Videos
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Connecting People and Place—with Purpose
Connecting students to their local environment and community is an effective way to infuse learning with immediacy, relevance, and an expanded sense of possibility. Experiential learning weeks—or “spring intensives”—that help our freshman and sophomore classes take advantage of all that the city of St. Louis has to offer are the most recent examples of such […]
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The Orchard School "Culture Days"
Fourth-graders at The Orchard School dive deep into their study of diverse cultures of early Indiana. Rather than sitting in a classroom, watching a video, and filling out a worksheet, we take our students outside on our 43-acre wooded campus. “Culture Days” is a three day event full of hands-on experiences where students are truly […]
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Estimating Orthopteran Population
Students in A.P. Environmental Science class partake in a mark and recapture activity. On the first day of the activity students traveled to the Conserve School sledding hill where they captured orthopterans (crickets, grasshoppers, katydids and locusts) and marked them with a small dot of non-toxic paint. A few days later the students returned to […]
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Teaching, Learning, Living
What does it mean to be a “learner for life?” For the faculty and staff of Riverdale Country School, learning is a necessary part of living. New knowledge sheds light on old routines. Experiencing difficulty deepens understanding about teaching and working with others. Accomplishing goals creates new opportunities. Here are some of the ways that […]
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Rigor & Innovation in the Middle School Classroom
Ranney Middle School Division Head David Ketcham speaks to prospective families about rigor and innovation in the Middle School classroom.
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This is The Hill
As “The Family Boarding School,” The Hill School (Pottstown, Pa.) is a purposefully small and close learning community — a place where academic excellence is based on a challenging curriculum and innovative teaching; a faculty of dedicated teachers involved with many aspects of our students’ daily lives; and a structured, supportive environment. This video provides […]
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FlexFridays Take Learning Beyond the Classroom
Every Friday, FlexSchool students participate in a series of experiential, hands-on learning opportunities through speakers, field trips, and programming. “FlexFridays” are an essential part of the school’s core values: to have schools embedded in the community and to discover the interconnectedness of everything. Earlier this year, math teacher Michael Steiner, a former Wall Street commodities […]
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A River, A Bridge, A Lighthouse
The Lower School campus of Riverdale Country School is situated next to the Hudson River. Kindergarteners explore the river’s ecosystem and learn about its features, including the George Washington Bridge and the Little Red Lighthouse. This project inspired Helena Garrabou-Vancells and Maia Shulman, who teach movement and mindfulness to the children. What if the children […]
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The Lindy 500: Imagination on Wheels
Some great ideas cruise to glory. Others, well, they can veer off course. At the third annual Lindy 500 kinetic sculpture race at Riverdale Country School, designers put their concepts to the test. A DNA replica propelled by fifth graders in operating scrubs streaked across the field. A pirate ship drew admiration for its craftsmanship […]
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Students at Woodland School Share Advice on Creating Lasting Impact in the World
Students at Woodland School in Portola Valley, California, a preschool through eighth grade school, culminate their final year with a year-long interdisciplinary project known as Capstone. In this video, students explain Capstone and give share advice for other kids interested in creating lasting impact in the world.
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Freshmen Entrepreneurship Flourishes
A new Entrepreneurship class for Principia Upper School freshmen has unleashed a spirit of innovation. In this semester-long class, students identify and set up both for-profit and social enterprises—while developing a range of skills that will benefit them in all areas of life, not just in business. “Writing and developing other communication skills are essential […]
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Why We Implemented Singapore Math in the Lower School
Ranney School integrated Math in Focus, a Singapore-math based approach, in its Lower School in 2015-16. Just two years later, after nearly 500 years of teaching training, we are seeing amazing results.