UCDS Spark Magazine #17 - Being Brave, Winter 2018

ISSUE 17 - WINTER 2018

Being Brave

In This Issue Spark is published by University Child Development School.

Head of School Paula Smith Assistant Head of School Teacher Education Center Director Melissa Chittenden Publication Design Jack Forman Contributing Writers Ellen Cottrell, Melinda Deal, Jenn Drake, Julie Kalmus, Katie Morrison, Lily Robbins, Abby Sandberg, Tim Terault, Betsy Watkins Contributing Editors Diane Chickadel, Melissa Chittenden, Jake Cutone, Jack Forman, Betty Greene, Stephen Harrison, Alison Havran, Julie Kalmus, Natasha Rodgers, Abby Sandberg, Paula Smith, Tim Tetrault

Sticky Curriculum 4

How to be Brave

What Works 10

Brave Presenting

Creative Fusion 14

Plotting a Course to Uncharted Curricula

People Who Inspire Us 18 Brave Leadership:

An Interview with Revata Bowers Alumni 22

Catching Up With Weston Gaylord

Photography Stephen Harrison, UCDS Faculty and Staff

In Each Issue 1

Greetings from Paula

For submission information, please contact Jake Cutone at jakec@ucds.org.

The editor reserves the right to edit and select all materials.

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Spark Plugs

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UCDS Mission Statement

© 2017 University Child Development School. All rights reserved.

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BEING BRAVE It was fall on the elementary playground and a small group of first graders were playing an imaginary game… fairies. The fairies had special powers and used leaves as their wings to transport themselves. Our playground was a bit short on bushes but the children made do with leaves from some large shrubs at the edge of the lawn. The half dozen children involved in the fairy game were completely transported to another realm as they invented a fantastical story line that evolved over the weeks. It was an older student that raised her issue to the fairy group. If the game continued, she observed, the bushes would soon be striped of leaves and the small bit of green at the playground’s edge would disappear.

The student raised her concern the next morning in her class meeting and she lead her classmates in a spirited discussion. Should this game be allowed?

What were the rights of a small group to invent a cool game? Shouldn’t they have the right to use the leaves as part of the play? What if picking the leaves destroyed the hillside for everyone else? As no resolution was reached, the class representative agreed to take the issue to All School Meeting to get a school-wide perspective. After an equally spirited initial discussion, the All School Meeting representatives decided that the fairy game would be temporarily suspended while they considered the question further.

And so it was, that a four-month school-wide conversation began. The group playing the fairy game were passionate advocates for their right to play as they pleased. Our All School Meeting meets only once a week, and as the weeks progressed, the discussion started over several times as new all school representatives were elected to replace those who initiated the conversation. This issue had all the elements of a central question that must be addressed in any community. How will a community balance what is best for a small group with what is best for everyone else?

In the end, our All School Meeting representatives reached a decision. The fairy game could resume if that group brought leaves from home. Those students would need permission from their parents to gather the leaves at home and from teachers to keep them in their cubbies until recess. The fairy games resumed that spring. Our teachers agreed that the resolution to this issue was only a small part of the benefit. Of greater value was the process through which one student was able to raise a concern, as well as the excellent thinking our students had done about rights and responsibilities they all share on our playground.

Educators everywhere have the awesome responsibility to prepare students to participate in their communities, those close to home, and larger communities of regional, national and global influence.

At UCDS, we ask ourselves: “How do we support our students to develop habits of mind, communication skills, and a depth of experience they will need to make a positive difference? How will our students learn to collaborate and to seek diverse perspectives? How does a student find one’s voice to propose an idea or to disagree with the status quo?” As our student population spans an age range from 3 to 11 years, our teachers recognize that children will naturally be at very different stages of social and emotional development. Therefore, we are mindful to create opportunities that make sense to young children.

A central element of our school culture is the intentional way we think, not only about what we teach, but also about the way we work together. Our goal is to design a “culture of inquiry” for everyone, a culture where adults are continually modeling the thinking, collaboration and reflection that we ask of our students. As a result, at UCDS no teacher works in isolation. Each teacher is part of a grade level team that meets several times a week to prep together, and to design the curriculum and assessment tools that will be used in the classrooms.

Teachers design curriculum to fit the needs of our students in order to offer a stretch to students at different levels of understanding. As students work, the teacher moves about the classroom to provide individualized instruction, to offer an Continued >

academic stretch, and to assess each student while they work. Our teachers use these assessments, to design what happens next.

At UCDS, we are persuaded that “being brave” is a mindset that is cultivated through practice and supported by school culture. To support this “culture of inquiry” teachers create ample opportunities for students to ask questions, gather information, think critically, share their ideas and point of view, and to collaborate with others to find a solution to a problem. The teachers are mindful to make time for these opportunities and come to their team meeting ready to share what did and didn’t work with students as expected. Teachers are leaning in as they consider how they will proceed. The conversation is lively, and like the students, teachers sometimes disagree.

Considering practice: As our teachers design the physical classroom space, the schedule, and the program itself, we think about creating opportunities for students to share and show their thinking and to apply their understanding. For example, our youngest preschool and kindergarten students participate in Literature Circles even before they are reading, where they learn to analyze, summarize, and discuss books.

They build models of their solution to a math problem that they share, and learn to create an algorithm to match their solution. And they generate topics that they can add to their class meeting agenda, where issues and ideas are discussed by their entire class. In every part of the school day, children learn to listen and ask questions of their peers. Our children discover that classmates are likely to see the world differently, and it is in this messy space that each child will learn to find their own voice and to communicate an idea.

Considering Culture: Just as our teachers design the classroom space, the schedule and the program, they also think about the ways that they will create time--and a structure-for the dialogue and problem solving that children will need in order to give back to their community.

For example, our fifth-grade students have a huge

impact on our school culture as they each lead a service learning project during their final year at UCDS. Every student is assigned to work with one of our five adult committees that: run our admissions process, support unique educational events for our families, participate in curriculum development, host community development events for alumni and grandparents, and conduct research about our school culture to inform the work of our graduate education committee. These fifth graders shoulder real responsibilities, meet regularly with an adult mentor, take feedback, publish blogs about our community, and present a summary of their project at the end of the year.

Considering accountability: Being brave requires a student to have confidence, a willingness to fail, and a culture that will support the development of new ideas and innovation. To maintain these elements, we have created a Reflective Thinking Profile that allows teachers schoolwide to use the same language and approach when coaching our students. This document is an excellent tool to help students understand their own inter-personal and intra-personal profile. As our students become more self-aware, children discover that the most successful teams are composed of members who have different strengths and points of view. This understanding and skillset ensure that our graduates can work and learn successfully wherever they go.

A final thought about bravery is this… What we tell ourselves matters, both when something works and also when it fails. Recently, a kindergarten student was upset in science class when his experiment failed to produce the expected result. “It’s ok,” his lab partner assured him, “because when things mess up, that is when we learn the most.”

