Barry Dequanne

Creating Innovators

What does it mean to be an innovative school? This is a question we have been wrestling with in relation to both EAB’s mission statement reference to innovation and our responsibility to offer a consequential educational program that keeps pace with societal changes.

The answer to this question will depend on the context of the discussion. In a local context, many would consider EAB’s implementation, for example, of home learning and standards-based reporting in the Lower School, the move to one-to-one and BYOD devices in the Upper School, and the introduction of late-start Wednesdays to support professional development to be innovative. While these are all very important and forward thinking initiatives in our local context, it can be argued from a macro perspective that these initiatives are not necessarily new and innovative.

To further address our question about innovation, EAB’s Leadership Team is currently engaging in a book study using Tony Wagner’s, Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World. The Team’s readings and reflections have led to a reframing of our question, from seeking to define what it means to be an innovative school to the question of, “How do we create the next generation of innovators?” Through Wagner’s extensive study of high profile innovators who have achieved noteworthy success in our current society, he identified one key common theme among all of these individuals. In every case, it was during the childhoods of the future innovators that the, “adults in their lives nurtured their creativity and sparked their imaginations, while teaching them to learn from failures and persevere.”

Through his research, Wagner goes on to identify a fundamental pattern: “A childhood of creative play leads to deep-seated interests, which in adolescence and adulthood blossom into a deeper purpose for career and life goals. Play, passion, and purpose: These are the forces that drive young innovators.” Wagner’s emphasis on the three mainstays of play, passion, and purpose leads us, in turn, to the ideals associated with intrinsic motivation, which is really the crux of this conversation.

Creating Innovators Video Summary

Therefore, how can an educational program lead students to become driven by intrinsic motivation rather than external rewards? Examining this question from a systems perspective, Wagner highlights the three main stages in the evolution of learning: (1) memorization-based, multiple-choice approach, (2) project-based learning where the problem is already determined, (3) design-based learning, where students learn how to define and frame problems. The process of defining a problem and then working through innovative and creative solutions has a significantly more profound impact on student learning than the expectation to recall and repeat answers.

Though it was not by my intentional design, it as during one of the recent high school leadership classes I teach at EAB that students naturally exhibited the power of design-based learning. While using the issue of homework to develop debate and communication skills, the students far exceeded the original scope of the project as they decided to extend the activity, formally challenge the school’s current homework policy, and draft their own policy statements. The prominent feature of the activity was how the students’ discussions evolved from one of entertaining and engaging exchanges (play), to a heated debate over the value of homework (passion), to a determination to influence the school’s current policy to better meet the needs of students and teachers (purpose). The resulting policy statements, which were researched and debated, were innovative, creative, insightful, and clearly illustrated how students, when presented with the opportunity to define a problem, can demonstrate the ideals of intrinsic motivation, self-direction, and lifelong learning.

To be clear, the students’ initial policy statements failed to address several key homework issues, but this was okay. It was the process of learning from their mistakes and the perseverance to improve that was most important. Wagner’s research stresses that the companies recognized as innovative leaders are also the same companies that celebrate failure. He goes on the emphasis that the word failure should be replaced with iteration, as the key to innovation is to continuously learn from experimentation and mistakes through several iterations.

Returning to the question of “How do we create the next generation of innovators?” education must move away from the false dichotomy that an instructional approach is based on either telling students or letting students learn on their own. Instead, there must be a balanced approach where students are exposed to new ideas and have some freedom to choose their learning focus while also receiving guidance and support from teachers. To achieve this goal, Wagner suggests the following three steps: (1) Convert most classroom experiences into collaborative problem-solving events led by facilitators (vs. instructors) who engage learners to think and understand the relevance and context of what they learn. (2) Tailor learning to the individual learner’s experience and competence level based on the results of a pre-test and/or assessment. (3) Dramatically reduce or eliminate instructor-led slide presentation lectures and begin using a blended learning approach that incorporates virtual and constructive simulations.

It is through these focus areas that the American School of Brasilia will ensure that the evolution of our educational program continues to evolve and embody the ideals associated with an innovative school.

Featured image: cc licensed ( CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 ) flickr photo by Orwell Kowalyshyn: http://www.flickr.com/photos/79414198@N02/7313476952/in/photolist-c9gtUd-fuF1BJ

Book Cover Credit: Tony Wagner and Scribner

Our Cultural Mosaic

Brazil’s Carnival commemorations not only represent a time for celebration, rest, and travel, but also highlight an important feature of Brazil’s rich cultural heritage. It is this heritage, framed within the context of a greater global perspective, that reminds us of the importance of culture and its correspondingly distinct and seemingly immeasurable variations.

The privilege of living in an embassy-based city like Brasilia offers a rich opportunity to connect with both Brazilian culture and an impressive number of cultures from all corners of the world. To complement this cultural mosaic, members of the American School of Brasilia’s community work, study, play, and socialize with at least forty-five different nationalities at any given time. This is an ideal setting towards fulfilling the “culturally diverse atmosphere” emphasis of our school’s mission.

Some argue that the single best form of education is to travel and immerse oneself in other cultures. There is certainly some truth to this statement, particularly given the prospect to view the world through lenses different from our own, while learning more about ourselves in the process. Albert Einstein’s maxim of, “the more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know,” resonates when considering how much there is to discover from other cultures.

To discover and understand a culture at a deeper level, it is necessary to first attain a level of fluency in the one or more languages associated with that culture. It would therefore be natural to feel somewhat daunted knowing there are nearly seven thousand different languages in use today. The following table lists the geographic distribution of all living languages, albeit through an oversimplified categorization of the world map into four regions.

