ago, I started implementing mobile learning in my fitness classes and based on my own research, these are the benefits integrating technology in PE. For my students, I had a simple goal: to help them explore physical activity options and develop habits and skills for life, using the power of technology. For me, however, the challenging task was to create a program in which the students would use current technologies, without giving up activity time.

So, I looked at the personal devices the students are using in their everyday

So, how do I feel now about this total transformation of the course? ◉◉ Certainly maintaining a balance between independent web-based learning and face-to-face

→

Continued on page 98

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

concept and my teaching philosophy.

My own i²Flex experience is based on my French IB class during the last 2 years that I implement this innovative methodology. Even though I have been teaching French IB for 16 consecutive years, this new approach of teaching and learning, inspired me to move further and investigate in depth students’ satisfaction via the CoI (2000) Community of Inquiry framework. In particular, in the 2nd year, this investigation became the focus of my own Action Research project in order to explore the effects of the i²Flex in my French IB class.

Essentially, the CoI (2000), assisted me to look at the i²Flex elements which improve learning in a multi level language class and to see how students perceive the implementation of this innovative methodology.

The CoI (2000) helped me research in depth, the advantages and the shift in teaching and learning by recording results from the CoI (2000) survey, teacher’s journal, and students’ work. My own observations in class and reflections were also taken into consideration.

The Implementation action research focus and inquiry was to explore of i2Flex My if students get more engaged, become independent active learners, and perhaps achieve an overall Methodology in and higher academic performance. a Language Class Connected with blended learning, the i²Flex methodincorporates an integrated use of technology and the Use of ology that enhances content, and it is a carefully selected the Community and interesting application to a specific unit of study. the first year of the i²Flex implementation, of Inquiry (CoI) After where everything was new for both sides, and feelexcited about this refreshing methodology, I deFramework ing cided to move on to the next step and evaluate the

by Dr. Antonia Fyrigou, Academy Faculty, Department of Languages Coordinator

W

hen Albert Einstein said: “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination” he could probably not predict that the 21st century’s learning would be so much related with imagination and creativity, where, creativity would be the center of the world. At ACS Athens, according to our philosophy, we challenge our students to use their unique potential and create their own learning.

Having that in mind and at the same time, realizing that in our days we have a new model of learners who prefer hyperlinked information, and enjoy working in teams collaborating, sharing and exchanging ideas, we understand that the teacher gets a more demanding role, as she needs to prepare students not only for their university studies but also for the future as global citizen. Therefore, a lifelong learner teacher, who wants to have a proactive role, needs to take the risk and try innovative methods of teaching and learning.

When last year, we had been exposed to the i²Flex methodology, I could not imagine that this methodology would change so drastically the entire learning

experience via an appropriate framework. It was then that I was introduced to the Community of Inquiry (CoI, 2000) framework. The evaluation of the implementation of i²Flex could not have taken place without the possibility to use the Community of Inquiry framework which is coming as a gift, allowing us evaluate the educational experience with the use of this innovative methodology. For all intents and purposes, this educational tool assists all of us who have already employed the i²Flex approach, to better understand how the students perceive the educational experience and of course it gives answers and solutions to different areas. It was necessary to modify the original CoI (2000) framework in order for it, to meet the real conditions of the i²Flex implementation. The initiation of the CoI (2000) framework is significant not only because we can get important info about the cognitive presence and see exactly how topics and material increase students interest, but also because we can collect data on how course activities pick students’ curiosity. At the same time it’s easy to estimate students’ feel motivation, utilizing a variety of material to explore problems posed in the relevant course.

Finally, the use of CoI (2000), helps students learn how to think independently, search, collect their thoughts,

35

and get prepared how to communicate with the faculty. Therefore, critical thinking is also developed, as by following instructions from the faculty, students learn how to ”listen” and they become able to identify their own needs. Furthermore, faculty understands whether the student enjoys the i²Flex methodology and learns better or is challenged in specific areas.

Additionally, following all the steps above, the faculty can design, and distribute meaningful, appropriate and creative assessment materials to students. Collecting student feedback helps faculty make the shift in planning and delivering knowledge in a beneficial way for students!

As a conclusion, the introduction of the CoI (2000) gives faculty the opportunity to offer a more efficient, better organized and much more motivating teaching and provides students with a high quality student - centered, customized approach of learning.

Of course, as a lifelong learner, I always challenge myself to do better and better; I believe that there is a lot of room for improvements and reconsiderations over the use of i²Flex and the Community of Inquiry framework. At the same time, we need to consider different challenges that always appear throughout the learning process, especially if the students had no prior exposure to blended learning. The technology part is easy and motivating for students, the frustra-

tion is mostly in the different delivery and assignment submission type. It’s also in the shift in students’ mind about their new responsibilities. The most important is to continuously try to be pro active in teaching and learning and identify the needs of our students for their future. As Einstein said: “Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death”, we should never stop trying to improve, no matter from which capacity we serve the educational experience”.

■■

36

ready knew and what more they wanted to learn. By cross-referencing their sources, and evaluating various websites, they took notes to use in producing their soliloquy (monologue) writing.

The writing process included prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. This piece was then transformed into a speaking avatar, something that the students found appealing, since they could apply their technological skills and competencies.

■■

Writing to Think and Learn Exploring Colonial America Through Research Based Creative Writing

by Eleftheria Maratou, Helen Sarantes, Marla Coklas, Evi Evloyias, Elementary School Faculty

F

or the ACS Colloquium 2016, fifth grade students participated in a demonstration of student learning. Taking from the content knowledge learned through the thematic unit, Colonial America, and reading the novel, “The Sign of the Beaver,” the students engaged in research of a historical character of their choice. This research gave breadth and depth to their understanding of the daily lives of historical figures and the era in which they lived. The students moved beyond typical analytic report writing in ways that developed their creativity and gave them an insightful understanding of the topic. This project was an integration of a social studies thematic unit, reading, writing and technology. This was a collective process which produced an avatar that brought to life the character of their choice.

To begin with, background knowledge was obtained by learning about Colonial America and life during that era through the eyes of a colonial settler in the book “The Sign of the Beaver”. After initial exposure to this time period students enhanced their knowledge by researching the topic further using different sources including technology. They asked relevant questions taking into consideration what they al-

Infographic available as presented in the Colloquium: http://bit.ly/2ak58uT

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

fectively through their own writing and not through worksheets.

Genre Mini-Lesson and Conferencing Ideas Personal Narrative ◉◉ dialogue ◉◉ said is dead’ ◉◉ show vs. tell ◉◉ tenses Fables ◉◉ dialogue ◉◉ ‘said is dead’ ◉◉ adjectives ◉◉ actions Biography ◉◉ commas in dates and cities and states ◉◉ transition words ◉◉ possessive nouns

Genre Mini-Lesson and Conferencing Ideas

Teaching Grammar through the Writing Process

by Carly Killam, Elementary School Faculty

T

eaching grammar can be a daunting task, however it should not be thought of as a choice. Instead, the question should be how can we best teach grammar. Weaver, McNally, & Moerman (2001), conclude the best way is through “the context of writing.” It is here, not in insolated worksheets, where grammar can best be learned. Weaver (1996), conclude “that teaching grammar in the context of writing works better than teaching grammar as a formal system.”

In a short term and long term study of explicit grammar instruction on fifth grade writing, Feng & Powers (2005) suggest teaching specific grammar needs in the revising, proofreading, and editing stages. Whether in group or one-on-one conferencing students may benefit the most because the teacher is able to focus on the individual(s) specific need(s). Likewise, teachers may also see an incorrect grammar trend and be able to teach specific mini-lessons to the whole class.

In conclusion, it is through the context of students’ writing where grammar can be taught most efficiently. Teaching grammar through the writing process is best taught through group or one-on-one writing conferences or specific mini-lessons based on student needs. Although students may still make mistakes, it is the goal to have students use grammar more ef-

Research Report ◉◉ section headings ◉◉ bibliography ◉◉ following an outline ◉◉ formal vs. informal language All genres of writing ◉◉ types of sentences ◉◉ sentence length ◉◉ capitalization ◉◉ subject/verb agreement ◉◉ paragraphs ◉◉ avoiding run-ons and fragments ◉◉ writing in complete sentences ◉◉ synonyms ◉◉ parts of speech

Bibliography Feng, S. & Powers, K. (2005). The Short-And Long-Term Effect of Explicit Grammar Instruction on Fifth Graders’ Writing.

Reading Improvement, 42(2), 67-73.

Weaver C., McNally C., & Moerman S. (2001). To Grammar or Not to Grammar: That is Not the Question! Voice from the Middle, 8(3), 17-33.

Weaver, C. (1996). Teaching Grammar in the Context of Writing. The English Journal, 85(7), 15-24.

Visit my website for more information: https://sites.google.com/site/carlykillam/

■■

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

and data for reflection captured through the Equity Maps® iPad App. The primary goal of our action research was to improve teaching and learning in our classrooms. It was intended to help resolve problems rather than simply be research for its own sake. Our action research had four basic procedures: planning, action, observation and reflection. We selected a concern to examine in more detail and a suitable procedure for collecting information about the issue. After collecting the information, analyzing it, and deciding what changes might be necessary in our teaching, we developed an action plan to help bring about the desired outcome in our classrooms. We then reflected on the effects of our plan and its significance on our teaching.

Collaborative Methods in the Classroom - Socratic Seminar: A Display of Student Learning

by Jonathan Ruelens, English Department, David Nelson, Social Studies Department, 10th grade Combo Instructors, Evelyn Pittas, English Department, IB English

Evelyn, Dave and I were excited to share our research with parents and guests at the colloquium. We thought that the best way to do so would be through an authentic presentation of student learning. We invited guests and parents to participate in a student-led Socratic seminar on Day 2 of the colloquium.

Around 20 students participated, and 15 guests acted as active observers of the collaborative process. Rather than repeat a previous activity, which would likely have given the event an artificial quality, we asked students to prepare for a new seminar on the poetry of Langston Hughes and poetic voice. Guests saw our grade 10 Combo students (both Honors and Standard level) work towards IB English assessment outcomes including the examination of audience and purpose, language change, and the influence of culture and context on language and meaning. The students also discussed the relationship between Langston Hughes’ poetic voice and his commentary on social issues.

Based on the Socratic Method, the primary functions of this strategy are to encourage respectful patterns of dialogue and to gain a deeper understanding of the assigned texts. Socratic Seminar is a dialogue, not a debate. It is designed to help students develop higher order thinking skills through discussion, questioning and efforts to define abstract concepts like truth, justice, beauty, equality, etc…

Some Context

O

ver the past two years we have added several new collaborative, creative learning structures to support our students as they study literature and history. As well, we have been collaborating across grade levels to find even more ways to prepare our students for IB success. Initially, our research question focused on the use of “Readers Theater” to enhance student understanding of literary works, in this case Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. Recently, though, we have expanded our action research to include student-led Socratic Seminars in the study of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. In both cases, we measured student understanding by assigning follow-up written reflections. Our artifacts include, in addition to these reflections, video records of activities, assessment scores, the assignment sheet,

10th Grade “American Literature and History Combo” has undergone a significant change this academic year. For the first time, honors and standard level students are integrated into the “combo” together. This move was prompted by a desire on the part of the Academy administration and Humanities and Literature Departments to enhance the motivation and performance of our standard level students and pushing honors students into leadership roles in the classroom. So far, Dave and I have seen real benefits from this approach. However, combining very high and very low proficiency students in the same classroom can also present unique challenges for the instructor.

One such challenge is differentiation of: instruction, curriculum, and assessment.

In this new “Combo” context, Dave and I decided to expand the use of our once Honors-only Readers

39

Theater activity to include standard level students.

We differentiated this activity on a number of levels.

First, we assigned roles with greater speaking parts to Honors-level students. Second, we created separate rubrics appropriate to each grade level. Third, we assigned distinct follow-up writing assignments.

Honors students wrote an IB-style “reflection” on their performance while standard level students wrote a persuasive speech using knowledge gleaned from their performance.

Over the course of the semester Combo students have prepared and led two Socratic Seminars based on specific thematic explorations of the novel, The Great Gatsby. Our aim was to approach classroom discussion in a new way. Rather than a “top-down” approach that focused on being “right” and placing the teacher at the center, we were interested in student collaboration. Socratic Seminars, with their focus on careful questioning and collaborative understanding, fit well with our aims. With groups of 15-20 combined honors and standard level students, these seminars also provided us an opportunity to gauge the effectiveness of the new combo program. In the fall, Honors students carried out a Socratic Seminar on a different topic while Standard students observed—a good example of modeling and differentiation.

The use of the Equity Map® App added to the learning experience. As well we utilized methodologies of the ACS Athens Collaborative Learning Communities and Critical Friends Group® work, to engage students in more powerful and meaningful debrief sessions, encouraging students to reflect at dual levels of content and process.

Group Consensus on Action Research (Mr. Nelson, Ms. Pittas, Mr. Ruelens) 1.

Action Research is an example of reflective teaching, thus reflection should be an integral part of teaching. It is essential that time be allotted for reflection.

2. Action Research should be a natural extension of what we accomplish in the classroom.

3. Through Action Research we can gain a deeper understanding of our teaching, and even our own learning process.

On a final note, our new teachers are in a school or a building or even a hallway with excellent and experienced teachers. Talking with others openly and honestly about teaching and learning experiences is the key to reflecting on what is happening in the classroom. They may tap into the expertise of experienced teachers who have been there and understand.

Teaching is a career that takes time to build and perfect, and we urge all teachers to see their jobs as a craft, built over time!

References Ball, Wanda H. Brewer, Pam. Socratic Seminars in the Block.

Larchmont, New York: Eye on Eye Education, 2000.

Equity Maps®, (2016) David Nelson (Version 1.0) [mobile application software], Retrieved from http://itunes.apple.com and http://www.equitymaps.com.

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. London: Wordsworth Collections, 2001.

Gillespie, Amy, and Steve Graham. «Evidence-based Practices for Teaching Writing.» Evidence-based Practices for Teaching Writing. John Hopkins School of Education, 2012. Web. 12 Jan. 2015. <http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/Better/articles/ Winter2011.html>.

Hughes, Langston. Montage of a Dream Deferred. New York: Holt, 1951.

Mattoon, Michele, NSRF Director and Luci Englert McKean, eds. Critical Friends Group® Coaches’ Handbook. Autumn ed.

Bloomington, IN: National School Reform Faculty, 2015. Print.

McKay, Marlene. «Readers Theatre—Take Another Look—It’s More Than Fluency Instruction.» LEARNing Landscapes 2.1 (2008): 131-44. Learning Landscapes. 14 July 2014. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. <http://www.learninglandscapes.ca/>.

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. London: Penguin Books, 1968.

Web log post. Mrs. Ashworth English - JHS. Ed. Tiffany Ashworth. Wordpress.com, 23 Aug. 2012. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <https://ashworthlanguagearts.wordpress.com>.

Worthy, J., & Prater, K. “’I thought about it all night’: Readers theatre for reading fluency and motivation.” The Reading Teacher 56 (2002), 294–297.

■■

40

So what did our research show us? First, that writing should be used to think and learn; it is not just a matter of learning how to write. Linked closely to this idea is the well-known writing process. The idea that writing is not just a way of expressing thoughts and ideas – it is a PROCESS that contributes to the development of our thoughts, knowledge and understanding. Of course these findings are nothing new; in fact, they simply confirm everything we apply in our classrooms here at ACS Athens every day. But our research also showed us that, even in writing, inquiry is essential, as it requires an involvement that leads to students constructing new knowledge and understanding. It is the idea that asking questions is more important than finding the right answer; and this is sort of where our paths crossed.

In the interest of the future of formal education, it is essential to investigate new means of teaching and learning in the classroom. When we realize that change is upon us, our primary concern becomes, ‘What do we want for our students?’ Coming from a background in museum education, I firmly believe that implementing informal learning practices in the classroom is a sign of progress down an avenue of change. want my students to have opportunities in their Making Stories Ilearning that provide an exploration of prior knowlby Stavi Dimas and Amalia Zavacopoulou, Elementary and Academy School Faculty

A

fter almost two years of action research, months of anticipation and weeks of intense planning and practice, the day had finally arrived. Thursday, April 21st, 2016 – the first day of the ACS Athens Colloquium. Backstage, we felt a range of emotions, the feelings of weeks building up to a 12-minute presentation on stage simultaneously coming to a climax – excitement, anxiety, nervousness, pride and enthusiasm. As part of our participation in the colloquium, we were one of the eight Morfosis talks presented in the ACS Athens Theatre. Representing the Teaching Writing to Think and Learn strand, our talk focused on how writing – a skill we begin learning in primary school and continue to master throughout our formal education, and our lives – should be viewed as a means to thinking and learning, as a process.

Adapted for this issue of Ethos, the following represents a summary of our Morfosis talk: As teachers in the Elementary School and the Academy, we both share an interest in inspiring our students with engaging, authentic and significant learning experiences. By turning to our research on writing and how it constantly informs our practice, we want to share with you an innovative digital creative writing project entitled Making Stories.

edge and a free application of understanding. While this may sound simple enough, in practice it is much more complicated. Actually, in order to achieve this, we believe that educators must employ a plan of action. In the case of Making Stories, our plan of action is taken directly from informal educational practice, in the form of interpretive planning.

In his book, The Engaging Museum, museum studies expert Graham Black identifies interpretive planning as a strategy utilized by modern museums to engage their visitors in educational activities which help reveal deeper meanings, build connections, and construct relationships. Making Stories therefore adopts this five-step plan through the use of active learning tools and reflective practice.

Making Stories was a pilot project, designed for the Honors Humanities course and implemented in the first semester of this academic year. As with all pilot projects it had its fair share of glitches and bumps, but in the end most were overcome and this piece will explain the journey of our project.

There were two significant inspirations to the project which guided our first steps. First, the CHESS project, a digital storytelling initiative which aims to facilitate the relationship between museum content and visitor needs. Second, the call for papers in the spring of 2015 for the annual ICOM CECA Conference (International Conference of Museums - Committee of Education and Cultural Action), offered a platform at the Smithsonian Institute for us to perfect and showcase Making Stories to an international audience as an example of good practice in cultural education.

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

The six artifacts from the Acropolis Museum Honors Humanities students selected for the Making Stories project

One of the narratives, “Brian’s First Friend”, tells the story of a boy’s encounter with a threeheaded demon

A selection of student comments about their experience with the Making Stories project

The Making Stories project was created for the Honor Humanities course, a team-taught interdisciplinary course with an emphasis on the field study component. The project lasted approximately 6 weeks, and during this time students worked in collaborative learning groups to craft an authentic digital narrative. Their narrative involves a dialogue between an artifact from the Acropolis museum and a museum visitor persona (a visitor type). For the purposes of the project, we chose a high school student as the museum visitor persona in order for the students to feel a connection and make the project more accessible and relatable.

During Making Stories, the students engaged in four phases: Building Bridges, Scripting, Construction, and Storytelling, all of which are directly linked to the steps of the writing process.

The first stage of the process was called Building Bridges – in this case we mean bridges of knowledge and understanding. If words have the potential to build bridges into unexplored regions, then we aim to enable students to build their own bridges. Through this project, we invited Honors Humanities students to seek new ways of connecting and engaging with the artifacts they already studied in class – a personal engagement with our existing syllabus, where students used this experience to reflect on our essential question for the year, “What Makes us Human?”. From our classroom study of Archaic and Classical Greek art and architecture, to our intensive field study visits to the Acropolis site and museum, students began building their own bridges. After our field study visit to the Acropolis Museum, the groups selected the artifacts they would focus on. We then returned to the Museum the following day for the next stage, and arguably the most creative stage of the process, Scripting.

Scripting acts as a crossover between the pre-writing and drafting stages of the writing process. The small groups participated in lengthy brainstorming sessions in situ with their chosen museum artifact.

Afterwards, they shared their perspectives with each other and were asked to draw connections back to the field study of the previous day and their classroom experiences. Students then collected interpretive materials that they found useful for their authentic digital narrative such as notes, sketches, voice recordings, ideas from within the museum environment, and even specific object placement from within the museum space. We observed that this process was heavily influenced by these last two interpretive materials, something which we had not expected. Finally, in this phase, they evaluated their thoughts on the plot, setting, characters, and the possible direction of the dialogue. Then the students considered the best direction for them to take as a group.

→

Continued on page 99

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

answer my questions, no matter how silly.

My research was based on constructivism, students gaining knowledge through their own experience. This theory was based on “student-centered learning,” where individuals take the initiative to become autonomous in their education. I was outraged. Where was this learning approach when I was going to school?! Okay, I wasn’t exactly a model student, but the chapter reading which included answering the questions at the end, the supplemental handouts, and the mounds of worksheets followed by an occasional quiz didn’t exactly compel me to embrace school with open arms. But now, there were options and exciting ways to learn.

Creative learning in the Writing Studio

by Bobby Zervas, Middle School /Academy Writing Studio Coordinator

I

recently had the chance to sit down with my mother during spring break and discuss work. Although she understands what being the Writing Studio Coordinator entails, it goes beyond just helping students with their writing assignments. I told her it is all based on the theory that each student learns at a different pace. Also with ACS Athens being an international school, for some students English is not always their native language and some who have been taught different writing styles. She looked at me and said she wished her school offered that kind of support in the early 1960s. “One day we were sitting in class, it must have been fifth grade. This child couldn’t get the right answer. The teacher became frustrated and slammed his head against the wall yelling: ‘what is wrong with you, why can’t you understand this?!’” I sat and looked at her in horror; she said your expression mirrors all the children in class that day.

Almost three years ago I decided law school was not for me and permanently moved to Greece. I would become a teacher. My initial reaction to being hired at ACS Athens was feeling terrified and excited at the same time. I was inexperienced as a teacher but I knew about writing.

Also, my concept of teaching was the old system I had grown up with, the one that didn’t work, and the one that couldn’t help me. The first step was forgetting everything.

I began to research and spent most of the year devoted to this exploration. It wasn’t all on my own. I was surrounded by some amazing colleagues who never hesitated to

Well, a year later we hosted the ACS Colloquium 2016. This was a great opportunity for me to demonstrate creative learning in the Writing Studio. I was also presenting my Action Research which was based on the Writing Studio Moodle shell, somewhat of an online classroom with multiple resources that cover every aspect of writing. I cannot take credit for creating the shell, but at the beginning of the year I thought about its purpose and significance. I wondered if there was room for improvement. Students attend the Writing Studio during class individually, as a group or during their free time. What about students who have limited time? I can’t blame them for choosing to spend lunch eating instead of coming to see me. They can also attend after school, but if they are involved in sports or other extracurricular activities, what then? The Moodle shell is the perfect opportunity for students to improve writing on their own time through various examples explaining the writing process to grammar rules and online tools.

During the colloquium, students worked on various assignments at different writing stages from brainstorming to editing drafts and citing sources. My role was a mediator. I engaged students only when necessary to guide them in the right direction. When I’m working one-on-one with a student I don’t take out a red pen and start hacking away at a draft. The student doesn’t learn anything this way. However, through a series of questions, they are able to figure it out on their own. My favorite approach is asking them to read an awkward sentence out loud. They struggle reading the sentence and understand it needs to be restructured. Then there is brainstorming or prewriting, the first and most crucial step of the writing process.

There is the classic image of students staring at a computer hoping to write a final draft without any preparation.

I’ve witnessed a student waste 20 minutes trying to write a hook! My approach is similar to clustering or mind mapping using a whiteboard. Students begin with the topic in the center and spider web their ideas. I then come around and start with a series of questions often revisiting what is the purpose of their essay. Most find it beneficial and others choose different ways to prewrite, this goes back to having options and finding one that best suits them.

My presentation was set up as an informal workshop, I would facilitate from individual to group while being filmed. Everything was fine until the camera turned on, and then there was cold sweat followed by mumbling and fidgeting. I guess there is always room for improvement.

The colloquium gave me the chance to reflect upon my

43

work, evaluating what works and what needs revision. In understanding this shift in learning I come to realize that I am not a teacher, but an educator. Content is integral, but the approach makes the larger impact.

Presentation overview: Writing in the field of Psychology

JUSTIFICATION

This presenta,on gives an overview of the development of scien/fic wri/ng skills for IB Psychology students. Many of the organiza,onal elements that apply to academic wri,ng may be incorporated in psychological wri,ng: formula,ng a thesis, suppor,ng it with evidence, presen,ng counter arguments. These skills provide a founda,on for IB candidates to approach wri,ng in the field of psychology. When wri,ng in psychology a strong emphasis is also placed on research, and students are expected to focus on synthesizing and cri,cally evalua,ng research studies, as well as connec,ng course material with current scien,fic literature. Psychological wri,ng is based on the American Psychological Associa,on style (APA). This style of wri,ng may seem dry at first but soon aHer results in clear, informa,ve, scien,fic reports. Yet, in reality…

Crea/vity in psychology tends to come from the ideas behind the wri/ng, not wri/ng itself (Carson et al., 2012).

Therefore, the framework presented aims at the development of specific research and wri,ng skills for Year 1 and Year 2 IB Psychology ACS students who aKend grades 11th and 12th. This process highlights in par,cular the IB Psychology Internal Assessment, a scien,fic report of a replica,on of a simple psychological experiment.

MAPPING OUT THE IB PSYCHOLOGY INTERNAL ASSESSMENT 1st RESEARCH CYCLE: CONCEPTUALIZING, DESIGNING, READING, & REFLECTING

Assessment for the subject of IB Psychology is essay-based and it appears that the be8er the wri:ng skills of a candidate, the be8er his/her grade classifica:on.

ò

Iden%fying the Ini%al Area of Interest ò Reviewing the psychological literature ò Reviewing the experimental method

ò

Deciding on an Experiment ò Performing a complete background literature review of the topic under inves;ga;on ò Iden;fying theories and research studies related to the topic

ò

Wri%ng the Introduc%on including the Hypotheses and Aim of the Study ò Providing complete references and in-text cita;ons

ò

Addressing the Design and Par%cipants Sec%ons ò Reviewing ethical considera;ons

ò

Evalua%on of First Steps and Reflec%ons

Clear thinking leads to clear wri:ng, just as clear wri:ng leads to be8er understanding.