Paula Smith Head of School

Spark Plugs The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life Parker Palmer Though this book was originally published in 1998, it remains a mainstay in many education programs because reflection, continuous learning and compassion for one’s self and one’s students continue to be critical skills to bring to the classroom. Palmer explains why good teaching is more than just good technique or curriculum. He makes the case that our engagement with students and subjects as well as passion for our profession also make the difference in how students experience our work. If you need an educational pep talk, The Courage to Teach offers stories and strategies to remind you that the work matters.

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead Brené Brown In Daring Greatly: How the Courage to be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, Brené Brown quotes Teddy Roosevelt’s 1910 speech: “It is not the critic who counts... The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood… who errs, who comes up short… who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.”

Brown challenges us to reframe vulnerability as evidence of the unique qualities that make us who we are, rather than weakness or fault. She encourages us to get in the ring, to put our voices out there, and dares us to be who we are.

Inspiring on a personal level, this is also a great read for teaching teams who want to grow and create together.

So Good They Can’t Ignore You Cal Newport Sometimes the bravest thing you can do for your work life is to set your passions aside and dive into the brass tacks of skill building. In So Good They Can’t Ignore You, computer scientist and deep work advocate Cal Newport argues that the “follow your passion” theory in vocational discernment is fundamentally flawed. He argues that skill development, aside from being more decisively lucrative, also has intrinsic benefits in guiding our work towards deeper impact, value, and increasingly gives us more autonomy as we gain the trust of those around us.

These are the ingredients of a fulfilled vocation, Newport says. Your passion is in actuality a byproduct of finding worthwhile work, not the road used to get there.

White Teacher Vivian Gussin Paley What place do awareness of and conversations about race have in early primary grades? What is the role of a white teacher, particularly in a mixed-race school? In White Teacher, Vivian Paley writes an honest account of her experience wrestling with issues of race in her kindergarten classroom. By pairing personal experiences with a running dialogue of her ideas, thoughts, and reflections, the author invites the reader to grapple with questions and decisions alongside her. As she writes, Paley reflects on her mistakes and blind spots, particularly as a white teacher, and investigates the implications of ignoring race in her classroom. In this way, she shows the value of talking about race openly with young children while also acknowledging its difficulty and complexity. Originally published in 1979, White Teacher invites readers into a still relevant and important conversation, providing insight that is useful for educators of all levels.

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Sticky Curriculum

HOW TO BE

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BRAVE “I sometimes have a

hard time getting into conversations, a fourth-

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grade student explained to a peer group gathered to discuss literature.

The group, focused on sharing how to make their discussions successful for each member, listened as the student continued “I don’t always know how to get in when people are talking already, so I think I should help start our conversations so that I can contribute.” Others nodded in agreement, and began to suggest other ways that the group could help her enter a conversation at various points. This is everyday work for them and yet, as adults, we marvel. This child is a self-advocate, supported by a culture of engagement, selfreflection, and communication.

Our task as educators each day spans an array of subject matter and skills, but central to our work is the creation of an environment where our students can be brave, advocate for their ideas, and push through discomfort, an environment where persistence is central to the learning process. Each day we strive to build a culture that encourages bravery and in which every individual, adult or child, is ready to take risks in order to best support his or her learning process.

by Ellen Cottrell & Betsy Watkins

From the structure of the classroom to the hundreds of tiny conversations that happen within the confines of a single school day, building this culture requires intention.

Some students are natural risk-takers in some domains yet are challenged to show similar behaviors in others. What should we do when we see a student shy away from a perceived risk?

First and foremost, when educators notice that a child may be feeling unsure of him or herself, we believe it is our job to be his or her biggest cheerleader, support system, and steady reassurance in whatever way helps that child recognize discomfort and move forward with intention. It is also helpful to think about shaping this brave mindset over a period of time—sometimes even years—rather than looking for instant leaps. Often small, incremental successes indicate a positive trend toward personal growth. Over time, these experiences lead students to navigate school life with confidence and ample strategies to approach and persevere through perceived risks.

To focus this conversation, let’s look at ways in which we help students practice bravery in three different, albeit interrelated, arenas: academics, intrapersonal skills, and social relationships.

Continued >

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ACADEMICS (How to take educational risks)

“I can’t do it.”

“I know the answer, but I’m not telling.”

“I’m bored.”

How many students have you encountered who instantly shut down when they don’t know the answer?

Don’t want to try for fear they’ll make a mistake? Have a hard time sharing their work because they’re afraid it’s wrong? While there are often many factors at play leading students to behave this way, creating a culture that values bravery can go a long way to encourage risk-taking.

Throughout our school, students’ efforts are universally acknowledged.

In the earliest grades, this looks like a lot of high-fives, “You did it!” and “Wow, you’re such a (reader, writer, mathematician, etc.)!” To the passerby, it all may appear a bit superficial. This, however, is a calculated strategy that helps build motivation and shape capable students’ self-perceptions before they have a chance to think otherwise. For students who are hesitant to take risks, teachers employ the long-game approach and understand that in order to learn, we first need to cultivate a brave, tenacious mindset by emphasizing effort and the discoveries found in process, rather than product. Only when these students are ready do we offer feedback and revisions that help them think critically about their work.

Here are several additional academic structures that encourage bravery:

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• In the Early Elementary (EE) program, teachers often give students Brain Stretchers during academic tasks. These customized stretches have just the right level of challenge for their recipients. They also foster perseverance and risktaking to tackle something even harder than what they just accomplished. For instance, after solving a math story problem, one child who is working on one-to-one counting may be asked to double his or her answer. Another student who is confident with adding might be stretched to write a multiplication equation that represents his or her repeated addition. Whatever the challenge, students get really jazzed to “stretch their brains.” Classmates gather around to celebrate peers’ hard work. Parents report that they hear about Brain Stretchers at dinner, and it becomes

commonplace for students to request Brain Stretchers.

As students get older, the idea of brain-stretching evolves into an understanding that learning has no end. For example, students learn that problemsolving in mathematics often leads to new questions about patterns or efficiency. “Am I done?” transforms into “What’s my next step?” “I’m going to check my work with another mathematician,” or “I think I found a pattern, is it okay if I spend some time to test it out?” Discussions within each subject area involve goalsetting and reflection. Children learn to see both as simply part of the learning process.

• Process over product is a central tenet of our school’s philosophy. As a result, academic projects rarely have a predetermined destination.

INTRAPERSONAL SKILLS (How to put oneself out there)

“I’m too nervous to try out.”

“I have an idea, but no one will listen to me anyway.”

“That sounds like fun, but none of my friends are doing it, so I guess I’ll pass.”

Teachers provide, instead, rich educational provocations, and students set their course in response. For many students, it takes bravery to begin something when they do not know where the journey will lead; it can be akin to having writer’s block when facing a blank piece of paper.

However, our students learn to thrive in this culture: to sit with uncertainty, ask questions, try something unexpected, and move through the task toward a feeling of accomplishment. In fact, elementary students write reflections throughout the year about different writing, math, reading, and interdisciplinary projects. They thoughtfully detail their approach, process, mistakes, lessons learned, and—importantly—what remaining questions they have and how they would continue if able. By learning to reflect in this way, our students make their thinking visible, and they come to expect that there will always be challenges to solve.