Region	Number of Languages	Percent
Africa	2,110	30.5%
Americas	993	14.4%
Asia & Pacific	3,570	51.7%
Europe	234	3.5%

(Source: http://www.ethnologue.com/)

Since each language is associated with its own beliefs, history, art, music, philosophy, literature, and humor, it is, consequently, staggering to consider how much there is to learn from other cultures.

In his influential book, The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters to the Modern World, Wade Davis asks the question, “What does it mean to be human and alive?” In a response to his own question, Davis underscores how every culture is of critical importance:

“While the thousands of different cultures and languages on Earth have compellingly different answers to that question, the genius of culture is the ability to survive in impossible conditions. We cannot afford to lose any of that variety of skills, because we are not only impoverished without it, we are vulnerable without it.”

Returning to a more local and personal context, the process of stepping out of our comfort zones to learn from other cultures represents not only an opportunity but, arguably, an obligation. Perhaps Wade Davis best categorizes our obligation to ensure a “culturally diverse atmosphere” in our schools:

“The world can only appear monochromatic to those who persist in interpreting what they experience through the lens of a single cultural paradigm, their own. For those with the eyes to see and the heart to feel, it remains a rich and complex topography of the spirit.”

In the spirit of our “culturally diverse atmosphere” and this week’s Carnival celebrations, the opportunity to appreciate and value Brazil’s rich cultural heritage and to learn from a larger cultural mosaic will be a prominent feature of the days ahead.

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Featured image: cc licensed ( CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 ) flickr photo by Mansir Petrie: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mansir/457648138/in/photostream/

Importance of Play

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.”

It is not clear if Plato was applying these words to education but they are, nevertheless, apropos to our contemporary work in schools. With the focus on grades, curriculum coverage, and standardized testing in schools, there is a concern that the value of play and the corresponding intrinsic benefits may be lost due to a focus on learning that is too narrow in scope. To be clear, I am not diminishing the importance of academic excellence, rigor, discipline, and high standards in any way, as they represent the cornerstones of any effective educational program. I am, however, highlighting the importance of providing students of all ages with the opportunity for play.

Recommended Blog Post – Play: Is it Becoming Extinct?

Recent EAB events highlighted and reminded me of the significance of learning from play. The first event occurred during a high school assembly when student leaders, with a focus on further building school spirit, were preparing the grade levels for a friendly competition. It was not the competition but rather the student learning that was prominent. Students were required to effectively collaborate, strategize, communicate, and strengthen relationships. The student organizers were impressive as they coordinated an entire high school, saw to all details, and comfortably led the process, further developing very important skill sets.

The Club EAB program highlighted another important aspect of play. As part of the afterschool offerings, high school students work with younger students in activities that include robotics, cooking, rugby, ballet, and band, to name a few. This week, I was observing the basketball activity and noted the serious focus of the students, the building of relationships, and the kind, supportive, and patient nature of the student leaders. To put it another way, a high level of emotional intelligence is developed and exhibited through the Club EAB program.

Factors associated with emotional intelligence are the keys to conflict resolution. During the course of a year, it is inevitable that there will be minor conflicts among students during recess and play, which is an element of our human nature. What is fundamental for students, however, is the ability to develop high levels of empathy, understanding, listening skills, self-advocacy, and conflict resolution skills. In a recent survey conducted in the United States, respondents were asked to name the most important long-term goals of K-12 education. By a large margin, respondents ranked building character above all other goals, including preparing students for the workforce.

Recommended Video – Emotional Intelligence

Finally, the last event influencing the motivation for this post was the faculty-student softball game. While the dominant student victory was a stark reminder that the faculty’s glory days in sport may be behind us (at least, I speak for myself), the game was also a reminder of the importance of teamwork, humility, grit, commitment, and preparedness. In addition, sport teaches us about the significance of goals that are beyond us and, in turn, how to win and lose with dignity and grace.

If EAB is to achieve its mission to “cultivate responsible and contributing citizens and leaders,” then the concept of learning from play must work in conjunction with our paramount focus on academic excellence.

Featured image: cc licensed ( CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 ) flickr photo by Matthew Loberg: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mloberg/4139266516/

“Você pode descobrir mais sobre uma pessoa em uma hora de jogo do que em um ano de conversa.”

Não está claro se Platão estava aplicando estas palavras a educação, mas elas são, no entanto, o propósito do nosso trabalho contemporâneo nas escolas. Focando nas notas, currículo e testes padronizados, existe a preocupação de que o valor do jogo e os benefícios intrínsecos correspondentes possam ser perdidos devido ao foco na aprendizagem, que é muito estreito em seu escopo. Para ser claro, não estou diminuindo a importância da excelência acadêmica, do rigor, da disciplina e dos padrões elevados, uma vez que representam os pilares de um programa educacional eficaz. Estou, no entanto, destacando a importância de proporcionar aos alunos de todas as idades a oportunidade de jogar.

Leitura recomendada do blog – Play: Is it Becoming Extinct?

Os eventos recentes da EAB destacaram e me lembraram da importância do aprendizado do jogo. O primeiro evento ocorreu durante uma assembleia da escola, quando líderes estudantis, com foco na construção de um espírito escolar, estavam preparando as séries para uma competição amigável. Não era a concorrência, mas sim o aprendizado do aluno que era proeminente. Os alunos eram obrigados a colaborar de forma eficaz, com estratégias, boa comunicação ,além de fortalecer relacionamentos. Os alunos que estavam organizando impressionaram com a forma como coordenaram toda a escola, cuidando de todos os detalhes, e liderando o processo confortavelmente, além de desenvolver ainda mais habilidades muito importantes.

