Spring 2016 - Martha Holden Jennings Foundation

Martha Holden Jennings Foundation
Shifting Professional
Practice
MARTHA HOLDEN JENNINGS FOUNDATION
SPRING 2016
The Dayton Regional STEM Center is inspiring Montgomery County teachers, such as Jill Weaver (above) in her classroom at Valley View Junior High
School, to integrate rigorous STEM learning experiences in course content to
meet the needs of their 21st century learners. (see story pg. 12)
PRO EXCELLENTIA
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SPRING 2016
Teachers Earn “Jennings
Fellow” Distinction
The Martha Holden Jennings Foundation
The purpose of the Martha Holden
Jennings Foundation is “to foster the
development of individual capabilities
of young people to the maximum
extent through improving the quality
of teaching in secular primary and
secondary schools” and “to provide a
means for greater accomplishment
on the part of Ohio’s teachers by
encouraging creativity in teaching and
bringing greater recognition to the
teaching profession.”
recognizes the 2016 Jennings Fellows
for their commitment to professional
learning and excellent teaching to ensure
deep learning for Ohio’s public school
students.
These master teachers were nominated by their districts to participate in
the Jennings Educators Institute in the
fall. A three-part professional development program, the Institute encourages,
supports, and fosters the development of
teachers and their work in the classroom.
Those who chose to earn the distinction
“Jennings Fellow” take the extra steps to
put what they learn into practice.
These teachers are required to design
and implement lessons incorporating the
ideas presented at the Institute. In April
the group meets once again to share how
the teaching strategies in their newlydeveloped units impact students and
enhance their own personal practice to
better engage learners. They reflect on
the challenges/difficulties; issues with
implementation; what they learned in the
process; and how they will continue to
use these ideas and perhaps revise more
lessons. Each teacher or teaching team
creates a professional poster summarizing their work and highlighting
their results.
At the 2016 April event, the Foundation’s Executive Director, Dr. Daniel J.
Keenan, presented each Fellow with a
plaque and encouraged all to continue
with their work and, where appropriate,
seek grants from the Foundation to further deep learning in their classrooms.
As they mingled informally to share
their results, the teachers commented
on their experience at the Institute and
the work they completed as Jennings
Fellows: “The Jennings Institute was the
first experience I’ve had where we were
encouraged,” says Meghan Johnson, who
teaches 4th and 5th grade at Hayes
Intermediate School in the South Western City Schools. “For every question we
had, the answer was directed toward our
continued on p. 3
Pro Excellentia is published to describe
a sampling of those efforts.
We ask that you please share this copy
with colleagues who may gain valuable
information and ideas from articles
covered in this publication.
Mary Kay Binder, Editor
© 2016 Martha Holden Jennings Foundation
The Halle Building
1228 Euclid Avenue
Suite 710
Cleveland, Ohio 44115
MARTHA HOLDEN JENNINGS FOUNDATION
Jennings Fellows (l. to r.) Meghan Johnson, Rae Ann Dollmatsch, Rebecca
Kelly Ondo, and JeNell Roberts share experiences from their classrooms after
implementing learning from the Institute.
2
PRO EXCELLENTIA
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SPRING 2016
2016 Fellows
continued from p. 2
personal experience in the classroom.
I felt inspired and motivated by the three
speakers; I can’t explain how positive it
was. You just walked away wanting to
get back to your classroom.”
“With all the changes going on in
education you can get to the point where
you feel overwhelmed and the passion is
taken away,” comments Sherese Dent, a
3rd grade English Language Arts instructor at Tussing Elementary School in
Reynoldsburg. She attended the Institute
with a grade level colleague and her
school’s principal.
“The Institute inspired us. We
walked away from the second session fired up, realizing that we
do have control over some things
and that those were the things
we were going to focus on. It really
has transformed our teaching.”
Asked if she would recommend the
Institute to a colleague, Ms. Dent adds:
“Do it. Do it. Do it. It’s worth the time.
I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Knowing
somebody understands us, has been in
our shoes, and really cares, helps validate us as teachers.”
Kathleen Kleemeyer, who teaches
French at Northland High School in
Columbus, says, “anything that makes
you actually reflect back on your teaching makes you a better teacher. We don’t
have a lot of time to sit and reflect and I
think that is the piece that is missing in
education today.
“If you are feeling frustrated about
your teaching, or are in a lull, the Institute is a great way to bring yourself
around, feel positive about what you are
doing, and rejuvenate what’s going on
in your classroom. I really appreciate
Jennings giving us this opportunity and
recognition,” she adds.
The 2105 Institute was held for teachers in
the central part of the state and took place
at Otterbein University. See page 16 for information regarding the 2016 program.
2016 Jennings Fellows
Jennifer Ahlfors, Hayes Intermediate School, South Western City Schools
Elaine Blakely, Northland High School, Columbus City Schools
Susan Deacon, Johnnycake Corners Elementary School, Olentangy Local Schools
Barbara Demming, Monroe Elementary School, Jonathan Alder Local Schools
Sherese Dent, Tussing Elementary School, Pickerington Local Schools
Rae Ann Dollmatsch, Tussing Elementary School, Pickerington Local Schools
Mallory Farquhar, Riverside Elementary School, Dublin City Schools
Amber Harris, Bloom Carroll Middle School, Bloom-Carroll Local Schools
Meghan Johnson, Hayes Intermediate School, South Western City Schools
Rachel Jones, Fairbanks Elementary School, Fairbanks Local Schools
Kathleen Kleemeyer, Northland High School, Columbus City Schools
Susan Kucharek, Worthington Kilbourne High School, Worthington City Schools
Rebecca Kelly Ondo, Woodward Park Middle School, Columbus city Schools
JeNell Roberts, Woodward Park Middle School, Columbus City Schools
Lauren Scott, Glacier Ridge Elementary School, Dublin City Schools
Deborah Shepherd, Northland High School, Columbus City Schools
Rebecca Thompson, Centerburg Elementary School, Centerburg Local Schools
MARTHA HOLDEN JENNINGS FOUNDATION
3
The Jennings Institute inspired
teachers such as Sherese Dent (l.)
and Rachel Jones to create “learner
centered” classrooms, and the teachers are eager to share their results.