How is it as teachers that we can spend an entire day talking to classes of kids, yet the idea of speaking in front of a group of peers is nerve-wracking? Now, imagine being five and being brave enough to share your opinion about monkey bar safety in front of 109 other students, with some of whom you disagree.

Wow! We give kids lots of chances to verbalize, act upon, and reflect on their ideas. Every day is filled with opportunities to be brave with these intrapersonal skills.

Here are just a few ways: • Self-advocacy is really important, yet it does not come naturally to everyone. Even the best self advocators benefit from practicing the most effective ways to communicate their ideas. The conversation detailed at the top of the article exemplifies the way

in which students are coached to understand their academic, social, and emotional needs.

Furthermore, they are supported to advocate for themselves with peers and teachers so that they may succeed in each situation they encounter. This often means publically sharing one’s challenges and asking for acceptance and/or guidance from others in order to implement helpful strategies. Talk about a courageous undertaking! Wearing our vulnerabilities out loud and seeking support also builds trust within classroom communities as each child comes to understand that everyone has goals they are working toward. Teachers also often share their own learning goals and reflective practices in the interest of modeling the bravery required to learn in public. On the flip side, each time students support others in the community, they implicitly learn to help others succeed.

• We believe it is important for students to grow comfortable working with a variety of people, not just those in their classrooms, and in a variety of Continued >

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SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS (How to advocate for oneself and others)

“She’s always been really mean to me.”

“No one ever plays with him.

I think he doesn’t have any friends.”

“He’s always telling me what to do.”

spaces. To this end, students spend much of the day mixed with students and teachers from other classes, from Specialists, Literature Circles, language groups, and writing groups to math skills, theme studies, and handwriting—the list continues. While the social groups and environments are constantly in flux, the one constant for students is themselves. By sharing their ideas and following their own paths, students practice bravery. Within these varying contexts, students also learn to consider the ways they interact in different settings. What is it like when I’m working in a partnership? Small groups?

Whole class gatherings?

Cross-level events? Giving a presentation? As students reflect on their contributions in each of these contexts, they begin to learn about themselves and what works best to support their individual processes.

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• Our school’s student government system is central to the way in which many students practice bravery. Sharing one’s opinion, at times in direct opposition or dissent of peers, can be difficult. However, during Class Meeting and All School Meeting, it is the norm for students to have fair, balanced, and wellrepresented conversations about topics central to their school lives. Through these meetings, they learn how to express their perspectives, disagree with others respectfully, and respond to group decisions with either humility or a positive outlook. As students get older, they hold each other accountable for participation and often vote to create structures for how to share leadership responsibilities within the meetings. “Everyone should get a turn,” a third grader explained in a Class Meeting about who should facilitate conversations, “because even if you’re not sure you can do it–it’s part of our learning.”

Advocating for oneself and for others is a lifelong skill that can translate into active citizenry and community members who are engaged in the world at large. Yet, standing up for an idea that lacks popularity or may make peers or friends look at you differently is one of the most difficult skills to foster because this bravery does not always feel good in the short term. As we work to cultivate advocacy, it is also important to teach children to forgive and allow for growth. “Recess is a subject,” a fourth grader reflected, “We are going to make mistakes, but we should learn from those and work to get better–just like when you make a math mistake.”

Understanding that social learning is of equal importance to academic learning is central to developing bravery in relationships. Here are some ways we work to value bravery in the context of social learning: • We make time for practice. Yes, recess is a time to learn, but our social learning is not confined to this break in the middle of the day.

Whether working together to share manipulatives in math or discussing in what way it feels most respectful to collaborate on a shared digital document, kids are practicing advocacy, communication, and collaboration. Teachers are there each

step of the way to acknowledge growth, make suggestions, ask questions, and share alternative perspectives. Social learning is embedded, both implicitly and explicitly, throughout our curricula.

Several years ago in the Early Elementary program we introduced a twist on classic free play time by drawing kids names at random for Partner Investigation once a week. We believed it would help kids build cooperative play skills like flexibility and compromise.

Boy, did it do that and more! Two of the biggest positive outcomes have been related to bravery—1) Students quickly strengthen their ability to advocate for their ideas to classmates with whom they may not regularly interact and 2) Over the course of a year’s worth of Partner Investigations, everyone rises to the occasion of playing with classmates outside their social circles. These new friendships often continue beyond this one experience. In fact, many unexpected friendships spring up each week. Without the designed opportunity to practice bravery by playing with someone new and deepening new friendships, our classrooms would feel less socially cohesive.

• We believe in the power of language. Communication skills are central to the ability to interact successfully with one another. You may feel brave, yet achieving a positive outcome requires practice with listening and careful attention to the tone and words selected when interacting with others. Social relationships also require followthrough in actions. From the time students enter school, they gain practice in expressing their feelings and considering the perspectives of others. Teachers model “I feel” statements and encourage students to practice with one another. When a student reports that they have

seen something they feel is wrong, our teachers often ask: “What did you say to them?” or “What did you do?” There is an expectation that students will take this risk, and if they have not yet taken that step, teachers help students practice what they could say, then encourage them to return to the situation. With our youngest students, we also work hard to cultivate language that reinforces the idea that teachers, even in social settings, are a resource. We encourage children to move from, “I’m telling on you,” to “I’m going to get some help so we can figure this out.”

• We work to build a community where peers are seen as resources. Each of us reaches a time when we know we need assistance to solve a problem.

Teachers at UCDS often refer children to peers to seek out their opinions or help problem solve.

Class Meeting is a formalized structure that allows students to ask for support from one another to work through a challenge.

Whether discussing the best way to keep a classroom organized or baring feelings about being called a name at recess, students are empowered by the shared experiences they have and are emboldened knowing that their community is behind them. “I’ve been called names too before, and it’s really not kind,” shared

a third grader; “If that happens to you, you can come play with me.”

Another student chimed in, “I tell people ‘that hurt my feelings’ when I get called a name. Sometimes that works. Sometimes it doesn’t though and you have to get a teacher.”

When students work together in Class Meeting to resolve issues, they are empowered as advocates who can think about what is best for the community. Children can reference these conversations in their everyday problem-solving: “Remember, we decided gymnastics was going to play over here so that soccer doesn’t interfere.”

No two students are alike. Some students readily embrace the learning that comes from mistakes.

Some learn to find their voice as a writer. Others learn the value in powerful listening and a well-timed response. Others feel comfortable sharing ideas out loud freely and regularly. Others learn the value in developing relationships and networking. Wherever students are starting, we teach them to cultivate a brave mindset in a variety of ways. We expect they will work with teachers to stretch academically, intrapersonally, and socially. Being brave takes many forms. We have an opportunity as educators to help cultivate bravery and support students as they turn that bravery into understanding, action, and change in the world.

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What Works

e v a r B ing8 t n e s re

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by Katie Morrison 10

The night before my first workshop... ...I laid awake, second guessing this idea of mine to host a workshop on science in the elementary school classroom.

What did I have to offer that other teachers didn’t already know?

What could they learn from me?

