Sunday, December 31, 2006
Saturday, December 30, 2006
There's Snow in Them Thar Hills!
Living proof that I spent my Holiday break 2006-7 shoveling .......
Friday, December 29, 2006
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Friday, December 22, 2006
Srule's Educational Philosophy
Educational Philosophy Srule Brachman, Ed.S
“Teach who you are!”- Parker Palmer
I am a visual artist and an educator; I view the classroom as the studio, and education as a painting or canvas in process. The student is the artist. It is all about building a relationship and a conversation between the painter and the painting. It is a give and take. A push and pull dynamic. Always tugging, pushing and pulling at the boundaries of the canvas to go a bit further for those ‘intellectual and creative leaps, or ‘ah ah!’ moments. This is what education is about. What is taught and learned are also a dance; two steps forward, two steps back; success and less success. Sometimes it’s a waltz, sometimes the twist, maybe the ‘moonwalk’. Just as there are different styles of dance, writing, painting, etc; students have different learning and working styles. It is imperative that teaching and learning be differentiated to respect and meet the needs of all students. Project based learning is a creative and hands on practice that allows for differentiation in the most creative ways.
The educational relationship is about growing an individual into a learner- an empathetic individual who is a participant in the world. The ‘constant’ learner is a person who grows and finds their place in the world as one who serves for the benefit of themselves and the community. As a painting is constructed from the experiences the artist brings to the canvas, so does the student bring to the world experiences that only the student can ‘paint’. The student creates his/her own knowledge using these experiences, thus making the knowledge ‘authentic’, relevant, or real to the student. This is considered a Constructivist approach. In the Constructivist method, the curriculum is ‘emergent’. This means that it grows in depth and breadth as the student grows creatively, emotionally, intellectually and developmentally. This is the continuing creative educational process. It is the ‘conversation’ of the artist/student.
The foundations of a painting are the stretcher bars, canvas, and primer. The foundations of a student’s education are the family experiences and the early communal experiences of pre-school and early childhood education. If the foundation is well built and thoughtfully constructed, the work of art that is the student will colorfully flourish and grow; always communicating new wonders as does the painting - always giving us something new to see and reflect on.
Creativity Rebuilds Community
Creativity equalizes relationships among the community.
Creativity sparks active participation through social interaction
Creativity energizes a flow of communication
Creativity acts as a catalyst of community
Creativity begins the process and product of the school as the Center of Expertise within the community
Creativity is risk taking in its most sensitive state
Creativity produces self reflection needed for growth
Creativity is experimentation which enables a broader view of the world
Creativity builds the truth which leads to life-long relationships
Learning Styles, Emotional and Multiple Intelligences, Differentiated Instruction, Project based and Child Centered educational practice, Reggio Emilia and Waldorf methods, developmentally appropriate classroom practice, integrated thematic units, arts integrated instruction, Site Based and Parent involved school structures, “Servant Leadership” by modeling, professional development, trust, empathy, Concept based instruction, Rudolph Steiner, Viktor Frankl, Howard Gardner, Deborah Meier, Piaget, Erikson, Vygotsky, Dewey, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Jung, Stravinsky, Monk, Pollock, Twain, Sergiovanni, Palmer, “Mo, Larry and Curly”, Pinky Lee, Lucille Ball, Zero Mostel….
….I could fill a book with all the creative and rich ideas and people that have informed my career. As a compassionate and empathetic progressive educator, I am firm in my belief that a creative Constructivist education will produce thinkers, creators, humorists, and humanists… people we sorely need.
“ I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” - Chinese proverb
Srule Brachman, Ed.S
505-690-1113
“Teach who you are!”- Parker Palmer
I am a visual artist and an educator; I view the classroom as the studio, and education as a painting or canvas in process. The student is the artist. It is all about building a relationship and a conversation between the painter and the painting. It is a give and take. A push and pull dynamic. Always tugging, pushing and pulling at the boundaries of the canvas to go a bit further for those ‘intellectual and creative leaps, or ‘ah ah!’ moments. This is what education is about. What is taught and learned are also a dance; two steps forward, two steps back; success and less success. Sometimes it’s a waltz, sometimes the twist, maybe the ‘moonwalk’. Just as there are different styles of dance, writing, painting, etc; students have different learning and working styles. It is imperative that teaching and learning be differentiated to respect and meet the needs of all students. Project based learning is a creative and hands on practice that allows for differentiation in the most creative ways.
The educational relationship is about growing an individual into a learner- an empathetic individual who is a participant in the world. The ‘constant’ learner is a person who grows and finds their place in the world as one who serves for the benefit of themselves and the community. As a painting is constructed from the experiences the artist brings to the canvas, so does the student bring to the world experiences that only the student can ‘paint’. The student creates his/her own knowledge using these experiences, thus making the knowledge ‘authentic’, relevant, or real to the student. This is considered a Constructivist approach. In the Constructivist method, the curriculum is ‘emergent’. This means that it grows in depth and breadth as the student grows creatively, emotionally, intellectually and developmentally. This is the continuing creative educational process. It is the ‘conversation’ of the artist/student.