O programa Clube EAB destacou outro aspecto importante do jogo. Como parte das ofertas depois da escola, os alunos do ensino médio trabalham com os alunos mais jovens em atividades que incluem robótica, culinária, rugby, ballet e banda, entre outros. Esta semana, eu estava observando o basquete e percebi a concentração dos alunos, a construção de novas relações, além do apoio e da paciência da liderança estudantil. Dito de outra forma, um alto nível de inteligência emocional é desenvolvido e exibido através do programa Clube EAB.

Fatores associados à inteligência emocional são a chave para a resolução de conflitos. Durante o ano, é inevitável que haja pequenos conflitos entre os alunos durante o intervalo e os jogos, pois fazem parte da nossa natureza humana. O que é fundamental para os alunos, no entanto, é a capacidade de desenvolver altos níveis de empatia, compreensão, capacidade de escuta, de auto-defesa e habilidades para resolver conflitos. Em uma recente pesquisa (survey) realizada nos Estados Unidos, os entrevistados foram convidados a nomear os objetivos mais importantes a longo prazo na educação K-12. A maioria dos entrevistados classificaram a construção do caráter, acima de todos os outros objetivos, incluindo a preparação dos alunos para o mercado de trabalho.

Vídeo recomendado – Emotional Intelligence

Finalmente, o último evento que me motivou para escrever essa mensagem foi o jogo de softball entre os alunos e o corpo docente. Enquanto a vitória dos alunos foi um claro lembrete de que a glória do corpo docente nos esportes ficou pra trás (pelo menos pra mim), o jogo também mostrou a importancia do trabalho em equipe, da humildade, coragem, compromisso e preparação . Além disso, o esporte nos ensina sobre a importância das metas que estão além de nós e, por sua vez, como ganhar e perder com dignidade e graça.

Se EAB conseguir atingir a sua missão de “cultivar cidadãos e líderes responsáveis e contribuintes”, então o conceito de aprendizagem do jogo deve ser trabalhado em conjunto com o nosso foco primordial na excelência acadêmica.

Featured image: cc licensed ( CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 ) flickr photo by Matthew Loberg: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mloberg/4139266516/

Professional Learning Community

EAB’s mission statement ends with the phrase, “we cultivate … a strong foundation of academic excellence,“ which serves as a mantra to guide all programmatic decisions, pedagogical approaches, and professional development strategies. Arguably, the professional development component has the strongest correlation with academic excellence and student achievement. To that end, EAB has made a commitment to embracing professional development ideals within the context of a learning community. Since the start of school in January, EAB’s teachers have dedicated themselves to trainings, meetings, and workshops, including a full day of internal professional workshops, where more than 50 teachers shared their expertise, to committing 16 hours one weekend to mathematics professional development, to Professional Wednesdays, to after school and evening trainings, among others.

In last week’s Bull-It, I referred to the work of John Hattie, whose book Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement, which has provided educators with a deeper understanding of what works in education. In the article Know Thy Impact: Teaching, Learning, and Leading, which summarizes the main ideas of Hattie’s work, the author presents eight mind frames that should underpin every decision made by the school. One of the most important outcomes of this research is a summary of the meta-analysis of teaching effects that includes the influences and effect sizes related to student achievement. To say the least, the list has provided for rich conversations among educators.

Returning to our discussion about professional development at EAB, the focus of the faculty’s work has been on a continuous improvement approach to effectively address the key items in Hattie’s list. By way of example, one of EAB’s school-wide goals for the next two years is assessment, which is also one of the foci of today’s professional half day. One of the reasons for EAB’s focus on assessment is due to Hattie’s meta-analysis, which lists formative evaluation, a key component of assessment, as having the most significant effect related to student achievement.

Based on current research in education, professional development at EAB is designed such that the focus is on the areas that represent the greatest potential to positively impact student learning.

Comunidade de Capacitação Profissional

A missão da EAB termina com a seguinte frase, “nós cultivamos … uma base sólida de excelência acadêmica”, que serve como um mantra para orientar todas as decisões programáticas, abordagens pedagógicas e estratégias de capacitação profissional.Indiscutivelmente, o componente da capacitação profissional tem maior correlação com a excelência acadêmica e o desempenho do aluno.

Com essa finalidade, a EAB assumiu um compromisso significativo de abraçar os ideais da capacitação profissional no contexto de uma comunidade de aprendizagem. Desde o início das aulas em janeiro, os professores da EAB tem se dedicado aostreinamentos, reuniões e oficinas, incluindo um dia inteiro de workshop profissional interno, onde mais de 50 professores compartilharam a sua experiência durante 16 horas em um fim de semana para seu desenvolvimento profissional em matemática,além dos treinamentos às quartas-feiras , depois da escola e os treinamentos que acontecem à noite, entre outros.

No Bull-It da semana passada, eu falei sobre o trabalho de John Hattie, cujo o livro: A Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement , forneceu aos educadores um grande entendimento sobre o que funciona na educação. No artigo Know Thy Impact: Teaching, Learning, and Leading, que resume as principais ideias do trabalho de Hattie, o autor apresenta oito convicções que deveriam basear todas as decisões tomadas pela escola. Um dos resultados mais importantes dessa pesquisa é um resumo da meta-análise dos efeitos do ensino, que inclui as influências e tamanhos dos efeitos relacionados com o desempenho do aluno. No mínimo, a lista previu conversas valiosas entre os educadores.

Voltando à nossa discussão sobre a capacitação profissional na EAB, o foco do trabalho do nosso corpo docente foi em uma abordagem de melhoria contínua para enfrentar de forma eficaz, os principais itens na lista de Hattie. A título de exemplo, um dos objetivos da EAB para os próximos dois anos é o tema avaliação, que foi também um dos focos da nossa capacitação de hoje.Uma das razões para o foco da EAB nesse tema deve-se à meta-análise de Hattie, que lista a avaliação formativa, um componente-chave de avaliação, como tendo um efeito mais significativo relacionado ao desempenho do aluno.