My ideas suddenly all seemed too simple and obvious to present to other teachers. In the end though, leading a workshop benefited me as much as I had hoped people would take away from it.

The truth is that all teachers have tools and strategies that other teachers could benefit from.

Actions that seem simple may feel that way to the presenter because they’ve evolved from years of practice and refinement.

While they may be second nature to the presenter, they offer a new perspective or inspiration to the audience. Sharing your ideas and practices results in benefits to fellow teachers as well as to you, the presenter. Presenting my work has strengthened my own practice through the enthusiasm I feel, the added opportunity to reflect, and the growth mindset required to look at my work from a different perspective. When you communicate your ideas with the larger educational community, your whole school benefits from the built connections between educators both inside and outside of your school.

For the audience, hearing about someone else’s classroom program and curriculum provides

original and fresh strategies and concepts. This participation offers the opportunity for the educators to reflect on their own practice and garner the inspiration to refine it. When I attend presentations or read articles, I view my own program through the lens of the presenter’s. How does what I do relate to this? What pieces could I add to my curriculum? It’s very exciting to bring back new ideas and methods to try.

There are many ways to share aspects of your program with a wider audience. At UCDS, teachers are encouraged to share their practices and thinking by presenting at conferences, hosting teacher and parent workshops, writing articles such as this one, and contributing to the school blog.

Often collaboration is key and teachers are encouraged to work with a colleague as they write or plan presentations. Internal professional development opportunities and coaching supports teachers to develop their communication skills. They are also provided with financial compensation to generate both oral and written presentations.

All teachers may participate in this sharing role which invites new partnerships, perspectives, and cross-level collaborations.

Leadership Role

Teachers step into a leadership role when they communicate their school’s programs and mission to a broader educational community. UCDS teachers are trusted to represent the school

and this trust, in turn, provides the confidence to take the risk of sharing their ideas and practices. Teacher leaders build community and culture within their school, as well as improve teacher practice beyond their own school walls. Classroom teacher Deb Chickadel reflected, “I love teaching teachers!

It’s a whole new level of understanding and looking at the craft to guide teachers in new and innovative ways. I am motivated by the teachers I meet from around the country and what they are doing in their own classrooms and schools. I love sharing and exploring and having conversations about how meeting students’ needs, classroom design, and many other aspects of being a teacher can continually be improved.”

Growth Mindset

Taking on the challenge of sharing your ideas means having a growth mindset: wanting to learn something new, embracing challenges, persisting, and stretching yourself out of your comfort zone (Dweck 2007).

You have to be willing to learn new skills, to consider the viewpoints of others, and to feel uncomfortable not knowing all of the answers right away. This mindset allows you to embrace continuous learning which is a hallmark of an effective and successful teacher.

This growth mindset is invaluable to teachers. We ask our kids to embrace challenges and take risks each day in the Continued >

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classroom, and it is important to model this approach for our students. Experiencing what it’s like to learn something new provides empathy for our students who are learning new things every day. Classroom teacher Betsy Watkins reflected, “When I was first offered opportunities to present, I felt unsure of my abilities. ‘I don’t really know enough to be acting as the expert,’ I thought. In response, my mentors were clear that embracing these opportunities should be seen as professional development. How else would I learn what people were wondering about? How else would I hear about administrative or cross-level perspectives? How would I learn how to respond to questions and best articulate our mission and philosophy? The answer, it turns out, is by doing exactly what we ask kids to do each day--jump in and try things out!”

Reflecting on Your Own Practice Sharing individual ideas and practices with the broader

community provides the opportunity to reflect on your practice. You see its strengths, its benefits for students, and its uniqueness. You also have the opportunity to practice articulating the mission and other aspects of your school. Presenting or writing for different audiences allows you to broaden skills in public speaking, adapt your message for the audience, and develop different ways to present the same material. Writing and presenting also keep teaching exciting— they provide new challenges, accomplishments, and incredible professional development. Music teacher Matt Swanson offered, “Presenting to other educators about my program helps me to clarify my approach, enables me to synthesize the key elements and sequences, and challenges me to translate and adapt the nuances of my teaching to different school contexts. The questions that emerge from conference attendees are also very informative. Sometimes I am surprised about the things that other teachers notice or are confused about. The question

‘How did you keep the students interested in this project for so long’ certainly gave me pause in one of my presentations. In order to answer it, I had to reflect not only about my own program but about the school culture at large. I realized that activities cannot merely be shifted from one context to another without considering the educational background that supports them.

In this way, presenters in specific subject areas can become ambassadors for a more holistic educational model.”

Learning from the Audience

Presenting at conferences or hosting workshops also allows you to learn from the audience.

Audience members often suggest ideas or ask questions that spur new ideas for curriculum.

Reflecting on her experiences presenting at the National Art Education Association conference, Jessica Garrick noted, “One of the biggest benefits to presenting for me is the opportunity to meet other colleagues. When you have the opportunity to meet with other teachers and take the time to talk with them and share what you are doing within your classroom, I find that I walk away energized and brimming with incredible ideas.”

While it is a lot of work and can feel daunting, the payoff is high for giving a presentation or publishing an article. By representing your school in this way, you are making educational connections both within school walls and outside of them. In this way, teachers grow professionally while strengthening the learning capacity of their own school. So, be brave! Get your voice out there.

Share your ideas with the world.

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How-to tips and strategies9: Choose a topic What part of your program or teaching stands out to you as excellent?

What aspect could other teachers benefit from? Maybe you have a unique approach to conducting Literature Circles or designing art projects for young students.

Maybe it’s a method you use to assess students. Choose a part of your program or teaching that is exciting to you and that you are proud of. Then, find a partner to join forces with! Collaborating with a colleague has many benefits. Betsy offered, “At UCDS, we always present (and often write) with other administrators or educators. Over the years, I have learned about the different ways people problem-solve and communicate. I’ve also been introduced to a wealth of resources that I would never have had time to unearth as a solo act.”

Find (or create!) a venue Is there a conference you could apply to for a presentation?

Would your school consider letting you host a workshop? Is there an educational journal or blog that you could contribute to?

If you are planning a presentation, decide the length and format.

Make an outline and choose the components that you are going to include.

I find that workshops and presentations are most engaging when there is a participatory component to get the audience moving, talking, and working. To do this, I spend a lot of time creating a hands-on way to illustrate the topic and to give participants a chance to experience and practice the skills and ideas. Even for just an hour-long workshop, I typically include two different hands-on opportunities.

For a presentation or a writing piece, you’ll need examples of the topic in action.

For my presentations and workshops, I always share photographs of students conducting experiments as well as pictures of their written work from their lab notebooks. I also often include video segments in a presentation. Even if they are only one to two minutes in length, video segments bring examples of what’s happening in the classroom to life.

Creating the video requires a fair amount of work: planning what to film, gathering footage, and finally editing the piece, but their value in communicating information is high.

Making time during the regular school day to document happenings in the classroom is difficult. Matt Swanson agrees, “It can be tricky to adequately document projects along the way.