"If any man wishes to write in a clear style, let him first be clear in his thoughts" Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Wri0ng skills appear to be necessary for employment. According to research, a third of all workers fall short of employers' expecta:ons in wri5en communica0on skills (Read, 2004). Apparently wri:ng ability is one of the quali:es most sought aPer in graduate employees.

MAPPING OUT THE IB PSYCHOLOGY INTERNAL ASSESSMENT 2nd RESEARCH CYCLE: CONDUCTING THE EXPERIMENT ò Collec&ng the data ò Checking the materials ò Doing a pilot study

In my second year as an educator when I sat in the audience and attended various presentations I was able to see my mentors in action. Sometimes we search for inspiration not realizing it’s right in front of us.

■■

ò Handling the raw data ò Performing the descrip8ve and inferen8al sta8s8cs ò Wri&ng the results ò Descrip8ve ò Inferen8al ò Discussing ò Providing a Reference list, full Appendices and an Abstract ò Submi@ng a 1st draB è Receiving detailed feedback from the teacher è Student reflec&ng è Submi@ng Final Report

THE IB PSYCHOLOGY INTERNAL ASSESSMENT

STEPS OF THE WRITING PROCESS: THE IMPORTANCE OF READING AND REFLECTING

STEPS OF THE WRITING PROCESS: THE IMPORTANCE OF READING AND REFLECTING

“The Internal assessment is an integral part of the course and is compulsory for both Standard Level(SL) and Higher Level(HL) students. It enables students to demonstrate the applica1on of their skills and knowledge, and to pursue their personal interests, without the Ame limitaAons and other constraints that are associated with wriBen examinaAons (…)

The more one reads the be.er one writes. In order to learn to write well in psychology one needs to be well informed about the topic under inves8ga8on. Reading and reflec6ng on other researchers’ work leads to an awareness of strengths and limita8ons in one’s own work.

The more one reads the be.er one writes. In order to learn to write well in psychology one needs to be well informed about the topic under inves8ga8on. Reading and reflec6ng on other researchers’ work leads to an awareness of strengths and limita8ons in one’s own work.

For the internal assessment students are required to plan, undertake and report a replica1on of a simple experimental study (...) AddiAonal requirements are made of HL students, for example, they are required to apply an inferen1al sta1s1cal test to the data they gather”.

Reading sources cri8cally, reviewing ar8cles, reflec8ng on authors’ hypotheses and methodologies, evalua8ng appropriateness of sample and sampling methods, showcase cri6cal thinking skills which are of utmost importance in the process of scien6fic wri6ng.

Reading sources cri8cally, reviewing ar8cles, reflec8ng on authors’ hypotheses and methodologies, evalua8ng appropriateness of sample and sampling methods, showcase cri6cal thinking skills which are of utmost importance in the process of scien6fic wri6ng.

The experimental method

Academic Honesty Policy

Academic Honesty Policy

“IB learners strive to be principled: They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, jus8ce and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communi8es. They take responsibility for their own ac8ons and the consequences that accompany them” (IBO Psychology Subject Guide).

“IB learners strive to be principled: They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, jus8ce and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communi8es. They take responsibility for their own ac8ons and the consequences that accompany them” (IBO Psychology Subject Guide).

For the IB Diploma Programme psychology course, the experimental method is defined as requiring: ò

the manipulaAon of one independent variable while other variables are kept constant

ò

the measurement of the effect of the independent variable on one dependent variable.

SELECTED REFERENCES

American Psychological Associa1on. (2009). Publica(on manual of the American Psychological Associa(on (6th edi1on). Washington, D.C.: Author Carson, Sh. et al. (2012). Wri(ng for psychology: A guide for psychology concentrators (1st ed.). Cambridge MA: Harvard College.

Interna1onal Baccalaureate. (2009). Psychology guide. First examina(ons 2011 (1st ed.). Chippenham, United Kingdom: IBO. Landrum, R. E. (2008). Undergraduate wri(ng in psychology: Learning to tell the scien(fic story. Washington, DC: American Psychological Associa1on.

Read, M. (2004). Employers say one-third of workers wri1ng skills fall below job standards. Asheville Ci(zen Times, B7.

IBO Psychology Subject Guide

MAPPING OUT THE IB PSYCHOLOGY INTERNAL ASSESSMENT angela chamosfakidis, M.Ed. American Community Schools (ACS) Athens, Greece CHAMOSFAKIDISA@ACS.GR

Infographic available as presented in the Colloquium: http://bit.ly/2apF3fp

A special emphasis throughout this process was placed on articulating clear thoughts. Clear thinking leads to clear writing, just as clear writing leads to better understanding.

“If any man wishes to write in a clear style, let him first be clear in his thoughts.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Mapping out It is without a question that the more one reads the betone writes. In order to learn to write well in psychology students needed to be well informed and knowledgeable the IB Psychology ter about the topic under investigation. Reading and reflectInternal Assessment ing on other researchers’ work led to an awareness of strengths and limitations in their own work.

by Angela Chamosfakidis, M.Ed., IB Faculty, Psychology

M

y Action Research focused on the development of scientific writing skills for IB Psychology students. The rationale behind this endeavor was primarily based on the fact that assessment for the subject of IB Psychology is essay based and thus the better the writing skills of a candidate the better his or her grade classification. Additionally, there is plenty of research evidence to suggest that written communication skills are essential for college success as well as for employment, later on (Read, 2004).

For their psychology essays students were encouraged to incorporate many of the organizational elements of academic writing such as formulating a thesis, supporting it with evidence, and presenting counter arguments.

These skills helped provide a foundation for IB candidates attending grades 11 & 12 to approach writing in the field of psychology in an effective manner. This type of writing also required that a strong emphasis be placed on research, and students were expected to focus on synthesizing and critically evaluating research studies, as well as connecting course material with current scientific literature.

Psychological writing was based on the American Psychological Association style (APA). This style of writing seemed dry at first but soon after resulted in clear, informative, scientific reports.

“Creativity in psychology tends to come from the ideas behind the writing, not writing itself” (Carson et al., 2012).

The writing process also highlighted the role of inquiry and reflection. Students were encouraged to pause, reread and reflect throughout this process. During this reflective journey new questions were being generated and all the while answers were sought. The IB Psychology Internal Assessment, a scientific report of a replication of a simple psychological experiment, was drafted and sculptured upon inquiry, observation, and reflection.

From the first draft to the final scientific report students were encouraged and praised for engaging in reading sources critically, reviewing articles, reflecting on authors’ hypotheses and methodologies, evaluating appropriateness of samples and sampling methods. This helped them develop and showcase critical thinking skills, which are of utmost importance in the process of psychological as well as scientific writing in general.

The end result was most gratifying for both students and teacher and as writing is an on-going process the journey still continues…

References Carson, Sh. et al. (2012). Writing for psychology: A Guide for psychology Concentrators. (1st ed.). Cambridge MA: Harvard College.

International Baccalaureate. (2009). Psychology guide. First examinations 2011. (1st ed.). Chippenham, United Kingdom: IBO. Landrum, R. E. (2008). Undergraduate writing in psychology: learning to tell the scientific story. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Read, M. (2004). Employers say one-third of workers writing skills fall below job standards. Asheville Citizen Times, B7.

■■

44

Best Fit A journey of Collaboration: 9-12 Academic Advisory

by Demetri Pelidis, Academy Counselor

“T

he whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” especially when it comes to collaborative efforts between 9-12 Academic Advisory programs (Aristotle).

When I think of my work leading to our ACS Colloquium I am reminded of the value of collaboration.

When it comes to collaboration, perhaps no one is better matched to work together than our two Academy Advisory programs, 9-10 & 11-12. Working with Ms. Panteli during our ACS Colloquium provided a bird’s eye view of what actually happens in delivering “Best-Fit” Academic Advisory programs for our Academy students.

During our Poster Session Academy Advisors Ms. Panteli and Mr. Pelidis presented our Advisory Road Map. How do we advise our Academy students to make their Best Fit choices - A process of student self-reflection activities that include: 4-Year plan course selection, career exploration, Best-Fit college selection, and identifying potential college majors. In summary, our ACS Athens Advisory program is a course in the preparation for life choices through guided student self-reflection.

It is this type of collaborative work that has enabled our Advisory programs to advocate for our ACS Athens students Best Fit initiatives. For me this is a valued relationship which includes all our Academy Counseling members and is an integral part of our work.

■■

How do we advise our Academy students to make their Best Fit choices - A process of student self-reflection activities that include: 4-Year plan course selection, career exploration, Best-Fit college selection, and identifying potential college majors.

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

Infographic available as presented in the Colloquium: http://bit.ly/2amWWLw

The 11th and 12th grade Advisory Program

by Theodora Panteli, Counseling Advisory Specialist

M

y experience with the colloquium was different from most of my colleagues considering that this is my first year at ACS Athens.The project I submitted was based on the concept of “Best Fit” in 11th and 12th grade advisory classes, a project I had been working on since the beginning of the year. I started working on this project with some significant questions in mind, specifically, What was the ultimate goal of this program. A series of questions followed: How can students be empowered to achieve / make best fit choices through continuous self-reflection?

What has to be changed within the advisory program in order to meet the students’ needs? Can we create a tailored to fit all students’ needs program? What does “Best Fit “really means?

As a new educator I first had to look for specific resources to make lasting changes and meaningful improvements within the advisory program. The goal was not to follow the previous format but to present the material with a fresh approach. My most valuable resource to this process was my colleagues. Their work and their experiences have helped me develop and implement my ideas. It is without a doubt that progress is limited without collaboration. Another imperative resource was the philosophy of constructivism. By implementing this theory into the advisory program students construct knowledge through their experiences and relations with the world and others.

Ultimately, this process of continuous self-reflection empowers them to progress not only as students but also as global citizens.

Identify Goals

Specify Approaches

Identify Objectives

Share Results

Specify Measurements

Make changes

The Six Steps to continuous Improvement of student Learning

During the process of implementing new ideas and practices in order to create a tailored to fit ALL students’ needs program, I found the importance of presenting the material as a facilitator and avoid the traditional role of a teacher. A facilitator of learning encourages students to take the lead and become “architects of their own learning.” What makes a good educator is not the ability to convince the students to follow directions, but on the contrary, the ability to influence and create autonomous, self-directed students.

What makes Best Fit so unique is that it has been created to meet all the needs of our students individually. The ultimate goal of the program is NOT just to find the best fit university but to prepare students for LIFE. The experience with this collective research and collaboration has also been beneficial to my outlook on life. Education is a continuous process, a process that mirrors our commitment to continuous improvement based not only on each student’s needs but in our society’s needs as well.The colloquium for me was more than a showcase of ideas and practices; it was a celebration of professionalism, teamwork and continuous improvement.

“Who dares to teach must never cease to learn.”

John Cotton Dana ■■

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

We build these tools by developing solution-focused learners. Students who have strong critical thinking skills ask the right questions. Through self-reflection students have an increased awareness of performance traits and the ability to identify problems and develop solutions. These characteristics lead students, young adults to finding best fit situations.

In devising the best way to teach our students how to become self-sufficient young adults, we incorporated in our advising program aspects that fully promote self-reflection. Through the 4 year plans, Student-university best fit agreement, Personal reflection leading up to draft of College essay-11th-12th grade advisory, Advisory strand, Digital Portfolio, Advisory Program, which consists of 4 Academic Advisory courses one in each grade, there is a direct focus on activities, which help students better understand themselves. At the same time there are several individualized meetings with the academic counselors which also promote self-reflection. most successful equation however that leads to Middle School The success is cooperation and similar mindsets between & Academy teacher / counselor, student and parent. very notion is evident throughout the school; evAdvisory Programs This ery presentation at the ACS Athens Colloquium 2016

by Mandy Dragatakis and Stelios Kalogridakis, Academy and Middle School Guidance Specialists

L

eading up to the ACS Colloquium 2016, the High School and Middle School counselors focused on their Action Research topic, Best Fit. The presentation centered on our students’ journey through their secondary years and their development into adulthood.

Emphasizing the academic and social development of our students, we presented the support provided via our Student Affairs department in their ultimate path to college admission/preparation.

Based on developmental psychology teenagers’ actions are primarily linked to their effort to identify themselves. However, this constant questioning and struggling to discover who they are becomes even trickier because of the vast amount of information and endless stimuli available at their fingertips. The choices they have today should make life easier; in reality it can be taxing or counterproductive because there are simply too many choices.

Even within this whirlwind of information and choices there is one aspect that remains constant and that is the self. We believe therefore, that it is essential that the focus be on supporting and guiding students to develop skills to sort through the information while getting a good sense of who they are. We want to empower students to decipher facts and fiction to make the right choice for them, catering to their specific needs and thus making informed decisions.

demonstrated how the model of student-centered holistic, meaningful and harmonious education is manifested in the work of all professionals involved.

This culminating event provided the opportunity for everyone to reflect not only their own work and how it affects the students’ lives but also at the collaboration created amongst faculty and staff in supporting our future generation on their path to adulthood. It was truly amazing to witness the detailed information and expertise every professional possesses but at the same time not seizing it to advance themselves.

Most importantly the values and ethos of the school have remained intact and technology has infiltrated the system as a method and not as an end in itself.

The idea of empowering individuals doesn’t come from showing them the unlimited choices of the modernized society; it comes from guiding them on how to equip themselves in making informed choices by themselves.

■■

47

48

tivist Classrooms, Revised edition suggest that “applying constructivist practices in classroom practically means helping students to search, to encourage autonomy, initiative and leadership, to use raw data and primary sources, to let student responses drive lessons according to their own interest and experience and to inquire about student’s understanding of concepts in order to develop their own thoughts”.

Furthermore constructivist learning is all about engaging in dialogue, asking questions, elaborating initial responses and give time to students to construct relationships and create metaphors.

A Teacher’s Discoveries about “Best Fit”

by Katerina Pisanias, Greek Faculty

A

lthough the concept of “Best fit” is essential to education and is often regarded as the most essential element for student success, “Best fit” cannot easily be defined. If we take into consideration only academics and college success we will probably miss all the factors that contribute in the formation of a well rounded personality. Best fit is about academic, social, extracurricular, citizenship development and not only… It is about helping the student feel that within a set framework he/she has the choices to explore his/her personality and become the architect of his/her own learning.

Having this in mind there are two questions that arise: ◉◉ How can the concept of “Best Fit” be understood in a classroom environment? ◉◉ How can an educator help the students understand the world that surrounds them in their own particular way?

According to constructivist learning research that has emerged from the work of several researchers “knowledge is physically constructed by learners who are involved in active learning, who are making their own representations of action, who convey their meaning by making others understand and who try to explain things they don’t completely understand” (Gagnon and Collay, 2008). Jaqueline Gennon Brooks and Martin G. Brooks in their book In Search of Understanding: The case for Construc-

In simple words, according to constructivism research, knowledge is physically constructed by learners who are actively involved in the process and who can, within a given framework, “explore and understand the world that surrounds them. There are different types of intelligence and it is important that activities given in class help the students find the best way for them to express themselves in order to become architects of their own learning. In a Language class a big part of it is realized through the writing process, which starts from the choice of the topic to the choice of the form of the final presentation. This process is guided, has specific assessment criteria and is ongoing in every single class. However, this process was studied through a research project last year and through a reflective assignment this year.

Having in mind that the concept of “Best Fit” is about guiding students to make choices, it is important that students should be given all the necessary tools and learn how to make choices that fit their personality.

This will help them discover themselves and advance their knowledge. Several class assignments are helping in that area. I will only mention some that concern the class that was chosen for the research and I will focus on one of them. ◉◉ Creative Writing: After having studied a unit on allegories and the importance of fairy tales in a child’s life and after having analyzed the use of different symbols, students had to write their own allegoric stories in order to explain to younger children issues as racism, violence, war, good citizenship, the cycle of life, etc. This assignment fulfilled many of my goals because through the use of prewriting activities, drafts, editing and final presentation they improved their writing skills. Through the themes they chose they developed citizenship. What was amazing was that they had the opportunity to demonstrate their creativity and their artistic talent, to identify different skills and maybe identify their talent/vocation. For some students this was a revelation. ◉◉ Research project: An article that lead to an excellent discussion was a great opportunity for citizenship development. I decided to promote good citizenship through a research project and a presentation of the findings. The choice of topic was free but it

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

Students working on a group project.

Students working on a group project.

had to be connected with our Unit of Study which involved the present, the past and the future of Greece. Furthermore the students had to focus on the responsibilities we have as individuals. Their topics were varied and very interesting. They ranged from “From the main problems of Education” to “The causes of the financial crisis in Greece”. Other students were interested “On how a different attitude can help the development of Tour-

Sofia Trifonopoulou presenting her research on “How Greece can attract more tourists?”

ism in Greece” or in “The significance of the archaeological research in Amfipolis”. It was exciting because we ALL (including me) learned

→

Continued on page 100

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

51

52

members of the rest of the inclusion disciplines of the school, was characterised by a strong team spirit, followed by valuable and significant feedback and a lot of professionalism! In addition, during this wonderful two-day experience, I was lucky enough to see that each teacher-member of this school is deeply aware of the meaning of education for sustainable development! Once again, the devotion and engagement of each teacher was demonstrated by their creativity upon their student-centered teaching approaches!

Learning Support Programs

If there is a school that sustains that excellence through a student-centered notion, that is ACS Athens, and I am more than honored and proud to be a member of this school!

■■

Shadow Teacher The Role of the Partnerships Shadow Teacher

by Alexandra Katsiki, SEL Educator and Instructional Designer (M.Sc.), Shadow Teacher

D

uring my active participation at the Colloquium Conference organized and sponsored by the American Community Schools of Athens, I was fortunate enough to experience a project aimed to support the collaboration between Shadow Teachers and the rest of the disciplines of the school. Due to my research-based academic background and my continuous professional development in evidenced-based methods in the field of Special and Inclusive Education, I had the great opportunity in taking the initiative to plan, organize and finally complete a poster presentation about the role of the Shadow Teacher and the collaboration with the rest of the disciplines of the school (Teachers, Optimal Learning Specialists and Diagnosticians). My colleagues and I, worked on this poster and we also prepared a round discussion table, along with the OLP Specialists, and Diagnosticians, where we orally presented our role and work by getting into more details and providing our audience with examples of our inclusion practices. One of the most important things that I learned from this process is that, even though I am aware of the teaching practices that I have been implementing all this time long, I think that I still had a lot of things to reflect on regarding my job as a Shadow Teacher, so that experiential learning was definitely achieved!

I can say with absolute certainty that my collaboration with my colleagues (Shadow Teachers) and

by Iliana Eleftheriou, Shadow Teacher

A

part from the re-accreditation that was granted to our school, this colloquium inspired and engaged the entire ACS Athens faculty to practice and present action research. The demonstration of the continuous learning of the educators / researchers manifested in various ways, such as Tedx talks, video and poster presentations, round-table discussions. Reflecting on my personal experience, as a Poster co-creator and co-presenter of the “Role of the Shadow Teacher”, I could only say that I gained a lot. The whole process was very constructive, since it was the result of a multidisciplinary collaboration, a mutual exchange of ideas and a well blended combination of scientific knowledge and actual implementation. Not only did we have the chance to broaden our knowledge in our field of study by scientifically documenting what in everyday practice is taken for granted, but we also got to observe other professionals’ work that might affect our perspective on teaching. It was definitely a worthy experience!

■■

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

Infographic available as presented in the Colloquium: http://bit.ly/2a5Bk8q

Reflection on the ACS Colloquium 2016

by Jasmina Mohamedali, Shadow Teacher

A

s a member of the ACS Athens community, it was a pleasure to take part in the ACS Colloquium 2016. My role at ACS Athens is that of a shadow teacher in the Academy. I shadow a 9th grade student who is currently learning English as her second language, Chinese being her first. The shadow teachers came together and decided that it would be important to present and discuss the role of a shadow teacher through the collaboration with other disciplines in the school. Most people may not exactly know what our role is as we are not a dominant presence in the classroom.

The main topic we presented at the Colloquium round table discussion was our roles as shadow teachers and how we collaborate with other constituencies of the ACS Athens community. Looking back at the Colloquium, I realize how fortunate I was to be a part of such an event. I had the chance to be an observer and a presenter and I learned more than I thought I would during this experience. It was very rewarding to listen to the teachers’ presentations about different subjects and from many departments and how they implement certain techniques and methods to improve the students’ learning experience.

When it was my turn to present, I must be honest, I was quite nervous. I was honored to be one of the

chosen from my team to represent the shadow teachers. It was an opportunity to represent our school and show what is the role of a shadow teacher and the importance of collaboration with other professionals, towards the learning independence of our students.

We had the opportunity to present the techniques we use as professionals and their implementation for the improvement of students with learning differences.

These differences may be either academic, emotional or social. I feel very thankful that I took part in this event, and showcased the work of our Shadow Teacher team.

■■

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

unique: collaboration. The collaboration of several professionals with different specializations within the Testing Center, as well as with a variety of educators on campus and beyond; this has assisted us in providing comprehensive and well-rounded assessments of our students. Our goal is to present a holistic view of each child, allowing them to reflect on their own learning profile, in order to help them reach their full potential. The colloquium reminded us that reflection is just as important for our growth as it is for the students.

■■

The Educational Redefining & Diagnostic Education Testing Center

by Chris Perakis, Director, Anna Makris, Licensed Psychologist, Cynthia Quajian, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Educational and Diagnostic Testing Center

I

n the process of our daily work routine, we rarely have time to step back and reflect on what it is we are doing. We simply do not have the time to ask: “Am I making a difference in the lives of others, and, most importantly, in the lives of my students?” How often are we able to think back and evaluate each and every project for its efficacy and value? Not very often.

When we first thought of establishing the Educational and Diagnostic Testing Center at ACS Athens, we had little time for anything – let alone self-reflection.

However, in light of the Sustaining Excellence Protocol, we were asked to perform our own research on the most effective way to assess individual learning differences through collaboration. Our presentation in the 2016 ACS Athens Colloquium awarded us with the opportunity to think back over the past 3 years and contemplate the benefits our students had gained from the launch of the Educational and Diagnostic Testing Center and, almost as important, what we had gained as professionals and individuals.

Through this process, we identified what makes us

by Danai Papaioannou, Administrative Assistant & Mentor, Office of Student Affairs

W

hen I first met Thanasis, an enthusiastic, if slightly reluctant, 6th grader who I began to mentor, I could have never imagined the pathway to success that stood before us. In our first meetings, we focused on exploring Thanasis’ interests and designing a curriculum based on his passion for both science and leadership. After the first month of our mentoring, and after getting to know each other better, I noticed that Thanasis appeared more and more motivated and concentrated, capable of working independently. He was very keen to learn more about space and persevered in pursuing his interest. His research led him to give a short talk to his peers and teach-

→

Continued on page 101

55

Infographic available as presented in the Colloquium: http://bit.ly/2anrWv2

School Partnerships

by Dr. Yulla Lamprou, Academy OLP Specialist

A

s a new member of the ACS Athens community, the ACS Colloquium 2016 held special interest for me. It was one more opportunity to engage in a learning process that embraces innovative ideas and treats educational faculty as researchers and authors of their own unique and ground breaking ideas.

Although I have participated in the Learning Differences conferences as a presenter a couple of times in the past years, this experience was different because it exhibited and offered all attention exclusively to the thinking process and unique work of the ACS Athens staff.

As a newcomer, my presentation was not based on research conducted the previous years; rather it was based on my own professional experience and observations as a past member of teams and as a leader of teams. It was also inspired by the ACS Athens team and community spirit and guided by conducted international research which indicates that collaboration in educational organizations, e.g. schools, is a key factor to student success and leads to a healthier, more conducive and authentic learning environment.

One of my goals as part of the Optimal Learning Program is to extend the role of support services to all students and cultivate through student centered partnerships student curiosity, learning, creativity, social and emotional intelligence and stretching the boundaries of knowledge and how this knowledge can be used in society.

The school partnerships that were emphasized in my presentation involve the Optimal Learning services collaborating with the following: counseling services, administration, diagnostic center, teachers, other professionals (therapists, specialists, and shadow teachers), and the student’s family. These partnerships are viewed as school wide and ongoing.

The values emphasized through these partnerships are: inclusive practices, the philosophy of differentiation, best fit principle, the ethos of the learning community, authentic learning for all, team work, sharing of knowledge and professional expertise.

Having the freedom to generate new ideas and knowledge and the opportunities to implement these ideas is not a habitual occurrence in most organizations, so I consider it a privilege to have joined an organization that offers such creative opportunities to its members. What better way to showcase this privilege than through strengthening and supporting collaboration among all members of the ACS Athens community guided by the desire to support all students?

■■

56

strengths and weaknesses, we committed to spending time in the students’ homeroom, alongside the core teacher, and helped provide differentiated strategies within the mainstream classroom. During the Optimal Learning Program we worked one-on-one with students to develop specific skills, such as reading and writing comprehension and critical thinking skills and we also assisted students with content.

For the past few months we have been working towards creating the ideal environment for students’ academic growth by providing support and guidance to the students that need it within their mainstream classrooms. We will provide a brief overview of the characteristics of co-teaching and analyze several challenges that we encountered during our journey. It is true, after all, that co-teaching seems to be a simple strategy for including diverse learners, but in reality it is a complex teaching strategy that requires much planning, commitment and deep knowledge of the class dynamics.

Co-Teaching: How to Change Teaching & Learning - The Experience of Classes with Students Receiving OLP Support

by Christina Hara Marinou, Optimal Learning Program, Elementary/Middle School, Zoi Karatza, Optimal Learning Program,Middle School

D

ifferentiated instruction is still in great need of development and implementation in the Greek educational system. The concept of specialized education to address the needs of students with learning difficulties is seen, for the most part, as the parents’ responsibility and inclusion techniques are not often incorporated within regular classroom instruction and activities. The Optimal Learning Program at ACS Athens has been running since 2006, to provide students with the individualized support they need to reach a high standard of academic achievement and personal progress, by delivering support services as detailed in students’ Individual Learning Plans through Full or Partial Inclusion. After working with students in the OLP classroom (Partial Inclusion), and familiar with each student’s unique learning style,

Educators are developing many alternative teaching methods to better help their increasingly diverse students reach their potential in an inclusive environment. Among all these options, co-teaching is emerging as a very effective approach. Co-teaching occurs when two professionals, a content expert and a learning specialist, partner in delivering instruction, in a way that responds to differences in readiness, interest and learning profiles, and it meets the needs of all students in the classroom. In addition, co-teaching is supported by brain research and constructivist theories and should be carefully planned to be an effective approach that allows all learners to feel successful. In this article, four Co-Teaching models are examined: 1.