PRO EXCELLENTIA
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SPRING 2016
The World On View­
FilmSlam, Cleveland International Film Festival/
Northeast Ohio Schools
“The Cleveland International Film Fes-
tival (CIFF) is a great forum for learning,”
says Matt Heslep, a Spanish language
teacher at Lakewood High School. “It’s
loaded with stories students can respond
to. Sometimes they entertain; sometimes they are deeply moving. Sometimes there are stories that have never
before crossed the students’ minds.
“My students discover that people in
the world are living and experiencing
things that are so different from their
own context,” he continues, recalling a
documentary they viewed last year about
people whose last name is Hitler. The
film touched on what their lives are like
and how people respond to them. Another film highlighted music in Afghanistan
and deeply touched the heart of a young
lady in his class who emigrated from that
country. “This is a great opportunity for
students to learn about our world. It just
breathes life into learning.”
Teachers in northeast Ohio have
been taking students to CIFF’s FilmSlam,
a just-for-students mini film festival,
for the past 24 years. The program is
primarily a media literacy experience
that gives students an opportunity to see
remarkable films by some of the world’s
most innovative filmmakers. It aims to
expose students to other cultures; foster
an appreciation for people different from
MARTHA HOLDEN JENNINGS FOUNDATION
Students check the
FilmSlam board
posted near the
entrance to the
CIFF to locate their
school on the map.
FilmSlam attracts
students from 19
counties across
northeast Ohio.
themselves; develop critical viewing
skills; and increase their awareness of
film as an art form that encompasses
more than commercial releases.
Designed for those in grades 5-12,
students typically view two films during
their FilmSlam experience, one feature
film and a collection of shorts. They are
all screened in the ten theaters in Cleveland’s Tower City Cinemas. In almost
every situation, the audience is treated
to a Q & A session with the filmmakers
afterwards.
Beth Steele Radisek, CIFF’s Special
Projects Director, says FilmSlam is filled
with highly inspirational films specifically chosen from hundreds of films that
appear in the full public festival. There
are narratives; documentaries; French,
German, and Spanish language films;
and shorts. A select group of students
previews the possibilities beforehand to
be sure the films chosen by CIFF staff
are of interest to young people. Teachers
choose from the final list when making a
reservation.
To enhance the learning experience
for students, CIFF creates and disseminates detailed study guides for teachers to use both pre- and/or post-visit.
4
They are written by Dr. Elena Bonomo,
a Cleveland native who holds a Ph.D.
in Cinema and Media Studies from the
University of Southern California.
“The guides are a good way of highlighting key vocabulary and cultural
points,” says Stephen Hanley, a Spanish
teacher at Cleveland’s John Hay School
of Architecture & Design, who has taken
students to FilmSlam for 15 years. “They
generate excitement for the upcoming
event and often provide talking points,
which are useful in sparking discussions.”
In 2016, for the first time, festival
staff designed a Teacher’s Workshop
with funding from a Jennings Foundation
grant. “The purpose of the workshop is to
help the teachers pre-festival understand
those study guides so they can go back
to the classroom and implement them in
relationship to the film, so they are more
prepared and can create lesson plans
around them,” explains Allie Freeman,
Development Assistant for CIFF.
The Saturday morning workshop,
which was held a month before the festival opening, attracted more than three
dozen educators. English, special
continued on p. 5
PRO EXCELLENTIA
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SPRING 2016
World On View
continued from p. 4
Workshop leader,
Dr. Elena Bonomo
says students
can apply lessons
learned through
film to “create a
better world.”
education, foreign language, media studies, and history teachers were among the
group. Dr. Bonomo gave a brief presentation of the history of film and discussed
the best uses and applications of the
FilmSlam curriculum guides.
“I wanted to give teachers tools
as how they can watch films more
critically,” explains Dr. Bonomo.
“The emphasis is on both creative
and critical thinking, not just about
film but about all media that is so
much a part of our lives today.”
Paul Sloop, CIFF Short Films Programming Manager, talked about the
history of short films and the importance
of short films to filmmakers and their careers. Through an impromptu discussion,
the teachers discovered their common
interests and decided to create a forum
to communicate about curriculum and
best practices related to FilmSlam going
forward.
“It was interesting to come together
with like-minded teachers,” remarks Mr.
Hanley. “I tend to think of FilmSlam from
a ‘foreign film’ perspective, but through
the workshop was able to see it from
another point of view.”
“I often feel stressed after workshops, but I felt invigorated, inspired,
MARTHA HOLDEN JENNINGS FOUNDATION
and rejuvenated!” remarks another
teacher in a follow-up survey.
With the myriad of learning opportunities FilmSlam presents, those behind
the scenes say it “just inspires kids.”
Whether it’s through the viewing of a
film about overcoming unimaginable
adversity (such as 2016’s feature Right
Footed about a young lady born without
arms who learns to fly a plane among
other accomplishments); a Q & A with a
young filmmaker who may not be much
older than themselves (such as the trio
of young 20-year-olds who directed and
starred in Romeo is Bleeding, the tragic
tale of gang life in Richmond, California,
and talked with students about their
experience following the viewing); the
camaraderie that comes from having a
common experience with students from
other schools; or the spontaneous chatter
about a feature or short film on the bus
ride back to school, FilmSlam is always
memorable.
“I’ve occasionally seen kids bored
on field trips,” remarks Mr. Hanley, “but
never at FilmSlam. It is universally loved
by kids.”
For more information contact:
Ms. Beth Steele Radisek
beth@clevelandfilm.org
Three dozen teachers attended the first FilmSlam Teacher Workshop, which
was held at the Ritz-Carlton in Cleveland.
