Continuing the Love of Reading in School

I came across this article in Edutopia,  and it is a reminder that we should not lose sight of the importance of reading.  Like most parents, my wife and I try to read books with our six year-old every night, and we make it a priority to visit the library on a regular basis to check out new ones and to explore the shelves.  But talking with some friends of older kids, they suggest that these habits tend to trail off as kids progress through upper elementary school and into middle and high school.  With this trend in mind, it is imperative that we, as middle and high school educators, continue these early literacy practices of the home by merging them into the classroom setting as students are progressing through their education.  Arguably, it is even more important as the reality of parents reading to and with children will fade as they get older.  Written by Laura Lee, the article below highlights what schools can do.  Enjoy.

Regular reading is vital to improving students’ literacy skills and their overall academic performance. So what can schools do to ensure that students are getting that practice? At Lifelong Literacy, literacy consultant Maria Losee describes strategies for creating a culture of reading across classrooms.

Make sure classroom libraries are engaging: Surround students with diverse and interesting material, and add new titles to your classroom collection with an eye toward a wide range of interests. “I cannot just buy what I like to read, I have to buy what I know will get my readers excited to read,” teacher Amy Heno told Losee. Pay close attention to student interests to better match reading selections with topics they enjoy.

Beyond observation, Losee suggests educators consider offering “written or online surveys, asking students to take a quick genre poll, or taking data from an activity such as speed dating with books” to determine what books would be best suited for them. For speed dating, set a timer and let students peruse a stack of books—allowing students to sample books before committing can alleviate pressure and make reading more fun.

Employ visual displays: Design displays for classroom walls or hallways to show the importance and fun of reading. “Keeping reading visible sends an unspoken message that reading is important and valued in a school,” Losee writes. Large artistic depictions of books or their contents can offer a hook for students. Teachers at a Chicago school partnered with a photography studio to transform the halls into a “giant motivational tableau to encourage reading.”

Model a love of reading: Losee carries multiple books with her wherever she goes to demonstrate her love of reading. She likes to carry the book she just completed, one she is presently reading, and the next one in her queue. It’s helpful if students see that their teacher not only reads but is interested in a range of topics or genres.

Let students lead: Turn the tables and ask students for their recommendations for great reads for both teachers and their peers. They can offer their views through book talks—concise presentations that serve as an advertisement for a particular book. Unlike a book report, these quick talks are designed to pique interest rather than summarize the plot. Students, teachers, and other staff can share their thoughts on a book they’ve read and why they would recommend it to others. More introverted students can try “writing a review on a sticky and leaving it inside the front cover or putting a book on a special shelf with a recommendation.”

Highlight individual authors: Use the narratives and biographies of individual authors to promote interest in their work. Losee suggests sharing authors’ websites with students. She shared the personal story of popular author Jason Reynolds, who didn’t read a book until he was 17 years old, and students were aghast. She used their shock as a springboard to boost interest in Reynolds’s work.

Make reading a priority: Time designated for reading should be a non-negotiable in schools, Losee says. For upper elementary, middle, and high school students, she recommends setting aside an hour a week for independent reading. “If we care about reading and we want our students to read more, we have to make time for it,” she writes. “It’s that simple.”

Yearbook Meanderings

I have been asked to write a letter for the yearbook, which is quite an honor; however, I share it now rather than at the end of the year.  Why?  By the end of the year, we are in a reflective state of the high school years gone by (our senior class), and I would prefer for them to be thinking about the year now and how they can make the most of the final months at MCI.  So here it is:

To the MCI Class of 2020, 

Writing in a yearbook always increases anxiety, for you know that whatever you write will become a part of history with all the students and class of 2020.  And regarding history, MCI has a rich history dating back to 1866, so one must be most thoughtful as these words form a permanent part of the MCI narrative. 