One Teach/One Observe - during the Beginning Stage at the start of the teachers’ collaboration,

2. One Teach/One Assist and Alternative Teaching - during the Compromising Stage and, 3. Station Teaching - during the Collaborating Stage, after co-teaching skills and relationships have strengthened.

The research took place in two classrooms of ACS Athens Middle School (Science 7 ESL and Math 6). Both researchers were familiar with the content of the subject and had worked previously with the students in the Optimal Learning Program. In addition, both researchers hold Elementary Teaching degrees that provide special education knowledge as well.

For co-teaching to occur between two professionals there has to be a time when both educators are available, so that they can meet and discuss how they are going to work together. This has been one of the hardest parts of this journey. In Science 7 ESL, we didn’t have a great deal of face-to-face communication outside of class, but rather corresponded through emails and quick discussions just before the co-teach-

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

In order to gain the most, we have to know how to convert the negatives into positives

Everything is theoretically impossible, until it is done.

ing class. We managed to reach sufficient planning, however, and while we believe that the current model was quite effective, we understand that more time is needed. We didn’t only focus on specific students, but on the whole class, and according to general students needs. We mostly formed groups of students in OLP (mixed or not), when using the Alternative Teaching model. We worked with groups of students in OLP, ESL students or students that were struggling in the specific subject areas. In Math 6, we joined forces lat-

er in the year and for this reason we followed the “One Teach/One Assist” model for a longer time period. The curriculum was designed by the content teacher and the special educator followed through in her lead. The

→

Continued on page 101

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

might be born out of this collaboration.

Action Research Reflective Narrative: “Does the Current Inclusion/ Partnership Model Effectively Support Students Enrolled in the Elementary School Optimal Learning Program?”

“Exploring the Effects of Planning Time within the Inclusion/ Partnership Model on my Differentiation Practice(s) in the 4th Grade Classroom.”

by Sarah Kaldelli, Elementary Optimal Learning Specialist Lia Sinouris, 4th Grade Teacher

T

he Collaborative and Partnership Model hatched nearly four years ago, and it has been steadily growing ever since. Ms. Sarah Kaldelli, the Elementary School Optimal Learning Specialist has been participating in various homerooms of the Elementary School at ACS Athens and she has collaborated with the teachers therein. So far, she has been in two First Grade, one Second Grade and now one Fourth Grade classroom.

This year, she has partnered with Ms. Lia Sinouris who is the 4th Grade teacher. Ms. Sinouris extended the above question to meet her own Action Research and she included both the element of time and the strategies that

First we should note that the research we read on constructivist teaching and learning suggested that students create knowledge based on their experiences and their understanding of those experiences. Teachers provide the platforms and students establish their personal understanding and relationship to the concepts, to their immediate and greater community and to the environment around them. Students create knowledge and configure who they are and how they understand and relate to the world. This is the basis of teaching for us as we firmly believe in supporting individual needs to create confidence, motivation for self-growth and thirst for continuous learning.

The ideas that we took from our research into best practices in the Optimal Learning Program were that there are different models of Co-Teaching, or “Inclusion”. Understanding these models helped us in identifying which are currently used in the ACS Athens Elementary “Inclusion” initiative and which have the potential of further development. Another idea that stuck with us was the undeniable importance of time; time to meet and plan with collaborating teachers, time to reflect on how the model is progressing, time to prepare for all other teaching responsibilities. The provision of time seems to pre-determine the success of an “Inclusion” model. These ideas were important to us because they showed us that firm foundations must be in place before an initiative can be implemented. Without clear expectations and delineations of what shape the Inclusion model at ACS Athens is to take, it is quite difficult to construct what we would come to perceive as a strong program. We were glad that within the research there was a Co-Assist model, because at least a part of what we were doing is considered a viable “co-teaching” model.

A primary factor was to be flexible and open to working on whatever task the collaborating teacher needed her students to further develop. Walking into a classroom and figuring things out is a simpler task in Elementary school, because the content is known. In addition, the practice that we chose to implement was to identify which students needed more direct support to complete assigned tasks and then create a relationship and atmosphere similar to what is provided in the Optimal Learning room which provides individual or small group

59

instruction. Identifying student needs within the general education classroom and then assisting students to maintain their focus while sitting in their Homeroom gave them the opportunity to succeed.

We were interested in discovering, or hoping to find, whether the 1-1 support within the classroom benefited the students similarly to those who receive 1-1 support in the OLP room. For the current year, we added one planning slot during which time we discussed the two lessons we would be working together in the classroom. We wanted to know if the 1-1 support benefited the students regardless of the environment the support was given in.

We noticed that when students with diverse needs have access to 1-1 support, they are able to complete tasks and thus make small steps towards self-acknowledgement and pride in their own success. Although there weren’t opportunities to ‘co-teach’, where two teachers deliver a lesson, we were able to provide specific students with the 1-1 support they needed to make the abovementioned steps. During the half hour we were able to meet before the two lessons each Wednesday, we discussed concerns and strategies that would support students in this diverse classroom.

The most important moments in this process were when certain students were given the opportunity to feel success, whether that was through turning their completed work in, or raising their hand to respond to a question [that they had heard and understood], or following the directions that the teacher had given [through additional prompting] and that they were able to carry out. What has been successful in this process is the collaborative relationship we have. Through brief explanations before the lessons, we were able to communicate the need for each ‘push-in’ session. Without these positive relationships, it would be difficult to enter a classroom and try to discern a purpose. Moreover, the flexibility required in our “Inclusion” model is crucial as each classroom has been unique and different from the other.

We have learned through our collaboration that our Action Research has become a personal reflection on whether our “Inclusion” model is effective. We found that although the model as it exists now can be developed further, we were still able to assist certain students in finishing, or understanding their work.

Our future goals for this model is to establish and maintain time both for planning purposes, and for the Specialist to be a more ‘present’ element in the Homerooms.

We need to make sure that the Partnership model goes beyond two 45 minute lessons and a half hour planning time per week. Without time and effective planning for this model, both students and faculty are not gaining as much as they optimally could. We believe that the next step in this partnership process is multi-faceted.

We found that although students were granted 1-1 support in their homerooms, we also needed a much clearer understanding what this partnership provided to the homeroom teachers and whether they found the collaboration positive and effective for themselves and their students.

We ask ourselves how to properly prepare and establish this effective and meaningful program so that we provide our students with the level of support we intend to and for the underlying reasons we strive towards. We want the Specialist and Homeroom teacher to learn from each other, to share strategies, to create innovative teaching practices, yet we also want to ensure that we are providing our students with the best possible support system.

■■

Dogs in Learning

by Theo Koutsopoulos, Faculty in Residence, Dog Behavior Expert

DiL Program Implementation

Initial Findings and Observations Preliminary findings of the DiL program are listed below:

A program designed to use highly trained dogs as an inspirational vehicle to help students in the Elementary School understand and effectively address everyday issues.

A noteworthy representation / manifestation of our global Morfosis paradigm/gMp (i.e. a holistic approach successfully combining academic, emotional, physical, intellectual, and ethical components of education in order to create healthy and balanced individuals).

A well-designed program to connect to the curriculum content taught and learned by students in a meaningful, relevant, and fun way.

A program that is used to facilitate learning concepts for mathematics, biology, social studies, literacy and language development.

An enhancement program based on a Spiral Curriculum approach that is practiced in the Elementary School to promote patience, confidence, focus, team work, and leadership.

A constructivist approach to learning. Students practice positive thinking, and enhance their critical thinking skills through hands-on experiences that they co-create with faculty.

Builds confidence Improves academic achievement Promotes empathy Facilitates conceptualized learning Provides hands-on learning experiences Simulates real-life situations Is content-based

Future Research “As the DiL program continues to develop, progress and fine-tune all of its essential delivery components, advances in research can be carried out at ACS Athens, or in any other institution with similar programs for that matter. In the Elementary School at ACS Athens, students’ attitudes and feelings about the DiL program will be explored in the upper grade levels (4th and 5th grades). These two grades, not only provide for a valid sample population at minimum of a 100 students, but older students are also more developmentally ready to respond to questions pertaining to the described program. Students will be given a survey based on a Likert-type scale, which will consist of a number of questions related to their experiences (attitudes and feelings) as learners and participants of the DiL program.

The responses to the questions are scaled on degrees of agreeableness. The surveys will be collected; the data coded and results statistically analyzed by the appropriate faculty members’” (Koutsopoulos et al., 2016).

Selected References and Credits Birbil, C., Koutsopoulos, T., Makropoulos, C., Sax, A., Gialamas, S., & Koutsopoulos. K. (2015). Dogs in learning: Transforming education. International Journal of Elementary Education, 4(2), 16-24. doi: 10.11648/j.ijeedu.

20150402.11 Bruner, J. (1960). The process of education. Cambridge, MA: The President and Fellows of Harvard College.

Cherif, A. H., & Somervill, C. (1995). How to maximize the learning productivity of role-playing in classroom teaching. The American Biology Teacher, 57(1), 28-32.

Koutsopoulos, K.C., Gialamas, S.P., & Koutsopoulos, T. (2016). A true manifestation of gMp: Dogs in elementary school learning. In M.D. Avgerinou & S.P. Gialamas (Eds.), Revolutionizing K-12 blended learning through the i Flex classroom model (pp. xx-xx). Hershey, PA: IGI Global. doi: 10.4018/978-1-5225-0267-8 ---------------This presentation is based on the scholarly contributions and earlier publications by Christina Birbil, Cathy Makropoulos, Dr. Alessandra Sax, Dr. Stefanos Gialamas, and Dr. Konstantinos Koutsopoulos.

Thank You!

Infographic available as presented in the Colloquium: http://bit.ly/2aHeRun

D

ogs in Learning is a program designed to use highly trained dogs as an inspirational vehicle to help students in the Elementary School understand and effectively address everyday issues.

It is used to facilitate learning concepts for mathematics, biology, social studies, literacy and language development.

The program is designed to connect the curriculum content taught and learned by students in a meaningful, relevant and fun way. Students are able to practice positive thinking and enhance their critical thinking skills through hands-on-experiences that they co-create with faculty.

In order to implement all of the above, the process involves grade level weekly meeting times for planning with the faculty and students and alignment to the curriculum.

There is a continual reflection that shows us that through the program, students are able to improve their academic achievements and built their confidence. The program promotes empathy and facilitates conceptual learning while stimulating real-life situations and providing hands-on experiences.

■■

60

Captain Chip formula for a canine club tried & true

3 min timer

}

= 1 sticker

5 stickers

= facepaint + pic with Captain Chip

25 stickers

= a fame portrait with Captain Chip Hall

House

country

world

planet

of

fam

e

galaxy

universe

super star =

Captain Chip – A Canine children would actively seek it out. Using CapLiteracy Partner: where tain Chip as a second teacher would help to increase opportunities a student has to read out loud Demonstration the throughout the day to a given audience. For emergshy or reluctant readers, reading to Captain Chip of a Novel Early ing, can have a calming effect and as a non-judgmental Captain can help boost their confidence as a Elementary School listener, reader.

Literacy Project Literature, news reports, trending topics and stories Play date with captain chip!

by Christina Birbil and First Grade Students

C

aptain Chip, my tripawd (three-legged) rescue dog has been hard at work, three days per week here at ACS Athens since the fall of 2012, when he was just 3 months old. Four academic years later, Captain Chip continues to be the inspiration (among many things) behind a whole new breed / culture of reading.

What had already begun organically for me, soon became my Action Research: Can I increase the desire to read and build reading confidence in my first grade students of all levels, by using Captain Chip (classroom dog / mascot) as an incentive as well as a reward?

Put simply, the answer is a resounding yes! As a first grade teacher I’m aware that children need to practice reading aloud on a daily basis in order to improve confidence and fluency with basic as well as more challenging texts. Through my research, I was interested in discovering how I could develop a program that would be incentive enough to take off on its own –

all show the positive benefits children reap when reading to a dog. Many reading initiatives and reading programs already exist in major cities and countries around the world. Captain Chip is a new breed of dog – he is a Classroom Dog fulfilling a great educational and therapeutic purpose in life.

I recognized through past research as well as immediately, the first day of Captain Chip’s life at school, that children would benefit from reading aloud to him. In fact, the very first day he came to school, back in 2012, one of my students asked if he could read to him. I have a video of this first read aloud. It was amazing.

The student exuded happiness and pride. I believe that learning to read is a ‘right’ and not a ‘privilege’.

Providing children with the opportunity to read to a non-judgmental listener is the first step in improving esteem. I knew that Captain Chip would be the ideal

→

Continued on page 102

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

“I think that Captain Chip is very happy and I feel that every school has to have a dog because he makes the kids happy and because the kids can read to a dog and make the dog learn things about the world.”

- Nefeli

“I feel great when I start the timer over, in one second. I feel very happy in the second, the moment the timer finishes! I think Captain feels happy, too, like me.

Captain is a really serious and patient dog. I love his smile.”

- Rhea

“We love Captain Chip like we love our dads, moms, sisters, brothers...”

- Nicholas

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

Αpplying Occupational Therapy Strategies Additionally, they may face difficulty keeping in the Junior tration. notes in class, as well as require significantly more to complete a task compared to their peers.

Kindergarten time Students with poor Fine Motor skills also tend to dea negative attitude towards writing activities Classroom velop and, since writing takes up a significant part of the Enhancing our fine motor activities through Play

by Georgia Mentes, JK Faculty

school day, they may generalize this negative attitude towards school in general (Tsipra, 2007; Spantidakis, 2004).

ignificance of Fine Motor Skills Fine Motor skills are among the most significant skills to be mastered by the students at an early age, as they enable them to engage in a number of key academic as well as everyday life activities (Cameron et al., 2012; Marr, Cermak, Cohn & Henderson, 2003; Tsipra, 2007; Spantidakis, 2004). According to Cameron et al. (2012) poor Fine Motor skills are “the strongest predictor of special education and the second strongest predictor of Kindergarten retention” (p.1230). This comes as no surprise if one considers that according to research 46-50% of the school day involves Fine Motor activities (Marr et al., 2012; Tsipra, 2007). Moreover, students who have developed automaticity in Fine Motor may have greater processing capacity available to learn more complex concepts, including symbolic representation of letters and numbers (Cameron et al., 2012; Spantidakis, 2004).

Early Intervention The reasons for which a student may be struggling to develop a new skill, vary; they can be neurological, developmental or environmental (National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities [NJCLD], 2006).

Consequently, some students may eventually master the skill without requiring additional support, solely by being provided extra time and enhanced learning opportunities in the context of their general education class. Others may eventually warrant intensive, individualized instruction to overcome their difficulties or delays (NJCLD, 2006).

S

Fine Motor skills can also affect the student’s self-esteem. Students who are facing difficulties in Fine Motor tend to write slowly, which impedes their concen-

Until recently identification of students who may require additional services, has been linked to referral for special education and, as 4- and 5-year-old children

→

Continued on page 103

63

Math and Fine Motor combined-Counting while stringing pipe cleaners

Experiencing Writing on different surfaces. Writing on sand

64

Teaching ESL/EFL holistically

one. Students are exposed to communicative English but at the same time they attend accommodated introductory classes to Social Studies, Language Arts and Science, as attending regular core classes would be frustrating and a cause of great anxiety to these children.

Being a linguist and a classics teacher I was excited to devise a booklet with simplified texts of the Social Studies units taught in Middle School. It being a twoyear program, it was decided that the material should be given on a timeline and on a rotating basis; that is to say, that in the first year, students are exposed to ancient civilizations and reach the Renaissance, whereas in the second year, students learn about the French Revolution and American History. This way, when students exit the program, they will be able to attend Social Studies classes with greater comfort and self confidence since they will have become acquainted with basic terms and knowledge that pertains to Social Studies. With glossaries, pictures and simplified language students acquire the information needed so as to study those units more in depth once they join the core classes.

Social Studies for students who take English as a Foreign Language - A visit at the National Archaeological 2015 - 2016 was the first year of the implementation this program; after having studied all the ancient Museum of Athens ofGreek civilizations and becoming acquainted with the

by Venie Gaki, Faculty, ESL / EFL

G

lobalization, once a theory, has become our reality for the past 10 years; what is evident, is a mass movement of populations from one country to another. These global changes affect student populations, as well.

In September 2015, ACS Athens opened its doors to a large number of international students with limited or even close to zero proficiency of English at both Middle School and High School levels.

Taking into consideration the unique situation we had to deal with, the EFL / ESL department proposed an innovative program for these students; a two year foundation program was introduced to accommodate the needs of this particular group. It is a rotating program which aims at developing students’ proficiency from a beginners’ level to a low intermediate

Minoan and the Mycenaean civilizations, after having seen the glory of Ancient Athens and Sparta, after having studied the political systems of the ancient Greeks and how they developed democracy , all EFL students had the opportunity to marvel at the art the ancient Greeks created when they took a field trip to the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.

On February 25, all EFL students took the metro and visited the first museum ever to operate in Greece.

Built in the second half of the 19th century, the National Archaeological Museum of Athens hosts around 11,000 exhibits. There you can see one of the most important collections of Cycladic art, and a plethora of findings from excavations that took place in the city of Mycenae and the Minoan Crete and beautiful sculptures from the archaic and classical era.

The excitement of all students was immense! They could actually see with their own eyes the mask of Agamemnon, the statue of Poseidon, the statuette

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

of the goddess Athena, a Roman replica of the actual statue of the Athena Parthenos by Phidias.

The students were divided in 4 groups and went on a treasure hunt; they were given riddles to solve and were asked to find the statues or other exhibits that the riddles described. A booklet was also prepared with hands-on activities that helped them consolidate both the background knowledge they had acquired through the Social Studies class and the new information gained from this field trip; at the same time they could develop their reading comprehension, speaking and writing skills.

All teachers involved, Ms. Stephanidou, Ms. Geras , Ms. Katsiki and myself were amazed with the respect displayed on behalf of our students, as they were quiet and well behaved in the museum; they demonstrated Readiness to participate in all the activities organized for them, Responsibility for their behaviour and their belongings, Respectfulness towards the exhibits, the people that worked in the museum and the other visitors.

For 3 hours students gazed at the marvel of Greek art, wondered about the artist’s purpose and tried to make connections with art of their own countries.

They wondered how all these artefacts are preserved in such good condition or how they have reconstructed broken pieces of some sculptures and statues.

They found out about more myths and legends of ancient Greece and they gained further insight on rituals ancient Greeks carried out or their beliefs about life after death.

It being a beautiful, sunny day – it was as if Apollo had cast his light on us that day – we had lunch at the restaurant outside the museum, where we had the chance to discuss more and come closer to one another.

On our way back to school one student said that this particular field trip was the most important lesson they had done so far; let alone, the most interesting one, I thought to myself......

seum can provide memorable, immersive learning experiences, provoke imagination, introduce unknown worlds and subject matter, and offer unique environments for quality time with friends and family, I was curious to find out more about this particular issue.

One of the most important quotes I read came from

His having exclaimed this, made me want to research more into the importance of field trips and more specifically into the benefits of visiting a museum. Except for the obvious ones, like the fact that a visit to a mu-

Continued on page 104

→

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

and as an individual, to other professionals, parents, and members of our community.

Reflecting back on the colloquium and the journey that led to it, I have a few points to make which made me more confident and led to my metamorphosis. Both, the confidence and the metamorphosis went hand-in-hand with humility. A realization dawned on me; as Socrates said, “I know that I know nothing at all,” which meant to me during and after this journey, that the more I learned the more I realized that there was so much to learn, further.

One of the realizations that I have come to, is that action research is stagnant and flat, at the beginning. However, as time goes by it becomes multi-dimensional through the methods used in the classroom. These methods were designed from scratch and the symbiosis of face-to-face instruction, guided practice, and independent technology supported learning was evident.

The journey towards the ACS Colloquium 2016

by Jenny Grigoropoulos, ESL/ EFL Faculty

M

y journey towards the colloquium began when I attended a meeting, during which faculty and staff were to be informed about the book to be published by our school, exploring the i2Flex methodology and its multiple facets and applications.

As a first year classroom teacher, I had not yet organized my classroom thoroughly when I undertook the task to co-author a chapter of the above mentioned book. Although challenging, it proved to pave the path for me to both organize my work and courses while writing, at the same time. I realized my role; a social constructivist teacher giving voice to my students, listening to their needs, and recognizing their talents in order for me to guide them to achieve to their maximum potential . This led to both the engagement of my students, because they found what they were involved in, interesting and meaningful, as well as to my satisfaction because my students were learning and enjoying their learning, at the same time. Each step led to the next one and I felt as if I was just adding pieces to a puzzle. This puzzle became the full picture at the colloquium. The process was strenuous; although I love talking about my work and exchanging information and experiences with my colleagues and other professionals, I do not feel comfortable talking in front of an audience. However, I cannot take lightly the honor that this presented to me; to reveal my work and what this meant to me, as a teacher

I am social constructivist teacher, as I mentioned above, and I believe that professional development is a continuous process inspired by action research, both of which led me to a quest for knowledge. This quest guided me through the research and writing process as a co-author of a chapter of the book published by our school. Additionally, as a creative and artistic person, I believe, as my colleague Ms. Thanopoulou said, “There is virtue in chaos.” However, I have come to the understanding that there is a great need to systematically reflect on the process and the tools used. This leads to the need to design, apply, evaluate, revisit, re- evaluate, and re-design lesson plans. This is a task that needs to be undertaken many times in order for well-designed engaging lesson plans to be applied in the classroom. In my case, my challenge, which was multi-faceted, given the varying population of my students, with limited English proficiency, mixed grade and age levels, led to my goal as a teacher; to escort my students through the path of knowledge and give them the tools which would help them and guide them through their lives, make them good citizens of the world, and successful in their endeavors. These challenges presented me with the need to differentiate; so, my lessons had to be scaffolded in order for them to be accessible, comprehendible, and meaningful. Furthermore, there is no value in the above system if the whole process is not accompanied by systematic reflection and evaluation of the process, tools used, and outcome. All this process paved the groundwork for my co-authorship of the book which worked as the springboard for my professional and academic next quests.

All the above process which seems like random events, were the initial steps which led to my metamorphosis, as a professional and as an individual. The colloquium was the end result which was officially the closure of all the work done up to that point: it was the validation, presentation, and recognition of our work in front of an audience interested in hearing our stories. It was an invigorating, powerful, and inspirational presentation among our colleagues, professionals, students, and parents.

■■

67

Infographic available as presented in the Colloquium: http://bit.ly/2ae53JP

Instructional Methodology i2Flex: a Reflection

by Heike Arnold, German Faculty

A

s a Unique Highlight I would describe the possibility I had to participate as a faculty at the ACS Colloquium, and this in two respects.

Firstly, it was a great opportunity to experience collegial partnership and share professional expertise with teachers from other subject areas during these two days. Secondly, it also allowed me to give voice to my students of my German 1 class, as their outstanding works were the central focus of my presentation i2Flex Approach to Teaching Foreign Language Learners.

Furthermore the professional framework as well as the pleasant and international atmosphere of the two conference days fascinated me as participant and inspired me for my future work as an educator.

■■

Students from my German 1 Class. Creative use of Media - Digital Poster “Mein Lieblingstier”

68

divided into three groups of their choice to Romeo and Juliet students improvise scenes and acts of their choice by working the EFL2 version of “Romeo and Juliet”. Depending Revisited on on their choice, each student carried out the role of vincing performance. Following this activity, the EFL1

by Julia Stephanidou, Faculty, English

T

his year the EFL1 students read two simplified versions of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”, modified some scenes of their choice in writing and role-played the whole script. The total number of students was ten, the majority of students were Chinese while the age level was a mix of 6th and 7th graders. The duration of the project was eight classes and the resources used were a reader addressed to Pre-Intermediate students and a modified script written by this year’s EFL2 students.

The understanding goals of the project were multifold. Firstly, students developed their fluency in reading, speaking, writing and listening. Secondly, they worked autonomously, responsibly and creatively by cooperating in groups and sharing responsibilities.

Thirdly, they applied their critical thinking skills by reflecting upon the process as a whole and, last but not least, they developed a love for the English language by becoming more confident speakers and writers of English in a stress-free and fun environment.

The understanding performances were various and were tailored in order to achieve these goals. Initially, the students auditioned for the roles they expressed interest in and the selection was finalized based on the quality of their performance. They then performed in front of the EFL2 audience that voted for the best performance based on criteria such as eye-contact, expression, natural reading and con-

the coordinator, scriber, timekeeper and presenter.

Once the groups had completed the task of writing, their scripts were corrected, re-written and presented. Later on, they summarized in writing the main points of assigned scenes and acts in order to make up a more condensed version of the play that would allow them to perform it within two class periods. After that they started role-playing at first timidly but, as time went by, they felt more comfortable expressing themselves. Many times, the difference between reading and role-playing had to be pointed out until everyone got into the skin of their role by adding a dramatic element to their delivery. Finally, the students reflected upon the project by sharing their novel experiences on posters.

Indeed, this experience has verified the advantages of role-playing such as increasing motivation, promoting interaction, encouraging peer-learning and developing fluency in a language-learning student population. As a final remark, I feel grateful for being given the chance to work with a group of enthusiastic students, their equally-enthusiastic head teacher Ms. Angela Zamanis and Ms. Alexandra Katsiki who filmed many scenes of the whole process.

■■

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

Because you want your child’s health to be in the best hands.

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

applied to my classroom. I had experience in publishing, why not form editorial teams with my ESL students? And so I did.