5
PRO EXCELLENTIA
•
SPRING 2016
The Many Languages of Art
Muse Machine, Dayton
The 5th grade ACE Super Problem
Solvers from Edison Elementary School
in Dayton participated in a 12-week
in-school art residency that challenged
them to dissect the elements of a story,
write an original script, add elements of
drama, and perform for a younger audience. Through a program sponsored by
Dayton’s Arts Coalition for Education*
(ACE), the children worked with visiting artist Michael Lippert to link drama
and literacy. Through their retelling of a
familiar fairy tale, the students communicated what they learned about how
problems and solutions are represented
in literature. The beginning of their 24
stanza rap follows:
We are super problem solvers!
We solve problems in a book.
What? You don’t believe us?
Come on, take a look.
We’ll take on the fairy tale.
We’ll take on adventure too.
We Love to take on fiction!
Solving reading problems for you.
In every fiction story.
There is a problem, see.
Like in the Three Little Pigs
What would the problem be?
“Their teacher wanted them to understand that in many stories there may
be multiple solutions but some solutions
are stronger than others,” explains Elana
* Arts Coalition for Education
Dayton Arts Institute
Dayton Contemporary Dance Company
Dayton Performing Arts Alliance
Human Race Theatre Company
Muse Machine
Victoria Theatre Association
MARTHA HOLDEN JENNINGS FOUNDATION
Fifth grade students at River’s Edge
Montessori explore word acquisition
and dance.
Elmore, Managing Director for ACE, a
collaborative arts organization whose
mission is to increase students’ academic
success, critical thinking, and creativity
through research-based, arts integrated
education. As the rap continues several
stanzas later, the three little pigs discover that the house built of brick is the
strongest, just as in the traditional tale:
Piggy one and two
Went to live with piggy three.
In the strong brick house.
They were safe as could be.
Yes, we’re the super problem solvers!
And as you can see,
Piggy 3 listened to us
Now all the piggys are as happy as can be.
In every fiction story.
There’s a problem and solution.
Some are better than others.
Now here’s our conclusion...
6
With funding from the Jennings Foundation, ACE developed a pilot program
that placed Mr. Lippert and professionals
from six different Dayton arts organizations* into two public schools that face
persistently low student achievement
results on state tests. Their goal was to
provide quality art experiences for 325
4th, 5th, and 6th graders while connecting directly to the literacy standards.
“All the performing entities in Dayton
that came together feel strongly that if
our kids are struggling with literacy there
has to be something we can do to tackle
this problem,” Ms. Elmore explains.
The artists emphasized experiential
learning through four art forms: music,
drama, visual arts, and dance to satisfy
diverse learning styles and to support
rigorous instruction.
Under the direction of violist Sheridan Currie, students at River’s Edge
Montessori wrote Tall Tales to accompany
instrumental music. At Edison Elementary, visual artist Toni Birdsong asked
the students to explore who they are
as people and to understand their own
personal stories. She challenged them
to write personal narratives and create
self-portraits using repeating motifs.
At that same school, artist Quarianne
Blayr helped students connect poetry to
dance. In all these experiences, students
practiced listening, speaking, interpreting, and writing skills.
“What’s nice about this residency is that it is so experiential;
it’s an arts residency where the
kids aren’t just watching art, they
are very interactive,” explains
Ms. Elmore, a performing artist herself and a former English
teacher.
continued on p. 7
PRO EXCELLENTIA
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SPRING 2016
Languages of Art
continued from p. 6
Edison 6th graders wrote personal narratives
and created portraits with a repeated motif. (r.)
River’s Edge 5th graders screen print historical
figures at the Dayton Art Institute.
ACE provided teachers and the artists
with a joint professional development
program before the in-school activities
began. Topics included best practices in
arts integration, a review of the literacy
strands, and challenges facing this particular age group.
“We wanted teachers to understand
who we are and what we optimally
wanted the art experience to look like
for their students,” Ms. Elmore says.
The artists rely heavily on building a
relationship with the classroom teachers
to achieve the best outcome. Teachers
determined the classroom focus, and the
artists figured out how to merge that
Due to the length of the residency,
students and artists get to know each
other well, which is unusual in a typical arts residency and leads to a more
valuable experience. Each artist visited
the classroom seven times for 50-minute
sessions each.
“Because we aren’t so driven by time
or a test the students are able to really
dive into whatever activity they are doing,” says Ms. Elmore. “We wanted to
create a critical thinking space where
they had time to ponder. They don’t often get time to experience, or ask questions, or just sit with the information.
We wanted this experience to be really
with their particular discipline.
different. We wanted to focus on just
learning, as opposed to doing something
for a grade or for a test.”
The outcome, she adds: “We see
student engagement; we see positive
dispositions toward learning; we see a
team culture.
“Ultimately, we want to see learning
in the classroom. We want to see that
our students are joyful and that we are
starting conversations that address academic, artistic, and social needs.”
In addition to the in-school experiences, the pilot program also planned
field trips to the artists’ home organizations. For many of these students it was
the first time they visited an art museum
“We always look at this work as
a collaborative effort,” emphasizes
Ms. Elmore. “We are only as strong
as our partner teacher. If we aren’t
collaborating and bouncing ideas
off one another then we won’t be
as successful as we could be.
“The one thing I tell the artists is that
teaching and learning that sticks with
students has to be theirs. If they take
ownership, and if they have command of
it, it will mean more to them.”
MARTHA HOLDEN JENNINGS FOUNDATION
7
or heard professional musicians. These
exposures, Ms. Elmore says, change
their perspective on learning and life.
With a year of the pilot completed,
Ms. Elmore is eager to repeat the effort
again next year: “I think this kind of program is necessary to students’ success
in the classroom. Sometimes educational
approaches today are too rigid. This kind
of approach allows students freedom in
the classroom.
“So many of these students
found their voice through this
residency. And that was huge.
These kids have so much joy; they
want to know more; they want to
learn. They will never forget this
experience.”
For more information contact:
Ms. Elana Elmore
Arts Coalition for Education
elana.elmore@gmail.com
PRO EXCELLENTIA
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SPRING 2016
Launching an Effort in Collaboration
grants-toeducators
Fairport Harding High School
Eighth graders in Susan Tenon’s English class at Fairport Hard-
ing High School in Fairport Harbor spent much of second semester building rockets in the high school physics lab.