My best presentations have been filled with audio clips, visuals of student work, and video footage of projects in action. I have learned the importance of maintaining an archive of these materials for future presentations, but I still have trouble keeping up with this in the heat of the moment of teaching. I know that for more experienced presenters, the challenge becomes the repetition of presenting similar topics over and over, and how to keep the material fresh. Having a continuous supply of new footage, stories, and experiences is key to sustaining the presenter’s energetic engagement with the material.”

I always get a little nervous at the beginning of a presentation.

To help with this, I typically memorize my opening lines which makes for a smooth start. I also grab the audience’s attention early with a relatable story and carefully plan the transitions.

Making slides simple keeps the audience’s focus on you and providing handouts or takeaways is always a hit with participants.

Just remember to be yourself!

You have your own style of teaching in the classroom. Share your personality and enthusiasm through your writing and presentations.

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Creative Fusion

Plotting a Course: t o u n c h a r t e d c u r r i c u l a

by Abby Sandberg and Melinda Deal

At UCDS, every school year is like a road trip.

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Our planned destination is that each student finds enthusiasm for learning and that he or she ends the year with a plethora of new academic and problemsolving skills. Getting to our destination may not be as simple as moving in a direct route from point A to point B. UCDS teachers, however, are well-traveled in the learning journey. We use our teaching expertise, a set of clearly defined goals, and a reliable toolbox of resources to embark on this excursion in a manner that is responsive to the learning needs of the students.

By opening ourselves up to the possibility of alternate

routes to our destination, we not only accomplish our intended goals but also reap the benefits of the learning that occurs off the beaten path. When we design for responsiveness in the journey, we make ourselves available for unexpected adventures and sometimes unforeseen challenges to conquer. Throughout the school year, the trips down these side roads, sometimes even off road, result in experiences that are more rewarding than we even imagined. Collaboration among faculty is a key component of these successes. Collaborative teaching requires risk taking, develops shared responsibility, and builds deep trust among colleagues, all of which help make it safe to be brave enough to try something new.

UCDS teachers are keenly attuned to what must be taught, but the “how” of teaching is constantly up for discussion. With the UCDS Continua as a guide to the progression of academic skills students will master, we collaborate with one another to design meaningful opportunities that will help students reach this end.

Looking with fresh eyes at the needs and interests of our students as well as the resources in the community, we design, test, and redesign our teaching methods.

We do not rely on teaching a particular unit or topic at a specific level; thus, we are always bravely inventing new ways to engage students and make connections between content areas through our unique yearly theme.

Because this is our educational model, founded on what we believe is best for children, it is easy—rather than rely on redoing things as they have been done before— to stir the pot and try it in a new way.

we address unexpected challenges and see how we call upon each other’s unique skills when a particular quandary takes us out of our current wheelhouse. We question one another, express ideas, and share unique areas of knowledge all in the view of students. Many times this collaboration is evidenced by consulting with Specialist teachers, who can enlighten the teaching team with information and strategies from their individual areas of expertise. For example, after reading an excerpt from the current Read Aloud book, a student query about the natural capabilities of the lead animal character spurred a class discussion that prompted a call from the classroom teacher to the Science Specialist. This modeling teaches students that questions are beneficial, seeking resources is wise, and collaborating with those around you can lead to greater understanding. This is another important benefit of brave teaching.

Although a willingness to take risks is certainly an important component of brave teaching, the collaborative nature of this style of lesson planning makes it feel safer to embark down an unknown path. During the school week, teachers Continued >

Sources of inspiration are unique to each school year. As by itAbby Sandberg andeach Jennifer Vary such, is is no surprise that learning experience is novel. We are adept at teaching the discrete academic skills on the Continua, but we do so in a way that is responsive to students. As a result, the route to student mastery of these teacher-generated goals typically includes paths on which we have never trod.

Because the path is uncharted, we must be willing to courageously begin these learning journeys even if we cannot always see clearly around the bend.

When we, as teachers, courageously embark on designing emergent curricula, we become excellent models for students to see critical thinking, flexibility, and collaboration first hand. Students witness how 15

meet regularly across grade level teaching teams and across Specialists’ disciplines.

We are courageous in our questioning and project design, posing questions that have multiple solutions, which we have not always worked out ourselves.

It is common to hear questioning such as, “What if we…..?” or “How about we try….?” Many times, our planning prompts projects for which we will have to observe students’ responses to determine how best to proceed through. During this process, we weigh pros and cons of potential paths, bravely assert ideas, and reach compromise. The entire teaching team takes ownership over the learning experience. We celebrate successes together, and we solve unexpected challenges collaboratively. This safety net of colleagues provides a platform for courageously forging ahead when you are not certain which path will lead to your goal.

Every instance of brave teaching supports future courageous endeavors. The more often we call upon the expertise of one another, the more knowledgeable we become about each individual’s unique skillsets. As we courageously work with a wide range of colleagues, the more familiar those individuals become and the greater comfort everyone experiences during these collaborations. For example, an upcoming solar eclipse prompted us to design an experience for students to learn about this phenomenon. Classroom teachers and the Science Specialist certainly had knowledge to impart. However, when we discovered that the school’s Director of Technology was an avid stargazer, we saw a great opportunity to expand the teaching team and call upon his expertise. Collaborations between all of these parties resulted in an afternoon viewing experience that students and parents engaged in together. While this outcome was deemed a success, an even greater benefit of this collaboration was the shared connection among those involved in the experience.

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The P r

Photography o j e c T

(Going Deep with Emergent Curriculum) A broad overarching theme and the freedom to see where it would go curricularly were two ingredients that led our team of third and fourth grade teachers to bravely explore new roads together. As energy and ideas began to buzz around the school year’s theme Illuminate, we decided to begin a photography project.

At the start, we believed that learning the science of how cameras work and the artistic concepts of lighting and arranging a photo would be an interesting thematic connection to explore in the year of Illuminate. Little did we know the project would take us and our students enthusiastically through the end of the year! None of the teachers on our team had a wealth of experience or specialized knowledge of the field of photography, but as is often the case when new theme-based curricular units are conceived, our interest grew as we talked about how to engage the students. We were soon creating assignments and delving in. Students used classroom point and shoot cameras and iPads as they learned hands-on techniques.

Several weeks into the project, the teachers had learned alongside the students as they read articles by photographers and held discussions in which student photographers explained their intentions and illuminated their lighting, composition, and editing choices. Since the kids were increasingly enthusiastic about their budding photographic skills, we found additional ways to continue the thematic study. As also often happens in uncharted territory, we found more and more ways to integrate photography into reading, writing, and mathematical skill practice for students.