When drafting my action research proposal, the aim was to devise a plan based on constructivist principles. Unlike a behavioral approach to learning that provides an environment of knowledge transmission, a constructivist approach is not passive; it requires knowledge seekers to “do something”. This presupposes that there are no singular perfect representations of truths; instead, meaning is constructed by the learner through experiences and interaction with data. This approach is quite empowering when one considers that different students learn differently. I remember speaking to Charles Berahas after having read articles on constructivist teaching and learning forwarded to us by Steve Medeiros. Charles told our group that different students took different mathematical avenues which led to the same result. To illustrate his point further, he demonstrated three different ways one could solve a mathematical problem.

This showed that in each case the learner was creating his/her own understanding. They had ownership of the problem.

We are always evolving

by Hercules Lianos, Faculty, English Language

F

our years ago I decided it was time for a career change. Subsequently, I was headhunted by a publishing house. Tempting though it was, I resisted the sirens’ call lulling me to the rocky coast of yet another job which would ultimately leave me unsatisfied. I was resolute. I would become an educator.

Three years ago I contacted ACS Athens and received teacher training under Dean Bradshaw, who taught Literature in the Academy. Observing his classes I quickly realized how much methods of learning had advanced since I was in school. The rapport he had with his students, the creativity of his lessons and the student-centered approach were inspiring. My excitement over the prospect of teaching my own classes grew and grew.

Two years ago I was offered a teaching position. That same year ACS Athens was to embark on a school-wide protocol for re-accreditation. The aim of the protocol? To create space and context for sustained individual and collaborative reflection on teaching and learning that will inform our work as we move to conducting action research in our classrooms. Quite a mouthful, no? Eventually, I deciphered what that meant. And I became nervous. I had just arrived and already I was being asked to conduct research and reflect on my work. I calmed down and thought to myself, “OK, how can I develop an effective approach to learning? What can a novice like me bring to the table?” I realized then that I had not existed in a vacuum; that what I did in “the real world” could be

Many ESL students view the course as a series of lessons which support content they are responsible for in their Social Studies and Language Arts classes. Although it is true that ESL supports these classes, this is not the whole picture. I wanted to provide students with a project they would be in control of while offering the opportunity to hone skills they already had. I wanted them to understand that ESL follows its own curriculum and belongs to its students. Its content is not just ‘extra work’ via language drills. It is a course which students contribute to the planning of their own learning.

Initially students were curious, and a bit anxious. It seems that the idea of being responsible for a project had their attention. Each team’s goal was to construct an online news site populated with articles and broadcasts they would produce. Students had editorial meetings where they assigned roles to each other and chose a name for their news team. Each group researched news sites and decided which stories they wanted to cover, and who would cover them. I believe this was a good way of contextualizing skills they were developing.

Having the time to reflect on my practice, I came to some realizations. I noticed that students were able to organize themselves and come to a consensus as to what each member of the group would be responsible for. It was also interesting to see how learners played to their strengths. There were those who managed the group and tried to make sure everyone did their part, those who were more tech savvy and collected the group’s work and constructed the news site using ‘Weebly’, and those who limited their focus on their submissions. And there were those who required my intervention to make sure they were on task. Recorded broadcasts seemed to make many students nervous, but it was also the task which they had the most fun with.

Reflecting on my practice also revealed areas I could improve. It was obvious to me that I underestimated their

71

capabilities with regard to using software / editing interfaces. I think they could have populated their sites with more content had I not overestimated the time needed to familiarize themselves with new programs. I would also assign an interview piece that would require them to speak with someone of interest to them from their local/school community. So it is safe to say that, some tweaking is in order. This, after all, is the main point of reflecting on our work. We do so to improve it.

One month ago I presented two years of my work and research at the ACS Colloquium. I also had the opportunity to observe many inspiring presentations given by my colleagues. Jonathan Reulens and Dave Nelson’s students, for example, demonstrated how a Socratic Seminar works. I was impressed. So much so, that I held one a month later in my class. I guess one could say that a lot has happened since I made that decision four years ago.

Not only did my career change, my life did also.

■■

skills in language acquisition and simultaneousReflection on their ly helped non -native speakers of English integrate feel comfortable in an international school setmy Colloquium and ting. Also, students learning Chinese as a foreign lanhad more opportunities to practice the target Presentation guage language.

In conclusion, the project helped students improve

by Yi-Nai Wang, Faculty, Chinese Language

M

y presentation involved Middle School students and, in particular, ESL and EFL students who paired-up to complete a project. This project focused on an intercultural approach between English speaking students who take Chinese as a Foreign Language and Chinese -speaking students who take English as a Foreign Language.

The students chose different topics for their projects: Chinese-Ancient Mathematics and Greek-Ancient Mathematics, Chinese and Greek History, Chinese and Greek Philosophy, Chinese and Greek Arts, Chinese and Greek Architecture, Chinese and Greek Dance and Music, Chinese and American Food and Chinese and Greek Education.

Throughout the process, students had to arrange their meetings and research the topics together, organize their work, and to decide how to present. In addition, they examined the different cultures to discover similarities and differences. Finally, they used posters, timelines, Venn diagrams, power-point presentations and recordings to present their research.

During their research, they communicated in English and Chinese. The students who take Chinese as a Foreign Language presented in the Chinese and the EFL/ ESL students presented in English.

■■

CONGRATULATIONS ACS ATHENS GRADUATES 72

USA American University Bard College Bentley University Berklee College Of Music Boston University Bowling Green State University Bryant University Bryn Mawr College California State Polytechnic University, Pomona California State University, Long Beach California State University, Northridge Chapman University Drake University Drew University Drexel University Duke University Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University Emerson College Fordham University George Mason University George Washington University Haverford College Hofstra University Hunter College Iowa State University Jacksonville University

James Madison University John Jay College Of Criminal Justice Laguardia Community College Loyola Marymount University Merrimack College Milwaukee School Of Engineering New York Institute Of Technology New York University Northeastern University Northwestern University Occidental College Pace University Pennsylvania State University Pomona College Purdue University Queensborough Community College Reed College Rhode Island College Roger Williams University Salve Regina University Sam Houston State University San Diego State University San Francisco State University San Jose State University Southern New Hampshire University St. Francis College St. John’s University St. Louis University St. Thomas University Suffolk University Swarthmore College

Texas A & M University Texas A & M University At Galveston Texas Christian University Texas Tech University University Of Arizona University Of California, Berkeley University Of California, Davis University Of California, Los Angeles University Of California, Riverside University Of California, San Diego University Of California, Santa Barbara University Of California, Santa Cruz University Of Illinois At UrbanaChampaign University Of Iowa University Of Kentucky University Of Maryland University Of Massachusetts Amherst University Of Massachusetts Boston University Of Memphis University Of Miami University Of Minnesota Twin Cities University Of Missouri University Of North Texas University Of Rhode Island University Of Texas At Arlington University Of Texas At Austin University Of Vermont University Of Virginia University Of Wisconsin-Madison University Of Wisconsin-Platteville

CLASS OF 2016 • COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

Vassar College Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Wellesley College West Virginia University Wheaton College Worcester Polytechnic Institute

UNITED KINGDOM Anglia Ruskin University Arts University Bournemouth Brunel University London Camberwell College Of Arts Cardiff Metropolitan University Cardiff University City University London Coventry University Durham University Edinburgh Napier University Falmouth University Glasgow Caledonian University Glyndwr University Imperial College London King’s College London Kingston University Lancaster University Liverpool Hope University London School Of Economics Loughborough University Manchester Metropolitan University Middlesex University

Oxford Brookes University Plymouth University Queen Mary University Queen’s University Richmond, The American International University Robert Gordon University Southampton Solent University Swansea University University College London University For The Creative Arts University Of Bath University Of Brighton University Of Bristol University Of Central Lancashire University Of Derby University Of Dundee University Of East Anglia University Of East London University Of Edinburgh University Of Essex University Of Exeter University Of Glasgow University Of Hertfordshire University Of Kent University Of Lancaster University Of Leeds University Of Leicester University Of Manchester University Of Nottingham University Of Reading

University Of Sheffield University Of South Wales University Of Sunderland University Of Surrey University Of Sussex University Of The Arts London University Of The West Of Scotland University Of Warwick University Of Wolverhampton University Of York

OTHER COUNTRIES American College Of Greece (Deree) American University Of Beirut/Lebanon Avans University/Netherlands Bocconi University/Italy Carnegie Mellon University/Qatar Erasmus University/Netherlands Eth Zurich/Switzerland Georgetown University School Of Foreign Service/Qatar Hague University/Netherlands Has University Of Applied Sciences/ Netherlands John Cabot University/Italy Maastricht University/ Netherlands McGill University/Canada SAE Athens/Greece Tilburg University/Netherlands University Of Amsterdam/Netherlands University Of Groningen/Netherlands University Of Toronto/Canada Van Hall Larenstein/Netherlands

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

Collaborative Learning Communities (CLC)

el originated by the National School Reform Faculty® and they have become a driving force in professional development among the the school community.

teachers for teachers. Participation remains volAn invitation to byuntary and 65% of the faculty members have chosen join a CLC group, which meet monthly during afwork and learn toter-school time dedicated to professional developalthough they also have the option to work on differently ment, individual projects. We have held four coaches trainCLCs have been developed over the past five years

Penny Kynigou, Middle School Faculty, Collaborative Learning Communities Coordinator, NSRF National Facilitator David Nelson, Academy Faculty, Coordinator of Professional Development & Growth, NSRF National Facilitator

W

ith fifty-one years of collective experience as K-12 teachers, we often witnessed the solitary nature of schools and teaching. As a matter of practice, education is often about one… one student sitting in one seat, listening to one teacher.

Educators often work in one classroom within one grade level. They meet within one of the many departments. They are isolated within one school: elementary, middle school, high school.

It’s almost as if educators are stuck in silos!

At ACS Athens, our Collaborative Learning Communities (CLC’s) are helping faculty to move out of silos in so many ways: Here, diverse groups of teachers, JK-12, come together as constantly evolving professionals to share their expertise and extend their craft. These groups are rooted in the Critical Friends Group® mod-

ings at the school and have a core group of 13 trained coaches who help co-facilitate the four CLC groups, which are this year spearheaded by Christina Birbil, Hrisi Sandravelis and ourselves.

Teachers frequently present classic CFG material at CLC meetings: student work, instructional designs and dilemmas; seeking the feedback from the multiple perspectives of teachers in different subject areas and grade levels as they share their work as artifacts to collaboratively analyze and improve. During the pioneering implementation of a freshly designed Middle States Association accreditation protocol known as “Sustaining Excellence”, which involved a four year self-study through school-wide Action Research, ACS Athens teachers have also used the collective power of the CLC “think tank” to refine and improve their Action Research designs.

As coordinators of the CLC initiative, we have studied the impact of the CLC as our own Action Research project. We surveyed teachers, gathered reflections at the end of meetings, and collected “CLC stories” about how our participants transferred the feedback gained in meetings, either directly as presenters or indirectly as participants, into their classroom practice. Sifting through this data we were able to identify three key features that seem to underlie why the CLC members at ACS Athens feel that these meetings offer

75

them something unique: ◉◉ the CFG processes ◉◉ the diverse makeup of the groups ◉◉ the focus on inquiry.

Firstly, participants find that the CFG processes used in the meetings inspire risk-taking, empathy and growth. The CLC uses the NSRF protocols and the CFG training to develop an ethos of positivity. We initially establish trust and group norms through a process of establishing agreements. We develop a shared language through an activity called Zones of Safety, Risk and Danger. Empathy and mutual support are core values and to help everyone connect to the group, every meeting begins with a transitioning activity. We created a carefully structured sequential buildup of skills over the year, with participants learning warm and cool feedback strategies, and the techniques of posing clarifying and probing questions. As one of our participants, Irini Rovoli, summed up, “Meetings are carefully structured to provide freedom of expression, confidentiality, structure, time limits, and respect

teachers’ time and energy.”

The theme of trust, safety and confidentiality came up repeatedly as a significant factor contributing to the unique quality of these meetings. As Steve Barkley, educational consultant and NESA presenter, says, “When there is no evaluator present in the room, teachers can focus on making what they do better, rather than just concentrating on what they are doing.” Our research finding was confirmed by Google’s recent study of 180 teams, which put psychological safety as the number one factor in successful teaming. We also see that teachers value the act of service, the opportunity to contribute ideas to help others and to share their expertise. In all, CLC meetings were seen as being energy boosting, fun, relaxed and rewarding, with teachers feeling empowered as active

→

Continued on page 104

76

Reflective Teaching & Learning

Christina Birbil, 1st Grade Faculty One usually is asked the generic question, “What do you do?” But I don’t like to ask that. You see, I know that I am lucky to do what I do because I love what I do. So, when I meet someone, because I am curious about their story, I ask “Do you love what you do?”

However, research shows that 60% of adults are disengaged from their work.

that 40-60% of students are chronically disenDesign Time: An shows gaged from their learning by the time they reach high And sadly, for any of us, that’s not so surprisElementary School school. ing, either. But that is why we are all here today.

‘Genius Hour’ So let’s begin at the beginning.

Perhaps that’s not so surprising. Research further

by Christina Birbil and Alexandros Hoc, Elementary School Faculty

PLAY. When was the last time you played?

A

t ACS Athens, we are driven by the common goal of guiding students to become architects of their own learning. While different means may be used to achieve a common end, we continually aim to use our hands-on experiences and in-service research to arrive at the optimal mixture of practical application and theory by which to provide the best learning experience for our students.

The following accounts feature the presentation of Design Time, a block of time dedicated to student-initiated learning, in which students themselves take charge of what they want to learn, and how they wish to go about it. This block of time was introduced across the Elementary School during this past academic year. The following accounts are composed of the experiences of two Elementary School teachers and their in-class Action Research, itself undertaken based on extensive literature reviews concerning current teaching practices based on social constructivism. The presentations below were first presented as a Morphosis Talk during the ACS Athens Colloquium in April 2016, and continue to be framed in the format of a talk below.

How do you like to play? Many of us naturally like to build things, but what is it that you like to build with, mostly? Blocks? Lego? Wood? Play-Doh? Clay? Or do you prefer to build on paper by drawing or painting?

Or, perhaps, building relationships? Some of us were good at de-building/deconstructing - taking things apart with the driving question of “How do things work?”

How do you play?

We are very lucky in the educational field in that we get to not only ask this question of our students on a daily basis – and if they are younger – minute-by-minute, it feels like – but we get to challenge students to be architects of their own learning. To recognize what and how they like to learn and broaden their perspectives while sharpening their potential.

Here at ACS Athens Elementary School we have developed something to help our kids with this concept.

Design Time.

An opportunity for children to find and define what they love, their passions, and develop them.

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

tured on to ask, “Where do ideas come from? I want you to start thinking about your ideas and where they come from, and when you have ideas.” Eventually, what came out of that was that ideas are born when they are playing and making choices for themselves… about new ideas of things they want to do, areas they want to develop, and different passions that they have.

“Let’s all think of our free time and the kinds of things we do during that time.” We charted that and their excitement continued to grow. (By the way, I stipulated that besides iPad time, how do you like to spend your free time).

And then I shared the news that every week we will be getting to find new things we want to learn about and create our own learning and we are going to call that Design Time.

Of course, I allowed them time to go off and create an initial plan for their first Design Time. Some wanted to teach our classroom dog Captain Chip new tricks, others wanted to learn how to make paper boats and

The 1000 Straw Challenge

In order for Design Time to work, there must be a dedicated time in the schedule and it must be important for everyone.

Design Time is not only a time in which children are actively building something hands-on (which is the normal image one conjures when thinking of designing), they are actively building their social skills and attitudes – those skills which they need in order to go out in the world and live happily, engaged in their lives and those around them – to be ready for anything, rather than passive bystanders.

Becoming engaged in one’s own learning comes from making meaning.

So, when introducing Design Time to my first graders, I started wordlessly. No, I didn’t mime, although charades is a favorite in my class. I drew. I quietly drew a light bulb on huge chart paper (yes, classic visual, yet so powerful). And while I was drawing I asked them to shout it out if they knew what I was drawing…and then, yes – it resembled Pictionary for a few moments in there… But once they guessed it, I asked them, “What does a light bulb mean for you?”

Eventually, someone landed on, “Ideas!” And so I ven-

All kids in 3rd grade decided to use the Design Time block to set up and run meetings about which rules should be set for playground games, like soccer and four-square.

→

Continued on page 104

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

The Third Grade ‘Living Wax Museum’ Project

Adjusting positions so the statues don't get tired

by Alexandros Hoc, Ashley Martinez, Stavi Dimas, Elementary School Faculty

T

he process leading to, including, and following, the Living Wax Museum presentation is founded on the essence of constructivist principles.

The central tenets of our individual culminating Action Research projects were represented throughout, since together they covered each stage of preparation, presentation, and reflection of student work.

The writing process was a central and holistic component to the evolution of the Living Wax Museum, as was the extensive pre-writing, revising, peer- and teacher-editing process (Gillespie and Graham, undated; The Writing Process, 2007). Grammatical theory and practice was not taught in isolation, but rather was included as part of the larger writing lessons, as well as the “Writer’s Workshop” sessions, in which students took the lead in crafting their own work (Weaver et al., 2006).

Expectations for student work and timeframes were clearly delineated well ahead of time; rubrics and deadlines were explained to students, as well as sent home to parents in the form of a comprehensive handbook.

Student work was centered in their dedicated Writing Journals, progressed onto lined paper after their initial drafts, was then typed on laptops (taking advan-

Students take on strong poses as they take their positions

tage of the Elementary School’s access to new laptop carts, available from the elementary school library for in-class use). Students were given a list of historical personalities and chose their top 6; the assignations were given as closely as possible based on student preference, ensuring student choice and ownership of upcoming work. The scaffolding of tasks ensured that students moved through the research-drafting-writing-editing-presenting-reflecting process in a manner that ensured that teachers were available for support and clarification (facilitation), rather than direct instruction (Darling-Hammond, undated).

The fact that the Living Wax Museum is an event which takes place every year had a clear impact on students, as they looked forward to emulating their older peers. As Eroglu observes (undated), students may learn information by watching other students

79

All these characters are related - can you find how?

Students chose character which represented all eras in history

present findings on their characters, but the best way to verify the internalization of knowledge and the outcomes of the writing process are experiential; by becoming the historical figures they have been researching, students must comprehend and focus on the most important personality traits and personal achievements, while considering the legacy of their assigned characters. Students practiced their speeches and characterizations in small-group settings, ensuring students worked at their own pace, and reflected on their own work through meaningful social interactions with their peers (Wallace et al., 2007).

Using technology, students were able to explore the multi-faceted skills necessary for recovering meaningful research materials online, as well as using technological means (laptops, tablets) in composing and presenting their finalized work (Blake Yancey, 2009).

Students reflecting on and assessing their cumulative work, and as well as the final product, is paramount to carrying skills over to future projects. These skills have been revisited in the classroom, not only in regard to Social Studies and writing activities, but also through various other means, compounding the importance of the experience and information gained by the students. Our Third Grade students now have a strong basis for building knowledge in diverse projects in the future, a series of skills which they gained through constructivist means, and which they can carry forward throughout their school careers, and beyond.

Students feeling proud for a job well done

Strong women from history all posing together!

Students chose historical figures that made a difference in their era

→

Continued on page 105

80

or mathematically, it is up to the style of learning and the type(s) of their intellectual strength(s). In other words a guitarist or a pianist can still be very successful and play equally well in a band whether they know how to read notes (visual) or play by ear (auditory).

Those strengths can be detected by the music teacher and nurtured. The instruction of course must not be one dimensional but needs to take into consideration the way(s) in which the individual learns and understands better.

Another point of importance is that we are not machines but that we have many feelings and emotions.

Music is the one medium that allows for the expression of emotions and most often has the power to manipulate feelings.

So, since music so un-forcibly embraces multiple intelligences, and manipulates feelings, why not use it in our every day instruction for behaviour management and for the assimilation of all subjects?

During my presentation at the ACS Athens Colloquium 2016 methods of using music as a means for instruction of all subjects were shared and met with much interest by the participants.

Music and Multiple The results of a case study of multiple intelligent inIntelligences struction were also exemplified.

■■ Instruction

by Peggy Apostolou, Elementary School Faculty, Music

I

t is no rocket science. Its is nothing new. It is an theory that has been around for many years and was founded by Howard Gardner - the founding father of multiple intelligences. Gardner believed that each one of us is unique in the way we understand and assimilate information. He divided intelligence into eight modalities and characteristically said: 'I regard MI theory as a ringing endorsement of three key propositions: We are not all the same; we do not all have the same kinds of minds; and education works most effectively if these differences are taken into account rather than denied or ignored. Taking human differences seriously lies at the heart of the MI perspective. At the theoretical level, this means that all individuals cannot be profitably arrayed on a single intellectual dimension. At the practical level, it suggests that any uniform educational approach is likely to serve only a small percentage of children optimally'. (Gardner 1999:91) For many years now Gardner’s theory has been at the core of my teaching. Music endorses multiple skills anyways and thus is more open to multiply intelligent instruction. A pianist or a guitarist for example need to be aware of rhythm, notes, style, etc. Whether they approach those visually, kinaesthetically, auditorilly,

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

Reflection on my Action Research and Attendance at the Colloquium

by Leigh Anderson, Librarian

An Abridged

Research Project A work in progress

By Leigh Anderson, Librarian andersonl@acs.gr

Introduction Each semester I go into the Technology classes of the 6th, 7th and 8th grade for three to four, 75 minute lessons to teach research skills through research on a health topic. I have used Action Research to enable me to explore ways to improve students’ research based writing during these lessons.

Through the systematic approach of Action Research, I first did a literature search, a survey of NESA librarians and students, and gathered anecdotal information from students to develop these lessons. After additional research I have began using the Big 6 Skills approach as a framework. In addition, I have used reflections by teachers and students and evaluation of student work as a means to find the most useful steps to help the students widen their knowledge of available resources while practicing their research skills and improving the communication of what they have learned.

I have described the activities in the lessons as they now stand in relation to The Big6 Skills with insights I have gained and the things I want to try next as a result.

Literature Search Universities feel students come to college unprepared to do research. Lawrence discovered in her research that training in high school makes a big difference.

Lisa Peet even suggests that this training should begin as early as 4th Grade.

Using Resources - Research suggests that the go to place for research is Google, that when students research they don’t go beyond the first page, that they tend to ask questions or use simple keywords and if they don’t find something quickly – “It is not there.”. Speed is important over accuracy and understanding.

Suggestions to get students to go beyond Google were to make students aware of other resources, stress understanding in finding appropriate resources and teach students to use keywords and Boolean terms but most importantly give assignments that the students are passionate about and that require more than a simple Google search.

Research Process - Students learn information literacy skills best in the context of specific inquiries if they use a logical and systematic information process model. The Big6 Skills Approach gives students a process which can be used to solve any problem that requires creative/critical thinking.

Selected References Barack, Lauren. "Good Research Habits Pay Off." School Library Journal60.9 (2014): 14. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.

T

hrough my Action Research Project and participation in the colloquium I have developed and refined my research lessons in the Technology classes of the sixth, seventh and eighth grade.

In my project, “An Abridged Big 6 Research Project,” I explored ways to improve students’ research skills in order to improve their research based writing. Using the Action Research process, I was able to approach the development of this set of lessons in a more systematic way. I was more aware of what others were doing and the impact of different aspects of these lessons on the students. The Big 6 Information Literacy Process gave me a proven framework for developing information literacy and improving research writing but the systematic use of surveys, reflections and evaluation of student work continues to enable me to refine these lessons to meet the needs of the age group and the time available for these lessons.

In addition, my attendance and presentation of my work at the colloquium has given me new ideas and ways to implement these ideas. I want to pursue the idea of using the flipped classroom to make students aware of the available resources rather than using

1

2

3

Identifying a Topic Students choose a partner. They are given a list of health topics.

They choose one of the topics or identify a health topic that they are interested in.

Insight –. Students are not always invested in the topics they choose. Some topics are too broad.

Things to try- Find a way to introduce pre-research into the process to help students better understand their topics and choose something they are interested in.

Learning about Resources The Library Subscription Databases are introduced during a lesson using a worksheet with some questions related to the students health topic. The students learn: why to use the databases, where to find them and how to find the citations.

Insight- This takes time that might be better used in other tasks.

Things to try – Make this information available to students in a short interactive video to be listened to ahead of the lessons.

Finding Resources Students are given a mini-lesson on using key words and Boolean searching terms. Students are then asked to find an article related to their topics in the library subscription databases.

Insight – Students struggle to generate key words beyond the obvious. They identify resources that are often broad or off-topic.

Students just want to use Google.

Things to try. – Spend more time on key word lesson. Include pre- research so students have more knowledge about their topics.

4

5

Highlighting the Resource and Taking Notes Students are asked to copy/paste articles with citations into a document, then to highlight the article and use the highlights to take notes in their own words.

Insight - Sometimes notes are unfocused and not useful. Useful information is missed.

Things to try – Add a step where students have to organize their notes and add and discard information as needed.

Presenting their Learning Students are asked to use their notes from their articles to write a short, 4 to 5 paragraph, paper.

This paper is used in some classes to create a website.

Insight - Students prefer other forms of presentation rather than writing a paper.

Things to try - Focus on producing useful and organized notes and allow students to choose the type of presentation they prefer.

6 Evaluating the Project Students are asked to submit the highlighted articles, notes, papers and websites for evaluation. They reflect on working with a partner on the project.

Insight. – Handing in each step in the process helps evaluate the impact of this step on the success of the project from the teacher’s point of view.

Things to try – Require a detailed student reflection on the steps in the process to get the students’ point of view.

Byrne, Richard. "Keep Good Searches From Going Bad." School Library Journal 58.1 (2012): 15. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.

Eisenberg, Mike, Doug Johnson, and Bob Berkowitz. "Information, Communications, And Technology (ICT) Skills Curriculum Based On The Big6 Skills Approach To Information Problem-Solving." Library Media Connection 28.6 (2010): 24-27. ERIC. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.

Hughes, Sandra. "The Big6 As A Strategy For Student Research." School Libraries In Canada 22.4 (2003): 28. Professional Development Collection.

Web. 10 Mar. 2016.

Singley, Emily. “How college students *really* do research – findings from recent studies”. usable libraries. November 22, 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2014

Conclusions •The success of a student research project is dependent upon giving students resources or guiding them to find resources that they can understand, while developing a process that enhances that understanding and allows them to communicate it effectively to others.