We began this year with two focal points: resilience, which served as our theme, and community, which served to inform us on place.  From the onset, our new boarding students from over 20 different countries arrived two weeks early for our SOLI program. During this time they demonstrated perseverance in overcoming fears and anxieties about a new country, state, and town, not to mention the challenges of making friends far away from home with people they have never met before.  Our girls field hockey team scored a dramatic victory over Gardiner, never giving up throughout the entire game, knowing they can and will overcome. Our BBT ballet troupe remained resilient during the Cultural Heritage Day performance despite some technical difficulties: they never left the script. And our Homecoming soccer matches displayed teams, both boys and girls, that despite trailing by several goals into the second half, were able to muster the strength and determination to tie and send the games into overtime.

From the beginning of school, we also witnessed our school community coming together to help bring awareness and visibility to climate change with other students across the globe.  We kindly welcomed thirteen students for two weeks from our partner school in China, an outreach that culminated in their cultural experience of our Halloween here in Pittsfield. These same students also bore witness to the MCI students, faculty, and staff serving the greater Pittsfield community with our Community Service Day.  Our sport teams and clubs have raised awareness and funds for other national priorities, such as autism and breast cancer. At Thanksgiving, our Key Club and Kindness Crew prepare Thanksgiving Day baskets for the local community, and at Christmas, the MCI community provides toys for kids in the community that may not otherwise receive any.  Whether within the campus of MCI, at the town, state, national, or global level, we are making a difference in communities.

 To be a part of such a place with such people is an honor and privilege.  It is one that I never take for granted as I constantly seek ways to grow and to improve for betterment of others.  And it is clear to me that this graduating class of 2020 is no different in their determination. Continue to make resilience and community the very fabric of who you are. MCI has provided you with the character development, maturity, and experiences for you to make a difference in all aspects of your life–personal, professional, global citizen.  To quote Alfred Lord Tennyson from “Ulysses”–

I am a part of all that I have met;

Yet all experience is an arch wherethro’

Gleams that untravell’d world whose margin fades

Forever and forever when I move.

Keep those margins fading, and keep moving with the MCI spirit in your life’s journey. 

Warm Regards,

Christopher M. McDonald

Head of School, Maine Central Institute

Building Bridges

Proud to be the first North American high school to enter into an extensive MOU with a Cambodian International Prep School to offer innovative and progressive programming for students from both sides of the pond. The agreement was captured on Cambodian national television.

 

Friday Night Lights

Friday Night Lights, a 1990 nonfiction book written by H.G. Bissinger, was adapted to a 2004 film of the same name.  It also became a two season mini-series about that time.  While I did not watch the movie or min-series, I did read the book.  What struck me the most–something completely different from my high school days–was the the interconnection between the town and the team.  In my high school days, we did attract equal numbers of people to football games, but these were primarily friends, families, alum, and others who had a direct relationship to the school or/and the students.  There were not town residents of Harper Woods, MI, coming to the game because they felt the connection between the town and the team!

As I looked upon the crowd when we came out to midfield for “the new guy” introduction at half time, the scene revealed to me what this game is really all about.  From left to right I saw a group of students from our dormitory who were enjoying every moment of the experience (from our fireworks before the game to the cannon shots every time we scored).  Knowing the rules of the game and how it is played is really not that important.  I saw a group of older folks sitting and chatting in their fold-up chairs.  There were parents wearing hoodies and sweatshirts from the team, and infants that seemed as small as the footballs themselves cuddled up with their mothers.  It was halftime, and everyone seemed to move their conversations from the play by play to whatever else may be on their minds as friends conversed with friends, students with students, parents with parents.  Friday night lights, indeed, seemed to create this atmosphere of connection . . . no matter the age, the background, the country of origin.

The essence of such an event is not so much the game itself.  It is the bringing together of people for a common cause to celebrate a moment in time when we can all be together in a safe and loving community and enjoy the energy of our teams as they perform to the best of their abilities–individually and as a team.  This is Friday Night Lights in Pittsfield, Maine, USA.

