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Sharing stories about inspired learning in independent schools

  • We Spark Creativity

    Teaching to Your Passions: From Classroom to Retirement

    Karen Buglass is no stranger to making her passions part of her career. With her first Master’s Degree in City Planning, she spent 17 years as a strategic planner at Boston Edison. It was during this time, that Karen played an integral part in starting and planning Take Your Daughter to Work Day. Teaching and […]

    3 Recommendations
  • We Challenge Minds
    Video

    Experiential Learning in History Class

    Conserve School history teacher Michael Salat believes in the power of experiential learning. He has found that having students create their own watercraft using traditional tools is a wonderful way to make the history of the Lewis and Clark expedition come to life. From their readings in the book “Undaunted Courage” students learned that Lewis […]

    14 Recommendations 1 Comment
  • We Challenge Minds
    Video

    One Day in the Life of Dana Hall’s 21st Century Classroom

    During the summer of 2014, two of Dana Hall’s learning spaces were transformed into state-of-the-art 21st century classrooms. Built to facilitate students and teachers collaborating and connecting in the classroom and around the world, these educational spaces encourage student-centered, media-driven and personalized learning. The installations include flexible furniture, a custom built multi-media Learning Wall and […]

      Recommend This
  • We Spark Creativity

    Put on Your Math Goggles! Creating and Interpreting Bar Graphs Using “The Starry Night”

    Kindergarteners enrolled at All Saints’ Episcopal School recently donned their math goggles and engaged in a rich, interdisciplinary activity using the visual arts as a lens. The children learned about and viewed several images of the artwork of Vincent van Gogh, the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter best known for his self-portraits, paintings of sunflowers and irises, […]

      Recommend This
  • We Spark Creativity
    Video

    French American 8th Grader Uses Design Lab to Prototype Yo-Yo

    Eighth-grade student Elliot Irving loves to yo-yo. This past summer Elliot took the hobby a step further and decided to design his very own unresponsive yo-yo. “[It’s] a yo-yo meant for tricks,” says Elliot, “and it doesn’t come up when you tug on it. It requires a bind to come up.” On a road trip […]

      Recommend This
  • We Spark Creativity

    Winter Greenhouse Project at Purnell School

    Many schools have beautiful greenhouses that were built to allow students to study botany and gardening through meaningful hands on experiential learning. However, many of these greenhouses fall by the wayside during the cold winter months simply because we don’t know what to do with them! Teachers and students should consider taking on the challenge […]

    4 Recommendations
  • We Strengthen Communities

    A Day Without Shoes at Aspen Academy

    What would it feel like to not own a pair of shoes to put on every morning before leaving for school? On Aspen Academy’s annual “Day Without Shoes”, our students have the opportunity to find out. We take off our shoes upon arrival at school and keep shoes and socks off until dismissal. By not […]

    8 Recommendations
  • We Nurture Growth
    Video

    Putting parents in the learning seat

    Aspen Country Day teachers conduct mini-lessons for parents on back-to-school nights. Result: parents get a better understanding of what (and how) their children are learning, teachers get parent buy-in, students get more respect and support for the important work they do all day.

    1 Recommendation
  • We Spark Creativity

    Put on Your Math Goggles! Seeing Math in a Jasper Johns

    Second graders at All Saints’ Episcopal School recently donned their math goggles and engaged in an exploration of place value using the visual arts as a lens. Students learned about the American painter, Jasper Johns (1930 – present), famous for his iconic targets, maps, and flags, and then created their own color numeral in the […]

      Recommend This
  • We Encourage Exploration

    SCHECK HILLEL STUDENTS SPEND SUMMER ABROAD HELPING OTHERS

    While summer vacation is often spent hanging out with friends and taking trips to the beach, a group of selfless students from Scheck Hillel Community School shared their time and talents to “repair the world” –Tikkun Olam in Hebrew. Nathaniel Melnitsky (Grade 9), along with his father Dr. Leon Melnitsky, traveled 2,600 miles from home […]

      Recommend This
  • We Spark Creativity
    Video

    Mosaic

    This project was the result of a faculty enrichment experience which was made possible by The Rumson Country Day School 2012-13 Blake Award. This grant provides annual funding to selected RCDS faculty and staff for the purposes of professional enrichment through special classes or travel. Faculty Enrichment Grant winner, Melissa Petersen, Art Department Chair attended […]

    9 Recommendations
  • We Inspire Leadership

    Sixth Graders Become Leaders While Helping Others

    The Sixth Grade Leadership Program at Rohan Woods School underscores one of the central parts of its educational and cultural philosophy: inside every child is a leader waiting to be discovered. One feature of the program is a monthly class, led by Head of School Sam Templin-Page, which addresses topics such as developing positive character […]

    6 Recommendations

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