•The Big 6 Skills Approach provides a proven framework for developing this process.

•The systematic approach of Action Research enabled me to refine this process to meet the needs of the age group and the time available for the lessons.

Infographic available as presented in the Colloquium: http://bit.ly/2agtrKZ

class time. I want to learn more about how Digication software can be integrated into my lessons. And, I want to figure out ways of encouraging students to be creative with the presentation of the information they find, such as writing a short play, a documentary or even developing a game rather than writing a 3 to 5 paragraph paper. These ideas came from listening to my colleagues present their work in more detail than we often have time for and hearing their comments on my project.

I feel that both the Action Research process and the colloquium have enabled me to develop a set of lessons that will give our students a thoughtful process to follow when approaching any research project.

■■

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

good news is that students as early as grade 2 enjoy reciting or singing the spelling rules and are having fun in a process that could otherwise be boring. Students also learn to self-correct mistakes when we refer to a certain grammar rule as they recall the poem or song. They experience success as they consolidate the grammar rules and gain confidence in applying them. This is why the result of my Action Research is mainly that Rhyming…Rules!

From a broader perspective, this colloquium was a showcase of the team spirit characterizing ACS Athens that reflects each individual’s creativity and unique talent.

■■

Rhyming … Rules! Writing to Think and Learn in Greek Language and Literature class

by Irini Rovoli Elementary-Middle School Faculty, Greek Language

A

s experience makes us discover more about ourselves, so does it make us discover ways that facilitate the instructional process. We all want students to make meaningful connections in all subjects and to make efficient use of their time.

In the Greek class, getting students to become better in spelling is a major goal that starts early in the Elementary.

How can I help my students become better in spelling? This has been a question that I wanted to answer and this is where my Action Research was based. I had experimented with rhyming words that students could memorize in order to improve their spelling. I soon discovered that when students play with rhyming rules, they retain them and are better able to recall and apply them. The result of my Action Research has been a set of Greek Grammar rules that I created for the teaching and consolidation of rules on basic spelling and word endings. These are 15 spelling rules in rhyming form that I started to use in class with application exercises. The rules can be compiled in booklets to suit student needs or can be used independently.

The research I conducted showed that, with adequate practice, students in grade 3 can retain and apply those rhyming rules in spelling exercises. The

by Sonia Kormaris, Middle School-Academy Faculty, Greek Language Coordinator

I

ntroduction The context of my action research referred to the constructivism as a theory in pedagogy applied in Language and Literature class (Grade 10). The relevant research led me to examine to what extent I follow the educational approach that ‘presents teachers as mediators of students and environments, not simply as givers of information and managers of behavior’.

Rationale It is a fact that world changes rapidly and one main characteristic of the new era is multiculturalism. Language acquisition, though, is considered a ‘sine qua non’ asset for people’s integration in society. This is especially evident at ACS Athens, given our diverse student population. Furthermore, through my study of constructivism, I have come to understand that the differentiated perspective is an invaluable aid in students’ learning; ‘Reports state that cooperative learning experiences have promoted interpersonal attraction among initially prejudiced peers, and such experiences have promoted interethnic interaction in both instructional and free-time activities’.

83

Research Focus- Methodology The way I followed to reflect on my teaching process in terms of constructivism was to monitor how a student of a different background affects my practice (or my vision of my practice) in a Language A class with native speakers or bilingual students. This came from the statement that everyone’s view of the external world differs from others because of their unique set of experiences. Therefore, I decided to observe a Chinese student’s perspective in comparison with other students.

Teaching method- Process of monitoring Throughout the school year, I designed learning experiences for my students around the topics identified in our course syllabus; war and peace, ideals, identity, heroism, nationalism, human relations, moral dilemmas, impasses, politics, power, leadership, justice, freedom, citizenship, human nature, love.

Students examined them through a variety of carefully chosen assignments, both oral and written, reflecting the content and the topics of the books studied (O kapetan Michalis by Nikos Kazantzakis, Antigone

by Sophocles and Ornithes by Aristophanes). At the same time, they were asked to connect what they were studying with the real world and current issues.

In that direction, I tried to follow the “learning cycle model”: discovery, concept introduction, concept application.

Research findings I noticed that Weilian, the Chinese student, despite his difficulties in expressing his ideas due to his different language and cultural background, contributed a lot in class discussion and / or group work by giving a differentiated or a complementary perspective.

I could mention two indicative examples: At the beginning of the 2nd semester, after the Greek Elections in January 25th, I assigned students an oral presentation in order for them to examine the concepts of leadership and language in mass communication through a free choice of spots conveyed during the preceded campaign. Ethics in politics and power had already been approached in the 1st semester regarding a specific historical background, the Cretan Revolution against Ottomans in 1889, and it was going to be reviewed through the study of Ancient Greek

Infographic available as presented in the Colloquium: http://bit.ly/2aJBtdD

Drama (a tragedy and a comedy). It was interesting to find out that only Weilian had chosen on purpose to present a political speech by a nationalist, right-wing politician who addressed people in Crete; it was obvious that he had noticed the particular code of morality that people in this part of Greece have formed due to special historical and cultural circumstances revealed from the book studied (O kapetan Michalis).

In his presentation, the student pointed out that the leader of this political party could predict the positive attitude of the audience, that’s why he chose that place. (I implemented i2Flex component by asking students to comment on their classmates’ presentations in a forum I created.)

Later, students were asked to compare and contrast Kreon’s inauguration speech (from Antigone) with the one by another leader without a restriction of time or place. Weilian chose Abraham’s Lincoln’s speech proving his multicultural / international background, and he underlined the common points of reference in terms of evolution in politics; from monarchy to democracy in Antigone and from slavery to emancipation in Lincoln’s proclamation.

It was amazing to hear him justifying Kreon’s thesis given the special circumstances (civil war) that led him to make strict decisions in order to protect his country and his people; a remarkable ‘detail’ that the rest of the students could not easily perceive maybe because they share the principles and values of the western world, based on human rights and democracy.

Student’s (Weilian’s) Reflection During my 4 years of being in a Greek language A class, I have been through many phases of learning. At first, I felt intimidated while I was learning since it was really hard for me to keep up, coming from a completely different language background. Even after I was familiarized

→

Continued on page 106

84

ects that I designed for the specific class based on these principles. I hoped that my audience would get a better understanding of how to incorporate Blended Learning elements into their teaching contexts in a pedagogically sound way.

Technology-enhanced teaching and learning is becoming the most powerful tool for education reform.

The combination of face-to-face and online learning combines the strengths of the two components allowing the teacher to design programs that are more effective to learners and offer a more varied educational experience. Also, education must evolve away from teacher-centered, one-way transmission of information.

■■

Blended Learning Reflection on the in a multi-level ACS Colloquium Language class 2016

by Natasha Stratoglou, Faculty, Greek Language

H

ow can i2Flex can be effectively implemented in a multi-level Language class and how a blended environment can have a positive influence on the variety of learners in the specific class. Can i2Flex methodology be used to motivate students in order to increase their creativity, engagement and participation that will lead to a higher level of thinking and learning?

On a very basic level, Blended Learning is simply the use of online learning (via the web, digital program, or other digital means) and offline learning (traditional brick-and-mortar setting, group-based projects, discussion, etc.) as a means to personalize instruction within the classroom.

As information technology evolves, an increasing number of foreign language instructors are utilizing blended learning in their teaching contexts. Blended learning (BL) is the out-of class use of online and mobile learning tools to supplement traditional classroom environments. In my research I explored reasons for incorporating Blended Learning in a multi-level language class, and I examined principles for utilizing BL from literature. My presentation at the colloquium was the various modules and proj-

by Dr. Elina Prodromidi, Faculty, Science

A

ttending the ACS Colloquium 2016 was an enlightening event for me both as a professional and as a scientist. It opened up a new era of innovative and unconventional teaching and learning in many disciplines and grade levels. Listening to my colleagues’ work, witnessing ‘live’ student learning on site and constructively discussing what lies in the future of teaching and learning was what I cherished most from this meeting. Being myself a presenter in the colloquium and reflecting upon my action research project and my practice offered me the opportunity to share my thoughts, my aspirations and my concerns within my working environment and the audience, and provided me with useful practical advice on how to continue innovation in my teaching.

I also realized how important it is to share best practices among education professionals and how time should be also devoted to this aspect of our work, if it is to offer a student-centered educational and pedagogical system to the society. I felt grateful of being a part of a very talented and hard working educators’ team and inspired to improve as an instructor, researcher, scientist and individual.

■■

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

such as problem solving, critical thinking and ACS Athens: jects, collaboration), and how schools and teachers can the individual students to personalize their a Unique support learning experiences, are issues for debate and acReflective Learning tions among the key stakeholders in Education. new role of School, as an autonomous learning Organization The organization within their societal context, and the edge to competences that can be applied across sub-

by Dr. Demetrios Sampson, Professor, Learning Technologies, Curtin University, Australia

A

CS Athens a Unique Reflective Learning Organization that Supports Individual Students’ Learning Based on Data-Driven Evidences

I am pleased to write this short note with my thoughts from the ACS Athens Colloquium on «Improving Students’ Learning through Continuous Research and Reflection» that I attended on April 21 and 22, 2016.

This colloquium was organized to present highlights from the two-year work undertaken by ACS Athens in response to the requirements of the Middle States Association’s (MSA) “Sustaining Excellence” protocol re-accreditation process.

Today, there is a global debate on how teaching and learning at all levels of formal education (from preschool and kindergarten to K-12 and Universities) is transformed to meet the demands of the 21st century societies and economies. What is to be learnt by students (moving from separated subject domain knowl-

new role of Classroom Teachers, as reflective Educators that design and react on their teaching practice based on the scientifically grounded analysis of rich educational data collected from their students, are highlighted as the key challenges in transforming compulsory K-12 education.

ACS Athens is now officially recognized by the Middle States Association as a unique reflective learning organization that supports individual students’ learning based on data-driven evidences. This is a remarkable achievement to celebrate. More than that, though, ACS Athens, its leaders and its educators, is recognized by its students and their parents as a unique school that “empowers individuals to transform the world as architects of their own learning”.

■■

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

dents were much more engaged and enthusiastic about their learning. They were using terminology and articles from different sources that even approached economics from a philosophical perspective and addressed issues that have been on people’s minds for centuries. I wish I had video-taped the last presentation of the year. It was full of application of learning, interpretation of statistics, economics terminology, reasoned arguments and evaluation. It is best practice because we know that the classroom is a laboratory, and we were all given the opportunity to experiment. This process really helped me grow as a teacher because my school told me that to be a work in progress is ok. That trial and error, is ok.

Every day we tell our students the same – and we showed them by example that with our positive attitude and the support of the school, it was inevitable that there would be significant outcomes. Next year when I want to try something new, I will feel less afraid about sacrificing precious time for nothing. I will trust in the process and my wisdom as a teacher and know that only good can come out of an earnest effort to learn and improve.

■■

Allowing Structured Open-Endedness Collaborative as Best Practice Observation/ Writing Activity to Develop Skills of Art Analysis eaching is a dynamic process. Every day we have

by Emilia Drogaris, Faculty, Social Science

T

to find a way to make the classroom a dynamic and engaging place. We have to make students want to learn, we have to ignite their curiosity. We make them feel like what they are learning is relevant.

Two years ago when we started this research process, I did not know where it was headed. What I knew was that we didn’t have that many rules except to have an honest look at something we were doing or wanted to see happen in our classrooms. It was very empowering to me to know that my administration trusted me enough to just allow an open-ended learning experiment.

In my IB Economics class, I started this process with just some thoughts. I knew I wanted the students more engaged. I knew I wanted them to find the relevance in why they are learning Economics. I knew I wanted to sharpen their critical thinking skills and their ability to evaluate. And, thinking like an economist, I knew that I did not want to sacrifice precious class time for “no reason.” I very timidly introduced a weekly presentation assignment in one of my IB classes. Sparing the details, what started as a vague, “I have no idea how this is going to look” turned into one of the most meaningful things I did this year. Stu-

by Sophia Stella Soseilos, Faculty, Art, Art Coordinator

B

rief: Demonstration on a structured collaborative observation /writing activity which develops skills of art analysis but can also be applied and be very useful to any discipline.

For the needs of my action research I have created a structured collaborative activity tool through guided questions for an art criticism analysis with the focus on description/analysis/interpretation and judgment.

I believe that if it is fine-tuned accordingly it can be used as an in depth analysis tool across the disciplines and the age groups.

Summary of the Action Research: During the school year 2014-15 I realized that the students of the targeted Art Studio / Drawing and Painting class exhibited difficulty in verbalizing as well as writing the analysis of any given painting. I started an action research with them in order to see how the process of exposing them in front of art works in the

87

form of group work while using a ‘CLC Ah-HA!’ protocol would have eventually enhanced their written analytical abilities. My action research question was whether this protocol could be used as a prewriting strategy in art classes in order to improve their ability to analyze and write about works of art. In the Action Research reflective narrative it was stated that: “The artifacts and data revealed that the students have gradually improved in writing art analysis, after they practiced the CLC Ah-HA!’ protocol in group work.

What was successful was also their level of engagement while observing and writing and the correct use of art vocabulary. All the above could be beneficial in any prewriting discipline since it challenged them to move on, test their observational ideas, expand with the input of their peers and grow.”

During the school year 2015-16 I did not teach the Middle school art studio class. I taught the IB Visual Arts.

Art criticism is an extremely important component of the course. The Comparative Study takes 20% of their final grade and there is a big amount of writing required for their sketchbooks. Therefore I varied my last year’s action research based on the ‘CLC Ah-HA!’ protocol, enriched it with questions on the four components of art criticism – description, analysis, interpretation and judgment and applied it to my IB students.

The aim was to help the students look and criticize art by understanding, appreciating and analyzing it in a group environment through the ‘CLC Ah-HA!’ protocol. It was a process that allowed them to think individually at first, look at the other responses, criticize and get criticized. By answering those questions all students eventually reflected on each other’s writing.

The papers went back to their original writers and they were all able to read their peers’ comments getting immediate feedback.

These are some Reflections of IB visual Art students responding on the process of this activity: “The procedure helps a lot in order to organize the way we should criticize a work of art. I also feel that the whole procedure became easier after doing it many times.”

(May A.) “I really like and enjoy this exercise since it is very interesting to see another point of view and it is very successful.

Also it is a very insightful way to share your ideas with others. This exercise helped me a lot to understand how to analyze and how to get to understand a painting in depth, but also to understand the way we have to explain it through the specific use of language. (Sophia P.) “This activity does help me learn how to criticize a piece of art in a proper way with the use of the guiding questions. Even though I don’t believe in criticism in general, this process isn’t that bad.” (Lefteris P.) “It helps because you get to read the other persons’ thoughts but the process is very time consuming, but helpful. I think it is useful to do this once every unit.” (Nikita P.)

“This procedure helped me understand this painting much better as we analyzed the meaning of the whole painting and the message the artist tried to convey on the viewers. I think that now we are able to fully understand this painting.” (Nick L.) On the 22nd of May, 2016 I have presented my analysis activity at our school’s ACS Athens Colloquium – Showcasing the validation of the “Sustaining Excellence” accreditation protocol. I explained my activity to four different groups of teachers from various disciplines and from their feedback I was pleased to see how applicable and useful this was to all. Therefore my hypothesis was proven; when fine-tuned accordingly this activity can be used as an in depth analysis tool across the disciplines and the age groups.

■■

88

Dr. Gialamas and Dr. Crain are embraced by a volunteer and children residing at the port

Questions and conversations have been at the A Reflective issue. very center of this process and as time progressed and project came to life it took on an organic form and Dialogue of a the proved to be boundless.

Journey into Through a brainstorming session guided by our adand with the participation of the whole Boundless Learning ministration Middle School faculty, the idea for the guiding quesand the consecutive activities and learning expe- The Middle School tion riences became: How do other people’s experiences Refugee/Migrant impact who I am and what I do? this question in mind, students were guided Project Having in building on their background knowledge to make

by Christina Bakoyannis and Hrisi Sandravelis Middle School Faculty

T

he Middle School Refugee/Migrant Crisis project started in September of 2015. Teachers, students and administrators returned to school in the midst of the widely broadcast current events happening here in Greece, Europe and the world. This inspired endless conversations about how tiny Greek islands were sinking under Europe’s Refugee crisis, how hundreds of thousands of refugees were boarding flimsy boats on the coast of Turkey to make it to Europe and how the migrant deal had become a Herculean task.

Our journey began as a simple idea guided by the mission statement. With a focus of building empathy, understanding and inspiring action within our community we utilized constructivist theories of education to guide students in making sense of this real-world

sense of the very real world events happening around us. It all began by having students brainstorm about what “Home” means. Using the citizenship development weekly block of time as the venue, we proceeded. The writing process served as a foundation for the events that took place on UN Day and beyond. On United Nations Day, all Middle School students participated in a combination of workshops. The workshops consisted of the following: Experiential Learning Activities facilitated by the Middle School faculty, Rescue and Aid workshops delivered by members of the greater community from organizations such as the Red Cross, Humanitarian Bridges and Doctors without Border, and other workshops included the arts and cultural context lessons. Finally, students were fortunate to have Syrian refugees share their own stories with the students. After a day of building empathy and understanding, the thought process for action began. This project did not end with UN Day. After that, students put their new found inspiration to work by collecting donations for teacher outreach

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

Mr. Medeiros amused by two young children

initiatives, watching an original documentary, “The Longest Run” by ACS Athens parent and documentarian Marianna Economou. Students also attended field trips centered around the crisis. For example, the seventh grade class visited the Super Puma Airforce at Eleusina, where students witnessed, first hand, how refugees were being rescued from the waters between Greece and Turkey. All the while reflecting by means of the writing process, helped students keep their focus. Additionally, students participated in podcasts, reflected on safety and comfort, collected and analyzed data and statistics, researched and revisited the current events and from there went on to complete another writing piece, “I am a Refugee.” At the end of this academic year, the sixth and seventh graders will be presenting their artistic interpretations through their elective classes, while the eighth grade participated in a Pre-MUN debate that requires them to write resolutions and position papers as representatives of their assigned countries in response to the refugee crisis.

A Reflective Process at the Center of Learning “The unexamined life is not worth living” - Socrates, 450 B.C.

which drives the Constructivist theory and thus guided the entire process of this holistic project. Reflection delves into the core of our being and hence the core of the learning process. It forces us to stand back to look and think about what is happening, why it is happening and what all this means to us. In a learning community, reflection is central to all parties involved: the students, the teachers and the greater community.

A Reflective Dialogue Presentation on Stage “I know you will not believe me, but the highest form of human excellence is to question oneself and others.” - Socrates So, how does one have a reflective dialogue on stage, while at the same time informing the audience about the context of the project? Including the community as well as the audience was the integral theme. The participants on stage consisted of a student representing each Middle School grade level along with teacher participation. The participating students were: George Soukakos, 8th grade student, Marilina

It is this willingness to call everything into question

Students and teachers handing out hygiene kits at the Refugee Outreach in May at Piraeus

Students packing the hygiene kits

→

Continued on page 106

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

walking towards the teachers, with the child dangling on her- pulling and biting. She suddenly knelt down, looked into the child’s eyes, and in one quick sweep, gathered the child into her arms. The child immediately calmed and buried itself in her embrace for several whole minutes; time seemed to freeze. Ms. Perez kissed the little stained hands and cheeks and someone gave the child an apple. It was the embrace that really made the difference though.

I chose this memory because in that instant, Maria embraced a child wholeheartedly. She responded so instinctively because she had chosen to devote her evening to bringing joy to these children; they were her treasure. Just like a mother would have responded to her own child, so she responded to this child whose name she didn’t know and words she couldn’t understand. And that was far more meaningful to the child than the apple.

Reaching the Heart

by Sevasti Koniossis, Middle School Optimal Learning Specialist

A

very wise saying explains that, “where your treasure is, that’s where your heart will be also.” Some people believe that it doesn’t matter why someone gives but I disagree. One’s motivation for helping others is of greater value than the service provided. Material things, needed and important as they may be, will perish. If our treasure is the spotlight, we’ve missed the mark, because we haven’t allowed ourselves to be transformed by the experience, nor have we truly touched the lives of others. Reaching out to others in need is not about us at all; it is a selfless act of kindness born out of a heart of humble compassion.

At the ACS Colloquium in April, I was asked to pinpoint a personal highlight of the Middle School UN Refugee Project. I chose to describe the scene with the little child at the port of Piraeus, during the Middle School Teacher Outreach in February, which went like this: At the Piraeus Port-Turned-Camp, young refugee children, gathered around Middle School teachers who had organized fun activities. Ms. Perez played hula hoop with the children. Suddenly a woman from one of the humanitarian organizations appeared, offering apples. The children all scrambled to get an apple. A little child of about 3 suddenly appeared distraught, no apple in hand. She began to bite and pull on Ms. Perez with relentless frustration. Ms. Perez started

During our more recent Refugee Outreach in May, a group of teachers and students visited the makeshift camp at the port in Piraeus to distribute 1,500 hygiene kits that were donated by a parent. During the indoor distribution, Petros, a 9th grade student, turned to me and thanked me for having invited him. “This is so great,” he said. I was captivated by his comment and it took me a few seconds to remove my gaze. He was so genuine and his eyes shined with excitement- the kind of excitement that you would normally expect to witness in a 14 year old’s eyes during a trip to an amusement park or at a happening high school party. At that moment, though, we were inside a small, dark building. It was hot, stuffy, and consumed by an intense odor mixed of sweat, food, dust, and I don’teven-want-to-ponder what else. Yet Petros’ heart was right was where it should be- in serving others, even though it meant that he would get home late and final exams were looming dangerously close. His treasure was not the applause, or the recognition- it was in being involved in something as great as serving others in need. I suspect that the materials in the hygiene kits are for the most part already used up. How it pleases me though, that our service far surpassed the giving out of things.

The day following the May outreach, I received an email from the mom of a 7th grade student who volunteered. Raphael came home so transformed by the experience that he expressed that he “didn’t deserve” to be chosen to be a part of the outreach. “Why me?” he asked. This is a student who had also gone down to the port in December with me, a few of his classmates and OLP assistants to organize, carry, and load boxes of donated items on trucks. Raphael never received any formal recognition for that. Yet that experience inspired him so much that he would ask, over and over, when he would be able to help again. And when the opportunity to serve again came in May, Raphael perceived it as such an honor that it made him feel unworthy.

If that doesn’t capture the heart of humility and sacrificial love, I don’t know what does.

91

Maria Perez playing with three young girls residing at the port

Father Themi, a priest who has given up all of life’s luxuries in Australia to move to Sierra Leone and devote his life to humanitarian work, recently quoted Mother Theresa. «We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.» Those involved in the ACS Middle School Refugee Project this year didn’t save the world or bring about world peace. Our hope, however, is that we touched the hearts of the people we served and gave them hope that in the midst of their suffering and rejection, there are people that truly care, places where they’re really welcome, and that this hope would be their light in the dark times.

Dr. Gialamas, in a message to faculty earlier in the year, stated that his favorite definition of ethos was “doing the right thing when no one is looking.” I am proud to be part of a community of colleagues and students for whom helping others in humility and love is a treasure in itself. The year long experience enabled ACS students and teachers to grow in compassion, empathy, and world citizenship.

I would like to thank Hrisi Sandravellis and Christina Bakoyannis for modeling ethos in their preparation and planning for the Middle School UN Refugee Project. Few know about the countless hours and late nights they invested in making this a meaningful project. I am so honored to have been allowed and welcomed to be a part of something so grand.

■■

Corinne Baty with a little boy at the port

92

The ACS Athens Council, a leadership group of student-athletes at ACS Athens, collaborated with the NGO “Institute Team For the World” in order to collect used athletic shoes for the refugees, since that was a top priority in regards to the actual needs of these people.

Our student- athletes were on a mission! They created awareness within our school community and sought out the support of fellow students and the ACS Athens families over a very short period of time since the influx of refugees was phenomenal and the need for shoes was tremendous and immediate. Facebook messages, posters on our campus, emails to the parents and word of mouth were instrumental in fulfilling their task. They provided containers with the proper signage and placed them in key areas across our campus so that students and families could easily drop off their shoes – a plan was in place!

The Athletic council took this a step further…. with an international competition around the corner (the ISST Boys Championships), a suggestion was made to reach out to the international schools participating and the incoming athletes: 11 schools, 110 athletes and 22 coaches! An email presenting their cause was sent to the Athletic Directors of the these schools; the response was very encouraging and supportive - the Athletic Directors were willing to inform their student athletes and their communities as well…

Helping People in Need is Powerful… outcome of this outreach was phenomenal; as Bringing People The the teams arrived in our gymnasium, athletes would their shoes donation from their suitcases and Together for take place them in the designated bins. Even more rewas the contribution of the visiting parents a Greater Cause markable on the following day when they came to watch their children play...

by Annie Constantinides, Director of Athletics Athletic Council Advisor

T

he Sports Shoes Recycling project for the Refugees; an initiative of the ACS Athens Athletic Council

The humanitarian crisis we have been recently dealing with is something big and complex. For many days over a long period of time, the news would share stories that no one could ever believe would materialize in the 21st century. We witnessed cruelty, indifference and maybe incompetence by some nations in regards to an issue that was not local – it was a global issue for which the answers were not (and still aren’t) coming soon enough….

People do not become refugees by choice; they are forced by circumstances which are beyond their control. Unfortunately, the solutions to such matters are quite complex and cannot be resolved by individual actions; however, individuals can contribute in making the lives of those affected more tolerable with whatever means are available.

By the end of the competition week, we had collected close to 350 pairs of shoes! They were picked up by the NGO in order to disperse them to the refugee “hot spots”. I am sure that all those involved in this project couldn’t be happier since everyone’s effort paid off!

It is clear that, TOGETHER, with a small gesture, we can make a difference to so many people. Giving to others need not and should not have boundaries; helping others in a troubled world can give hope that is much needed.

MANY THANKS TO: the ACS Athens community and the guest athletes and families that contributed to this cause: TASIS, ACS Cobham, American School of London, Vienna International School, American School of Paris, Frankfurt International School, International School of Brussels, Munich International School, the American School of the Hague, the International School of the Hague and the American School of Israel.