Resilience

School for new students begins tomorrow, and school for all students begins on Wednesday.  Two weeks ago, we worked with our local students to help them with transition strategies as they move from middle to high school.  Last week, we worked with our new international students to help them transition to a new country, a new school, and a new way of doing things.  You can take a look here at their experience, captured in a few images:  

Back in May, when the administrative team and I began pondering our school theme for 2019-20, many nouns were up for election.  After much debate, the team decided upon resilience.  Reasons were many, from recent challenges facing the town and a lower tick in demographics to an uncertainty about a new Head of School and a new Superintendent for MSAD53 (our local area).  Everyone thought that the ability to be able to bounce back quickly from challenges and difficulties–toughness, if you will–should be our calling card this year.

Springing forward to August 26, 2019, resilience is clearly evident in our faculty and staff, students, and town.  It is not an idea.  It is who we are.  Our BBT ballet performance this summer demonstrated a commitment to perfection despite numerous challenges along the way–a testimony of perseverance by our students and teachers: https://www.mci-school.org/artsbossov-ballet/bbt . Despite the added burden of dead and diseased trees that needed removal and clean-up as well as a sprawling campus that required constant physical plant and grounds attention, we will open tomorrow with a stunningly beautiful campus that has been meticulously prepared for our boarding students to have comfortable rooms in an aesthetically pleasing environment and all students to learn in clean and comfortable classrooms.  And in this world of ever-changing technological advancements in the field of education, which requires our teachers to learn and relearn; in this world where we added advisees to our administrative team to reduce the size of groups for the benefit of the students; in this world of preparing delicious food with a variety of options despite rising food costs; and in this world where it is clear that a school needs a supportive town and a town needs a supportive school . . . I have seen resilience.

Returning to my first paragraph, resilience is not a noun that is abstract and simply an idea.  Take a look at the video.  Rather,  resilience is a defining feature of who we are, who comprises this school and town–the very fabric of MCI.

Pittsfield, MCI, and Possibility

As the family arrived into Pittsfield on Sunday, July 14, I decided that I would approach this new environment through the lens of a five year old (I happen to have one with me for comparison).  I would observe without preconceptions, but with wonder; without limits, but with limitless possibilities; without fear of the unknown, but with excitement and questions.  I would mix this with the lens of an educator to see what results!

As we approached the new house, my son immediately pointed out the railroad tracks, the historical museum with a real caboose, and, when we walked through Manson Park that afternoon, the railroad bridge over the river.  Wow!  He was thrilled and began asking questions about why cabooses no longer are on trains, why train tracks have a certain width, why the bridge for trains is different than those for cars, and so on.  As I fielded this onslaught of questions, I switched into the educator mode:  what an opportunity for students to learn about the engineering of railway, bridges, and history–truly interdisciplinary and STEAM possibilities.  How about the river and water?  Where did it start?  Where does it end?  Why does the water go that way?  How could I describe this scene with my senses?  Poem?  Artistic drawing?  But this was only the tip of the iceberg in our new environment.

We soon noticed a single engine aircraft floating low to the house and seemingly landing right across the street from our house.  We decided to follow it, and in less than a mile walk we saw an airstrip.  As we approached  the fence, we saw an assortment of single engine and twin engine aircraft parked on the runway, and while we were there, a single engine plane appeared over the horizon and made a graceful landing.  The onslaught of why questions began:  how come the airstrip is shorter than the ones in Montreal?  why do some planes have one engine and others two?  how do the planes know which direction to take off and land?  An airport so close to a school–the aeronautical engineering possibilities began flying (no pun) through my head.  What a great venue for student learning!