For example, students wrote descriptive pieces to accompany their photos. They read nonfiction articles about digital cameras and specialized photographic techniques. They each researched a well known photographer and shared their biographies. In weekly classes with the Design and Technology Specialist, students made pinhole cameras, experimented with long exposures to track the movement of the sun, and explored picture editing software. As they gained skills, students created a photo essay about a day in their lives and shared it in a cross-cultural exchange with our sister school, Ascend International School, in Mumbai, India. When our students received photos from students in Mumbai, teachers began to discuss the power of

photography exhibit. Students bravely allowed peer reviews of their work as they selected their best pieces (below). The quality of the work was extraordinary and the depth of knowledge and pride of accomplishment exuded by these 8, 9, and 10 year olds was equally impressive. This theme-related study spanned a school year, traveled light years beyond what the teachers had first envisioned, involved collaborations that did not exist previously, and provided this group of students with a truly exceptional learning experience. photography as a documentary tool. Field work included a trip to a park to take “sports” photos of peers in action. After reading about nature photography, we arranged a collaboration with photographers from the local zoo, who led workshops and helped students photograph the animal exhibits.

Eventually we went beyond the traditional resources at our disposal (but that’s what brave teachers do) and sought the help of other staff members who are experienced photographers. Our UCDS digital media producer became a dedicated mentor to both teachers and individual students as we decided to take

on studio portraiture as the final focus of the project. He shared his equipment and was able to teach the students indirect lighting techniques and the finer points of using an advanced single lens reflex camera (above). Each student spent a week observing a peer in order to capture his or her unique traits in a paragraph and on film. The project was meaningful and personally relevant to students who were strongly motivated to capture the essence of each individual in the class.

With a spring Theme Fair on the horizon, we took a final leap of faith with our students by deciding to help them mount a Looking back, one of the teachers involved reflected on the value of designing emergent curricula: “Sometimes as teachers we can feel like we are supposed to know it all. It can be empowering for both educators and students to learn beside one another. I may not know a thing about apertures or shutter speed, but I am an expert at finding things out. Teaching kids to research, teaches them that they can independently take the risk to learn anything they desire.”

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People Who Inspire Us

Brave Leadership

An Interview with Reveta Bowers

Reveta Franklin Bowers was both born

and educated in Los Angeles, California. She retired in June 2016 after more than 40 years as the Head of School at the Center for Early Education, in Los Angeles. For the last fifteen summers, Reveta Bowers taught more than 700 NAIS Heads of School as the Lead Faculty Member at the NAIS Institute for New Heads. Ms. Bowers attended the University of Southern California where she received her undergraduate degree in Humanities, and later returned to complete a Master’s degree in Developmental Psychology,

UCDS parent, John Neilson loved ideas; those he found in literature and those he gained through a deep appreciation of world culture, math, science, art, music, philosophy and physical excellence.

In 1999, at the age of thirty-eight, John lost a hard fought battle against non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

In honor of John’s life, The Neilson Endowment Fund was created.

Through the Teacher Education Center at UCDS, we use this endowment to create and share programs that offer children access to big ideas.

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John was an inspiration to us in life and we dedicate this, ‘People Who Inspire Us’ section to him.

along with three teaching credentials. In 1995 Reveta was a Klingenstein Fellow at Columbia University Teachers College, in New York. Ms. Bowers served on the boards of The Educational Records Bureau (ERB), the Klingenstein Center Advisory Board at Columbia University, and as Chair of the California Community Foundation board. She has also served on the board of the Coalition for Justice, as past NAIS Treasurer, as past president of the California Association of Independent Schools, and as a former trustee at Harvard-Westlake, Brentwood and Windward Schools. She was a past president of the Board of Governors of the Fulfillment Fund, an organization that provides support programs for students in inner city Los Angeles public schools. She was an outside director of The Walt Disney Company from 1993-2003. Ms. Bowers is currently on the Board of Directors of Teachers College, Columbia University, The Dream Fund, The Fedco Foundation, The Rossier Graduate School of Education at USC and is the President of the national board of Common Sense Media. Upon her retirement from the Center for Early Education, Reveta Bowers began consulting with nonprofit and corporate boards and organizations on issues of governance and governance best practices. Ms. Bowers has inspired countless educators for several decades and UCDS was honored and delighted to speak with her in the spring of 2017.

Continued >

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UCDS: To get started, can you take me back to the beginning and talk about how you got your start in education and independent schools, and what inspired you to make this into a lifelong career?

Reveta: I actually began my career teaching in public schools, in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

This was after I finished college and while my husband was starting law school. Although I come from a long line of teachers—my mother and both her sisters, my grandmother, and my great grandmother were all teachers—I had actually never intended to be a teacher. I was intending to follow my husband into law school, but we couldn’t afford for both of us to go at the same time. So, I began teaching for LA Unified.

As sometimes happens in those large school districts, when enrollment goes up or down, newer teachers can be subject to furlough.

At the end of my first year teaching, I got the notice I would not have a classroom in the fall. At the same time, an associate superintendent who had visited my classroom during the school year gave me a business card of the school that her children went to. She said, “It’s an independent school, but it’s a great school. If you don’t have a job in August, call them and maybe you can get on the sub list.” Sure enough, I pulled out the card on August 1st, and it was for the Center for Early Education. I called the then founding Head of the elementary division, and she said, “can you come in today?” I marched myself over to the campus and had an interview with the director of the elementary school as well as the the director of the preschool. After a round of interviews, I accepted a position and taught Kindergarten in a master teaching capacity.

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The Center for Early Education had been founded in 1939 as a preschool and then later became

a teacher training college. The founding of the elementary school wasn’t until 1971, and I came to the school in ‘72. But by 1976, I found myself running the elementary school. A couple of years later I was asked by the board of trustees if I would also take over the running of the preschool. They wanted to make sure that what had been run as two separate divisions of the school would be run as one. I think the first thing that I brought to the board— and a part of my agreement to take over the preschool—was to elevate the preschool master teachers and put them on parity with the master teachers in the elementary school salary-wise. Recognizing that the master teachers were doing very comparable work with similar educational training and background was a good way to make a more cohesive unit between the preschool and the elementary school.

UCDS: How do you think about bravery in schools, and what are some of the challenges and opportunities that come with individual and institutional change?

Reveta: I think the challenges

of leadership require a certain amount of risktaking and being brave enough to take those risks.

I’ve always thought of the board of trustees that offered me the opportunity to lead in terms of being extraordinarily brave. These were people who didn’t know me all that well. I certainly had the woman who had hired me as a mentor and someone to vouch for what she saw as my leadership capabilities, but you know what? A young African-American woman in the mid-seventies, to be elevated to a Head of School position in an independent school, even in California, was unheard of. There were no other Heads of color, and it wasn’t a particularly diverse

school at the time that I ascended to leadership. So, with that kind of courage, on the part of that board and that kind of faith—because I think courage goes hand in hand with the confidence and the faith of people that you can get something done—the board felt they could move the school forward and do something to bring the faculty together. They knew that a passion of mine would be to diversify the school. And, personally, taking on an administrative position in a school when I hadn’t been an educational administrator before either took huge naivete on my part or perhaps a certain combination of naivete, determination and courage.

UCDS: What was your source of confidence and courage when you were taking on all these new challenges?

Reveta: One thing was that I knew how to work hard. I’d come from a long line of women who I’d seen work hard their entire lives. In fact, my grandmother, in 1920s Oklahoma, had started her own nursery school for the Greenwood community in which she resided. Greenwood was later the place of the most intense race riot in the country, and the entire neighborhood, including the elementary school she had started, her home, the businesses that my grandfather had started, were all burned down. So, I had heard the story of how you overcome a lack of confidence, how you develop determination, how you rely on a work ethic to not only survive, but to thrive and to move forward.