■■

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

→

structivism students construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences.

Continued from page 14

Culminating Assessment Projects in Mathematics...

Constructivism can help students pursue personal interests and purposes, use and develop their abilities, build on knowledge and experiences, and de-

individual needs. High expectations of students and faith in their ability to

velop life-long learning.

do complex, complicated and challenging activities has made their work a

To get authentic results, I as an educator, have learnt to let go and trust the

success. The projects have given me great opportunities for individualizing

process having given students constructive guidance. Often just a few words

and differentiating instruction in student learning.

of encouragement can set a spark off.

The rubric has given students a clear sense of assessment criteria, a good

At one point a student said, “Miss you said, think of something you really like

guide for planning and measuring their progress.

doing and suddenly, I felt I was struck by lightning! A fantastic idea came to

Students have become the architects of their own learning. They have shared

me...”

a wealth of knowledge with their classmates. Significant learning has taken

Inquiry and project-based learning facilitates the ideal educational environ-

place and that is really beautiful!

ment. It promotes a holistic approach to teaching and learning, it triggers

Literature research says that as teachers use and evaluate multiple modes

and inspires further diverse experiences and leads to a deeper conceptual un-

of student representations / perspectives on content, they become more

derstanding. This, in my opinion, is what makes learning significant.

knowledgeable about both the mathematical standards and how to teach to

Once you’ve seen the light, that spark in the student’s eye, you can never re-

them. They also become more aware of their students’ learning needs. Thus,

ally turn back, you have to keep going, keep expanding...

the process improves the quality of teaching and learning. It shows what stu-

It makes you think you should have started yesterday!

dents can actually do, not just what they know.

“Creativity is intelligence having fun”

Albert Einstein ■■

Constructivism shifts emphasis from teaching to learning. Through con-

→

see why learning math is import-

Continued from page 17

ant. It also helps children create

Learning Math Conceptually in Grades K-2

a visual image in their mind of the word problem. This process allows

of various math processes.

However, implementing “number

them to better evaluate whether or

Making the shift towards teaching

talks” where children are encour-

not the answers they come up with

for understanding by encouraging

aged to investigate or share an-

are reasonable or not.

students to develop unique math

swers during class is very successful

In conclusion, conceptual math is

strategies can often be overwhelm-

amongst elementary students.

nothing new to educators, but rath-

ing for many educators. Many of us

Math is a necessary life skill and it

er a different approach to the teach-

are comfortable with telling stu-

is our job as educators to help kids

ing of math so elementary students

dents how to solve a problem, but

make connections to the real world

can exercise skills while building flu-

avoid focusing on student-invented

via classroom experiences. Provid-

ency, accuracy and applying logic to

strategies because doing so may

ing them with situations, as close to

real-life situations that are created

feel foreign or even intimidating.

their reality as possible, helps kids

though word problems in class.

■■

→ Continued from page 21

Can I Get Rid of My Shadow?

is shadow formed?”

How Is Shadow Formed?

After a productive discussion among the students themselves, a few stu-

along with light to make a shadow. They started to move around and talk to

dents took the lead starting thoughtful negotiation among some of the stu-

each other, trying to find an answer or answers to share with the rest of the

dents. As a result of that, the students in the class were able to come up with

class. At that moment, we felt many of the students had started to show

and agreed that “Shadow is always formed by an object’s blocking of light.”

some competitive behavior in trying to come up with a reasonable answer or

“The shadow is always formed behind the object that prevents the light from

answers. We interpreted this as a good sign of students’ engagement in the

penetrating it.” One student stood up and added “And in the same direction

learning process.

as the light, but always behind the object.”

It didn’t take the students long to realize that “We need light and a person

We turned to the teacher of the class and asked if there were flashlights

for the shadow to form.” “Why do we need a person to make a shadow ap-

we could use, and a teacher brought us eight flashlights. We divided the

pear?” we asked. The students started to giggle, and some of them said, “If

students into groups and gave a flashlight to each group. Then we turned

you want to see your shadow, you need to be there with the light.” After

the lights off and challenged the students to make shadows of themselves

some more prodding, a student said, “You need your body to block the light

in various directions, lengths, sizes, and thicknesses, and to make multiple

and make your shadow.” We asked the other students to listen to what their

shadows of the same object at the same time. The students were so excited

classmate had said, and we gave them enough time to have a discussion

that they didn’t even wait for us to give them directions. We allowed the

among themselves.

students to explore all the possibilities they could think of for ten minutes.

By now, the students had already defined shadow in their own ways, words,

Then we assigned one of us to each group and had a discussion on what they

and terms. So we guided their discussion to help modify their statement

had done and on the types of challenges they had encountered. The goal

to the following: “We need light and an object to prevent light from going

here was to make sure that the students understood what shadow is, how

through to the other side of that object.” Our job now was to help them make

shadow is formed, and what conditions are needed for a shadow to form.

a simple, clear, and meaningful statement about what shadow is. This was

We asked one student from each group to report on these goals to the rest

needed in order to continue the journey of shadow exploration. To confirm

of the class.

that all the students now understood what shadow is, we asked them, “How

After about fifteen minutes, the reports were delivered. The challenge that

95 five of the groups mentioned, but were able to resolve on their own, was

ject or a fuzzy shadow on the other side. Thus only opaque and translucent

making multiple shadows of the same object (a student) and at the same

materials can make shadow.

time.

The students reached the conclusion that in order to make multiple shadows

Many materials are classified by how well they transmit light

you need multiple sources of light, and those sources of light must be directed toward an object from different directions. The students also reached the

Transparent

Materials that allow light to pass through in a straight line so we can see clearly through them. Glass is an example.

Opaque

Materials that absorb light without reemission. Wood and iron are two examples.

Translucent

Materials that allow only some light to pass through but scatter the light in all directions so that you cannot see clearly through them. In other words, they scatter light that passes through, and thus they cast light or a fuzzy shadow.

Tissue paper, wax paper, and frosted glass are three examples.

conclusion that as long as there is light, you cannot get rid of your shadow, even if you cannot see it clearly. We thought these sets of conclusions were remarkably significant coming from the curious minds of second-grade students. To confirm our conclusions, we engaged them in the following simple cognitive game that we called “Playing the Game.”

Playing the Game 1: Quickly, we wrote the following on the whiteboard and asked each student to individually use what he/she had learned so far, to complete the following statements:

Finally, we challenged the students to use these words in redefining the term “shadow” and to explain how shadows happened. We gave them time to If you want to make your shadow appear:

work in groups and to rewrite their definitions.

Playing the Game 2:

1

In front of you, then you need the source of light to be ………

2

In back of you, then you need the source of light to be ……….

3

On your left side, then you need the source of light to be ………

4

On your right side, then you need the source of light to be ………

5

Around or underneath your feet, then you need the source of light to be ………

6

As two overlapped shadows, then you need the source of light to be ………

7

As three overlapped shadows, then you need the source of light to be ………

8

In different directions from you, then you need the source of light to be ….

Air (cloudy)

9

What I have learned so far is ……………………………………………………

Book

Materials, Light, and Shadow:

To reinforce the understanding of the concept, we quickly wrote the following on the whiteboard and asked the students to individually identify which of the objects in column one below are Transparent, Opaque, or Translucent and why.

Object

Transparent, Opaque, or Translucent

Reason, based on the ability of light to pass through

Air (clear)

cardboard

By now, we felt comfortable in directing students’ attention into different but related directions by challenging them to explore the following questions: “If

Frosted glass

the reason you can see your shadow is because your body prevents the light from going through, then how does light travel? Why doesn’t light jump over

Glass

or move around your body and light the area in back of you? What would happen if your body or a given object (say a piece of glass) cannot block the

Iron

light from penetrating through? What types of objects prevent light from going through, or allow light through?” We threw these questions to the stu-

Green Leaf

dents to discuss among themselves.

The students were able to independently come to the understanding that

Plastic wrap

there are objects that completely allow light to go through, such as glass windows, sunglasses, clear drinking glasses, clear water, etc. They were also

Sunglasses

able to name objects that light cannot penetrate, such as ceramic plates, brick or wooden walls, iron, cardboard, and books, etc. A few students also

Water (clear)

mentioned objects that partially allow light to penetrate them, such as tinted glass, dense muddy water, frosted glass doors, butter paper, etc.

Water (muddy)

Here we guided students to attach labels to their words to describe various types of objects, by introducing the words and meanings of “opaque,” “trans-

Wax paper

lucent,” and “transparent.” In the process, students realized that a transparent object cannot make a shadow because light can easily pass through it.

Wood

This means that an object must be opaque or translucent in order to block the light and make a shadow. They also realized that they cannot read or

You (the student)

identify an object clearly through frosted glass doors, paper or tissue paper because these objects scatter light that goes through them. We were concerned that the students might be uncomfortable with the words “opaque,” “translucent,” and “transparent,” but at least a few of them had already heard

Name and add our favorite object

these words before. They recognize that some materials allow light to go through and thus you can see clearly through them. Other materials, don’t

Playing the Game 3:

allow light to go through and thus you cannot see through them. Yet, an-

Again, we quickly wrote the following onbottom: the whiteboard and asked each stu-

other type of materials partially allow light to pass through and scatter or bounce the rays in many directions and thus you can only see an unclear ob-

Current page from top to

dent to individually read and complete the following statements: Elementary School Science

Lab

→

96 If a shadow is made when an object blocks light, and a shadow appears on the side of the object farthest from the light source, then: 1

If an object is moved closer to the light source, the shadow gets ………

2

If an object is moved farther away from the light source, the shadow gets ……..

3

we share three of these that had a significant and direct relationship to what the students were trying to learn.

Test One: The students rolled up a piece of paper to make a long tube and secured the

If the sun is at the beginning of the day, it casts or makes the ……………. shadow.

tube with scotch tape, which they later reinforced with packaging tape.

If the sun is at the end of the day, it casts or makes the ……………. shadow.

classroom and shined a flashlight through the paper tube toward the wall.

If the sun is at the middle of the day (highest in the sky), it casts or makes the ……………. shadow.

ued to shine the flashlight through them. They repeated this process until

What I have learned so far is ……………………………………………………

Then they decided to bend the 5-piece tube to see if the light would bend

They made about five paper tubes. The students turned the lights off in the Then they added one more paper tube to the end of the first one and continthey had five paper tubes connected with packaging tape in one long tube. with the tube. They tried this multiple times and in multiple directions with

How Does Light Travel?

no success. They could make the light go through the five connected tubes

Here we realized that it was necessary to explore with the students the na-

only when they were all aligned in a straight line.

ture of light and how light travels. However, they were very young and with no experience. Light is a type of energy wave, but unlike all other waves—

Test Two:

like sound and water waves, which need a medium to pass through—light

Another group of students used three black cardboards. They made three

doesn’t need such a medium. It is able to travel through both vacuums and

holes in each card, then shone light from the flashlight directly on the first

air with no problem unless something blocks its path. This is because of the

cardboard with three holes. Three spots of light appeared on the wall. Then,

dual nature of light. However, this might be too much for second grade stu-

one student placed the second card with the holes about one and a half feet

dents to grasp and understand. So how can we challenge them and direct

in front of the first card, which blocked the light from going directly through.

them toward these ideas?

Then this student started moving the second card around to align its holes

After a brief discussion with the teachers in the classroom, we decided to fo-

with the holes of the first card until the beam of light went through the holes

cus on the fact that light, which is made up of packets of energy called pho-

in both cardboards and three spots of light appeared on the wall. Finally, a

tons, travels in straight lines from the source of light in a stream at a very

third student placed the third cardboard with its three holes in front, two

fast speed. The students had already realized and understood that their

feet away of the second cardboard. Again, the beams of light were blocked

bodies could stand in the path of the light and thus prevent light from going

from appearing on the wall. This third student started to move the third

through.

cardboard around until its holes aligned with the holes of the second and the first cardboards. The beam of light then went through the holes of all three

So we asked the students if they knew how light travels. We gave them time

cardboard and appeared on the wall. Members of the groups were so excited

to confer and discuss the question with each other and to come with some

that they shouted, “We did it, we did it!”

predictions. After a few minutes, they came up with a list of some possibilTest Three:

ities. Light:

A third group of students made a box with one small hole in one side. Then ◉◉

Goes in all directions

they punched a single hole in two separate cardboards. They turned the

◉◉

Goes in circles.

flashlight on, placed it in the box, closed the box, placed the box about three

◉◉

Bends when it encounter obstacles

feet from the wall, and directed the light toward the wall. A spot of light

◉◉

It is hard to tell.

appeared on the wall. Then a group member placed one cardboard with a hole between the box and the wall, about one foot away from the box. She

We wrote their statements on the whiteboard and challenged them again to

moved the cardboard around until a beam of light appeared on the wall.

see which ones did not make sense based on their daily observations. As a

Then a second student brought the second cardboard and placed it between

result, some students decided that light cannot bend when it encounters ob-

the wall and the first cardboard. He moved it around until the beam of light

stacles because it didn’t bend when their bodies blocked the light and that is

appeared on the wall. All the students smiled with a look of relief on their

why shadow was formed behind their bodies. Also, the sunlight that comes

faces. One student told us that their original plan was to create three box-

into the classroom through the windows does not reach the entire floor, but

es, one with only one hole, and each of the other two with two holes in a

is limited to certain spaces in line with the position of the windows.

straight line but on the opposite side of the box. This way, they could make the light to go through five instead of three holes in one straight line. We

Then we asked them how we could test their predictions. To guide their

teachers thought the students demonstrated creative and critical thinking

thought process, we placed a number of relevant and non-relevant items on

in solving the problem successfully. They would, of course, discovered if their

a table at the center of the classroom (including flashlights, pieces of black

idea would work or not, and if not what they needed to do to make it work.

cardboard, a few books, candles, mirrors, prisms, packaging tape, scotch tape, a magnet, magnifying glasses, crayons, wax papers etc.). We hoped

Going Back to Jeremy’s Intriguing Questions:

that the items would capture students’ attention and motivate them to

After all the groups completed their tests, we brought everyone together to

come up with informative and creative suggestions. And yes, these materi-

discuss their findings. Students were able to demonstrate that light travels

als did indeed capture the attention of most of the students. Some of them

in straight lines, and this is the reason that the shadow of an object appears

came to the table, looked, explored, and took some of the materials back to

beyond that object when light is directed toward it. For example, they were

their groups. We teachers divided ourselves among the groups and engaged

able to say that “only when the holes of the three cardboards are aligned in a

them in discussion. The students were able to come up with suggestions

straight line will the beams of light go through them and appear on the wall.”

that they discussed with the whole class on how to test their predictions.

They were also able to say that “only when the five paper tubes are aligned

We encouraged them to think of at least two sound suggestions.

in a straight line will the beam of the flashlight be able to appear on the wall.” In other words, the students were able to conclude that “light travels

Testing Students’ Predictions:

from the source through the aligned holes and the aligned paper tubes and

The students came up with and tested a number of thoughtful ideas. Here,

continues on to shine on the wall, unless its path is blocked.” We teachers thought this a remarkable journey, and believed the students would never

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016 forget what they had learned.

it is important that teachers be flexible to students needs and interests and be able to incorporate these into the curriculum. We explained that learning

But still, we thought it might be worthwhile to go back to Jeremy’s intriguing

requires engagement with the intended learning topics, and real engagement

question at the beginning of the class: “Can I get rid of my shadow?” First we

requires making the topics relevant to students’ interests and/or to challenge

asked the students if they had an answer for Jeremy. One student said right

students’ existing knowledge and experiences. Making learning materials in-

away, “No, you’re stuck with your shadow for the rest of your life.” Another

teresting requires teachers to be patient and willing to think outside the box,

student added, “I think our shadows are our best friends and guardian an-

and to create and provide choices of learning pathways. Engagement that

gels.” We responded by saying that you are right, even if you cannot see your

leads to learning also requires students to have choices, and to be patient on

shadow clearly, if there is a source of light and you are standing in the path

how to master and experience the learning process. The school curriculum

of the rays of light, you are blocking the light and thus making a shadow.

should be one that can incorporate flexibility for teaching students concepts using methods as the one shown here, guided inquiry.

Final Words to the Students: Before we said goodbye, we explained to the students that the learning pro-

Through the exploration of shadow with the students we tried to help stu-

cess does not end with the day’s class, and we gave them a short homework

dents develop a deeper engagement that could lead to learning they can

assignment, one that their teacher would discuss with them to continue

retain, as well as to provide them with opportunities to develop the habits

their journey of exploration. These were our questions:

of wanting to know, and to practice skills of perseverance and responsibility – qualities that would benefit the students both in school and beyond. As

What is the difference between the waves of light, sound, and water?

Anderson (2016) clearly explained, when we give students the opportunities

How does the distance of the source of light from a given object affect the

to discover what they know, what they don’t know, and what they can do,

shape and the length of the shadow that is produced by blocking the light

and provide them with more choices about their learning, they become ex-

from penetrating the object?

cited and inspired in finding ways of learning that match their personal needs

How does the type of angle of the light directed on the object affect the

and become more engaged in mastering the learning topics, building essential

shape and the length of the shadow that is produced by blocking the light

skills, and developing effective habits.

from penetrating the object?

What additional experiments might one use to support the idea that light travels in a straight line?

If you wanted to write a letter to your shadow, what would you say?

What have you learned today?

Meeting With the Teachers: After we had finished our journey of shadow exploration with the students, we met with the teachers for about two and half hours to reflect on what happened and what we did. We emphasized the perspective that “One doesn’t learn from experience; one learns from reflection on experience” (Patton, 1997 p. 95). Furthermore, as Janovy ( 1985) had explained, “... the dedicated teaching of students requires a constant and often systematic search for answers to puzzles such as how best to implant an idea into a human mind” ( p. 76). Thus, just as we had said to the students that learning never ends by the end of a class day, we gave the teachers additional assignments that needed to be completed before we met them in three days to reflect on what we had done, in something called “in-depth-reflection.” The two assignments were: Based on what you observed and experienced in today’s classroom and how we dealt with the matter, as well as how students responded to the situation, create a concept map on what you can teach, using shadow as a starting point. In this concept map, place “Shadow” in the center of the map, and show what types of concepts or topics can be taught from it.

Write down your own personal-reflective thoughts and perspectives on what happened and how we handled the topic as well as the class situations. Include what you would do differently to improve students’ learning experiences and the learning process.

All the teachers said they had enjoyed the experience and learned a lot about how to engage students in exploring unknown topics, even when they might not have enough background in the topic themselves. However, they also raised a few concerns including lack of time, and the amount of material that must be covered during the school year, feeling this would discourage them from following an approach such as this. They also were unsure where to go from here and how to use shadow as a starting point to other intended learning topics. This was one of the reasons we gave them the in-depth-reflection assignment to work on before our next meeting.

While it is known that schools have a curriculum that teachers must follow

References Anderson, Mike (2016). Learning to Choose Choosing to Learn: The Key to Student Motivation and Achievement. Alexandria, VA: ASCD Cherif, A., Roze, M., and Gialamas, S. (016). The Free Classroom Creative Assignment: Leveraging Students Strengths to enhance Learning. International School Journal, Vol. XXXV, No. 3: 57-66.

Cherif, Abour (1992). Relevant Inquiry: Six Questions to Guide Your Students.

The Science Teacher, December, 1993, pp. 26-28.

Gialamas, S., Cherif, A. (2000) Using Guided Inquiry to Teach Mathematical Concepts. The Illinois Mathematics Teacher, Fall 2000, pp. 30-40 Hewitt, P., Lyons, S., Suchocki, J., and Yeh, J. (2005). Conceptual Integrated Sciences (2nd). Boston: Pearson.

Jessa, Tega (2011). How Does Light Travel. Feb., 8, 2011. http://www.universetoday.com/83832/how-does-light-travel/ Janovy, J. Jr. (1985). On Becoming a Biologist. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers.

Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research & evaluation methods (3rd ed.).

Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Patton, M.Q. (1997). Utilization-focused evaluation: The new century text.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

PBS LearningMedia (2016). How Light Travels. 2016 PBS & WGBH Educational Foundation. http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/lsps07.sci.phys. energy.lighttravel/how-light-travels/ Wikipedia (2016). Shadow.Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow#Daytime_variation.

Useful resource: https://www.google.com/search?q=Examples+of+things+that+are+translucent&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjSkejgqvrMAhXJOT4KHUNFAj8QsAQIHA&biw=1366&bih=609#imgdii=3wkqZlt7Xz7wKM%3A%3B3wkqZlt7Xz7wKM%3A%3BPt8ku3xRl8_w-M%3A&imgrc=3wkqZlt7Xz7wKM%3A

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016 Notice 2: The length of a shadow:

Notices Light, Sound, and Water Waves: Waves Light wave

It does not need a medium (matter or material) to pass through and to carry its energy along

Can travel through a vacuum-- a completely airless space with no problem.

Sound wave

It needs a medium (matter or material) to pass through and to carry its energy along.

must travel through a solid, a liquid, or a gas

Water wave

It needs a medium (matter or material) to pass through and to carry its energy along.

must travel through a solid, a liquid, or a gas

The shadows cast by the sun change throughout the day with sun’s position in the sky. As a result, the length of a shadow on the ground is proportional to the sun’s elevation angle, θ relative to the horizon. At the extremes of the day, sunrise and sunset, shadows have their longest length where θ = 0° and cot(θ) = ∞ . When the sun is directly overhead shadows are cast directly underneath objects. At this time of day, θ = 90° and cot(θ) = 0. (Wikipedia, 2016).

■■

Source: www.factmonster.com/dk/encyclopedia/light.html http://www.universetoday.com/83832/how-does-light-travel/

→

their communicative competence

Continued from page 25

in English ultimately preparing

Math is Elementary, my dear!

them for success in future math coursework.

◉◉

5.

Challenge students to cre-

Look for interactive games that of-

Thus, math for ESL students can be

ate their own math prob-

fer students a chance to practice

both fun and elementary my dear!

lems. (This is fun for them

their mathematical skills.

to create the problem and

games provides excellent mathe-

check the answer reinforc-

matical training for numbers and

ing their own learning by

tracks results, showing student im-

using their addition skills

provement over time. www.splash-

to check their subtraction

math.com

answers.)

Find out what’s available online.

Many

Using technology to assist stu-

(Video Teaching and Learning ) ESL

dents

get excited using songs and cartoon

Teach students how to use a calcu-

games teaching them words and

lator. Review basic functions so that

skills in a fun way! Have Fun Teach-

they aren’t surprised with the more

ing is what I use!

advanced models

http://bit.ly/2axVmIy

Look for educational resources that

In conclusion, I found that construc-

accompany your school’s technol-

tivist learning helps the ESL student

ogy tools and programs. Use the

close the learning gaps in Mathe-

whiteboard in the classroom as

matics with just 5 easy and fun steps

there are many resources and links

by integrating math and language

that can be easily accessed and

teachings. These innovative cours-

FREE. I send parents many that I

es help to bridge the gaps in literacy

find to use at home as well as the

students’ math knowledge through

Mathletics site we order yearly.

the experiences provided to them.

http://www.mathletics.eu

These innovative courses expand

References: Reforming Mathematics Instruction for ESL Literacy Students. ERIC Digest. http://www.ericdigests.org/1998-2/ reforming.htm Factors Affecting ELLs’ Success in Mathematics http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/scmsAdmin/ uploads/004/738/NYU_PTE_Math_ Module_For_ELLS_Oct_8_2009.pdf Five Things Teachers Can Do to Improve Learning for ELLs in the New Year By: Kristina Robertson (2009) http://www.colorincolorado.org/ article/29590/ Bridging the Language Barrier in Math – M. S. Windsor http://www.tsusmell.org/downloads/Products/Articles/MELL_Winsor_MT_Article.pdf Learning and Problem Solving Strategies of ESL Students Anna Uhl Chamot, Marsha Dale, J. Michael O’Malley & George A. Spanos Takeaways from Math Methods: How Will You Teach Effectively? http://www.edutopia.org/ blog/takeaways-math-methods-teach-effectively-jennifer-bay-williams

→

Why Do Students Struggle With Mathematics http://www. education.com/reference/article/ why-students-struggle-mathematics/ By H.J. Sherman|L.I. Richardson|G.J. Yard — Pearson Allyn Bacon Prentice Hall Math Instruction for English Language Learners http://www. colorincolorado.org/article/ math-instruction-english-language-learners By Kristina Robertson Six Key Strategies for Teachers of English-Language Learners https:// uteach.utexas.edu/sites/default/ files/files/SixKeyStrategiesELL.pdf 10 Ways to Help ELLs Succeed in Math http://www.scholastic.com/ teachers/article/10-ways-help-ellssucceed-math Resources: Splash Math: https://www. splashmath.com/math-skills/ second-grade Mathletics: http://au.mathletics. com/signin/ 2nd Grade ESL. EDL etc.: http:// www.totalesl.com/resource_list. php?action=search&start=y Kids on-line resources: http://www. kidsolr.com/math/ Interactive math: http://www.cutthe-knot.org/ www.abcya.com www.learn-with-math-games.com www.education.com www.math.com www.internet4classroom.com www.khanacademy.org ■■

students were taught to analyze performance and individual sport skills and gain a better understanding of mechanics, techniques and

Continued from page 33

Instructional Methodology: i2Flex

tactics ◉◉

In class, we have used a variety of phone apps: 1.

Nutrition e-log. Through this app, the students may record their

lives. Which do you think is the most used personal device among the stu-

daily food intakes in an on-line platform and get immediate

dent body? A smartphone! Almost every student in our High School has one!

feedback about nutrients they are lacking/overtaking in their meals, as well to customize their nutritional goals.

When do they use it? Whenever they can!!

So what do teachers usually ask them to do? Put it away!

2.

and also customize personal fitness programs.

Smartphones have many features and some of them have proven to be very effective in my attempt to make my students independent learners! ◉◉

Camera/Video–Camera. Every smartphone has one! In class, The

Weight training e-log. With this app, one can learn how to properly perform weight training exercises, monitor his progress

But… NOT in MY fitness class!

3.