When we returned to the house, we realized the public library was only two houses down the street.   It was still early, so we decided to investigate this beautifully preserved building and check out some books.  On our way in, a monument at the entrance recognized those who sacrificed their lives during the Civil War.  The architecture of this building coupled with this monument opened yet again the possibility of discovery, history, and further study.  If the statues could talk, what would they say?  How were they made?  If I could design and construct one in the art studio for my “history”, what might it look like?  What a laboratory in our midst!  And this is before we stepped inside.

Dusk was approaching, but the spirit of adventure on this first day showed no signs of ebbing.  A bike ride was in order, but both of our bikes needed air.  Riding up to the corner gas station, we searched for an air pump.  Yes, on the side of the building it was there, but it cost a few quarters, and we had none.  Disappointed, Kien said we should go home and get money, but by the time we come back, it may be too dark.  A man who overheard our conversation said not to worry, for he had some quarters in his truck.  I told him that we had no bills and needed to go back to get some, but he said again not to worry; it was on him.  Kien and I thanked him for his thoughtfulness, and when I introduced myself, he mentioned that he was an MCI grad, and he was glad he could help.

Pittsfield, MCI, and possibility–a town filled with history, a town filled with STEM and interdisciplinary possibilities for real-world and hands-on learning, but most importantly, a town and school filled with kindness, pride, and place to call home.

School Killed My Creativity

Picking up my three year old from school is my favorite task of the day.  Not only am I still a super hero in his little world, but I also bear witness to genuine excitement about learning and, in his little hand, some sort of creative project.  This varies from scribble on half sheets of paper, which recently produced “Mr. Tomato”, to construction paper cut outs of guitars with flowers or cats with wings.  He eagerly explains what he produced and how he did it, and we proudly display these authentic works throughout the house.

Shifting to my day job, I listen to the gripes and groans from students in grades nine through eleven as they prepare for June exams.  These voices come from all along the bell curve–top students to average students to struggling students.  As I assemble this chorus in my mind, I notice a common theme:  student creativity and authenticity has been lost in formative evaluations across all academic subject matter lines (with the exception of the art and music program).  And this has been a common chorus in the many schools spanning my career:  elite boarding schools, parochial schools, public schools, international/bi-lingual schools.

What is being tested primarily is memory.  While memory and teaching students how to memorize has its own cognitive benefits, it is not what students should be mastering in every course across the curriculum.  Looking at some of their review packets, it is clear that while this is not the only element of their exam, it is certainly a large portion of it.  Harold Bloom suggests that evaluation and creativity are the highest orders of thinking.  It would follow, then, that if the academic year focused on ensuring that students have fundamental skills in respective disciplines, shouldn’t these skills be put to “the test” by demanding them to be used in an evaluative and/or creative capacity?  For example, in a European studies course, an exam question could read:  will the European Union exist as it is now in ten years from now?  Why?  Why not?  Base your analysis on the geopolitical and cultural aspects of Europe that we examined this year.  Or for a Biology class, what, specifically, are the challenges of making new anti-biotics to counter “super-bugs”?  What do you see as the greatest threat to the human race in the future, super-bugs or super-viruses?  Why?  How can we combat this?  Base your reply on the cellular nature of these life forms.

As educators, we need to demand more from ourselves by stepping away from what we have always done and have on our computer drives to what is happening here and now in the world, regardless of our respective disciplines.  By planting ourselves in the present, we develop relevance within the student learner, and we embolden them when we demand from them evaluations and creative solutions to problems now and in the future.  Maybe then, when I pick my thirteen year old up from school in the future, I may see that same spark of learning excitement that I saw today.