After reading and discussing Homer Hickam’s memoir, October
Sky (the story of a West Virginia coal miner’s son who was inspired by the launch of Sputnik to take up rocketry), the students
worked together with older physics students to build homemade
rockets they launched before their classmates at semester’s end.
“The skills you use for creative writing are the same skills
you use for technical or scientific writing; you have to observe,
interview, research, document, and reflect,” explains Ms. Tenon,
who partnered with physics teacher Russ Messer to show how
if I can’t communicate it to others,” he explains. “Even though
the students were coming to my room and doing science-related
work, there was a lot of English going on. They were writing,
recording, and reflecting in their scientific notebooks all the time.”
Unlike the previous year’s, these students were required
to test and modify their rocket designs in an effort to achieve
maximum launch performance, a process that was instrumental
to deep learning. They tested how high their rocket flew, the
stability of the flight, and the control of the landing.
“The deep learning came out of their struggles,” says Mr.
Messer, adding that the students experienced some of the same
literacy and science overlap.
With a Grant-to-Educators from the Jennings Foundation, the
teachers collaborated to develop students’ skills in critical reading
and writing, problem solving, self-directed learning, and thinking
like scientists. They challenged students to build and test bottle
rockets, documenting in scientific notebooks every hypothesis,
problem, material, and trial launch result each step of the way.
Ms. Tenon, whose classroom is situated next door to Mr.
Messer’s physics lab, tested the idea a year ago with 14 language arts students. The students built and launched rockets
but did not spend time modifying their designs or documenting
their work.
“We liked what was going on,” explains Ms. Tenon, “and
thought, ‘What if we wrote for a grant and did this for real?’”
The “for real” process began with the approval of their Grantsto-Educators proposal. They purchased safety goggles; laboratory notebooks; and assorted materials for 15 teams of students to design, build, test, and launch bottle rockets.
Mr. Messer, who holds several patents and has authored
many scientific papers during a previous career in industry,
emphasizes how integral written communication skills are to
scientific research. “It doesn’t matter how great my science is
frustrations as the teens they read about in October Sky.
“They thought Mr. Messer was going to tell them how to do
everything, and he did not,” Ms. Tenon emphasizes. “When they
figured out they weren’t going to be told how to do it, they took
charge. They started talking with other people and researching
on the Internet. This was an incredible project for developing
thinking skills. They needed to think critically, identify problems, and come up with their own solutions.”
During the final launch, the students assembled on the
school athletic field and triggered their rockets in front of the
entire student body. Each group’s anxiety was noticeable as
they watched their designs lift into the air, hoping for a controlled descent that would land safely without breaking the raw
egg or “astronaut” tucked inside.
“Did you see how engaged these students were?” asks Mr.
Messer commenting on the depth of the students’ learning.
“When you give students the tools they need and they take ownership of a project, it sparks a whole different level of interest.”
“I love this project because the students realize that reading
and writing are not done in isolation, it is not just happening in
English class,” adds Ms. Tenon. “You need reading and writing
skills anywhere.”
For more information contact:
Ms. Susan Tenon, stenon@fhevs.org
Mr. Russ Messer, rmesser@fhevs.org
Pages from the
students’ lab notebooks show the
detailed notes they
took on the procedures, tests, and
trials of their bottle
rockets.
MARTHA HOLDEN JENNINGS FOUNDATION
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PRO EXCELLENTIA
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SPRING 2016
A Taste of Project-Based Learning
grants-toeducators
Yellow Springs High School
Freshmen Jude Meekin and Lily Bryan are eager to show off the
lettuce growing in the hallway at Yellow Springs High School.
“These are aeroponic gardens,” they remark, pointing to two
cylindrical towers sprouting an abundance of lush green plants.
There is no soil, they explain, the plants grow using air, watersoluble nutrients, and light.
“We planted seeds in the little pods and water is pumped up
through tubes—you can even hear it raining down on the roots,”
remarks Jude. “When we planted them they were tiny seedlings
and in three weeks they were large plants. It’s an efficient way
of growing food.”
“We wanted to emphasize local foods and there is nothing
The project launched with a visit to Antioch College Farm
where the students learned about locally-grown foods and the
benefits of choosing organic “farm to table” products. A local
chef visited the school and explained the concept of “slow food,”
the highly-valued “all day” cooking method common before the
advent of fast food.
With a Grant-to-Educators from the Jennings Foundation,
the teachers purchased DVDs and class copies of books written
about the food industry, which they discussed in language arts
literature circles. Examples include Chew on This: Everything You
Don’t Want to Know About Fast Food by Charles Wilson and Eric
Schlosser; and Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma: The Secrets Behind What You Eat; and the movie Food Inc., described as
more local than our 8th grade hallway,” Lily adds.
“an unflattering look inside America’s corporate food industry.”
“That was terrifying,” remarks Lily, explaining the movie’s
portrayal of the meat industry. “I’ll never look at dinner the
same way again.”
After weeks of research, the students worked in art class
to create professional-looking infographics summarizing their
research. This was a time-consuming and challenging assignment, requiring them to edit and revise their designs many
times. They displayed the final graphics at an evening “Food
Expo,” which they planned to educate the community about what
they had learned. In addition to the informative display, each
group created an interactive element to educate visitors to their
booth on their food topic, a “tasting activity” or food sample, and
a take away item to inspire positive change.
“Visitors were astonished that we put this all together,” explains Jude, commenting on the Food Expo. “They saw that we
were passionate about this and were very impressed.”
“I didn’t expect to be so proud of what we did,” adds Lily. “I
didn’t expect to get so attached. Looking back it was stressful,
but appropriately so.”
Several months later, the students recognize all the skills
they learned in the process: “I am better off with any group
work now than when I started this project,” says Alex Ronnebaum, adding she learned how to curb her perfectionist tendencies working as a member of a group. “I learned the benefits
of critique,” comments Lily, saying she is no longer adverse to
constructive criticism. They also mention developing skills in
time management, communication, and group dynamics.