The foundations of a painting are the stretcher bars, canvas, and primer. The foundations of a student’s education are the family experiences and the early communal experiences of pre-school and early childhood education. If the foundation is well built and thoughtfully constructed, the work of art that is the student will colorfully flourish and grow; always communicating new wonders as does the painting - always giving us something new to see and reflect on.
Creativity Rebuilds Community
Creativity equalizes relationships among the community.
Creativity sparks active participation through social interaction
Creativity energizes a flow of communication
Creativity acts as a catalyst of community
Creativity begins the process and product of the school as the Center of Expertise within the community
Creativity is risk taking in its most sensitive state
Creativity produces self reflection needed for growth
Creativity is experimentation which enables a broader view of the world
Creativity builds the truth which leads to life-long relationships
Learning Styles, Emotional and Multiple Intelligences, Differentiated Instruction, Project based and Child Centered educational practice, Reggio Emilia and Waldorf methods, developmentally appropriate classroom practice, integrated thematic units, arts integrated instruction, Site Based and Parent involved school structures, “Servant Leadership” by modeling, professional development, trust, empathy, Concept based instruction, Rudolph Steiner, Viktor Frankl, Howard Gardner, Deborah Meier, Piaget, Erikson, Vygotsky, Dewey, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Jung, Stravinsky, Monk, Pollock, Twain, Sergiovanni, Palmer, “Mo, Larry and Curly”, Pinky Lee, Lucille Ball, Zero Mostel….
….I could fill a book with all the creative and rich ideas and people that have informed my career. As a compassionate and empathetic progressive educator, I am firm in my belief that a creative Constructivist education will produce thinkers, creators, humorists, and humanists… people we sorely need.
“ I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” - Chinese proverb
Srule Brachman, Ed.S
505-690-1113
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Habits of Mind
A Habit of Mind is knowing how to behave intelligently when you DON'T know the answer.
A Habit of Mind means having a disposition toward behaving intelligently when confronted with problems, the answers to which are not immediately known: dichotomies, dilemmas, enigmas and uncertainties.
Our focus is on performance under challenging conditions that demand strategic reasoning, insightfulness, perseverance, creativity, and craftsmanship. The critical attribute of intelligent human beings is not only having information, but also knowing how to act on it.
Employing Habits of Mind requires drawing forth certain patterns of intellectual behavior that produce powerful results. They are a composite of many skills, attitudes and proclivities including:
Value: Choosing to employ a pattern of intellectual behaviors rather than other, less productive patterns.
Inclination: Feeling the tendency toward employing a pattern of intellectual behaviors.
Sensitivity: Perceiving opportunities for, and appropriateness of employing the pattern of behavior.
Capability: Possessing the basic skills and capacities to carry through with the behaviors.
Commitment: Constantly striving to reflect on and improve performance of the pattern of intellectual behavior.
A Habit of Mind means having a disposition toward behaving intelligently when confronted with problems, the answers to which are not immediately known: dichotomies, dilemmas, enigmas and uncertainties.
Our focus is on performance under challenging conditions that demand strategic reasoning, insightfulness, perseverance, creativity, and craftsmanship. The critical attribute of intelligent human beings is not only having information, but also knowing how to act on it.
Employing Habits of Mind requires drawing forth certain patterns of intellectual behavior that produce powerful results. They are a composite of many skills, attitudes and proclivities including:
Value: Choosing to employ a pattern of intellectual behaviors rather than other, less productive patterns.
Inclination: Feeling the tendency toward employing a pattern of intellectual behaviors.
Sensitivity: Perceiving opportunities for, and appropriateness of employing the pattern of behavior.
Capability: Possessing the basic skills and capacities to carry through with the behaviors.
Commitment: Constantly striving to reflect on and improve performance of the pattern of intellectual behavior.
The 16 Habits of Mind identified by Costa and Kallick include:
Persisting
Thinking and communicating with clarity and precision
Managing impulsivity
Gathering data through all senses
Listening with understanding and empathy
Creating, imagining, innovating
Thinking flexibly
Responding with wonderment and awe
Thinking about thinking (metacognition)
Taking responsible risks
Striving for accuracy
Finding humor
Questioning and posing problems
Thinking interdependently
Applying past knowledge to new situations
Remaining open to continuous learning The following article describes the 16 Habits of Mind more fully and is available for download as a PDF file: Describing 16 Habits of Mind (Adobe's free Acrobat Reader browser plug-in program is needed to view, save, or print this file.)
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Classroom Loft
Over the Holidays, Matt Fladwood, Ali's dad will build a loft for our classroom out of recycled wood.
Thank you so much Matt.
Srule
Thank you so much Matt.
Srule
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