Service Learning–year two

Quite proud of the year long service learning project between the Stanstead College students of Quebec, Canada, and the Olympia Schools students of Hanoi, Vietnam. This is year two of the collaboration. Helen from SC made the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFOpX1BGSw8&feature=youtu.be This is the second year of the project. The first year was at the same location, video produced by TOS students:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vee-SbiCUbM

Bringing PBL and Internship Together

The Capstone Project Internship
Real world work with the guiding principles of STEM applications

Credit: 1.0 credit, STEM, awarded by Stanstead College, Quebec, Canada

Grades: Students entering grade 11 and 12 in the Fall, 2017 (some exceptions made for advanced grade 10)

Dates: June 5 to July 21 (2-3 weeks remote, digital work; 2 weeks of project execution in country; 1 week remote, digital follow-up)

Location: Pleiku, Vietnam (SOS Children’s Village and local businesses)

Overview: The Capstone Project Internship (CPI) is an innovative project-based program that provides students with an opportunity to engage in rigorous scholarly practice of the core academic skills necessary for the successful completion of a real world internship. Built on the foundation of two principles — project-based learning and internship — it is designed to complement and enhance the in-depth, interdisciplinary study provided through research, trial-and-error, and reflective post-project analysis. It cultivates curious, independent, and collaborative scholars and prepares them to make logical, evidence-based decisions, and real-time adaptions: project management. It will also serve as a springboard for college application essay writing, which is an added component and requirement for those entering grade 12.

Essential Tasks: Design, execute, and de-brief programs for local businesses and the Children’s village to maximize resource allocations, maintain sustainability, enhance quality of programs and/or products. Students will begin by analyzing the current needs assessment of the either a local business or the children in the SOS village. Working remotely at their home locations on shared virtual space and within specified budget parameters, students will propose schedules, programs, data-collecting processes, and quality metrics. Upon approval, these programs will go into place upon arrival in Pleiku, Vietnam, where all constituents will meet in person and make final preparations. Plans will be executed on site(s), and upon completion of tasks, post-project analysis will occur with publication and strategies for modifications presented. Students will return to their respective homes and work remotely, and final products will be shared on common platforms and social media sites. College essay writing, if applicable, will occur simultaneously as students will be keeping a detailed journal of their field observations, data collection, and activities.

Methodology: DOASAPP™
Discover, Organize, Analyze, Synthesize, Authenticate, Predict, Publish

Skill Development:

Reading Comprehension and Metacognitive Awareness – APPLIED MATH & SCIENCE
· Grasp of increasingly complex nonfiction (informational) texts with added depth of understanding through the acquisition of developmentally appropriate reading strategies.

Level 2 – (10) Develop an understanding of scientific and/or mathematical concepts by accessing information from multiple sources.
Learn to self-teach: access multiple sources to aid oneself in problem solving.
Evaluate the scientific accuracy and significance of information.
Understand the sequence of a text (ability to recall/re-access earlier material).
Redefine key terms and phrases authentically.
Take notes for meaning.
Use notes as a source for review.
Level 3 – (11) Skim a text and/or scholarly writing (e.g. scientific article) with pre-determined purpose for relevant information.
Navigate and decipher between valid and invalid Internet information.
Level 4 – (12) Refine the ability to retrieve relevant information from a problem and filter non-relevant information.
Be able to see the broader historical context of discovery and future implications and applications of different areas of study.
Justify the validity of interpretations of data.
Advanced Identify the strengths/weaknesses of informational texts.
Evaluate the quality of informational sources.

Multimedia, Art, Oral Comprehension – APPLIED MATH & SCIENCE
· Evaluation of web-sites; interpretation of non-verbal and oral information
· Savvy choice of reliable and varied references, ability to glean information from charts, graphs, tables, visual and artistic pieces

Level 2 – (10) Develop and use spreadsheets.
Access relevant sources for a project.
Use virtual simulators to develop/demonstrate understanding of material.
Level 3 – (11) Select an appropriate graphical representation for a set of data and use appropriate statistics to communicate information about the data.
Use basic Excel formatting and graphical representation.
Evaluate graphical (visual) information for what it shows and does not show; make extrapolations and mathematical computations.
Draw connections between different mediums of information conveying similar concepts.
Level 4 – (12) Create the guidelines/rubric for an effective multi-media presentation.
Assess the quality of visual presentations based upon content and style.
Interpret graphs with mathematical models.
Advanced Evaluate presentations and reports in terms of content and style; offer specific feedback for enhancement and further study.