Com base em uma pesquisa atual em educação, a capacitação profissional na EAB é projetada de tal forma que o foco está sobreas áreas que representam o maior potencial para impactar positivamente a aprendizagem do aluno.

The Power of Habit

Did you know that we conduct 45% of our daily actions with little to no thought? Charles Duhigg, the author of The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, highlights extensive brain research that explains how nearly half of our actions are habitual and not necessarily conducted with conscious awareness.

This concept can be unsettling when applied to our own lives and the organizations we are associated with each day. The book challenges us to reflect on our habits and identify ways to better both ourselves and our organizations through small changes in our habits.

Duhigg presents a framework to examine our habits and then engage in a approach to create new habits that better meet our personal and institutional goals. The four main steps are to identify the routine, experiment with rewards, isolate the cues, and then create a plan. The following video, narrated by the author overviews these four steps: The Power of Habit Video.

In addition to examining how to improve our habits, Duhigg also delves into the concept of Keystone Habits, which are defined as, “small changes or habits that people introduce into their routines that unintentionally carry over into other aspects of their lives.” To illustrate this concept, my personal example is that of exercise as a Keystone Habit. When I am able to maintain a regular exercise routine, then several other positive habits naturally follow, such as the need to be organized, to plan better, to carefully monitor nutrition and the number of hours I sleep each night, which lead to more energy, more time for reflection, and better life-work balance, to name a few.

I extended the concept to our students and asked a high school class to think about their Keystone Habits. It was interesting to note how many of them identified how the process of allocating time each evening to plan their schedule and set priorities for their next day would have the greatest impact on their lives. This is a classic Keystone Habit.

If Keystone Habits were so influential on individuals, then it is natural to consider the same question for organizations. As I reflected on the learning from this book, I was continually drawn back to the question of EAB’s Keystone Habit to ensure we are offering the best educational program possible. To that end, I have been reading the influential work of John Hattie and his writings about learning communities. In his book, Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement, Hattie flips the approach to school improvement to a focus on learning rather than on teaching. While this may appear to be a simple shift in language, the implications are profound. As we continue to reflect on EAB’s Keystone Habits, however, Hattie’s language related to learning communities continues to emerge as an important concept to lead our improvement efforts.

Whether it is a reflection on our personal habits or those of the organizations we are associated with, it is helpful to examine the habits that guide our actions each day, especially if up to 45% of these habits are conducted with little to no thought.

Featured image: cc licensed ( CC BY 2.0 ) flickr photo by roland: http://www.flickr.com/photos/roland/5868791966/sizes/l/

O Poder do Hábito

Você sabia que nós conduzimos 45% de nossas ações diárias com pouco ou nenhum pensamento? Charles Duhigg, autor do livro The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, destaca uma extensa pesquisa sobre o cérebro que explica como quase metade das nossas ações são habituais e não necessariamente realizadas com consciência.

Este conceito pode ser perturbador quando aplicado em nossas próprias vidas e nas organizações em que estamos associados a cada dia. O livro nos desafia a refletir sobre os nossos hábitos e identificar maneiras de melhorar a nós mesmos e nossas organizações por meio de pequenas mudanças em nossos hábitos.

Duhigg apresenta uma estrutura para analisar os nossos hábitos e, em seguida, envolver-se em uma abordagem para criar novos hábitos que atendam melhor nossos objetivos pessoais e institucionais. Os quatro passos principais são: identificar a rotina, experiência com recompensas, isolar os sinais, e em seguida criar um plano. O vídeo a seguir narrado pelo autor resume-se em quatro etapas: The Power of Habit Video.

Além de analisar como melhorar os nossos hábitos, Duhigg também investiga o conceito de Keystone Habits (Hábitos Chave), que é definido como “pequenas alterações ou hábitos que as pessoas introduzem em suas rotinas que, involuntariamente transitam em outros aspectos de suas vidas.” Para ilustrar este conceito, o meu exemplo pessoal é que eu me exercito, tornando a atividade física um Keystone Habits. Quando eu sou capaz de manter uma rotina regular de exercícios, em seguida, vários outros hábitos positivos naturalmente aparecem, como a necessidade de me organizar, planejar melhor, acompanhar atentamente a nutrição eo número de horas que durmo todas as noites, que me levam a ter mais energia , mais tempo para reflexão, e o melhor equilíbrio entre meu trabalho e minha vida, entre outros.

Eu ampliei o conceito para os nossos alunos e pedi a uma turma do High School para pensar sobre seus hábitos de Keystone. Foi interessante notar como muitos deles encontraram uma forma de separar um tempo toda noite para planejar e definir prioridades para o dia seguinte e como isso teve um grande impacto em suas vidas. Este é um hábito Keystone clássico.

Se o Hábito Keystone foi tão influente sobre os indivíduos, então é natural considerar a mesma pergunta para as organizações. Ao refletir sobre a aprendizagem a partir deste livro, eu fiquei atraído de volta à questão do hábito Keystone da EAB para garantir que estamos oferecendo o melhor programa educacional possível. Para isso, eu tenho lido o trabalho influente de John Hattie sobre comunidades de aprendizagem (learning communities). Em seu livro, Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement, Hattie inverte a abordagem para a melhoria da escola como foco na aprendizagem e não no ensino. Embora isso possa parecer uma simples mudança na linguagem, as implicações são profundas. À medida que continuamos a refletir sobre o Keystone Habits da EAB, a linguagem de Hattie relacionadas com as comunidades de aprendizagem continua a emergir como um conceito importante para conduzir os nossos esforços de melhoria.

