Math is a creative endeavor

Fifth graders design and sew quilt squares to demonstrate tessellation.

Can all kids love math?  I think so.

For students in the past, math was considered something you were naturally good or bad at. But, thank goodness, it's different now.  Along with a base of mathematical concepts and facts built through games, objects, and some good old memorization, math learning  can move into a realm that is highly interesting to children.  Kids can "make math"  - and they love it.

In Teaching Math to People Who Think They Hate It the author talks about a Cornell professor who wants to teach math so that students "get the pleasure of thinking, the pleasure of wrestling with a problem that fascinates."

That's what I see on students' faces when I walk into math classes at Parker - math that is both an intellectual discipline and a creative endeavor.

Building  and programming a robotic trebuchet or catapult to throw a ball the farthest builds skills in measurement, geometry, calculating distance, speed and acceleration, predicting proportional relationships and measuring angles,  Boolean logic...need I go on?!

Calculating proportional relationships and ratios with liquids: "Which juice is the juiciest?"

Obsession

I admit it - I'm obsessed.  With Hamilton.  The book, the musical and the soundtrack.  And interviews by Charlie Rose with Lin-Manuel Miranda.  And synopses in the New York Times.  And views on YouTube. I saw the play last September; read the book this winter; have been listening to the soundtrack in the car and on my morning walks.  I've been singing the songs in my sleep. (I actually had to stop listening because my head was swirling with the music night and day.)  And now I am reading the book all over again.

How fantastic to learn about a founding father whose story was obscured by the tellers of history. And that is one of the themes of the musical: who tells your story?

There are many wonderful universal themes and the multicultural cast and hip-hop music that give voice to the complex history and emotions of the time and the man reveal layer upon layer with each listening (or reading, or watching...).

Schools are finding ways to ignite middle and high school students' passion for history using Hamilton.  Our social studies teacher James Lizardo was introduced to the soundtrack by an exuberant 7th grader. "It's a story that talks about the ideals of American democracy and an initially impoverished immigrant and what he can achieve through grit and determination..." says Judith Rodin of the Rockefeller Foundation who has given $1.5 million to subsidize tickets for students.

Then, there's the Albany connection: Schuyler Mansion where Alexander Hamilton married Eliza Schuyler in 1780 and where they lived for two years and visited many times.  How cool is that?!

I invite you to join my obsession and call now for tickets to the Broadway show (although it's about $300 a ticket 8 months out) or read the book by Ron Chernow that inspired the play.  Listen to the soundtrack with your kids (warning: a bit of racy language).  They might not become history majors or musical theater writers, but as Lin-Manuel Miranda says, "If we can excite curiosity in students, there's no telling what might happen next!"

Letting happiness flourish

Should students' happiness be a primary goal for schools?  Of course!  We can't guarantee happiness every minute for every child, but a general feeling of happiness is what makes it possible for children to be the most effective learners.

Jessica Lahey in her NY Times Education article, says that by modelling behaviors that make us happier, healthier and more productive, we can cultivate those qualities in children.  We should:

Live in the moment
Model resilience
Manage our energy
Do nothing (take the time to relax)
Be kind to ourselves
Be kind to others

Happiness is the native habitat of children - just watch their exuberance when given the chance!  Joy should not be a surprise in school.  It's our job as the adults who manage children's environments to be the models and to make sure we lay the groundwork for interest, excitement, engagement, discovery and compassion to blossom.

Don't worry. We are going for a walk.

K-1 teacher, Jennifer Gresens just wrote a beautiful piece about living in the here and now.  As parents we feel the anxiety of our high stakes world, and we worry about whether our children will gain all the skills and experiences they need to be successful adults.  Jennifer says,

The problem with looking forward, always in preparation mode, is the loss of the here and now. Children will never get those years back.  They'll only be five once.

Her answer?  Children need us to trust that where they are right now is just right.  But for many parents, that's hard!

We do need to trust that in a supportive environment, eventually our kids will learn to read, master multiplication, and get into a good college.  Pushing them too much, too fast, won't help.

For parents who know they shouldn't worry, but are in worry mode anyway, try out some of these 49 Phrases to Calm an Anxious Child for yourself:  "You are not alone in how you feel"  and  "Let's learn more about it." And if all else fails, there is always the time-honored, "We are going for a walk."

Becoming passionate communicators

All kinds of writing goes on in middle school: from mini-thesis papers to the activity above, where a visiting graphic novelist inspired students to come up with their own cartoon-like stories.

Today I got the list of topics for the 8th grade thesis projects - something I look forward to every year.  Middle school kids are passionate about ideas and the range of topics this year proves the point. Students have done their initial research, organized note cards into a system that informs an outline, and then the writing and re-writing begins on a ten to twenty page paper. There is a presentation component, and students rise to the occasion with powerful words and images that condense their ideas into a 5 minute talk.

As social studies teacher James says, "This assignment is designed as a keynote experience for Parker students to exhibit the knowledge and interests developed during their time at the school."

Class of 2016 topics:

The Mexican Border
The Death Penalty
Common Core Standards
Gun Control
Gambling and Gaming
Obesity
Racial Profiling
Gay Rights
Violence in Video Games
Undocumented Workers
Animal Rights and the Best Approach to Protection
Incarceration and Violence

The sound of gravitational waves

I am so excited!!!!  The report today in the New York Times of scientists hearing the sound of two black holes colliding a billion light-years away, that proves Einstein's theory of gravitational waves, is just phenomenal!