Critical Thinking – APPLIED MATH & SCIENCE
· Demonstration of increasingly complex critical thinking skills (Bloom’s taxonomy)
· Discernment of relationships between increasingly complex abstract ideas and information, primarily evaluation.

Level 2 – (10) Analyze the findings of a given experiment.
Differentiate between laws, theories, postulates, hypotheses.
Identify patterns in data, what it suggests and does not suggest.
Prove theories/find exceptions to a rule (if any).
Extrapolate charts and graphs.
Make connections between classroom content (theory) and environment (real world).
Understand when an answer/conclusion is reached and why.
Recognize continuity/progression of math and science.
Hypothesize.
Critical thinking–Knowledge, Comprehension, Application–Bloom’s first three levels of higher order thinking.
Level 3 – (11) Analyze the findings of scientific research.
Determine laws and theories from observations and data.
Understanding bias in experiments and samples.
Use, manipulate, and understand how controls work in an experiment.
Understand how variables may affect data.
Evaluate statistical significance.
Infer implications of seemingly disconnected examples to learned concepts.
Level 4 – (12) Bloom’s highest orders of thinking–Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation–students to respond to and generate questions in this realm.
Advanced Create authentic experiments and problems for discovery, predicting outcomes and defending results.
Postulate problems for further study.

Inquiry & Meaning Making – APPLIED MATH & SCIENCE
· Ability not only to tackle questions posed by others but also to identify and articulate the questions that require solutions (Bloom’s questions)
· Application of purposeful inquiry to stated problems in order to evaluate a situation and articulate how solutions may be found
-Application of technology to measure, investigate, and calculate.
· Make observations, raise questions, and formulate hypotheses.

Level 2 – (10) Hypothesize and give reasons behind hypothesis.
Predict based upon prior knowledge.
Formulate questions that can be investigated in the lab/understand whether or not questions can be investigated in the lab.
Recreate a previously completed lab exercise.
Make connections between various theories and laws in nature.
Evaluate the accuracy of scientific findings and their limitations.
Recognize sources of error in an experiment/derive ways of decreasing said error.
Verify previous discoveries.
Evaluate and summarize the results of experiments.
Level 3 – (11) Select required materials, equipment, and conditions for conducting an experiment.
Write procedures that are clear and replicable.
Investigate and discern the integrity of others’ experiments.
Critique and question biases of research (e.g., scientist, investigative journalist).
Formulate questions that can be addressed with data and collect, organize, and display relevant data to answer them.
Develop and evaluate inferences and predictions that are based on data.
Design further experiments based upon data results.
Infer and draw conclusions by statistically manipulating raw data.
Level 4 – (12) Create a lab given only a question and/or concept.
Express the knowns and unknowns when approaching a new problem.
Recognize themes that identify skill sets that may be useful in problems.
Understand and articulate relevancy of problems and analogous situations in which the methods used to solve may apply.
Advanced Evaluate the technology used–its limitations and liabilities–in measurements and investigations; propose alternate uses of technology, research techniques, and problem-solving strategies if need be.

Writing, Speaking and Digital Expression – APPLIED MATH & SCIENCE
· Ability to produce fluid, well-organized, and clearly articulated written expression of ideas; facility with technological tools for appropriate and effective communication
· Effective and varied use of sentences, vocabulary, punctuation; structured and logical progression of communication in all forms
Level 3 – (11) Present relationships between and among variables in appropriate forms.
Represent data and relationships between and among variables in charts and graphs.
Use appropriate technology (e.g., graphing software) and other tools.
Level 4 – (12) Work with digital tools used at the university and professional level, recognizing what the strengths and limitations are. (Calculators, Applications, etc.)
Show solutions with clear and well-organized structure.
Advanced Publish scientific and mathematical reports, labs, discoveries, etc..