As I think about bravery, I think also about the people who were putting their children in independent schools in Los Angeles in the mid-70s in the midst of forced desegregation in schools. Sure, I recognize some were doing so as a way to escape desegregation, but for others it was a testimony to their determination to find a

good education for their children.

Southern California is a younger independent school community than its counterparts on the east coast, and at that time, families had to take a chance on schools that didn’t necessarily have a lot of experience.

UCDS: As a leader in a school, what are the challenges of creating a culture where other people feel empowered, where other people feel brave enough to take on chances and risks?

Reveta: We know that it takes strong faculty and strong administrators, and of course, when I took over the Center for Early Education there weren’t a lot of other administrators. But over time you have to invest in other people, and you have to grow leaders. You have to understand the seeds of potential leadership ability, and understand the competence of other individuals. From there you have to encourage them by giving them opportunities to lead. And so, a lot of my job was to see those leadership qualities in others.

A challenge is that sometimes you inspire leaders who fail, and then you have to work in the midst of that failure to encourage them to try again, to understand what went wrong, or to back away from that leadership for the moment until they have greater fortitude or grit or determination.

There are risks, especially when you take really good teachers or staff people or administrators and you elevate them and give them more responsibility and it doesn’t immediately work out. We always have to understand that, as we are developing classroom leaders and leaders on our staff,

there are pitfalls along the way to those leadership paths. But that shouldn’t stop us from inspiring and motivating and encouraging other people to be risk-takers.

It’s so important to model those leadership opportunities for the students in their classrooms because we are mission-driven—to do so is also to inspire leadership among our students.

the years I developed leadership interns, leadership fellows, opportunities for people in the school to advance the leadership that they were seeking. They sought and were given opportunities outside their regular jobs in the classroom to do more, to contribute more, to collaborate more, to find and develop their leadership voices.

UCDS: How do you support a growing faculty in a way that allowed your school leadership and community to evolve over time?

UCDS: What ‘pot’ would you like to see ‘stirred’ in independent schools right now?

Reveta: We have to understand the importance of building consensus and that a leader doesn’t dictate.

There are times when you have to dictate, but a leader wants to bring along and inspire other voices. You want to ignite that fire of leadership in the belly of other people because over time you’re going to have schools grow and change.

At the Center for Early Education, as we moved forward and did things like seek accreditation and develop curriculum and standards, we also had to develop a broader educational experience for children. We began to move outside the school to give students experiences in the community and the opportunity to give back.

We also wanted students to learn from the diversity of the outside community, as we began to diversify inside the school community. Those initiatives took teamwork, and they took determination, and they took classroom leaders stepping outside their classroom to work toward advancing the mission and the purposes of the school.

These needed to happen in order to broaden the experiences of our increasingly diverse student body Every educator needs to see there are opportunities for their career ladder to expand, and you don’t always want them to seek those opportunities elsewhere. So over

Reveta: Throughout my career, I’ve always been on a number of boards that support students in all kinds of educational places: in public schools, in parochial schools, in small rural schools, and large urban schools. And one of the things I’m working on now is something that I’ve longed for my entire career, which is a conference that would bring together educators across segments. Some of the greatest collaborations in my life and career have been with public school educators, charter school educators, parochial school educators, and college educators.

Quite naturally, we’ve thought that what we do in our sectors does not support what’s done in other sectors, and that’s just not true.

I sit on six different boards, from boards of colleges to boards of foundations, and every board I sit on has elements of collaboration between the different educational sectors. If we can find ways to collaborate and break down the walls between sectors, perhaps we can advance education in ways that will call attention to, and create, the professional respect all educators deserve. That’s my ambition. That’s my goal. If we move beyond the silos and speak across the different spheres of education, we may find that we have a powerful educational movement in this country. That’s my determination for the future.

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CATCHING UP WITH WESTON GAYLORD When he was a first-grader at UCDS, wondering what he would grow up to be, a teacher told Weston Gaylord, “You might end up having a job that hasn’t even been invented yet.” Eighteen years later, he has that kind of job. Weston currently brings immersive and interactive experiences to life, working as a creative technologist at the virtual/augmented reality studio, Here Be Dragons.

As its name suggests, Here Be Dragons works at the edges of the known territory of entertainment. The dragons Weston encounters are questions like, “Can we make this technology do something no one has ever tried before?” “Is this a genuinely new artistic medium or a technological gimmick?” “Will this piece give you a visceral and transportive experience or make you feel dizzy and nauseous?” In the world of VR, every attempt at storytelling is a leap of faith, with success depending on a combination of creative insight and technical daring.

But Weston also seeks to connect the medium to the live, social world of immersive theater. Outside of Here Be Dragons, he writes and produces shows that combine mixed-reality technology, music and live performance. UCDS sat down with Weston to discuss the excitements and fears of working in an emerging medium, warding off stage fright from a young age, and looking ahead to the next job that hasn’t been invented yet.

This article originally appeared in our summer 2017 Alumni Newsletter that can be read in its entirety with the UCDS iPad app.

Search for UCDS Publishing in the Apple App Store.

Q1. So, what have you been up to since UCDS? Give us a thirty second synopsis!

I went to UCDS through my 5th grade Moving On year in 2004. After, I went to Lakeside through 12th grade and became really involved in performing arts- I participated in the singing group, orchestra, and musicals. After Lakeside, I went on to Stanford and majored in symbolic systems- which is kind of like cognitive science and computer science put together. At Stanford I continued to act and produce theater, including shows, writing for musical theater, and I was also in a singing group called Fleet Street.

I graduated at Stanford in spring 2015, and since then have moved to LA and I am working at a VR production company called Here Be Dragons.

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Q2. Tell me about how your passion for theater started?

My interest started early; definitely at UCDS with Chair Announcements. I think I always just really liked being on stage and performing, it has always made me happy.

I figured out pretty early on that I always looked forward to rehearsal days. Also, I think theatrical communities are super strong at any level, and the people who are a part of them are so supportive. Those are the people that I wanted to be near.

Q3. What’s a day in the life at Here Be Dragons?

My day varies widely. There are about 15-20 people who work here full time, but we also have freelance editors, etc. for particular projects. We all wear a lot of hats, and my day to day is basically supporting different projects at different stages of development.

My interest started early; definitely at UCDS with Chair Announcements.

I think I always just really liked being on stage and performing, it has always made me happy.

Everything from early creative development meetings and idea generation to suggesting which cameras to use for 360-degree capture. VR is unique because you have to bring the technical voice into the process from the beginning and wrap it into the creative process. I’ve worked on stitching panorama video together for 360 video, developing a project in a game engine, adjusting lighting for a shoot and visual effects supervision and even testing and R&D for new camera systems and VR software. Some of the coolest VR environments that I’ve helped build are a VR piece for the movie Ghost in the Shell, and a holocaust testimony called The Last Goodbye. The VR piece that went along with the Ghost in the Shell movie was a 2 minute VR promo adventure where we built out scenes from the movie.