Seja uma reflexão sobre os nossos hábitos pessoais ou das organizações que estamos associados , é útil para examinar os hábitos que norteiam nossas ações de cada dia, especialmente se até 45% desses hábitos são realizadas com pouco ou nenhum pensamento.

Featured image: cc licensed ( CC BY 2.0 ) flickr photo by roland: http://www.flickr.com/photos/roland/5868791966/sizes/l/

Change is Not Optional

During this week’s AdvancED conference, Will Richardson, a leader in the area of social online learning networks and education, shared a thought provoking key note address. While the presentation associated with the talk may be difficult to follow out of context, there are striking photos and quotes that may be of interest and can be viewed through the following link: Will Richardson Presentation. In terms of the talk, there are two main points I would like highlight in this posting.

Scarcity versus Abundance

The talk referred to a “period of scarcity” in education when teachers were the keepers of knowledge and bestowed this information on students through traditional schooling structures. Access to information for students relied heavily on classroom settings in brick-and-mortar buildings. This paradigm has been substantially shifted through advances in technology. While students previously accessed information through their teachers and the selection of books in their classrooms and libraries, students can now access, arguably, the entire sum of human knowledge through a single handheld device. How do educators transform instructional approaches from a model that addressed scarcity of information to one where there is an overabundance? This is a question without a clear answer, which makes the issue both exciting and formidable. What we do know is that the shift from scarcity to abundance makes schooling look very different from the schooling of today’s adults.

Change is Not an Option

Schools that choose to ignore the transformative societal changes taking place around us do so at their own peril. Clay Shirky, a writer who focuses on the social and economic effects of Internet technologies, believes that, “the change we are in the middle of isn’t minor…and it isn’t optional.” Schools will continue to face tremendous challenges as they redefine schooling such that student learning embraces an era of abundance of information, rather than clinging to a model based on a premise of scarcity. In my current role as a school director, I can assure you that the challenges before us can feel a bit daunting at times. However, these same challenges represent an exciting and important challenge for all educators. Change is not an option given the now ubiquitous presence of technology that is redefining significant aspects of our lives. When referring to learning and technology, Will Richardson stated that students are waiting for adults to catch up to them. I would modify this statement, as I believe students are not waiting but, rather, rushing forward with or without us. Schools must find a way to lead through this transformation, rather than continuously playing “catch up.

Barry Dequanne

Featured image: cc licensed ( CC BY 2.0 ) flickr photo by Milica Sekulic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ywds/310670770/

A Remarkable Legacy

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” ~ Nelson Mandela

I am forever grateful for the opportunity to have lived in Swaziland from 1993-1995, traveled often to South Africa, and developed relationships with so many of the gracious and impassioned people from the region.

Photos: Home in Swaziland; Drakensberg Mountains in South Africa

Nelson Mandela’s release from prison and 1994 presidential election represented a euphoric and inspirational time, to say the least. To emerge from 27 lost years in jail with a focus only on peace, reconciliation, and diplomacy is an example for us all as individuals to work towards a better world. His legacy will be as one of the greatest and most remarkable leaders of our time.

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” ~ Nelson Mandela

RIP Madiba

Um Legado Notável

“Educação é arma mais poderosa que você pode usar para mudar o mundo” – Nelson Mandela

Ao refletir sobre o pilar de liderança da EAB, eu não consigo pensar em uma pessoa que seja mais emblemática aos ideais de liderança da EAB do que o Nelson Mandela. A libertação do Nelson Mandela da prisão e a eleição presidencial de 1994 representaram no mínimo um momento de euforia e inspirador. Para emergir de 27 anos perdidos na cadeia, com o foco apenas na paz, a reconciliação e a diplomacia são um exemplo para todos nós como indivíduos, de como trabalhar para um mundo melhor. Seu legado será ter sido um dos maiores e mais notáveis líderes do nosso tempo.

Eu adicionei algumas outras reflexões em um post no meu blog de Diretor Geral: www.barrydequanne.com

“Ser pela liberdade não é apenas tirar as correntes de alguém, mas viver de forma que respeite e melhore a liberdade dos outros.” ~ Nelson Mandela.

Descanse em paz, Madiba

Kindness (Revisited)

GENTILEZA GERA GENTILEZA

Last week’s ‘Kindness’ post generated a substantial number of responses, which has led to this follow up post focusing on two subjects: José Datrino and a colleague’s letter.

Part I: José Datrino

(Caveat: I am not an expert regarding José Datrino’s story and apologize in advance if there are any errors in this summary of his story.)

While very few people know the name José Datrino, most Brazilians are aware of his more prominent title, Profeta Gentileza, or Prophet of Kindness, made famous, in part, by the artist Marisa Monte. But, more about that in a moment.

In response to the “Kindness’ post, some friends reminded me of Profeta Gentileza’s story. José Datrino, born in the state of São Paulo, lived from 1917 to 1996. Profeta Gentileza, identified by his white robe and long beard, is best known for spending over twenty years walking the streets of Rio de Janeiro, preaching the words of love, kindness, and respect, while painting murals on the supporting walls of viaducts. Beginning in 1980, José Datrino painted 56 different yellow and green murals with statements critical of society juxtaposed with words associated with kindness, love, and peace. From this period emerged the now famous phrase in Brazil, “Gentileza gera Gentileza” (Kindness generates Kindness).

In 1997, as part of an effort to clear the city of graffiti, José Datrino’s paintings were covered over with grey paint and were nearly lost forever. Fortunately, through a community-wide action plan, the paintings were restored shortly afterwards and became a part of the city’s cultural heritage. Though the paintings fell into disrepair and were marked by graffiti during the ensuing decade, as seen by the 2009 photos below, the paintings were again restored in 2011.