Character and Citizenship Development – APPLIED MATH & SCIENCE
· Understanding that learning shapes ethical and empathetic traits; ability to work collaboratively with others; intellectual risk-taking; accountability for one’s actions
· Empathy – Compassion – Integrity – Courage – Teamwork – Humility – Intellectual curiosity – Ownership – Responsibility
Level 2 – (10) Work as part of a group (fill a given role).
Own and report errors in an experiment.
Understand the importance of presenting correct information.
Recognize the consequences of error (or hiding error/intentional miscalculations).
Recognize ethics in findings.
Understand the responsibility of human beings in the world (natural environment).
Identify and critique arguments about personal or societal issues based on scientific evidence.
Evaluate scientific explanations in a peer review process or discussion format.
Recognize motivation in science.
Level 3 – (11) Lead a group or groups towards a single goal.
Delegate tasks.
Accept and work effectively in a variety of roles in a group.
Understanding equality of roles in a group (no role is lesser than another — without all working together, the group will fail).
Level 4 – (12) Publish or present ethical positions to the school or general community, either as a group or individually.
Advanced Evaluate the global implications of scientific, mathematical, and technological issues and innovations in terms of ethics and legal statutes in terms of International laws.

Why Doesn’t Every Class Start with Current Events?

I ponder why every teacher in every discipline does not seize on the opportunity to begin each and every class with current events. Regardless of the discipline, news web sites are now designed with tabs that identify geographical regions, areas of interest, such as Finance or Science and Technology, and even categories of leisure, such as Travel. So why take the time to do this?

1) Relevance. Students and constantly asking “what does this have to do with anything? why do I need to know this?” One of my classes is currently studying “Macbeth”, and as we build a psychological profile on him and anticipate future outcomes, Donald Trump dominates the headlines on every news channel. Where do we see similarities between the two? differences? And what about Lady Macbeth–how does she manipulate and control his actions? Do we see anybody like this with Trump?  Associations and connections are made, and students begin to understand the importance of analyzing what leaders say, what others say of them, what they do, and how we might be able to anticipate their actions in the future.
2) Navigating Information. We never open one news source. Typically, we will look at three from different parts of the world. Usually, the three sources are American, British, and Korean or Japanese. Students look at the headlines that often time match, yet the content seems different in its presentation, tone, and analysis. What a better way to teach students about bias, facts, subtleties, and sources than to do informal side-by-side comparison on a daily basis.
3) Innovative Thinking. We recently came across an article on a discovery at Harvard University–solid hydrogen. As we investigated further, we looked at images of the crystal lattice structure, discussed why it would be a more powerful rocket fuel, why it will replace copper as an ideal conductor of electricity. And this is English class! I asked the students if they discussed this in their science class, and unfortunately, they said no. They have been focused on “other” topics. We then pulled out a Periodic Table of Elements to look at other possibilities with gases, and why or why not this can replicated.  Science is now, and science is happening all around us, changing at breakneck speed.  While fundamentals are important, so too is the connection between theory and practice, between the “book” and what is being worked on in laboratories across the world now.
4) Producers vs. Consumers of Information. One of the articles students wished to explore further (students choose as a group where and what we read) was the recent announcement of expanding the Keystone Pipeline and which companies serve to benefit from this. This led us to exploring stock prices, market reactions to news, and specific data headings on a typical Yahoo Finance stock report. Hands went in the air as students sought to define P/E ratios, EPS, Dividend and Yield, etc.. As a statistics or math teacher, these types of discussions, explanations, analysis of data, and then prediction of future trends is exactly the higher order thinking skills our students will need.

Finally, keeping up with current events makes a better teacher.  As professionals, we must be lifelong readers and help our students become engaged citizens of the world.  What is happening now matters.  We fail if we do not foster awareness and thinking about the here and now and how this may forecast events to come.