Small Moments.
Big Experiences.
PROJECTS, PLAY, AND A SENSE OF SELF
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am delighted to welcome you to this special supplement to Northeast Ohio Parent magazine. We are happy to share these articles with you in this special issue. Old Trail School is located in Bath in the heart of Cuyahoga Valley National Park and we serve families from six counties. I’m proud to say that the best way to distinguish our students is by their lifelong love of learning. They are curious. They think. They question. And we offer them numerous academic opportunities and a varied curriculum, from early childhood through eighth grade. Our location, our facilities, and our technology, arts and athletic programs all contribute to a well-rounded and rich academic community. Our students raise their voices to ask bigger questions and go on to scale bigger obstacles. That’s because, from the moment they join our community, they begin gaining the confidence, knowledge, sense of self and skills to thrive — not just at Old Trail School, but also in high school, college and the rest of their lives. Students master the foundational skills (reading, writing, mathematics, etc.) and also are taught to question, investigate and consider multiple perspectives before transforming their ideas in purposeful action. In addition to our traditional school day, Old Trail School offers numerous “extras” for busy families, including early morning care, OTS+ after school enrichment classes and our popular summer camp. We have included important articles in this supplement for parents of preschool and elementary age children. You will read about the importance of play (at all ages), why character development is a critical component in a school’s curriculum and about how Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is changing the way we support how children learn best. I hope you enjoy this supplement in Northeast Ohio Parent magazine, with whom Old Trail School has had a wonderful partnership since its creation. I invite you to visit the School’s website to learn more about everything that Old Trail School has to offer. I also encourage you to visit us and experience why Old Trail School is such SARAH JOHNSTON HEAD OF SCHOOL a truly special place.
Sarah Johnston
Old Trail School is an independent, coeducational day school for students age 2 through eighth grade. We are a vibrant educational community focused on academic excellence. We develop intellectually curious, independent thinking students who emerge with a passion for discovery, critical thinking and collaborative learning. Our graduates are well prepared to become responsible global citizens who achieve in high school, college and life.
2315 Ira Road Akron OH 44333 330-666-1118 oldtrail.org Head of School - Sarah Liotta Johnston sjohnston@oldtrail.org Director of Admission - Jacquie Matheny jmatheny@oldtrail.org Assistant Director of Admission - Robyn Kosco rkosco@oldtrail.org
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Character Education: THE OTHER CURRICULUM
By Katherine B. Howard, MA, NCSP, LPC Old Trail School Psychologist
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chools face mounting pressure to do more to prepare their students to live effectively in an increasingly complex and global world. Educators not only have to establish the content knowledge and thinking skills that children will need, but also try to incorporate character education into their curricula. While character education is not a new concept, the focus on it has intensified recently. Through the lens of history, literature and science (as well as through the discussion of contemporary issues facing youth today) students can become thoughtful, informed individuals who seek to behave ethically, respectfully and peacefully in service to others and with capable self-management. Schools experiencing the greatest success at character education efforts do two things well: they offer direct instruction in these skills areas and they ensure that the values they are trying to develop are infused into everything the school does. Direct instruction related to character education can be found in English class when students discuss the moral dilemma faced by the protagonist in a novel (and then reflect on their own moral dilemmas); in history class when they learn how various individuals have shown courage of their convictions at a time of adversity; and in science class when they appreciate how environmental stewardship is important for their and future generations. It also can be witnessed in health and advisory programs when students are helped to discover how to make healthful choices in relationships, how to avoid harmful substances and how to set goals and hold themselves accountable for those goals. Character education is most likely to have an impact when an entire school community is thoughtful and deliberate about constructing an environment that is undergirded by, and models, the values it wants to promote. A school that wants to foster integrity needs to have adults who model honest communication in their interactions with students, parents and peers. School policies have to be in place whereby being truthful works better than being deceitful. In a school striving to create respectful students, language is polite and kind, and diversity is celebrated. The school ensures that its bulletin boards, curriculum materials, clubs and official functions (parent conferences, open houses, etc.) send a message of inclusion and welcome to all its members. And, when there are transgressions committed by students, a school living its character education culture takes the time to educate students and helps them to participate in meaningful conflict resolution, rather than simply handing out punishments.