2009:

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2011:

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All 56 of the paintings can be viewed by clicking on the numbers on the map found in the link: Map of Paintings. Please note that all of the photos used in this blog posting are from the same website Rio com Gentileza.

The story of the Profeta Gentileza was made particularly famous by the song Gentileza, written and performed by the brilliant Brazilian artist Marisa Monte (live version is included at the end of this post).

Part II: A Colleague’s Letter

To add to our reflections on ‘kindness’, the following is a letter a colleague sent to me after reading last week’s post. The author, who preferred to remain anonymous, presents several philosophical questions related to the concept of kindness and connects these questions to the basis of our existence. Whether we are contemplating José Datrino’s legacy or my colleague’s existential questions, there appears to be much to reflect on when considering the concept of ‘kindness’.

Colleague’s Letter:

I saw the article (and your blog) and read with interest. We spoke a few weeks ago about it. It is, isn’t it, the fundamental question about ethics: are human beings naturally “good” or naturally “bad”, so to speak. I use inverted commas because these are relative terms, fraught with difficulty and history, and come freighted with a whole host of cultural and personal values.

It´s the whole question of nature v. nurture – are we born a certain way or are we conditioned; or, to put it another way, to what extent does either factor create who we are. This debate is a central tenet of ethics in philosophy which, as you know, I enjoy reading: from Aristotle, through to Kant, to more recent questions of evolutionary biology, and Dawkins’ notion of the “selfish gene”, the relevance of the question remains as fundamental as ever.

Jean-Jaques Rousseau, along with certain eastern religions, such as Zen Buddhism, for example, and certain forms of existentialism would argue that human beings are born innocent (or at least free of a “fixed”, or predetermined, nature), a belief in the intrinsic perfectibility of humanity, and it is society that corrupts us; if this is so, then social laws and regulations act as unwanted restraints on our original condition of being, travestying our true nature; Hobbes, Machiavelli as well as the theological concept of original sin, on the other hand, would all suggest we are innately flawed, prone to wrong-doing, in which case the more laws, rules and regulations we have the better.

What I´m suggesting to you is that the answer to the question forms, and has formed, historically, the very basis of our social and political structures, the very way that human beings have organized themselves into communities. For example, in its more extreme forms, the political system of anarchy (meant in the utopian sense). would result from a belief that we are innately innocent or “good’ – the less rules the better in as far as rules thwart our nature; on the other hand, tyranny would be one possible result of the belief that we are innately flawed, such that the more rules and restraints on us the better.

I know this is bringing in ideas from sociology, political science and philosophy but the analogy with kindness still holds: is kindness fundamental to our being or is it something we can learn or, indeed, need to learn (because it doesn’t necessarily come “naturally”)? In this way, in the ethical context of this discussion, the question of humanity´s innate goodness (or not) is, for me, the question of questions and its answer concerns the very meaning of our lives.

Marisa Monte – Gentileza (live)

Photo Credits: http://www.riocomgentileza.com.br/index.html

The Importance of Arts Education

Anyone entering EAB’s auditorium on Friday morning was greeted by a resounding rush of energy and exhilaration, generated by students singing and dancing in their aisles to the music of a live New Orleans brass band. This was the scene last week when, through a series of serendipitous events, The Hot 8 Brass Band found its way to EAB to entertain our students and teachers with a memorable performance that spilled into the school’s hallway (photo credits: Valmir Gomes)

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The show put a fitting exclamation mark on a succession of outstanding arts events at EAB in recent weeks. From the upper school band performance, to last Saturday’s parent-student arts celebration, to visual arts displays, to theater productions, our community has had the opportunity to appreciate and delight in the impressive work and talents of our students. The arts related events of recent weeks have served to emphasize one of EAB’s five educational pillars and the importance of arts education.

Educational research is categorical in concluding that the inclusion of arts in educational programs is an essential factor associated with the learning process. The Washington Post recently published an article highlighting the Top 10 Skills Children Learn from the Arts: creativity, confidence, problem solving, perseverance, focus, non-verbal communication, receiving constructive feedback, collaboration, dedication, and accountability. Another article about the Important of Art in Child Development added motor skills, language development, decision-making, cultural awareness, and improved academic performance to the list of proficiencies. Harvard’s Project Zero Study emphasizes the importance of arts education, as does the Guggenheim Study, among many other studies. If there is any doubt about the importance of the arts, then read the student comments submitted to the New York Times in response to the question, “How Important is Arts Education.”

Given my own academic background in mathematics and technology, I particularly appreciate how John Maeda and Mae Jemison emphasize, through their Ted Talks, the importance of integrating the arts, mathematics, and sciences in a K-12 educational program. John Maeda, the President of the Rhode Island School of Design, shares how art, technology, and design inform creative leaders (John Maeda Ted Talk). Similarly, Mae Jemison, emphasizes the importance of integrating the arts and sciences and how these skills contributed to her success as an astronaut (Mae Jemison Ted Talk).

This article is not designed to diminish the importance of other academic fields but, rather, to highlight how arts education can complement and strengthen the study of other disciplines while also embodying a key field of study in itself. I often hear of educators referring to the “core subjects” which, more often than not, excludes the arts. Given what we know about the arts, this paradigm must shift to a more inclusive approach to arts education.

Perhaps the Kennedy Center’s National Standards for Arts Education states it best:

“. . . the arts have been an inseparable part of the human journey; indeed, we depend on the arts to carry us toward the fullness of our humanity. We value them for themselves, and because we do, we believe knowing and practicing them is fundamental to the healthy development of our children’s minds and spirits. That is why, in any civilization – ours included – the arts are inseparable from the very meaning of the term ‘education.’ We know from long experience that no one can claim to be truly educated who lacks basic knowledge and skills in the arts.”

