Logo #2

Here is the second in a four part series of blog entries on The Raleigh School's beautiful logo.

Upper Right - Dot in the Square

Interpretation #1 – “Child-centered” 
Interpretation #2 – “Developing each child’s sense of self”

1.       Child-centered

At the turn of the 19^th century, all of the educational landscape was deliberately not child-centered. Educators believed that there was a set body of knowledge that children needed to master.  It was the job of each student to memorize and then eventually recite the facts prescribed by the teacher.  It was a group of educators during the progressive era of the early 20^th century that forged a new relationship between learners and information.  The term child-centered became part of the educational landscape in the 1920’s.  What does it mean to be child-centered?   Here are a few ways that TRS teachers put children at the center. 

·       The teacher’s role is transformed from one who imparts knowledge to one who helps children make discoveries about their world.

·       Students play an active role in their own learning.  Students have both voice and (prescribed) choices in their learning. 

·       Teachers are focused not just academic learning.  They are deeply committed to the social, emotional and ethical development of children.

2.       Developing Each Child’s Sense of Self

Here is an excerpt from PBS’s Whole Child segment on the web.

“People who have a positive sense of self feel like they have something worthwhile to contribute and a sense of internal worth. They are able to venture out into the world, work toward attaining their goals, and welcome life with anticipation and pleasure.

This self-concept develops very early in life… Children who have self-confidence have a feeling of internal worth that enables them to welcome challenges and work cooperatively with others. When children don't develop self-confidence, they tend to focus on failure instead of success, problems instead of challenges, and difficulties instead of possibilities. There is no single way to enhance self-esteem, but one way is to show children "unconditional positive regard." Let your children know that you care about them, accept them, and approve of them, no matter what. Your challenge is to accept your child as a person, even when you do not accept his behavior.”

I couldn’t have said it better. 

Our School's Logo - #1

Welcome to my blog.  "To ruminate" is to ponder, to literally chew over.  I offer these pages as stimulating thoughts.  I hope that you will find occassion to respond to some of the topics/ideas that I share.  I look forward to the conversation.
Have you ever wondered what the symbols mean on The Raleigh School’s logo?  I did!  So I asked and I am so glad that I did.  Historically there have been different interpretations.  Here is what has been told to me and a few thoughts of my own.

Top Left Symbol  – Rectangle below a square.       

1.“Strong Foundation”
The Raleigh School is committed to helping children build a “strong foundation” of skills - academic, social and emotional.  It is deeply important that children have many opportunities to practice and build those skills over and over.

But, ironically, skills alone are not enough to build a “strong foundation.”  Children need a learning environment that encourages them to practice skills and build knowledge in a context that encourages meaning-making.  Skills without understanding and meaning are not uselful. Most importantly, children need multiple opportunities to apply their new skills and knowledge in novel situations. 

Howard Gardner, famed Harvard educator who reframed the notion of a single strand of intelligence, is eloquent on this topic. He discovered that while most of his Harvard students had lots of facts and knowledge, they had little ability to apply their skills and knowledge to new situation.  Many schools only emphasize learning that requires memorizing as many facts as possible.  At The Raleigh School, we believe that children should be asked to construct and use their knowledge to solve problems and confront new information every day.

2. "Guiding Each Child’s First Steps.” 
First steps are important, even critical!  I truly believe that the skills, values and habits of mind that children develop in their early years are critical for developing life-long learners.  In fact, the sesearch is incontrovertible on this point.  

If you listened to All Things Considered on August 12^th, you probably heard a synopsis of Nobel Economist, James Hechman’s research that confirms what good preschool teachers have always known:  early childhood education makes an enormous difference on later development.  Children who go to preschools fair better on a whole variety of metrics later in life.  Skills learned at ages 2,3, and 4 – learning how to problem solve and resolve conflict, to pay attention, to take turns, to take inititaive,  - become the foundation for critical skills needed to be a successful adult.  

Hechman says that if you want your child to have a good job at 21, then the most significant decision a parent can make is to send them to a good preschool.  First Steps indeed!

Here's link to the NPR broadcast:

http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=137109349&m=137117179