OLD TRAIL SCHOOL CORE VALUES
MOST EDUCATORS AGREE THAT CHARACTER EDUCATION IS COMPRISED OF THE FOLLOWING AREAS: n developing
integrity n demonstrating respect for others n acquiring skills for peaceful conflict resolution n engaging in service to others n nurturing responsible self-management Character education helps to develop what employers often list as critically-important “soft skills.” It can be elusive and sometimes emotionally-charged to identify the specific aspects that a school can and should include in its program, but there is almost universal agreement that it is an integral part of a complete education. The most robust character education occurs, of course, when parents and schools collaborate, because meaningful character education is an ongoing, time-intensive and organic task. It is not realized by taking a single health class, by attending one anti-bullying assembly or by seeing the words “be nice” on a poster; it does not lend itself to being “checked off” a to-do list. It is best learned within a school that “lives” the values it is trying to promote by having character education as a foundation for all it does, when it is infused into the fabric of the school. 2017 I OLDTRAIL.ORG
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Grow and Learn by
Play
By Katherine B. Howard, MA, NCSP, LPC Old Trail School Psychologist
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t is increasingly rare to see a group of neighborhood kids playing kickball, performing a skit for a backyard audience or building forts. More often, children are focused on two-dimensional screens or are being shuttled to multiple lessons. Traditional play helps children build their “soft skills” — resilience, grit, independence, problemsolving and communication — but it is slowly vanishing. Many parents think that they must keep their children busy with dance class, recreation league sports, tutoring, or music lessons in order for them to be productive as teenagers and young adults. However, they may be undervaluing the role of play in their children’s development. There is great benefit in children participating in classes to learn music, dance, theatre, visual arts and sports, but “time for play” often is taken up by these other activities.
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ESSENCE OF PLAY Successful play is important in order to make neurological connections with young children. It provides many opportunities for growth and helps to develop working memory skills, an important ingredient for success in learning. DURING PLAY,
CHILDREN WILL: Ask questions Persevere abstractly n Define problems n Plan and carry out an investigation n Interpret and analyze data n Design and construct solutions n Reason abstractly
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Also, if children are exposed to images or content that may be worrisome to them, fantasy play enables them to manage their feelings by managing their exposure to the scary object or event (e.g. fighting monsters, flying an airplane, etc.). Children grow emotionally during play, perhaps by acting out fearful and confusing situations in a safe environment, thus relieving stress and anxiety. Important concepts such as sharing, taking turns, cooperating and communicating are all introduced and refined through play experiences. “Changes in society necessitate that children be supervised at home and at school, but they can also be given many opportunities for unstructured play, interaction and creativity,” says Luann Williams, Old Trail School Primary School Director. “It is vital for children to participate
in unstructured play — away from technology — in order to develop and strengthen emotional and social growth.”
LEARNING CREATIVELY Play is the best way to implement curriculum with young children and contributes to lifelong school success. Children function at their highest level during play, while growing both academically and emotionally. Play provides imagination, and the freedom to explore and expand children’s creativity. These experiences help them navigate their social relationships with other children as they learn to manage negotiations and frustrations. During play, children also develop complex language and experiment with mathematical and scientific concepts, such as: n Block building: children see various shapes, sizes and weights in order to understand balance and symmetry with structures. n Listening: helps reading comprehension n Demonstrating curiosity in play: encourages focused attention n Building with manipulatives: helps gross and fine motor skills Play provides critical thinking and problem-solving in individual and group/team environments that allow teachers to observe, facilitate and guide learning for children. Through play, children develop a willingness to try something new and negotiate with their peers in a way that is comfortable for them. Old Trail School takes “play” seriously at all grade levels. n We structure and design the classroom so children can flourish in a child-driven community. n We create group and individual lesson plans in a comfortable and safe environment to help children grow socially, emotionally and cognitively. n Our curriculum links critical thinking and play during “work time” in the Early Childhood Program classrooms.
We consciously observe students in order to help them make connections with the everyday world. n We offer a play environment that encourages self-control and self-regulation. n We discover together and learn from one another in a play-based setting. n We acknowledge and address cognitive ability through individual and small group activities based on research and brain development. n
Play is woven into Old Trail School’s curriculum at all grade levels — from toddlers to middle school students — allowing them to practice the “soft skills” and executive function skills they need to be successful in elementary school, high school, college and adulthood. “Play time is critical to a child’s educational and social development,” says David Chottiner, Intermediate
and Middle School Director at Old Trail School. “Healthy play provides children with physical space to practice new skills, unstructured time to interact with peers and more dynamic situations for social negotiation. This continues to be important through the adolescent years.”
BALANCED FUN AT HOME Through play, children learn how to resolve conflict, take the perspective of another and think critically. Creative play exercises the executive functions of planning and organization. To help foster play at home, parents can do the following: When your child says that he or she is bored, avoid the temptation to rush in and provide an activity. Children need to learn how to create their own, appropriate stimulation. n
Balance lessons and structured activities with free-play opportunities. n
Avoid the slippery slope of overbooking. n
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Children may want to do many activities, but tired and stressed children do not have the energy for free-play.