It took one hundred years, including 40 years of scientific exploration and $1.1 billion investment by the National Science Foundation, to test and prove what Einstein predicted in 1915.

Using two 2.5 mile long "antennas" ending with mirrors hung with glass threads, the LIGO team of physicists detected changes smaller than one ten-thousandth of the diameter of a proton.  And they recorded it.  So you can hear it.  That. is. amazing.

The questioning, striving and passion to continue this work over time; the dedication to an idea and the curiosity and determination to follow through; the serendipity, cooperation, invention and creativity of a team of physicists working together - it is the perfect example of what we are teaching our students to do and be.  Our school's mission  - our equation for education - is to inspire curiosity and a passion to achieve and to cultivate purposeful action. This equation has lead to exciting and wonderful achievements by so many of our graduates.

I love this phenomenal example of the quest to answer questions about the nature of the universe.  I hope you will be as inspired by it as I am!

Playing with questions

As the world rapidly changes, parents and educators are in a constant process of examining what skills children need for their future success.  It feels ever more important that we get it right.

Last spring, we gathered a group of scientists and college professors to pick their brains about this topic.  The skill that they felt was most important - and they were adamant about this - was the ability to ask good questions. Without a questioning mind, they asked, how can people bring passion, energy, or innovation to their work?

I just read two great articles - one about how to best educate preschoolers and the other about teaching kids how to ask questions and I think they both are spot on.

The first article is about Erika Christakis and her new book, The Importance of Being Little: What Preschoolers Really Need From Grownups.  Erika's main thesis is that play is how children learn and we desperately need to make it the centerpiece of their school and home lives.  I am so gratified that the education we  have here at Parker is steeped in rich, complex play experiences.

The second article talks about Warren Berger's book, A More Beautiful Question.  He suggests that questioning is a highly valued skill in today's innovation based work world, and is essential for an informed citizenry.  "We want children's questions to be large and expanded instead of being diminished and eventually going away," Berger says.

I was interviewed by two Parker middle school kids yesterday and we got talking about the importance of questions, play and hands-on learning.  They had terrific questions for me, and expressed how much they valued exploring through hands-on experiences as a way to learn, especially in science class.

So, check out these articles, play around with the ideas, and send me any questions you have.

A true friend

Here is the story of a life-long learner and someone who gives back in so many ways.

Retired GE engineer, Len Berube became a friend of the school when one of our trustees invited him to the annual auction.  He has a wood-working hobby and donated some beautiful boxes to be auctioned off.  He was intrigued by Parker's approach to education, and came to visit the school.

Len loved the hands-on nature of the learning and asked if he could bring his lathe to show students how to make a "dibble" -  a tool for planting bulbs.  The 2-3's were enchanted and each made a dibble of their own in science class.

After a conversation with our science teacher, Len began to collaborate with her on a STEM idea, and the Engine Project was born.  Sixth and seventh grade students took apart several combustion engines and put them back together with tools Len donated, capturing their imaginations and activating their love of tinkering.

Len then contacted Plug Power, a leader in hydrogen fuel cell systems located in Latham, about an even bigger idea.  Their engineers jumped on board and after Len did an internship at the company, he facilitated a fuel cell project that lead to students' presentations on using renewable power for humanitarian purposes.

This morning Len gave all the students at Parker an extraordinary bench he made with them in mind.  It comprises nine kinds of exotic woods and contains a compass rose, four hearts, scientific symbols, and secret compartments for time capsules.  It is inscribed: to Parker Academic Explorers and will be treasured for years to come.

Lenny's creativity and generosity have brought the school many gifts, not the least of which is his passion.  He has opened doors, fostered community friends and partnerships, and given of his talents.  (He also brought cake.)

Thank you, friend!

I am admiring Len's workmanship!
The bench is made of Filipino mahogany, eucalyptus,
Brazilian cherry, South American  mahogany,
North American red and white cedar and white pine,
Peruvian walnut and African purple heart.

Maximizing brain power

On a recent visit to 4-5 science I came upon a happily buzzing classroom where small groups were deeply involved in exploration and filling notebooks with information, diagrams and drawings. They are learning about a big topic - energy.  As a start to the study, their activities involve several ways to find out information, process and use it.  From simulating coal formation (above) to explaining how a hydroelectric dam works or drawing a house that uses 3 forms of alternative energy, students are asked to: Read it; Sort it; Match it; Tech it; Draw it; Explain it; Analyze it; Create it!

This is an example of using the variety of ways that our brains process information, moving from making connections by sorting and matching to the complex skills of analyzing and creating.  Later this winter these students will design and test wind turbines and make solar ovens.  I am definitely coming by on the day they bake brownies!

Feeling thankful (for friends, food, and fun!)

Fourth grader Liam R. was thinking about things he was thankful for.  Over the break he typed up his list and shared it today with classmates.

20 Reasons I'm Thankful for Robert C. Parker School

1. Amazing Faculty
2. The amount of good fundraisers
3.  Great friends
4.  Fun clubs, activities and competitions
5.  Awesome summer camps
6.  The great organization
7.  Buddies
8.  Just the fact that there's a pond
9.  Education
10. 70 acres of land
11. The amount of fun!
12. Spaghetti lunches
13. Pizza lunches
14. Pellegrino lunches
15. Nature hikes
16. Studying of continents and countries
17. Good projects
18. Teacher-student interactions
19. Friendships
20. Awesome physics