“I gained so many skills from this project,” says Lily. “It was
huge and there were 10,000 components to it, but it was really
cool and I am a lot better student because of it.”
Jude Meekin (l.)
and Lily Bryan
explain how
aeroponic gardens continue
to sprout lettuce
year round in
the school hallway.
The in-school gardens are an outgrowth of a 12-week interdisciplinary project the students completed last fall. Titled Food
for Thought, the project involved all 75 9th grade students and
their teachers and incorporated every subject area.
“I have collaborated with my colleagues in the past, but I’ve
never worked on an interdisciplinary project at this level,” explains art teacher Elisabeth Simon, who is also the project-based
learning coach for the high school. All 9th grade teachers, she
says, worked together to plan each stage of the assignment.
How Can We Cultivate a Healthier Community through Education
about Food Choices? was the driving question that set the project
in motion. Students were divided into small groups and given a
food-related topic to research. One group investigated sugar and
uncovered the differences between natural and artificial varieties. Another explored the food choices of populations living in
the world’s Blue Zones, where many citizens live past 100. Other groups researched spices, corn, and the struggle to eliminate
hunger. Their inquiry was to include elements of world history,
science, and mathematics as it related to their topic of choice.
MARTHA HOLDEN JENNINGS FOUNDATION
For more information contact:
Ms. Elisabeth Simon, Yellow Springs High School
esimon@ysschools.org
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PRO EXCELLENTIA
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SPRING 2016
Bookfly Boys Club
Cory-Rawson Elementary School
grants-toeducators
Mr. Heath Huffman and Mrs. Tracy
Stockwell pose with
members of the
Bookfly Book Club
just before their last
meeting in May.
When asked what he likes best about the Bookfly Book Club,
The club’s requirements are relaxed_no one is penalized
for not finishing a book. Yet, this year’s reading list was
compiled with input from the boys to keep their interest high.
Mrs. Stockwell says they prefer stories that are funny or
involve main characters their own age. She supplies copies of
each month’s selection, allowing the boys to keep some and
adding the rest to the library’s permanent collection.
Mrs. Stockwell says the monthly discussions immerse the
boys in elements of literature analysis similar to those she
teaches in high school. They touch on characterization, plots,
and themes. They examine what motivates characters and
connect personal experiences to the text. As the boys discuss
these issues they cite evidence from the story to support their
claims. And with an eclectic mix of students in the group, they
learn from and about each other.
“This helps kids continue to develop that love of reading,
but it also helps some feel a connection to school and to each
other,” says Mr. Huffman, who suggests any educator considering starting a similar club should, “Just do it.” Some of these
boys, he adds, aren’t involved in any other school activities and
this is a chance for them to belong. “And it’s a gift for them to
meet here and talk about books.”
With plans to continue the Bookfly Book Club next year,
the educators are hearing complaints from the girls who want
to start their own reading group. Mrs. Stockwell loves that idea
but is still determining how she can make that happen, too.
a 4th grader at Cory-Rawson Elementary School’s answer is
simple enough: “You get to read books!”
Many of the students who take part in the monthly club,
designed just for boys in grades 4-6, agree. Their excitement
is obvious as they all talk at once rattling off the favorite titles
they’ve read during the past year: I Survived 9/11 (and other
titles from the I Survived series that tell the story of historical
events from the perspective of a child their age); Middle School:
The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson; and Superfudge
by Judy Blume.
“The great thing about the book club is that they are
becoming better readers without even knowing it,” says Tracy
Stockwell, the district’s librarian, who also teaches 11th and
12th grade English in this rural school system in Hancock County. “It brings a focus to literacy and learning but in a fun way.”
Mrs. Stockwell designed the club a year ago to boost boys’
interest in pleasure reading. The group met monthly during
lunch to discuss a selected book they read outside of school.
Heath Huffman, Cory-Rawson’s principal for grades K-12,
led each discussion. Turnout was higher than the educators
expected and remained consistent throughout the year. This
year, with a Grant-to-Educators from the Jennings Foundation,
they hoped to build on that momentum.
“There is a turning point, among boys in particular, when
they loose interest in reading or don’t think reading is cool,”
says Mrs. Stockwell, explaining the “boys only” philosophy of
the club. “We felt a group of this nature might not only foster
and sustain an enthusiasm for reading but would also provide
the boys with a male role model who likes to read and talk
about books.”
MARTHA HOLDEN JENNINGS FOUNDATION
For more information contact:
Mrs. Tracy Stockwell, Cory-Rawson Local Schools
stockwell@cory-rawson.org
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PRO EXCELLENTIA
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SPRING 2016
Real-World Science
Boardman Glenwood Middle School
grants-toeducators
Have you ever heated a drink only to discover that it became
too hot to drink? You could let the liquid sit for a time until
it cooled enough to drink, or you could add a cooler substance
to the cup to cool it faster.
When two liquids of different temperatures are mixed
together, the warmer one loses heat energy and the cooler
one gains heat energy. The final temperature of the mixture is
always somewhere between the two starting temperatures. How
does the amount of the cooler substance added determine the
final temperature?
S tudents in Eric Diefenderfer’s 7th grade science classroom
at Boardman Glenwood Middle School recently experimented
with the transfer of heat in fluids in a way his previous classes
were unable to do. The students recorded the temperature of
hot and cold liquids in two separate beakers then mixed them
together to discover how and when the temperature changed.
In their lab notes, they predicted what the temperature of the
combined liquids would be. Using temperature probes, purchased with a Grant-to-Educators from the Jennings Foundation, they calculated the change as the mixture cooled down.
They were also able to observe the reaction in real time on a
graph on their Chromebooks. Throughout the experiment, they
changed the ratio of hot to cold water to see if they got different results. Finally, they compared data sets and graphs and
summarized their results in lab reports.