Enjoy playing together! You will find that you have as much fun as your child. n
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FINDING SOLUTIONS TOGETHER Students Work Collaboratively to Address Real-World Challenges By Jennifer L. Milam, Ph.D. Old Trail School Director of Curriculum and Instructional Innovation
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t seems that everyone today is talking about Problem-Based Learning (PBL) as a learning method for children. What exactly is PBL? In 2017, Cornell University’s Center for Teaching described PBL as “a studentcentered approach in which students learn about a subject by working in groups to solve an open-ended problem.” In PBL, the problem is the motivation and the framework in the classroom — students learn mathematics, history, science, art and more, as part of their work toward solving a problem. Rather than asking students to learn a predetermined set of skills or being led solely by curriculum standards, the problem is posed to students first and guides the teaching, learning, assessment — and even the subject matter, in many cases. The teacher is a facilitator and co-learner, encourager and guide, resource and coach. The problem posed brings together interest, knowledge, innovation and creativity, and offers the opportunity for students to work collaboratively across skill levels to address a real-world challenge. The benefit to students engaged in PBL is significant, if well-planned. Students are able to work at their own skill levels, engaging with classmates in collaborative thinking and learning. They develop research and critical
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analysis skills, negotiate with and challenge peers in exploring solutions, and enrich their leadership skills. Perhaps most important in PBL, is that students’ conceptual understandings are expanded and refined through the application of knowledge. Cognitive scientists and learning theorists have long asserted that only when students are asked to explain, in their own words, how a problem was solved or why the solution fits, do students demonstrate a firm grasp of subject matter and a reliable base of understanding from which to grow.
FUTURE ROLES In an educational world of 21st century skills, moment-to-moment technological advances and an unknown future of possibilities in the workforce, PBL offers an opportunity for students to engage in ways that mimic how professionals address projects in their workplace (think hospitals, law firms, construction sites, engineering and architectural firms). A relevant and real problem-based learning experience can place children into roles that will challenge them — more adult-like roles — and push them to engage in problems like those encountered by professionals that rarely have a single correct answer. When expertly planned and developed, a PBL experience meets or exceeds grade level curriculum standards, assesses students’ understandings formatively and
summatively, and develops authentic confidence in students’ understandings from multiple perspectives. It requires students to understand rigorous content knowledge to address the problem.
HANDS-ON APPROACH PBL is more than a “project” and the open-ended nature of the experience demands a dynamic and integrated understanding that goes far beyond test items or traditional question and answer assignments. Old Trail School offers students a meaningful Problem-Based Learning experience across all grade levels from early childhood through eighth grade. Our approach to teaching and learning is integrated, rigorous and creative, grounded in research, design-thinking and personalized learning opportunities that support cognitive development, academic achievement and personal growth. As an example, in the 2017-18 school year, Old Trail School’s first grade students will embark on a biomimicry study to better understand how the natural world can help teach us about problem solving and engineering. This work will challenge even the youngest learners in science, technology, engineering and math. Also, in the coming year, the fifth grade students will undertake a fullyintegrated study on global water issues that includes a deeper look at clean water access, water quality factors and the impact of climate change on world populations and water consumption.
Each of these experiences requires teachers and students to think beyond the boundaries in each subject area, to ask questions that stretch beyond formal curriculum and to challenge what is typically expected of students at a particular grade level. In addition, each of these assignments will engage members of the community and experts outside of the School — establishing relationships with industry, community organizations and business professionals that can inspire and support developing passions and professional futures of students. Old Trail School nurtures children’s curiosity and passions, we develop a belief in goodness and service through knowledge and understanding and we offer learning opportunities that prepare children to solve problems — those we have currently and those we cannot yet imagine. We offer creative, innovative, important and rigorous learning opportunities across all aspects of our curriculum situated in the living classroom all around us. Rather than asking what students should learn, we ask children, “What problem do you want to solve?”
OUTDOOR LESSONS When children are engaged in the production of food — growing, harvesting and preparing — they are more likely to eat and enjoy the food. These seed-to-table experiences enable students to become stewards of the environment, their communities and their personal lives. They become empowered on the farm and in the kitchen by learning to grow, prepare and share delicious food, leading them to make healthy choices that will last a lifetime. Throughout the year, students have opportunities to work on Old Trail School’s 11-acre campus organic farm — preparing beds, pulling weeds, planting and harvesting crops, applying mulch and compost, testing the soil and learning how to use specific tools. The School also manages three honeybee colonies, so students learn about the importance of bees to our food supply. Children wear protective suits to inspect hives and to help harvest the honey. Inside, students learn basic cooking skills during kitchen lessons that are directly related to specific subject areas, including math (measurement, ratios), social studies (crops and plants native to our area and grown during various time periods) and world language (food relative to Latin and Hispanic cultures). Lessons about energy, weather cycles, the food system, nutrition, percentages and proportions and so much more all come to life with hands-on lessons outdoors on the Farm and indoors in the kitchen. 2017 I OLDTRAIL.ORG
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