Cardio tracker – with this app, not only you can count distance, speed, calories, share your goals and your accomplishments,

99

4.

but since this app uses the phone’s GPS to track your exercise

A couple of years ago, I was asked by a Middle school student to name my

you can easily make sure you will not get lost, especially when

most preferred social network. The student started listing platforms which

running in places you’re not familiar with!

I’d never heard before. I was speechless and only felt relieved when I recog-

MP3 recordings – several nutrition podcasts (recorded by

nized one – “Skype”. And I wondered: Am I that outdated?!

non-participants students) were uploaded in a learning plat-

So, in order to meet the profile and the needs of today’s student I had to

form and students were asked to listen to these recordings

transform myself!

during working out! This may have been the perfect example of 5.

6.

avoiding compromising the content for activity time.

Concluding Thoughts by Kathy and Angelos

QR codes - In order to facilitate independent learning, a unique

So, what have we learned from our i2Flex journeys?

barcode was created for every exercise machine in our fitness

Angelos: Let’s be realistic; we’re facing a generation of students that have

center. The students had to scan the code, and were directed

been interacting with technology their entire lives. We have to teach them

to a YouTube link, in order to learn the way to properly perform

the way they learn.

each weight training exercise. Also, during our project adven-

Kathy: In addition to realizing that I must keep educating myself, I have

ture unit, students played a scavenger hunt game having to de-

learned that I can use the i2Flex learning design to make a traditional course

code hints from the barcodes.

more relevant and interesting to our digital native students without sacri-

Charity Miles – with this fitness tracker, my fitness class stu-

ficing the essential aspects of the course that have made it successful for so

dents move for a purpose. For every mile a student walks, runs

many years.

or bikes, a small amount is donated to a charity.

■■

→ Continued from page 41

Making Stories

audience, we presented a 2-min-

how the project deepened their un-

ute segment from one of the au-

derstanding of the writing process.

For us, this stage can be summed

question, “What Makes us Human?”

thentic fictive narratives created

Some students also noted the im-

up in five words: Collaborative, In-

and forged personal connections

by our students before continuing

portance of the study of artifacts in

quiry-Based, Imaginative, Reflec-

and links with the artifact. In this

with our presentation.

the study of civilization, and others

tive and Authentic, and it was divid-

final step, the students were also

Using their observations of Archa-

discussed how the course and proj-

ed into two parts: first, the writing

assessed in relation to formal and

ic art, their prior study of Archaic

ect also influenced their attitude

process and second, the digital pre-

informal education objectives.

and Classical Athens, the myths of

to museums in general. True to the

sentation.

The Honors Humanities classroom

Hercules, his wife Megara and the

reflective nature of our teaching

Following their time at the muse-

teachers constructed a rubric touch-

ancient gods of Olympus, their re-

practice, it was interesting to gauge

um, the groups began to collab-

ing on the five essential elements

search and historical accuracy, our

our students’ impressions and use

oratively draft their scripts; they

of the course project goals, while

students created a pastiche. This

this feedback to make some slight

used Google Docs to document

informal learning was assessed

was part of a series of activities and

changes or modifications for next

their ideas, record their research

through a survey which was creat-

assessments which we used to eval-

year’s project. Thank you!”

and begin their dialogues. They re-

ed in the spirit of Generic Learning

uate student learning, in addition

ceived feedback from the Human-

Outcomes (GLO’s). With this survey

to more traditional forms of sum-

Applause. Sighs of relief and

ities teachers (Kathy Jasonides and

we were able to discern areas of cre-

mative and formative assessment

smiles of happiness and satisfac-

Amalia Zavacopoulou), from the

ativity, awareness, understanding,

such as slide tests, semester exams,

tion. If we could have, we would

museum education specialist (Stavi

intrigue, and skill gain.

reflections on the impact of Pericles’

have high-fived on stage. Fac-

Dimas) and from each other (peer

We now ask those of you in the au-

Funeral Oration on a young citizen

ing our fears, sharing our work,

editing). All feedback was tailored

dience, to take a moment and think

of Athens in the 5th century B.C.

discussing a project we really

to the rubric used to assess the

back to your own life as museum

As teachers, we could assess our

believed in and reflecting upon

project and after the necessary revi-

goers. Have you ever explored the

student’s understanding of nar-

our practice; this process was

sions and editing, students created

many voices and stories behind the

rative structure and plot develop-

simply invaluable to us as edu-

the final draft of the script.

artifacts in museums? Have you

ment, the character development

cators and as individuals. We are

Then came the second part of cre-

ever dared to use your imagination

of the persona and the artifact, the

already looking forward to the

ating a digital presentation to ac-

to identify with the past? Well, our

quality and accuracy of their histori-

next challenge and, who knows,

company the scripts – in a sense,

students did, and came up with in-

cal research, and their collaboration

perhaps “making more stories”

the Publishing phase of the Writing

ventive narratives and stories that

skills. As reflective practitioners,

with Humanities students in the

Process. Still assessed with a rubric,

asked original questions about the

it was also very interesting to see

Byzantine and Islamic Empires

but a different one, we encouraged

artifacts: How did the Moscopho-

how our students would perform in

next year…

the groups to include an interesting

ros save the day when the goddess

this innovative pilot project, essen-

use of technology, original use of

Athena decided to leave Athens to

tially an enrichment activity, to fur-

images and audio with clear and

its fate? Why is Nike loosening her

ther develop their knowledge and

engaging presentation skills in or-

sandal in the first place? Why does

understanding of how the ancient

der to bring their story to life for the

the Sphinx Eyed Kore insist on being

Greeks answered the our essential

audience; to tell their artifact’s sto-

called introspective? Have you ever

question, “What Makes Us Human?

ry as they envisaged it.

considered the feelings of the bro-

In the final stage of the Making Sto-

ken Caryatid? What is Pensive Athe-

But what did our students have to

ries project, Honor Humanities stu-

na contemplating anyway? How did

say about the project? They took

dents become storytellers. Through

the Archaic, three-headed demon

a survey and we were really im-

their authentic digital narrative

help Brian make new friends?”

pressed by some of their responses,

they reflected on the essential

To bring this project to life to our

which included comments about

■■

100

→

more, to give their own opinion.

Continued from page 49

◉◉

Learning was occurring by every possible means. There was an excitement about the learning process, part of which was

A Teacher’s Discoveries about “Best Fit”

due to the fact that most of the projects were connected to

◉◉

more and understood how a person can make a difference in

students’ own experiences, interests and everyday challenges.

every aspect of life.

Students were able to find and provide their classmates with

Questionnaire, Research and Data analysis group project:

answers on questions they already had. It was an excellent example of constructivist learning.

After the study of the Unit on Racism and Discrimination the students had to select an area where they notice discrimina-

◉◉

to the ministry that deals with the issue examined.

create the questionnaire, collect data, analyze them and present their findings in class; they had the choice to do it face-to-

The majority of the students were proud of their accomplishment. Some of them wanted to publish their work and send it

tion and conduct research on peoples’ beliefs. Students had to ◉◉

Some of them were connecting their work with future plans.

face, or electronically using tools as Survey Monkey. The proj-

So the combination of my observations, the artifacts and the students’ re-

ect helped them develop good citizenship, combine language

sponses to the questionnaire revealed that:

and math and prepare them for college since it was the kind of

◉◉

can set and achieve their personal goals.

did an amazing job far beyond the expectations I had from 9th graders.

◉◉

discover his strengths.

ing activities and multiple drafts (editing) in order to improve their writing ◉◉

The use of multiple drafts with teachers’ comments helps students progress individually according to their specific needs.

In order to find some answers on my questions I decided to focus on the second assignment. Our exploration started with the book texts. Different

The use of different prewriting activities helps the teacher reach every student in class according to his/ her learning style and

In all cases the students used the Writing process with emphasis on prewritwhile they were left to decide on the final form of their presentation.

No matter how challenging a class is, when students are given choices they are more passionate and motivated because they

work that they will have to do in college. Some of the groups

◉◉

Through this process, students can identify things that they

types of texts ranging from historical texts, articles to poetry, comics, politi-

would like to do in the future. (for example: filmmaking, public

cal cartoons, etc. provided the context of the unit. The variety of the types of

speaking, blogging, creative writing, debating, art, technolo-

texts was important because every student had the opportunity to connect

gy etc., or identify an area of interest e.g. economics, classical studies, math, history, etc.)

in a way with the material and construct his/her own knowledge through different means. The discussion and analysis of the text through a struc-

◉◉

exchange ideas, interact and build their own understanding. To expand the

◉◉ ◉◉

criteria and the written feedback.

Greece and its relation to the world is a very broad topic with connection to global issues. Since teaching “How to conduct and write a research paper”

What students found more valuable were the detailed directions on moodle, the examples we did in class, the assessment

the necessary context in order to proceed to a deeper level of understanding. the past, the present and the future. Furthermore, it can connect to many

They chose to work on a subject that was interesting for them, in an area where they wanted to learn more.

knowledge acquired in class, further reading and a reflective writing was given on moodle through an i2Flex activity. This part of the class gave students

Students know exactly what they are doing and why they are doing it.

tured, small groups activity, gave all students the opportunity to participate,

◉◉

Most of them (almost all) admitted that they read carefully the comments and that this helped them to improve their paper.

was the focus of the unit, students were asked to identify a specific area of interest. Through a Socratic Seminar we all agreed on the steps one should

All these observations gave me food for thought. I learned from the process

follow, in order to write a research paper. Emphasis was given on how to for-

that a majority of our students need a context in order to become more in-

mulate a good research question through examples. The instructions were

volved. I also learned that the more topic connections students have the

uploaded on moodle and students had to formulate a question and discuss

more involved they are. The most important moments were the oral presen-

it with me or their peers. A time frame of two weeks was given to the stu-

tations. This was an excellent way for students to reconstruct their under-

dents to do research on the specific area, create an outline and produce a

standing of the acquired knowledge. The writing process was a very helpful

first draft.

tool to reach every student’s needs. In conclusion, when students are let free

Some students communicated with me either face-to-face or through

to make their own choices within a set framework they have the opportunity

e-mails while others did not although they were frequently reminded to do

to explore their personality and become architects of their own learning.

so. When I received the first draft I was amazed by the choice of topics. Not only did they reflect different areas of interest but the majority were original, thoughtful and demonstrated a high degree of critical thinking. Each student received annotations and comments and in some cases students were provided with a new outline (specific to their topic).

A couple of weeks later students submitted their final draft and prepared a presentation of their work to the class. To better understand the students’ way of thinking and the way they worked I decided to create a questionnaire.

I needed the students’ feedback to combine it with my observations.

The results? ◉◉

The majority of the students did an excellent job. This was reflected not only in the quality of their written text but also in the artistic part of their paper (title page, pictures, etc.).

◉◉

Furthermore, they were passionate about their subject and this was obvious on the oral presentation.

◉◉

I was really interested and I felt that I was also learning from their presentation and this applied to the rest of the class who was actively involved during the presentation. The students were active listeners. They wanted to ask questions, to learn

Works Cited: BROOKS, Jacqueline Grennon., and Martin G. BROOKS. In Search of Understanding: The Case for Constructivist Classrooms. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1999. Print.

Shaffer, Peg. “Constructivist Learning Design: Key Questions for Teaching to Standards – By George W. Gagnon Jr. and Michelle Collay.” Teaching Theology & Religion Teaching Theol & Rel 11.3 (2008): 167. Web. ■■

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

→ Continued from page 54

Redefining Education

we worked on how he could also

space journey. What was most im-

present himself while introducing

portant to me was for him to stand

Dr. Miaoulis. During these rehears-

up on the stage, have fun and feel

als, I encouraged him to pause,

proud of himself.

ers on the Big Bang theory. Thanasis

col, came as no surprise to me. His

when appropriate, and engage with

As an educator, I believe

also agreed that it would be benefi-

first step was to get to know more

his audience. As we were getting

that it is essential for teachers to

cial to supplement this with a field

about Dr. Miaoulis’ personality. I still

closer to the big day, I decided to

guide students in not pressuring

trip to the Planetarium along with

recall the afternoon when they talk-

share with him one of my favorite

themselves to be perfect in every

his classmates. His potential to be-

ed over the phone; he was blush-

quotes, that had helped me many

way. The point is not to be perfect,

come a young man constantly seek-

ing and feeling nervous but after a

times in the past when I was con-

but to be able to appreciate differ-

ing opportunities for improvement

few minutes he was enjoying the

quered by stage fright: every time

ent perspectives and experience dif-

and to gain experience in multiple

conversation and I could hear him

that I had to stand up in front of an

ferent emotions, to make mistakes

areas was becoming more and more

making jokes with the renowned

audience I looked at the people in

and to understand that although

obvious and Thanasis was already

engineer about their common in-

front of me thinking that “there was

life can be challenging, giving up is

exploring his own unique path.

terests. In addition, there was a lot

nowhere to go but everywhere, so I

not an option. I want to see hap-

Given his progress, the fact that

of research involved in creating his

just had to keep on rolling under the

py, confident children, and on April

he was selected to introduce the

speech, in which he incorporated

stars” 1. Given that Thanasis’ favorite

20th, Thanasis was glowing. This is

keynote speaker, Dr. Miaoulis, at

his great sense of humor.

topic was the universe, I told him to

what I call success.

the

Colloquium

Through numerous rehearsals, Tha-

think of the audience as stars and to

2016 Sustaining Excellence proto-

nasis improved his confidence and

imagine that he was on an amazing

upcoming

ACS

■■ 1

Jack Kerouac, On the Road: The

Original Scroll, Penguin 2008

→ Continued from page 57

Co-Teaching: How to Change Teaching & Learning...

small group and one-to-one learning, and stronger modeling during lessons.

Additionally, it is interesting to note that co-teaching experience is beneficial not only for students but also for teachers. Teachers need to work hard with each other to maintain fluidity and must have open communication with one another in order to learn from each other’s expertise and expand

special educator focused on those students enrolled in OLP and their specif-

the scope of their teaching capacity. Co-teaching, encourages two teachers

ic needs. In both Science 7 ESL and Math, we have been visiting the classes

to bounce ideas off each other in order to deliver the strongest, most creative

twice per week, for the whole period discussed.

lessons. When students experience their teachers working together, they un-

The only way to assess whether our methods effectively supported the stu-

derstand the power of respect amongst peers.

dents was to observe their grades and their overall engagement within the classroom. This method gave specific students the opportunity to be taught in an intense and individualized manner and with greater instructional intensity. Also, the full time inclusion had a significant advantage compared to the partial inclusion. Students did not have to be pulled out of their class, so they were not negatively stigmatized and thus felt more connected with the rest of their class. Help was provided to students not enrolled in OLP as well: There were many students in the ESL program who faced difficulty understanding the content taught and were chosen to work in groups with the students of the OLP as well. We were able to see significant findings for

Science 7 ESL

Science 7 ESL

(all students)

(students involved in Co-Teaching)

Academic performance

↑ 54,5%

Social skills performance

●

good role models

●

good role models

●

direct instruction

●

direct instruction

●

strong desire to “fit in”

●

less critical/ defensive

●

more motivated

●

better capable of looking at their own strengths and weaknesses objectively

●

more positive

grades, higher scores in tests, higher rate of attendance and lower rate of school suspension. The students we worked with started interacting significantly more with the teachers within the class environment, while receiving

↓27%

- 18%

more individual instruction during co-teaching and feeling more connected

↑ 83%

with their peer group.

While the teachers’ relationship was strengthened, we transitioned from

Self confidence

●

one delivering instruction and one observing or assisting a group of strug-

less critical/ defensive

gling students, to both teachers being actively involved in instruction, and students rotating from teacher to teacher.

The good news is that students had a positive response to co-teaching, as they saw their grades improving and they felt more self-assured to participate in class, all the while becoming more confident about their answers and ideas. The hardest thing that two co-teaching professionals are asked to do is to design a program that meets the needs of all students in one class, and while also addressing differences in readiness, interest and learning profiles.

It is believed that for a co-teaching method to be successful and effective,

Peer relationship

●

more positive

↓0%

-17%

it must be planned very carefully. It requires both professionals to work effectively together and establish a special relationship that allows them to respect and understand each other, while setting personal and team goals, to increase the achievement levels of all students.

Having two minds facilitate a classroom community allows students to connect with different personalities. Co-teaching allows more opportunities for

→

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016

Academic performance

Math 6

Math 6

(all students)

(students involved in Co-Teaching)

↑ 63,6% ↓18,2% -18,2%

Social skills performance

Self confidence

Peer relationship

●

●

●

↑50%

good role models

less critical/ defensive

more positive

↓16,7%

-33.3%

●

good role models

●

direct instruction

●

strong desire to “fit in”

●

less critical/ defensive

●

more motivated

●

better capable of looking at their own strengths and weaknesses objectively

●

more positive

→ Continued from page 61

Captain Chip – A Canine Literacy Partner...

References: Marilyn Friend (2008). Journal of Curriculum and Instruction, Volume 2, Number 2 Diane K. Nickelson (2010). A qualitative case study of a co-teaching relationship at a rural high school.

Liwei Liu (2008). Co-teaching between native and non-native English teachers: An exploration of co-teaching models and strategies in the Chinese primary school context.

Greek National Curriculum “New School” (2011) - Pedagogical Institute of Greece.

Marilyn Friend Ph.D., Lynne Cook Ph.D., DeAnna Hurley-Chamberlain & Cynthia Shamberger M.Ed. (2010) Co-Teaching: An Illustration of the Complexity of Collaboration in Special Education, Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 20:1, 9-27, DOI: 10.1080/10474410903535380

■■

of itself is an incentive to read more.

have eight Halls of Fame. Each new

After the child has read a total of

level of fame follows the same as

25 times (which means they have

the one before with stickers, face

already received four face paints),

paints and portraits alike. Each

their fifth picture, in lieu of a face

level is color coded similarly to ka-

listener because it’s not so much

is in charge of the 3-minute timer

paint, they pose for a professional

rate belt system and each portrait

about reading correctly and at a fast

while the other person reads aloud

photo complete with black back-

background is in that color. Our

pace. It’s about believing that you

to Captain Chip. When the timer is

drop to be framed and placed on

classroom is covered in a tapestry

are reader.

up the roles are switched. They each

the Captain Chip Hall of Fame shelf.

of photographic evidence that chil-

So, how does the Captain Chip

then receive a sticker for the Cap-

They then receive their own mini

dren are inspired to read if not re-

Reading Club work? Not surpris-

tain Chip Reading Club Chart. These

reading chart to continue gathering

gardless of the listener, but perhaps

ingly, it has morphed over the past

children then teach / role model for

stickers and face paints.

in this case, because of the listener.

four years since its implementation.

the other children as they begin to

As of 2014-2015 we have also been

Over the past four years, I have

The first graders, themselves, have

get involved.

using three shelterpups.com dogs

gathered raw data on the number

molded the program into what

During the second year (2013-2014),

(stuffed animals, two created in

of hours of reading aloud in my indi-

it looks like today. Visitors to our

engaging children was much the

the likeness of Captain Chip) for the

vidual classroom and the results are

classroom during the colloquium

same as in the first. However, I also

children to read to. Children view

astounding:

were able to speak with current as

included last year’s first graders

reading to the real Captain Chip

well as former first graders as they

(i.e. 2nd graders) and they came in

or any of the puppies as one in the

2012-2013 – 7.2 hours of reading

were taken on a tour of our class-

to peer teach and model how the

same. Their rewards / incentives

2013-2014 – 14.85 hours of reading (I

room and a journey into the depths

Captain Chip Reading Club func-

remain the same. We also included

am missing the data for the Hall of

of reading to Captain Chip.

tions. Once a child reads five times

Kindergarten in the Captain Chip

Famers on their individual charts)

Following, I describe how each new

and has five stickers on the reading

reading Club. Two Hall of Famers

2014-2015 – 21.3 hours of reading.

year of first graders are introduced

chart, then they get a paw-print

would lead the reading group with

With the Hall of Famers extra read-

to reading with Captain Chip via

face paint and a photo with Cap-

about 5-7 kindergarteners. Each kin-

ing – it’s 27.45 hours of reading!

class discussion and modeling.

tain Chip to post in our Captain

dergartener has read at least twice

2015-2016 – 93.95 hours of reading.

In the first year (2012-2013) the stu-

Chip Reading Club area. When a

to Captain Chip that year.

dents and I created the parameters:

child receives a face paint, they not

Now, in 2015-2016, our reading club

Captain Chip, to our student com-

A maximum of two people can read

only receive one-on-one attention,

has truly taken flight. The program

munity at large, is a hero. To us, he is

to Captain Chip at a time. One per-

which makes them feels special, but

looks much the same, except that

the enabler, paving the way for our

son holds Captain Chip’s lead and

they receive a reward which in and

instead of one Hall of Fame, we now

students to be the true heroes.

■■

103

→ Continued from page 63

Αpplying Occupational Therapy Strategies...

shaving foam; shifting – rotating objects in hand; cutting on lines (e.g. Snake Spiral); tracing on dotted lines; using different writing utensils; filling the containers with sugar using a small spoon; using clothes pins to move pompoms; completing mazes (Rule & Stewart, 2002; Tsipra, 2007).

The activities were associated with positive reinforcement; the students got

are too young to be referred and potentially “labeled”, the common practice

extra stickers, social reinforcement, and access to desired activities after ful-

has been to “wait and see” whether they will “grow out” of their difficulties

filling each activity. This way the “Fine Motor Gym” of the class was one of the

with time (Gernsten & Dimino, 2006). However, this practice has resulted in

centers each one of them chose to visit daily and the Fine Motor activities

students who experience multiple years of school failure, in lack of individ-

became fun.

ualized learning opportunities they could benefit from (Gernsten & Dimino,

After some weeks, the students’ progress was monitored. The progress mon-

2006; National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities, 2006).

itoring process involved assessing the students on their ability to perform

To bridge this gap, the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities

the following activities with accuracy: 1. Grip of writing instrument, 2. Grip of

[NJCLD] (2006) stresses the importance of early evaluation of students, fol-

scissors, 3. Tracing along lines, 4. Cutting along lines, 5. Zipping, 6. Buckling, 7.

lowed by enhanced learning opportunities in contrast to the former “wait

Snapping, 8. Buttoning, 9. Lacing, 10. Tying.

and fail” practice.

2/3 of the students (10 out of 15) responded to the initial intervention. Howev-

Response to Intervention (RTI)

er, the initial 1/3 (5 out of 10) who were struggling, were still facing significant

RTI was created to cover the need for early intervention prior to evaluation

difficulty in the assigned tasks (students were unable to finish the task as-

for placement in special education. It is essentially a tool, which teachers of

signed or required one-on-one assistance). Therefore, those students moved

general education can use in order to provide students with enhanced learn-

to Tier 2, new activities of increased intensity were provided in small groups,

ing opportunities, without having to go through the referral to special edu-

and their progress was monitored again.

cation procedure first (Hazelkorn, Bucholz, Goodman, Duffy & Brady, 2011;

Progress monitoring at this point of the year revealed that all of the stu-

Bradley, Danielson & Doolittle, 2005; Gersten & Dimino, 2006).

dents demonstrated consistent improvement, as expected. However, 46.7%

The method is multi-tiered; it consists of three tiers which increase in intensi-

of them (7 out of 15 students) improved over 80% (as demonstrated by their

ty of the services provided. The first two tiers take place in the general educa-

progress in the 10 elements they were assessed on). Finally, 2 of the students

tion classroom: initially research based instruction is provided to the whole

continued to face significant difficulty, and therefore were referred for Oc-

class and the students’ progress is being monitored. The students who do not

cupational Therapy. Last but not least, 80% of the students (12 out of 15) de-

respond to the intervention are provided with more intensive instruction in

veloped a better attitude towards Fine Motor activities, since the latter had

small groups and their progress is being monitored again. Finally, if a num-

been consistently associated to positive reinforcement.

ber of them are still not responding, they are referred for special education in order to be screened and get individualized support (tier 3) (Hazelkorn et al., 2011; Bradley et al., 2005; Gersten & Dimino, 2006).

The benefits of the method are probably clear: research based instruction is provided to the entire class; progress monitoring takes place throughout the year so that the teaching decisions can be data driven; the students who are struggling receive some initial support within the general education class; students are referred to special education only if they continue to demonstrate difficulty or delay in one or more areas, after having been provided with enhanced learning opportunities. Generally, RTI promotes inclusion to general education, emphasizes the need for data driven educational decisions, and assists teachers to judge which students to refer for special education in an unbiased manner (Hazelkorn et al., 2011; Bradley et al., 2005; Gersten & Dimino, 2006).

The Action Research The need for the implementation of an RTI program in the Junior Kindergarten (JK) class that I am teaching, was evident at the beginning of the year, when about 1/3 of the students demonstrated difficulty in the Fine Motor area. Whether the reason behind this difficulty was perceptual, motivational, environmental or developmental could not be decided at that point. Nevertheless, taking in mind the significance of Fine Motor Skills in a student’s academic life, and the importance of early intervention, an RTI model was designed and implemented.

After some meetings with the school Occupational Therapist and a review of the available literature, a set of activities targeting Fine Motor Skills were provided to the whole class. Among the additional activities of Tier 1 were: using dough, plasticine, and clay; stringing pipe cleaners; writing letters on

References Bradley, R., Danielson, L. & Doolittle, J. (2005). Response to Intervention.

Journal of Learning Disablities, 38(6), 485-486 Cameron, C. E., Brock, L. L., Murrah, W. M., Bell, L. H., Worzalla, S. L., Grissmer, D. and Morrison, F. J. (2012), Fine Motor Skills and Executive Function Both Contribute to Kindergarten Achievement. Child Development, 83, 1229– 1244. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01768.x Gersten, R & Dimino, J. A. (2006). RTI (Response to Intervention): Rethinking special education for students with reading difficulties (yet again). Reading Research Quarterly. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/250055308 on January 12, 2016 Hazelkorn, M., Bucholz, J. L., Goodman, J. I., Duffy, M. L. & Brady, M. P. (2011).

Response to Intervention: General or Special Education? Who is responsible?

The Educational Forum, 75(1) Marr, D., Cermak, S., Cohn, E. S. & Henderson, A. (2003). Fine motor activities in Head Start and kindergarten classrooms. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 57, 550–557.