“This adds a visual element to the lesson they would not
have had before,” says Mr. Diefenderfer, explaining that an
AirLink device provides a wireless connection between the data
sensors and the school’s Chromebooks. The AirLink allows the
Chromebooks to gather the data collected by the temperature
probes and display graphs for students to analyze and draw
conclusions.
In addition to temperature probes, Mr. Diefenderfer used
grant funds to acquire probes and sensors needed to collect
data on light, motion, gas pressure, pH, voltage, barometric
pressure, relative altitude, absolute and relative humidity, and
dew point_ tools that simulate real-world work done by scientists. He will share the equipment among eight science teachers
in grades 5-8, reaching more than 700 students. He foresees
students in 6th grade constructing mouse trap cars and using
the motion sensor probes to record and graph the speed, velocity, and acceleration of the cars. The students will be able to
test different variables on their cars and modify them to meet
specific criteria. In another lab, 7th graders will design their
own bottle ecosystems and use a chemistry sensor to determine factors that affect photosynthesis and decomposition.
MARTHA HOLDEN JENNINGS FOUNDATION
Students in Mr. Diffenderfer’s 7th grade class learn that heat
moves in predictable ways, flowing from warmer to cooler
liquids, after using sensors to record water temperatures.
Mr. Diefenderfer also purchased standards-based teacher
guides for middle school earth, life, and physical science. Lab
activities within those guides engage students as they collect
real-time data, make predictions, and use critical thinking skills
to analyze results.
“I hope students learn how to apply scientific methods when problem-solving, get a better understanding
of graphing and data collection, and gain a deeper
understanding of the science concepts through these
experiments,” he remarks.
Already Mr. Diefenderfer has noticed that the labs have
sparked student engagement and prompted some to dig deeper
into a topic. A lesson comparing convection and conduction led
one student to question what would happen if he changed several variables in the experiment. “He started asking ‘What if?’”
says Mr. Diefenderfer. With the scientific tools on hand, he was
able to investigate several questions never asked in the original
experiment. Mr. Diefenderfer believes this type of inquiry leads
students to develop important 21st century critical thinking and
problem solving skills.
“I learned that there is more to a lab than just finding an
answer to the question in the initial experiment,” he adds. One
student’s curiosity, he continues, led to new learning opportunities for all.
For more information contact:
Mr. Eric Diefenderfer, Boardman Glenwood Middle School
Eric.diefenderfer@boardmanschools.org
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PRO EXCELLENTIA
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SPRING 2016
Inspiring Excellent Teaching
Leads to Deep Learning
Dayton Regional STEM Center
“Our goal from day one of the
organization has been to enhance our
professional teachers and their abilities
to incorporate rigorous STEM learning experiences in the classroom, lead their colleagues, and be refreshed and inspired,”
says Sandra Preiss, Coordinator, Dayton
Regional STEM Center. The Center provides STEM-related services to 26 school
districts in the Dayton region through the
Montgomery County Educational Service
Center. For the past eight years, the
Center has been working to shift professional practice among these educators
through the STEM Fellows Professional
Development Program.
Each year, the program brings together a professional learning community
made up of K-12 classroom teachers,
STEM Educational Quality
Framework
higher education professors, and STEM
industry professionals. The groups immerse themselves in a collaborative,
yearlong effort (at least 35 hours of faceto-face professional development and
20 hours of online collaboration) aimed
at understanding how to incorporate best
practices in STEM education in a manner
that promotes critical thinking, student
engagement, collaboration, technology
integration, and hands-on learning linked
to career skills. Essential to their work
is understanding and applying the engineering design process. Inherent within
the STEM industry, this process encourages students to design, test, modify,
and retest their work in an effort to
deepen their learning in any content
area.
“You can bring STEM down to a level that younger children can do. Working with
industry professionals, I learned how important it is to give students a chance to collaborate and how important the redesign process is. That builds those 21st century thinking
skills that our kids need.”
- Tara Lozen, PreK teacher, Early Childhood Education Center, Mad River
“It’s been very enlightening to not just look at a STEM lesson but to actually participate
in the curriculum development. There are so many pieces that go into a lesson to make it
a quality STEM lesson. I realize I had been missing some of those pieces in my teaching.”
- Amanda Wilson, Kindergarten Teacher, Timberlane Learning Center, Northridge
“For years we taught kids the scientific method. We never really talked about going
back and retesting. But the engineering design process tells us to keep going, and going,
and going. That has been the shift in my teaching. And it is really good for kids.”
- Colleen Biers, Third Grade Teacher, John H. Morrison Elementary, Northridge
“It is a gift to be able to participate in the STEM Fellows Program. It truly is my spark. To
be able to sit down with my peers who are just as passionate as I am and hear what they
are doing is inspiring. It keeps me active and engaged just like I like to keep my students.”
- Jill Weaver, 8th grade teacher, Valley View Junior High, Valley View
“When students learn how to problem solve and think through things they do better in
any classroom setting. I recommend this program to any teacher in any discipline.
It’s really all about students and how they think.”
- Kim Lykens, Biology teacher, Stebbins High School, Mad River
MARTHA HOLDEN JENNINGS FOUNDATION
12
Curriculum generated through the STEM
Fellows Program must address these 10
components: • Potential for Engaging Students of
Diverse Academic Backgrounds
• Degree of STEM Integration
• Connections to Non-STEM Disciplines
• Integrity of the Academic Content
• Quality of the Cognitive Task
• Connections to STEM Careers
• Individual Accountability in a
Collaborative Culture
• Nature of Assessment(s)
• Application of the Engineering Design
Process
• Quality of Technology Integration
Throughout the year, the professional groups work in grade band teams
to develop curriculum that meet the 10
components of the STEM Educational
Quality Framework (see above). Each
professional group (teachers, higher
ed, and industry reps) contributes their
expertise to the process. The lessons undergo extensive piloting and revisions the
following year before ultimately appearing on the Center’s website, www.daytonregionalstemcenter.org, where they are
available to teachers worldwide.
Grants from the Jennings Foundation have made it possible for teachers
from Brookville, Mad River, New Lebanon, Northridge, and Valley View school
districts to participate. They will return
to their districts as STEM leaders next
fall, inspiring countless colleagues and
students with their new knowledge.