Featured image: cc licensed ( BY NC SA 2.0 ) flickr photo by Nick Sherman: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicksherman/4946005960/

A Importância da Educação Artística

Qualquer um que tenha entrado no auditório da EAB na quarta-feira pela manhã, foi saudado por uma onda ressonante de energia e alegria, gerada por alunos cantando e dançando pelos corredores ao som da música ao vivo de uma banda de New Orleans.

Este foi o cenário, na semana passada, quando, através de uma série de eventos fortuitos, a banda The Hot 8 Brass Band chegou até a EAB para entreter os nossos alunos e professores com uma performance memorável que se espalhou pelos corredores da escola .

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O show colocou um ponto de exclamação em uma sucessão de acontecimentos marcantes do Departamento de Artes da EAB nas últimas semanas. Desde a apresentação da banda do Upper School até a celebração de artes de pais-alunos no sábado passado, as exposições de artes visuais e as produções de teatro, a nossa comunidade teve a oportunidade de apreciar e deliciar-se com os trabalhos e talentos dos nossos alunos. Os eventos de Artes das últimas semanas serviram para enfatizar um dos cinco pilares educacionais da EAB e a importância da educação artística.

A pesquisa educacional é categórica ao concluir que a inclusão de artes em programas de educação é um fator essencial associado ao processo de aprendizagem. O Washington Post publicou recentemente um artigo destacando a as 10 Habilidades Top Que As Crianças Aprendem com a Educação Artística : a criatividade, a confiança, a resolução de problemas, perseverança, foco, comunicação não-verbal, receber feedback construtivo, colaboração, dedicação e responsabilidade. Outro artigo sobre A Importância da ARte no Desenvolvimento da Criança acrescentou habilidades motoras, desenvolvimento da linguagem, tomada de decisão, consciência cultural e, um melhor desempenho acadêmico para a lista de proficiências.

O Project Zero Studyde Harvard destaca a importância da educação artística, assim como O Estudo Guggenheim, entre muitos outros estudos. Se houver qualquer dúvida sobre a importância da educação artística, leia os comentários dos alunos apresentados ao New York Times, em resposta à questão: “Quão Importante é a Educaçã o Artística“.

Dada a minha formação acadêmica em matemática e tecnologia, eu particularmente aprecio a forma como John Maeda e Mae Jemison enfatizam, por meio das Discussões do Ted, a importância da integração de artes, matemática e ciências em um programa de educação K-12. John Maeda, Presidente da Escola de Design Rhode Island, compartilha como a arte, a tecnologia e o design informam líderes criativos (. Da mesma forma, Mae Jemison, destaca a importância de integrar as artes e a ciência, e como essas habilidades contribuíram para o seu sucesso como astronauta (Mae Jemison Ted Talk).

Este artigo não se destina a diminuir a importância de outras áreas acadêmicas, mas sim para destacar como a educação artística pode complementar e reforçar o estudo de outras disciplinas ao mesmo tempo, incorporando um campo de estudo chave em si. Eu geralmente ouço de educadores que se referem aos “temas centrais” que, na maioria das vezes, excluem artes. Dado o que sabemos sobre artes, este paradigma deve mudar para uma abordagem mais inclusiva a educação artística.

Talvez o Padrão Nacional de Educação Artística do Centro Kennedy, descreva da melhor maneira: “… a arte tem sido uma parte inseparável da jornada humana, na verdade, nós dependemos da arte para nos levar para a plenitude da nossa humanidade. Nós a valorizamos por ela mesma, e por causa disso, nós acreditamos que compreendê-la e praticá-la é fundamental para a o desenvolvimento do espírito e da saúde mental nos nossos filhos. É por isso que, em qualquer civilização –inclusive na nossa – a arte não pode ser separada do termo “educação”. Nós sabemos, através da nossa longa experiência, que ninguém pode querer ser verdadeiramente educado, caso não tenha conhecimentos básicos e habilidades em artes.”

Featured image: cc licensed ( BY NC SA 2.0 ) flickr photo by Nick Sherman: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicksherman/4946005960/

Kindness

During my morning arrival to campus earlier this week, I noticed the presence of a woman standing in front of the school carefully scrutinizing everyone entering EAB. Since I did not recognize the woman and with an obvious concern for security, I approached her and inquired about her presence at the school’s entrance. The woman’s response was not what I expected to hear. Her name was Edith and before sharing her response to my question, we need to first rewind to the start of this school year.

It was a typical beautiful and sunny August morning in Brasilia when two EAB teachers were crossing the street making their way to school to prepare for classes and the day ahead. The peacefulness of the morning was abruptly shattered when they witnessed a gruesome pedestrian accident that left a lone woman seriously injured and in desperate need of immediate medical attention. The two EAB teachers dropped everything and rushed to the aid of the injured woman doing everything possible to comfort and assist her through what could only be described as a traumatic experience for all involved. Our teachers continued to provide support until professional assistance arrived and rushed her to a hospital. Since that fateful moment, we have not received any news about the woman’s status. That is, until this week.

The woman who had the life-threating accident back in August was the same woman who was standing in front of EAB early one morning this week. When I spoke with Edith, she explained that it took several months of rehabilitation and healing before she could walk again. Now that Edith had recovered from her accident, she had come to EAB in the early morning to personally express her profound gratitude with the two teachers who helped her at the time of the accident. Since Edith did not know the teachers’ names, she was standing in front of school endeavoring to identify the teachers who demonstrated such high degrees of compassion and kindness.

There are many important reminders and lessons to highlight from this inspiring event, including the connection to several of EAB’s guiding principles. On that fateful day in August, Edith and EAB’s teachers exemplified our school’s mission to “cultivate responsible and contributing citizens”, modeled the core values of “caring” and “responsibility”, and embodied the ideal of our school’s motto to “cultivate citizenship.” Perhaps the one summative word to best describe the actions of both EAB’s teachers and Edith’s effort to express her gratitude is “kindness.”