We gathered assets from the studio and worked with artists and motion capture actors to develop a martial arts scene—it combined a lot of different media.

The Last Goodbye is a holocaust testimony where the viewer inhabits different rooms in a concentration camp in Poland. Everything was constructed from photographs, and our team worked with a survivor who is actually in the room with you telling the story of his experience in the VR environment. It was really powerful experience.

For this project, I helped with the post-production process, integrating stereoscopic video of the survivor into each 3D photogrammetry environment to create a fully walk-around experience. I was also a liaison between companies that reconstructed the environment, Here Be Dragons, OTOY, MPC VR, and Q Department.

Q4. When you’re telling a story like that, how does it impact you?

It was tricky when I was in it—it’s hard to process the gravity of what the survivor is talking about.

We brought people in throughout the experience via focus testing. We measured things like how people respond to the environment. The feedback helped remind us of the emotional arc. It was important to pull us out of the technical aspect of the work and get back to the authentic details.

Q5. Speaking of storytelling, how do you tell a good story? What ingredients do you use for success?

I think that collaboration is very important. With both of the big theater things I’m working on right now—a musical called Gravity and a play called Retrospective.

I’m actually in Portland for Retrospective rehearsals right now. With Gravity I have 4 co-writers. For Retrospective I was the sole writer but I collaborated extensively with a director and VR producer to make the story come to shape. I always start with getting a draft out—something that can be revised. All of the best things I’ve worked on have gone through many, many drafts. I get it out and then trust my collaborators to make the story better.

Q6. What draws you to the theater and performance arts?

I love the live connection between actors and audience.

It has always fascinated me. It’s not specifically the craft of acting—it’s the magic of what happens in the room with a group of people on a particular night.

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Those are the pieces I enjoy in VR too; in VR we are now making a live component— where the viewer can collaborate with another person. We are now working on a storytelling experience with the Microsoft Hololens augmented-reality headset where you’re in a room with an actor and he’s improvising with you.

I love theater but I’ve always enjoyed telling stories around campfires.

I used to emcee assemblies at Lakeside, and I’ve always enjoyed speaking opportunities. Responding to and reacting to a real audience is powerful.

Q7. Can you describe a project that helped you connect with a community or place?

Retrospective, my latest piece, is an immersive experience that is written in the very near future where people download their memories onto a headset and watch them back. It takes place in an actual house in Portland, Oregon. The audience is in a group of 1530 people who are led by a docent through rooms in house. In the rooms there are actors who act out ten minute scenes, a family drama, and in between the five scenes there are short interludes where you can explore the house and put on VR headsets to watch the memories that the characters are talking about—it feels like a play but it has five short intermissions where you get extra glimpse into characters’ lives.

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I think adding site-specific plus VR is pretty unexplored as of yet. Retrospective does take place in a house in a neighborhood, and I hope we can bring it back in a house in LA and replicate it there and see if the piece can adapt according to the community and the environment.

Q8. What is the most rewarding part of the process for you?

I think for a lot of the projects, something that is rewarding and simultaneously frustrating is coming across problems you can’t just google and solve. In VR, there are challenges people have never worked on before. In almost every project our team comes across an issue that we have to improvise because it’s not something that people have done before. Here Be Dragons means you’re venturing toward unknown obstacles, which is fitting for what I do on a day to day basis.

When I figure out how to push the medium forward it’s incredibly rewarding – it’s a field where almost everyone is doing something that hasn’t been done before. Boundaries are being pushed every day—we are just at the beginning of that in VR. Now, most of it is short form and experimental; but, I’m really interested in the parts of VR & AR that could roll over into the real world and intersect with fields outside of cinema. Mediums like theater, choreography, sitespecific installation, and other disciplines to help guide users out of VR in their basements into more complex relationships with the world we already live in.

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Join us at a conference this spring.

NAIS

Title: NWAIS Futurist Fellows Explore New Models for Independent Education Date: Thursday, March 8 Tiem: 11:15am – 12:15pm Venue: Georgia World Congress Center Presenters: Katie Walters-Krohn, UCDS (WA); Richard Kassissieh, University Preparatory Academy (WA); Cary Kirby, Open Window School (WA); Lina Rose, The Evergreen School (WA)

NSTA Title: Using Lab Notebooks in the Preschool and Elementary Classroom Date: Friday, March 16 Tiem: 11:00am - 12:00pm Room: Georgia World Congress Center, A410 Come learn how to teach data collection, analysis, and recording for preschool and elementaryage children. Take away tools to design and implement lab notebooks in your classroom.

Presenters: Katie Morrison (UCDS Science Specialist), Deb Chickadel (UCDS Classroom Teacher)

NAEA Title: Selfies to Self-Portraits Date: Saturday, March 24th Time: 4 – 4:50pm Room: Center/Meeting Room 4C-1/Level 4 Why not rethink the selfie into a collaborative artistic project that lets students express their individuality? In this session you will discover a wide range of strategies for helping students explore self-portraiture. You will “speed test” several tech SKILLS Toolbox.

Presenters: Jennifer Vary and Melinda Deal (UCDS Teachers) Title: The Art, Science, and Design Engineering of Kites Date: Wednesday, March 21st Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm (Group departs at 8:30am. Returns approximately 12:30pm) Venue: University Child Development School Ticket Price: $49 Maximum Number of Participants: 45 Soar into STEAM by combining art, science, and engineering and design in this interactive, hands-on, short course exploring the high-flying world of kites. Explore the surface of a kite as a canvas and transform your artwork into a traditional Japanese Edo Dako kite. Use a wind tunnel and simple materials to explore the iterative design process and engineering design practices to discover the science behind what makes a kite fly.

Everyone will leave with an original kite and ways to integrate kites into your classroom across curriculum. One lucky participant will leave with our wind tunnel that collapses into a carry-on suitcase, complete with fan!

Presenters: Jessica Garrick (UCDS Art Specialist) and Ben Chickadel (UCDS Design and Technology Specialist) 25

NON-PROFIT ORG. U. S. POSTAGE PAID SEATTLE, WA. PERMIT NO. 02488

2017-2018 UCDS Board of Trustees Officers Katie Jordan, Chair Kobi Yamada, Vice Chair Greg Headrick, Treasurer David Brannon-Cirone, Secretary Members at Large Howard Burton Darius Cayetano Joe Gruber Jarrad Harford Steve Hollomon Van Katzman Will Kiefer Jeanne Nguyen Tony Stewart Rebecca Stuart Emily Thorpe Dina Wampold Ex-Officio Members Paula Smith, Head of School Amy Smith, Parent Association President Jennifer Vary, Faculty Representative University Child Development School 5062 9th Ave NE Seattle, WA 98105 206-547-UCDS (8237) www.ucds.org

The UCDS Mission University Child Development School designs a culture of inquiry essential to meaningful learning. We cultivate reflective, collaborative, skillful thinkers who ignite positive change in their communities. We engage diverse perspectives in an ongoing effort to shape and share our innovative education model.