“This experience has been a joy because we have that collaborative nature,”
remarks Colleen Biers, who with three
years experience is now a STEM Fellows
team leader. “You can bounce ideas off
people who really care about science and
engineering and that’s been great.”
PRO EXCELLENTIA
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SPRING 2016
What If Middle Schoolers Were
Encouraged to Solve Problems?
TomTod Ideas: Stark County Schools
“Middle schoolers are often a lost generation. There are many early childhood programs and activities for older kids, but those magical years of early
adolescence can be ignored. Kids this age are powered by wondrous neurons of
thoughts, feelings, and imagination. They have so much to contribute. TomTod
Ideas enters into this space and empowers middle schoolers to explore the
possibilities, take what they learn and change their world.”
- Joel Daniel Harris, Executive Dreamer, TomTod Ideas
On a springtime visit to Jason Pigott’s
7th grade social studies classroom at
Early College Academy in Canton students were scripting newscasts; planning
a fundraiser; designing infomercials; writing newspaper articles; and illustrating a
graphic book all to inform their community about the Syrian refugee crisis. Their
projects are the culmination of a yearlong
study of Media Literacy and the Common
Good, a topic they explored under the direction of instructors from TomTod Ideas.
After researching and discussing the issue, the students felt empowered to find
ways to use media to bring an awareness
of the crisis to others.
TomTod Ideas recognizes that the
world we live in has injustices within it,
explains Joel Daniel Harris, Executive
“Dreamer” of TomTod Ideas (Tomorrow’s
Ideas from Today’s Middle Schoolers),
a non-profit organization that inspires
middle school students to act as positive
agents of change in their communities.
TomTod instructors work with students
both in and out of school to “dream
up” and then follow through on ideas
designed to serve the common good.
Through that work, they require students to think critically, process a wide
scope of learning, and create collaborative solutions.
“All of our programs center around
the concept of ‘What If?’ as we encourage students to imagine the world as it
could be,” Mr. Harris explains.
This past year, with funding from
the Martha Holden Jennings Founda-
Mr. Harris helps
guide students as
they review what
they’ve learned
about the Syrian
refugees for their
final project.
tion, TomTod was able to immerse 240
students in three Stark County middle
schools in its in-school program, What If
101. During weekly sessions, instructors
helped students identify, research and
develop possible solutions to both local
and global issues. They led students
through an ideation process and instilled
within them the belief that their ideas
can make a difference.
“The goal with all TomTod
programming is to explore ideas
and imagination for the benefit of
the common good,” says Mr. Harris, who founded TomTod to work
exclusively with middle school
students.
During his previous work as a youth
pastor, Mr. Harris recognized that middle
schoolers have incredible potential that
often goes untapped. “They have energy,
imagination, and cognitive abilities that
are blossoming; but they don’t have
many outlets,” he remarks. “Too often
adults run away from this age group, but
really, we ought to be running toward
them because it’s such a critical time in
someone’s life. It’s when you are creating decision-making pathways in the
brain, forming your identity, figuring out
who you are and how you are going to
act, and how you are going to put that
identity into motion.”
“TomTod believes in middle schoolers,” says Amy Lint, principal, Early
College Academy at Souers Middle
School in Canton, who welcomed TomTod
instructors into her school each Friday to
work with 150 7th grade students. “They
believe that middle school students have
important things to say and that they
can do important things. And that’s what
we believe as well.”
Each class of students who work with
TomTod tackles an issue relevant to
continued on p. 14
MARTHA HOLDEN JENNINGS FOUNDATION
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PRO EXCELLENTIA
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SPRING 2016
What If
continued from p. 13
Students from Souers Middle School’s Early College Academy
learn valuable teamwork skills while working on TomTod projects.
them. Therefore, the program looks different in every situation. All topics are
selected with input from the classroom
teacher. Recently, students in classes at
Lehman and Souers middle schools in
Canton and North Canton Middle School
explored both local and global topics.
“We work closely alongside our collaborating teachers in the classroom,”
says Mr. Harris, adding that this partnership is paramount to success. “Teachers
work hard at integrating the things we
bring to the table with what they are
teaching throughout the week; and we
try to reciprocate that.”
TomTod begins by asking students
probing questions: What does it mean
to help a community thrive? How do
we care for our neighbor? How do we
value the people around us? Once the
class identifies an issue they would like
to tackle, instructors help them develop
solutions. They introduce students to
what makes a good idea, explore where
good ideas come from, and uncover how
to put those ideas into motion. “We talk
about theory, but then we want to put
that theory into action,” says Mr. Harris.
An essential aspect of TomTod programming involves community interaction. Through field trips (arranged and
MARTHA HOLDEN JENNINGS FOUNDATION
funded by TomTod) and guest speakers,
they connect students with adults in
the community who have the wisdom,
resources, and experience necessary
to help them transform their ideas into
action.
“We really work hard to connect
those community resources back
into the school setting,” says
Mr. Harris. “It’s really about trying
to expand the walls of the classroom.”
Ms. Lint believes those connections
have greatly benefited her students: “In
Canton City, many of our students don’t
have the experiences they need in order
to understand the different things they
talk about in TomTod,” she explains.
“It sounds unbelievable, but some of our
students have never been off the block
they live on. So TomTod sets up experiences and conversations for them that
they typically would not have.”
“It’s been interesting to see a group
of students, who may not be the most
worldly, suddenly start asking questions
about the Syrian refugee crisis because
of our conversations in class,” adds Jennifer Snow Hickman, Chief Adventure
Curator, TomTod Ideas. “And they legitimately are interested and care.”
14
During the last eight weeks of the
school year students work in teams
to complete a project of their choice
designed to “solve” the challenge before
them.
“The students really came away with
a solid core of knowledge about a topic
they did not know about prior to this
experience, one they felt completely
comfortable discussing and explaining to others,” says Ms. Snow Hickman,
referring to the class that dedicated
their TomTod experience to researching
and communicating the plight of Syrian
refugees.