Given the prominence of kindness in our society, it is important to reflect on the role that the parent-school partnership plays with respect to developing kindness in students. While there is much debate about the teaching of kindness, I am a firm believer that the characteristics associated with kindness can be taught through our own modeling in conjunction with deliberate instructional practices. The BBC recently published an article titled, “Making Time: Can We Teach Kindness?”, which overviews several experiments that demonstrate how external factors and influences, such as modeling, affects a person’s degree of kindness. This research clearly supports the belief that kindness can be developed in youth and, given the paramount importance of our collective work towards “cultivating responsible and contributing citizens”, the school-parent partnership to both model and instruct has never been more essential.

An apparently simple act by two EAB teachers has left an indelible impression on Edith that will last a lifetime. Through our own modeling and instruction, we hope, nay, expect, that our students will continue to exemplify EAB’s ideals through their own acts of kindness and gratitude. Moreover, it is through these seemingly simple acts that we not only improve the quality of our own lives but also make a positive difference in the lives of others and, expectantly, in our greater community. Thank you to Edith for modeling gratitude and thank you to EAB’s teachers for modeling an essential element of our school’s mission and purpose.

Gentileza

Ao chegar cedo à escola essa semana, percebi a presença de uma mulher parada em frente à escola e examinando cuidadosamente todos que estavam entrando na EAB. Como não a reconheci e, obviamente, aquilo me preocupou devido à segurança na escola, aproximei-me dela e questionei sua presença. A resposta dela não foi o que eu esperava ouvir. Seu nome é Edith e, antes de dividir a sua resposta, precisamos voltar ao início desse ano letivo.

Era um típico dia bonito e ensolarado, em uma manhã de Agosto em Brasília, quando dois professores da EAB estavam atravessando a L2 Sul, em seu caminho para escola, se preparando para aula e para o dia que eles teriam adiante. A tranquilidade da manhã foi, abruptamente, abalada quando eles testemunharam um acidente horrível, que deixou uma pedestre solitária, gravemente ferida e precisando desesperadamente de ajuda médica imediata. Os dois professores da EAB largaram tudo e correram para ajudar a mulher ferida, fazendo todo o possível para confortá-la e ajudá-la, nesta situação que só poderia ser descrita como uma experiência traumática para todos os envolvidos. Nossos professores continuaram a prestar apoio até que a assistência profissional chegou e a levou imediatamente para um hospital. Desde aquele momento fatídico, não recebemos qualquer notícia sobre a situação da mulher. Isto é, até esta semana.
A mulher que teve a vida ameaçada pelo acidente em agosto era a mesma mulher que estava em pé na frente da EAB logo cedo em uma manhã desta semana. Quando falei com Edith, ela explicou que foram vários meses até a sua reabilitação e cura, antes que ela pudesse voltar a andar. Agora que Edith havia se recuperado de seu acidente, ela veio a EAB, no início da manhã, para expressar, pessoalmente, sua profunda gratidão com os dois professores que a ajudaram no momento do acidente. Até então, Edith não sabia o nome deles, apenas estava de pé na frente da escola se esforçando para identificar os professores que demonstraram tanta compaixão e bondade.
Há muitas lembranças e lições importantes a destacar a partir deste evento inspirador, incluindo a conexão com vários dos princípios orientadores da EAB. Naquele dia fatídico, de agosto, os professores da EAB e a Edith exemplificaram a missão da nossa escola “cultivar cidadãos responsáveis e contribuintes”, revelando os valores fundamentais de “cuidado” e “responsabilidade”, e incorporaram o ideal do lema da nossa escola “cultivar a cidadania”. Talvez a melhor palavra para descrever as ações de ambos os professores da EAB e o esforço da Edith para expressar sua gratidão seja “bondade”.

Dada a importância da bondade em nossa sociedade, é importante refletir sobre o papel que a parceria entre pais e escola desempenha no que diz respeito ao desenvolvimento desse sentimento nos estudantes. Embora haja muito debate sobre o ensino da bondade, eu acredito, firmemente, que as características associadas com a bondade podem ser ensinadas através do nosso próprio exemplo, em conjunto com práticas pedagógicas deliberadas. A BBC publicou recentemente um artigo intitulado “Making Time: Podemos ensinar Bondade?”, que dá uma visão geral de várias experiências que demonstram como fatores e influências externas, tais como o exemplo, afeta o grau de bondade de uma pessoa. Esta pesquisa apóia claramente a crença de que a bondade pode ser desenvolvida na juventude e, dada a importância fundamental do nosso trabalho coletivo no sentido de “cultivar cidadãos responsáveis e contribuintes”, a parceria família-escola, tanto como modelo quanto como meio de instrução, nunca foi tão essencial.

Um ato aparentemente simples de dois professores da EAB deixou um sentimento em Edith que vai durar uma vida inteira. Através do nosso próprio exemplo e instrução, esperamos, ou melhor, desejamos que os nossos alunos continuem a exemplificar os ideais da EAB através de seus próprios atos de bondade e gratidão. Além disso, é por meio desses atos, aparentemente simples, que não só melhoramos a qualidade de nossas própias vidas, mas também fazemos uma diferença positiva na vida dos outros e em nossa comunidade. Agradeço a Edith, pelo exemplo de gratidão, e aos professores da EAB pela demonstração desse elemento essencial da missão e propósito da nossa escolar.

Featured image: cc licensed ( BY NC ND 2.0 ) flickr photo by Molly (moominmolly): http://www.flickr.com/photos/moominmolly/2533284776/