National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities, 2006. Learning Disabilities and Young Children: Identification and Intervention. Learning Disability Quarterly, 30(1), 63-72.

Rule, A. C. & Stewart, R. A. (2002). Effects of Practical Life Materials on Kindergartners’ Fine Motor Skills. Early Childhood Education Journal, 30(1), 9-13 Greek Sources Spantidakis, I. (2004). Προβλήματα Παραγωγής Γραπτού Λόγου Παιδιών Σχολικής Ηλικίας. Διάγνωση-Αξιολόγηση-Αντιμετώπιση [Writing difficulties among school-age children. Diagnosis-Evaluation-Intervention]. Athens: Ellinika Grammata Tsipra, I. (2007). Παράγοντες που Συντελούν στην Ανάπτυξη της Γραφοκινητικής Ετοιμότητας του παιδιου: Σύγχρονες Αντιλήψεις [Factors that Contribute to the Development of Fine Motor Readiness: Contemporary Theories]. In Multiple Editors, Γλωσσικές Δυσκολίες και Γραπτός Λόγος στο Πλαίσιο της Σχολικής Μάθησης [Linguistic Difficulties and Written Language in School Learning]. Athens: Grigori ■■

104

→ Continued from page 65

Social Studies for students who take English as...

memorable one for both students

history and art; it opened their eyes

and teachers as we spent it in a

and wondered how can such great

unique environment among friends,

civilizations come to an end….”was

we immersed ourselves in the an-

it arrogance, Miss?” someone else

cient Greek world and we tried to

asked and this gave us even more food for thought…

Rebecca Davidson, Manager of

and perspectives that are relevant

imagine what it would be like to be

School and Educator Programs at

to their lives. This kind of exposure

the sculptor, the painter or even the

the Virginia Museum of Contempo-

can help develop higher critical and

model of them; students developed

rary Art.

creative thinking skills, which are

higher critical and thinking skills as

«Bringing children to museums

integral to future success.”

they tried to relate everything they

opens their eyes to different ideas

Indeed, that day will definitely be a

would see to their country’s ancient

→

■■

often forget while working in our ‘silos’.

Finally, the focus on inquiry was identified as a key component in the suc-

Continued from page 75

Collaborative Learning Communities...

cessful problem-solving that happens in the CLC meetings. Pre-conferencing with presenters helps them to identify and refine a focus question within

agents in their professional evolution.

their locus of control ensuring that meetings are productive. This question

The professional trust which underpins the CLC exists at multiple levels in

then drives the protocol to ensure that the dialogue helps to meet the pre-

our school and contributes to its unique culture. Administration too has ad-

senter’s needs. With a critical volume of trained coaches in each CLC group,

opted this as a new way of working. Here, administrators act not as lead-

who have a deeper understanding of the value of probing and clarifying ques-

ers of the Professional Development, but rather as facilitators by providing

tions, conversations quickly become very fruitful and participants report

the circumstances for success such as time in the schedule and training for

“coming away with a plethora of ideas”. Several reported how they found the

facilitators. Then they step back and allow the growth to happen...organ-

probing questions even more valuable than the suggestions offered to them,

ically, constructively... in this way, modelling for teachers the importance

as they helped to unlock their thinking and opened them to new possibilities.

of allowing learning to happen through facilitation, which is our goal in the

As Yale Professor, Seymour Saranson, said in his book “The Inevitable Failure

constructivist classroom.

of Educational Reform,” back in the 1990’s, it is virtually impossible to create

Secondly, there was a consensus that the diversity of the groups generated

a vibrant learning community in the classroom unless teachers have one of

a high level of creativity. At ACS Athens, due to our single site location, we

their own. At ACS Athens we have achieved just that. CLCs are a thriving and

are one of the few JK -12 schools able to create groups of such a wide diver-

vital part of professional growth at our school and their impact has gone be-

sity. When composing the groups at the beginning of each school year, we

yond the dedicated CLC time. Our Dean of Academic Affairs, Steve Medeiros

consider length of teaching experience, grade level and subject specialty to

often uses the image of fractals when describing the ideal working relation-

get the richest possible mix. Although initially counterintuitive, participants

ships within schools. There is little doubt that there has to be a fractal rela-

discovered that some of the best interactions and most stimulating discus-

tionship between learners at all levels of the school, with teacher learning

sions happened when elementary and early childhood practitioners shared

communities mirroring the ideal conditions for learning in the classroom.

insights on middle school and high school dilemmas, and vice versa. Many

Special thanks to Michele Mattoon, Director of the National School Re-

participants spoke of the importance of approaching the presenter’s topic

form Faculty (NSRF) out of Bloomington, IN, for providing the initial Critical

with a ‘beginner’s mind’ that enables us to rethink issues and challenge each

Friends Group training and for her ongoing support of the work that we do at

other’s assumptions. The CLC is the only forum in school where we look at

ACS Athens to improve collaboration.

issues from the perspective of the whole child, something we educators too

www.nsrfharmony.org ■■

→ Continued from page 77

Design Time: An Elementary School ...

get 100 straws to build the tallest

and then counting those bundles by

free-standing structure. Of course,

tens to get to the number of straws

I explained what that meant and I

that they needed (mind you, that

also stipulated the fact that their

was only after every single straw

partnered teams could team up

had been bundled)!

float them, while others wanted to

but once they get information,

with other partnered teams, there-

What I observed during this process

collect sticks to build with.

there is no stopping...

fore equaling more straws (what

is that students were polite and

Since they are still little kids, De-

And because sometimes passions

everyone was looking for) and more

helpful, they created and followed

sign Time helps the ones who have

need a push, I like to invite my stu-

manpower, but also the potential

their own rules, taught each other

a passion to develop it and, for the

dents to participate in a whole class

for what we call “too many cooks in

how to do things (like tying rubber

ones who don’t, to find it. They may

challenge. Those who don’t can run

the kitchen.”

bands around ten slippery straws)

share it or they may not, but most

with their own ideas, but generally,

Immediately, one of my little kids

and became and remained engaged

importantly, Design Time provides

when there is a challenge, they en-

looked at the mountain of straws

in their work. Moreover, they felt

the necessary time for making that

joy rising to the occasion.

and said “Uh-oh Ms. Birbil. That’s

full of purpose. It was interesting to

passion become a reality.

One such challenge was: The 1000

going to be hard. These straws are

observe the dynamics and the nat-

Design Time allows for kids who are

Straw Challenge.

all individually wrapped.” That was

ural flow which developed amongst

followers or not so academically

We gathered in a circle and I intro-

the best thing that could have ever

my students, where several of them

strong to actually become leaders.

duced them to ‘The Straws’. A thou-

happened because my students

shined and received recognition for

It builds confidence and encourages

sand of them. After a lot of oohing

then decided to spend their math

their abilities in counting, tying,

recognition - makes them want to

and awing, I told them that they

time working as one, unsheath-

sorting, gathering, etc. In fact the

become an architect of their own

would be working with a partner

ing straws, making bundles of ten,

class worked as a cohesive unit with

learning. Passion may start small

and each partnered pair would

counting by 1’s or 2’s to get to ten

two subunits fulfilling the same

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016 purpose. Fascinating. Also wonder-

ect to project, without having a firm

rules should be set for playground

even, and filmed several editions

ful as a teacher to have the oppor-

purpose or goal. Eventually, some

games, like soccer and four-square.

of “Third Grade News”: short video

tunity to step back and observe my

of these students recognized that

The whole grade got together, and

segments which are scripted and

own classroom instead of always

they were having trouble thinking

with hands raised and views vocally

filmed by the students and then for-

being in the mix. It made me very

of or choosing a topic on their own.

exchanged, they put together docu-

warded to teachers, which students

proud.

They therefore chose and took it

ments with rules they would follow

can watch in class, as a way of com-

The best way to prepare our chil-

upon themselves to altruistically

whenever they went out to recess:

municating and sharing the knowl-

dren for their future is to inspire

make lists of projects people could

“We should have fair teams”, said

edge they have created as a group.

them to be architects of their own

work on, in order to help those

one; “There should be no holding al-

A constructivist classroom is a dem-

learning so that they do not become

who couldn’t think of anything they

lowed in four-square”, read another;

ocratic classroom, and the more

a statistic. So that they not only re-

wanted to do that day! This was

and so on – and it was a complete

dialogue and social interaction we

main happily engaged in what they

their own contribution to the whole

disaster!

can encourage, the better-equipped

do, but that there is passion in what

of 3rd Grade, as the list still exists

It wasn’t working. Students were

students are to handle similar, re-

they do.

on our board, and can be consult-

visibly disappointed and frustrated,

al-world social situations.

So I ask you, again, “Do you love

ed by any and all students feeling

causing each other – as well as the

Furthermore, what we’ve discov-

what you do?” and I want you to

stumped for ideas.

faculty on duty – considerable con-

ered is that we were given an idea

think about why.

Third Grade is an age of in-be-

sternation. What happened next is

and allowed to run with it, and it’s

tweens: you’re not just embarking

a point of pride in our young learn-

been as fun for us as adults and edu-

Alexandros Hoc, 3rd Grade Faculty

on your school career, but you’re not

ers: instead of throwing out their

cators to construct a meaningful ac-

When Design Time was first intro-

yet ready for Middle School. You’re

hard work, they decided it was time

tivity out of Design Time as it’s been

duced, I found myself asking other

transitioning from learning to read

to go back to the drawing board.

for the students to participate in a

teachers and the administration

to reading to learn, and you’re al-

Just because it hadn’t worked the

hands-on block of time dedicated to

what I should make this block of

lowed more autonomy in setting

first time, it didn’t mean it wasn’t

unique, student-initiated work.

time resemble; what should it look

your own guidelines. Honestly, I’m

a good idea, and therefore merited

Ultimately, we encourage all partic-

like? I asked.

not sure what I had expected the

revisiting.

ipants in the colloquium held at ACS

It was interesting to see that the

students to produce during their

So the students got together again,

Athens this year to make their own

same thing had happened to me

Design Time blocks. Possibly some

calling a follow-up meeting in order

meaning of the research we present

that we see time and again happen-

attractive

presenta-

to identify what it was that had

and the information with which

ing to students: I was so afraid of

tions, maybe some above-average

gone wrong when crafting the first

they are presented. This holds true

“getting it wrong” that my creativity

poster projects; in any case, some-

set of rules. The students conclud-

as much for those present during

was being stifled. So, having rec-

thing that would eventually take its

ed that it was the ambiguity of the

the days of the colloquium, as well

ognized the problem, I took a step

place on some proud parent’s fridge.

rules that had made them confus-

as for those who will be reading the

back and decided to hand the reins

To my surprise and wonder, what

ing, so they ironed out definitions

written form of our presentations.

of Design Time over to the students.

has taken center-stage for the Third

of what constitutes “fair teams”, or

Make your own meaningful conclu-

They could make their (and I stress

Grade – in addition to the scale

“holding”, or when the ball is or is

sions based on our presentations,

that it is very much theirs) Design

models of cities or the PowerPoint

not “out”, and what happens once

and then come back and talk to us

Time look like whatever they want-

presentations some students have

these are verified. We are currently

about what you have in mind. With

ed: they could create, disassemble,

created with zest and vigor – is so-

on Version #3 for four-square rules

your feedback, we can continue to

or research whatever they felt drew

cial justice.

and Version #2 for the soccer rules,

evolve our teaching practices with

their attention. They could build a

There were arguments breaking out

and the students will come back

meaningful support from our com-

skyscraper made of rolled-up sheets

constantly concerning the rules of

and revisit the rules they have cre-

munity, in order to better support

of paper and shoeboxes, or they

playground games, and these inci-

ated when the current ones become

our student in moving forward.

could write and illustrate their own

dents were making students enjoy

problematic.

We will continue our efforts to re-

comic books, or draw on the board

their recess time less and less, and

Our students are not afraid of

search how students learn best,

and erase it, or research their favor-

quite often the disputes ended in

speaking their minds in a social set-

and to encourage them to continue

ite soccer teams online.

tears. Rather than spiral into cha-

ting because they’ve learned how to

down their path to becoming archi-

Some found that they were suffer-

os, the entire grade level decided

exchange ideas and how to respect

tects of their own learning.

ing from the same ‘block’ that I had

to use the Design Time block to set

decisions made by the majority.

experienced, and drifted from proj-

up and run meetings about which

They have gone further than this

PowerPoint

→ Continued from page 79

The Third Grade ‘Living Wax Museum’ Project...

Research Questions: Ms. Ashley Martinez [AR]: How will explicitly teaching students the writing process help students to become stronger writers?

Mr. Alexandros Hoc [AR]: How can Social Studies and Language Arts most effectively be integrated, using a constructivist approach?

Ms. Stavi Dimas [AR]: How can we motivate students to write and participate in the writing process through the use of technology?

■■

Bibliography Blake Yancey, Kathleen. Writing in the 21stCentury. National Council of Teachers of English, 2009. Web. 1 June 2014. http://www.ncte.org/library/ NCTEFiles/Press/Yancey_final.pdf Darling-Hammond, Linda, Kim Austin, Suzanne Orcutt, and Daisy Martin.

«Learning from Others: Learning in a Social Context.» Annenberg Learner. The Annenberg Foundation. Web. 1 June 2014. http://www.learner.org/ courses/learningclassroom/support/07_learn_context.pdf Eroglu, Meltem Turan. Constructivist Approach to Developing Academic Writing Skills. Atilim University. N.p., n.d. Web. http://kurumsal.data.atilim.edu.tr/pdfs/elt2/meltem_turan_eroglu.pdf Gillespie, Amy, and Steve Graham. «Evidence-based Practices for Teaching Writing.» Evidence-based Practices for Teaching Writing. Johns Hopkins School of Education, n.d. Web. 02 Oct. 2014. http://education.jhu.edu/PD/

→

ETHOS • COLLOQUIUM EDITION • FALL 2016 newhorizons/Better/articles/Winter2011.html The Writing Process: An Overview of Research on Teaching Writing as a Process. Rep. Honolulu: Kamehameha Schools, 2007. Print. http://www.ksbe.edu/_assets/spi/pdfs/reports/WritingProcessreport.pdf Wallace, Randy, Cathy Pearman, Cindy Hail, and Beth Hurst. «Writing for Comprehension.»Reading Horizons 48.1 (2007): 41-49. Web. 1 Jan. 2014. http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent. cgi?article=1073&context=reading_horizons Weaver, Constantine, Jonathan Bush, Jeff Anderson, and Patricia Billa.

«Grammar Intertwined throughout the Writing Process: An “inch Wide and

→

a Mile Deep.» English Teaching: Practice and Critique 5.1 (2006): 77-101. The University of Waikato. English Teaching: Practice and Critique. Web. 1 Apr. 2014. https://education.waikato.ac.nz/research/files/etpc/2006v5n1art5.pdf Whitaker, Charles. Best Practices in Teaching Writing: 1-8. Write in the Middle. Annenberg Learner. Web. 1 June 2014. http://www.learner.org/workshops/middlewriting/images/pdf/HomeBestPrac.pdf ■■

(analyze, predict, interpret, classify,

Continued from page 83

Writing to Think and Learn in Greek Language...

synthesize) allowing student responses to drive

with the language and could speak

cess is much more advanced than

lessons (focusing on the differenti-

it semi - fluently, it was still a bit

in English classes because the Greek

ated perspective)

awkward for me to speak up be-

language class is all about critical

incorporating ‘teachable moments’

cause my classmates are also pro-

thinking and connection from text

in teaching and learning process

gressing when I am progressing.

to text, while considering the con-

(connection with current and global

However, I learnt a lot from taking

text of the texts and their authors.

issues)

classes in this language because it

I cannot say that this learning expe-

encouraging students to engage in

is truly an interesting language that

rience was fun, but it was definitely

dialogue with the teacher and with

influenced many other languages in

quite a learning experience.

peers

the world, so I was attracted a lot

Teacher’s Reflection

following the ‘socratic method’ in

by it. I felt that if I was really inter-

In conclusion, I believe that I have

inquiring what students know (and

ested in a topic in the language, I

employed constructivist teaching

what they know or they think they

would dedicate a lot of time to learn

methods to develop students au-

know)

it, even though sometimes it is kind

tonomy and initiative by:

of hard due to lack of understanding

using a plethora of primary sourc-

of the language. The learning pro-

es as well as cognitive terminology

→ Continued from page 89

A Reflective Dialogue of a Journey into...

ticultural education. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 1999. 2nd Edition.

Print.

Brooks, Jacqueline Grennon., and Martin G. Brooks. In Search of Understanding: The Case for Constructivist Classrooms. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1999. eBook Collection. Web. 5 Apr. 2016.

Brown, M.R. “Educating All students: Creating Culturally Responsive Teachers, Classrooms, and Schools.” “Intervention in School and Clinic 43.1 (2007): 57-62. Web. 7 Apr. 2016.

Langer, J., & Applebee, A. N. How writing shapes thinking: A study of teaching and learning. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.1987. Print.

■■

Bibliography Banks, J. A. An introduction to mul-

thorities… this made me realize that this can happen to anyone.. As a big boy myself I put myself in the kid’s position. I was able to empathize with the injustice as a result of unfortunate circumstance.

George Soukakos, 8th grade

Bitsikas, 7th grade student and Thanasis Sitinas, 6th grade student. Sevasti Koniossis, the Middle School OLP Specialist, who has been integral in devel-

At the Piraeus Port-Turned-Camp, young refugee children, gathered around Middle

oping teacher and student outreach events as well as guiding an advisory

School teachers. Ms. Perez played hula hoop with the children. Suddenly a wom-

group in the weekly citizenship development sessions, joined the dialogue to

an appeared, offering apples. The children scrambled to get an apple. A little child

add the perspective of the teacher. Student voices also joined in from a video

of about 3 suddenly appeared distraught, no apples in hand. She began to bite and

presentation explaining the what, why and how of the the project.

pull on Ms. Perez with relentless frustration. Ms. Perez started walking towards the

Students were asked to prepare a discussion “nugget” to guide the presenta-

teachers, with the child dangling from her- pulling and biting. She then knelt down,

tion. This provided us with a relevant and meaningful means of posing ques-

looked into the child’s face, and in one quick sweep, gathered the child into her arms.

tions. Students were guided to think about their nuggets and include their

The child immediately calmed and buried itself in her embrace for several whole min-

thoughts and reflections.

utes; time seemed to freeze. Ms. Perez kissed the little stained hands and cheeks and someone gave the child an apple. It was the embrace that really made the difference

“Now, we ask that each of our participants share a nugget of what he or

though.

she believes to be the most valuable idea, observation or what has incit-

Sevasti Koniossis, MS OLP Specialist

ed self-reflection and exploration… From there we’ll begin.”

The story told to us by the Syrian refugee on UN day stood out to me the most this At the beginning of this project, I thought that the school is using this problem to give

year. He told us about leaving his family behind in order to try and build a new home

us more work and tests. Then one CD lesson, our teacher showed us some charts and

in safety. His story made me realize how lucky I am that I don’t have to live in fear…

asked us to notice the patterns, trends and issues. What stood out to me the most

but it also helped me make sense of why we had been studying home in advisory.

were the arrivals in Greece and deaths in the Aegean. I specifically noticed that the

Home is such a powerful idea and the connections to home and family really helped

biggest amount of migrant deaths were happening in the Mediterranean.This made

me feel what the refugees feel as they’re fleeing their homes.

me understand the world I live in better.

Marilina Bitsikas, 7th grade

Thanasis Sitinas, 6th grade Developing questions intentionally designed to reveal their insights and unThe documentary, “The Longest Run,” created and presented to us in November made

derstandings allowed us to lead the reflection on stage. Digging deep into

the strongest impact on me. The documentary shows what happens when smugglers

the learnings of the year and looking at it from the lens of the observer and

choose the strongest and biggest boy to row across to Greece. It was a story about

participant at the same time brought depth in this process.

a boy who was caught paddling across to Greece, and the coast guard didn’t see the actual smuggler. The boy was threatened by the smuggler and unwillingly followed

“How did observing the data provide insight into what’s happening in

directions. Then, when they docked on land, the boy then was detained by Greek au-

the world or how serious the problem really is?”

107 “Can you describe the experiential learning activity that you’ve had prior

to their ideas during other speeches and presentations. I can say that I had

to viewing this documentary, and how did these experiences help you

a good time.

create meaning?”

Overall, I loved being a part of the colloquium. I enjoyed not only speaking

Can you explain some of the thinking processes that led to the action

about my own experiences and observations but hearing from so many other

component?

different people. I hope to have the opportunity to be part of a future ACS Colloquium because it brought together learning as well as having fun.”

Finally, audience participation broadened our scope and demonstrated inclusiveness. The audience was brought in both at the beginning

George Soukakos, 8th grade student

and at the end in an effort to construct knowledge as a community.

“During the colloquium, I participated in the Reflective Dialogue along with Marilina from the 7th grade and Thanasi from the 6th grade, Ms. Koniossis,

In the beginning the audience was asked:

Ms. Sandravelis, and Ms. Bakoyannis. The Reflective Dialogue was about the

“We will like to now turn to you our audience today and ask you this

experience with the refugees. It all started from UN day, and extended up to

question:

the visit to the Piraeus Port. From beginning to end, it was a really nice ex-

In what ways did the refugee crisis touch you?”

perience. We started by knowing only a few things about this issue that is

Please think about this question and then turn to the person next to you

taking place in Europe, and more specifically in Greece. On UN day, we start-

and pair share.”

ed learning about how refugees had to leave their homes, and the troubles

After sharing student voices,nuggets, artifacts, questions and reflective re-

they would go through, as well as the risks, in order to arrive in Greece. At

sponses; the audience was then asked:

the end of the day we were like “Woah!” However, we were to learn so much

“You have been through this journey along with us, seen the artifacts,

more than what we were taught that day. Afterwards, each grade did differ-

heard the reflections of our students and teachers.

ent things. For example, 7th Grade went to the Search and Rescue Unit of

Consider this question:

Greek Airforce Pilot Base, while the 8th Grade did research on the refugees as

How many of you, in the audience, heard and saw something that reso-

part of the Pre - MUN Project.

nated with you?

Throughout the whole process, we were thinking about the experiences

If you have, Please stand up.”

those people have gone through and how lucky we are to be healthy, have a home, food, and a proper education. We often think we have certain things

Students’ Final Thoughts and Reflections

for granted. However, we never realize that other people have lost many

“ I cannot teach anybody anything I can only make them think.” - Socrates

things. It is that that will help the world. To realize what is happening around

As Socrates never wrote anything, our knowledge of the teaching methodol-

us, and try and help.”

ogy and the life of Socrates is solely dependent on his students. We will turn to our students who will give us their reflections on this process and being

Thanasis Sitinas, 6th Grade Student

part of the Colloquium and of this process. They are the reason we are here.

I had a very nice experience looking more deeply into the refugee crisis situation. The days before getting on stage, we had many meetings and worked a

Marilina Bitsikas, 7th grade student

lot during these meetings. These meetings were centered on developing our

“This May I was chosen to participate in the ACS Athens Colloquium. I was

nuggets that helped me a lot to develop my thoughts. It made me able to

part of a Middle School panel that discussed their experience of the refugee

talk about my feelings about this crisis and how sad it is in just a few short

and migrant crisis project. For me this was my first time joining a school wide

sentences. During one of our meetings, we started talking about home and

day of what both teachers and students accomplished over the year. It also

what we can say about it. While we were talking and the teachers were ask-

was an interesting way to address the refugee issue that I will always remem-

ing questions, suddenly in my mind a thought came and I just blurted it out. I

ber.

said that home is not something that can really protect us from many things,

I had the opportunity to speak in front of a lot of people about what I learned

but is simply an illusion that makes us feel safe. Our teachers had a very inter-

and understood about the refugee crisis. Our school has given a lot of em-

esting process of developing this whole segment of the colloquium. They did

phasis this school year on what home means to each student and also had us

not simply ask us to write down the script, but they were asking us questions

explore what life would be like without one. By having different approaches

over and over in order to elicit our thoughts and reflections. This experience

to learning and getting familiar with this global issue during Citizen Develop-

made me understand that the world is in need of help and if no one stands

ment block, not only did I better realize what was happening with all these

up to help, the Earth will be a sad place to be. If we rise up and unite as a

people I also wanted to learn how I could help and make a difference in their

community, we can encourage more people to be a positive influence like us.

lives. In general, I liked being at the colloquium and hearing all about what the teachers examined, the different discussions about learning and viewing

Our Final Thoughts and Reflections

the students’ different projects like the Elementary School science experi-

“I know that I know nothing” -Socrates

ments.

Involving the students and going through this process with them was, by far,

It was informative and fascinating listening to other people’s opinions on the

the most meaningful part of our colloquium experience. Questioning and

topic of refugees and what they learned and observed in all the Citizen De-

revisiting the year’s events and learnings helped bring this project full-circle.

velopment classes we have been discussing this topic. For example, George

We were not teaching them, but instead, collaborating in a meaningful con-

Soukakos shared his observations on the documentary we viewed by Ms.

structivist way. The six of us, three students and three teachers, were one

Economou, as well as Ms. Koniossis offered her experiences and described

unified front working together, laughing, agreeing, disagreeing, and each

the touching moments they had, when the teachers visited the refugees

contributing in his or her own unique way. The end result was an authentic

at the port of Piraeus to play with the kids. She really made me wish I could

and sincere dialogue. We worked hand in hand, not in the traditional teach-

share this experience with them.

er-student capacity, but as individuals with a common interest: Reflecting on

I enjoyed hearing from the teachers, meeting more people from all over the

our guiding question. “How do other people’s experiences and stories impact who

world, and learning new information about the school. I liked hearing oth-

I am and what I do?”

er presentations, as well as new ideas for the school. I have to say that my favorite from all is when Dr. Gialamas shared a touching moment with the principles of the Middle School as well as Mr. Sabbagh’s speech on how he will continue with a lot of enthusiasm to support ACS Athens.

Finally, I liked having my friends’ support during the colloquium. I listened

■■

6 1 0 2 22

m 1 u e i 2 c u n l q i o r e l l l l p o e A c C S x C E A ing in a t s Su