“The key is to empower them,”
she continues, “not to lead them
and show them what to do, but to
give them the resources and help
them realize they are completely
capable to do this on their own.”
“Often you see students develop a
whole level of confidence that they didn’t
have prior to our programming,” adds
Mr. Harris.
For more information contact:
Mr. Joel Harris, jdh@tomtodideas.org
Ms. Jennifer Snow Hickman
Jennifer@tomtodideas.org
PRO EXCELLENTIA
•
SPRING 2016
STEM in Nature
Aullwood Audubon Center/Dayton Public Schools
safely captured the birds earlier that day
and the students released them shortly
after gathering pertinent data.
The bird banding experience was just
one activity scheduled in the students’
day-long visit to the Aullwood Audubon
Center and Farm in Dayton. The field trip
was part of a comprehensive program
developed by educators at Aullwood
titled STEMing Science into Conservation
Action. Designed for 5th grade students
in five Dayton elementary schools, the
program was adapted to reach teens at
Thurgood Marshall High School, also the
district’s only STEM high school. Students
from each of the six schools visit the
center four times throughout the school
year. They spend those days engaged in
a variety of hands-on activities both in
a classroom setting and on the nature
center grounds.
Mr. Hissong leads students from Thurgood Marshall High School in Dayton on
a bird watching hike on the grounds of the Aullwood Audubon Center.
The students were a bit surprised when
their instructor, Bob Thobaben, stretched
out his arm and asked: “Who wants to
let this one go?” After a brief pause,
a curious young lady gingerly stepped
forward. Mr. Thobaben place a squirmy
white breasted nuthatch in her hands and
asked her to step outside the Discovery
Room and release it into the wild. Her
classmates followed eager to watch as
she cupped the bird in her palms, whisked
it out the door, and quickly set it free.
Just minutes before, the teens from
Dayton’s Thurgood Marshall High School
observed Mr. Thobaben, a state and
federally licensed bird bander, expertly
handle the live animal. He explained his
work as he identified and recorded important data and measurements about the
bird in an official Banding Data Sheet.
He then clamped a tiny metal band
MARTHA HOLDEN JENNINGS FOUNDATION
around its leg, in hopes that the bird
will be studied again one day and scientists will learn more about its activities
and habitat.
Mr. Thobaben has been collecting data
on birds for the past 40 years. Banding,
he explains, is an important scientific tool
researchers use to further understand the
longevity of species; migration routes;
and the breeding and wintering ranges for
different populations. “Birds point to what
we are doing to our world, they tell us if
our environment is healthy or unhealthy,”
he says. “By studying birds we can see
what will eventually happen to us.”
After releasing their first specimen,
the students were eager to examine the
fidgety blue jay, downy woodpecker,
northern cardinal, and Carolina chickadee
that hung in separate mesh bags in the
back of the room. Aullwood naturalists
15
“We realized that STEM activities
are utilized all the time in the natural world,” explains Tom Hissong,
Aullwood’s education coordinator,
explaining why the program was
developed two years ago.
At that time, educators at Aullwood
developed four units of study pertaining
to life and earth sciences that coincide
with the state standards. Topics of study
include aquatic systems; Ohio’s birds,
mammals, reptiles and amphibians; and
plants and habitats. During the field
trips students get a chance to touch fish
and birds, take water samples for study,
plant trees, handle mammal skulls, and
observe bird banding—engaging opportunities otherwise inaccessible to these
urban students.
“We focus on teaching kids how to
understand complex issues and to think
critically. They learn how to grasp data,
to record data effectively, and why that’s
important,” remarks Aullwood’s Executive
Director Alexis Faust. “This is an experience teachers can justify because all the
topics relate to the standards.”
continued on p. 16
PRO EXCELLENTIA
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SPRING 2016
STEM
continued from p. 15
Ms. Faust adds that Aullwood educators designed a separate workshop to
introduce participating teachers to the
units of study prior to their visits.
“This is all applicable to the classroom,
which is what we try to do as teachers­—
get students to experience what they
are learning,” says Nikol Boddie-Treece,
whose high school biology and physical science students participated in the
yearlong program. “These are inner city
students and they had no idea this [nature center] was here. They love it.”
“Aullwood’s STEM program is successful because it connects real life naturalists
with students who might normally look at
classroom science as boring or uninteresting,” says Mr. Hissong. At every op-
portunity, he adds, staff members speak
to the students about job opportunities
in the environmental sciences, hoping to
encourage some to seek careers in the
field.
As the students become more environmentally aware, Mr. Hissong hopes
they will get involved in conservation
projects at home or in their community.
“Our staff would be very excited to know
that there might be some students who
choose a career to pursue because of
their experiences at Aullwood.”
For more information contact:
Ms. Alexis Faust, afaust @audubon.org
Mr. Tom Hissong, thissong@audubon.org
news & notes
Bird-bander Bob Thobaben shows students how he weighs a live bird, which
is contained inside the nylon sock.
Upcoming Events
2016 Mathematics Institutes
Each summer the Foundation sponsors Mathematics Institutes
designed to re-energize Ohio’s math teachers in grades 4 & 5
and 6 - 8. The separate sessions are filled with practical strategies teachers can incorporate immediately into their lessons.
July 11-12 • Grades 4 & 5
July 14-15 • Grades 6 - 8
2016 Jennings Educators Institute
While the Jennings Educators Institute is held annually, it
travels to a different part of Ohio each year, where it is hosted
by a well-respected university. The University of Cincinnati
will host the event in 2016 for teachers in the southwest region
of the state. Participating teachers are expected to attend all
three sessions, which will be held on the following Saturdays
from 8:00 am – Noon:
September 17
October 15
November 12
At the 2015 Math Institutes session, teachers engage while
Any public school teacher is eligible to attend the Institute; however,
he/she must be recommended by a principal or superintendent before
submitting an application.
trying out new strategies for instruction.
MARTHA HOLDEN JENNINGS FOUNDATION
16
PRO EXCELLENTIA
•
SPRING 2016