One Schoolhouse

  • STUDENT COURSES
    • School Information
    • Student Information
    • Parent Information
    • Summer 2021
    • Register
  • PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
    • Academic Leaders Listserv
    • Academic Leaders Retreats
    • Advanced Independent Curriculum
    • COVID-19
    • Innovation Library
    • Learning Innovation Blog
    • On-Demand Programs
    • Online Courses
    • Webinars
  • CONSORTIUM
    • Join the Consortium
    • Our Schools
  • COURSE LOGIN
    • Online Classes
    • On-Demand Programs
  • STUDENT COURSES
    • School Information
    • Student Information
    • Parent Information
    • Summer 2021
    • Register
  • PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
    • Academic Leaders Listserv
    • Academic Leaders Retreats
    • Advanced Independent Curriculum
    • COVID-19
    • Innovation Library
    • Learning Innovation Blog
    • On-Demand Programs
    • Online Courses
    • Webinars
  • CONSORTIUM
    • Join the Consortium
    • Our Schools
  • COURSE LOGIN
    • Online Classes
    • On-Demand Programs

I Loved Teaching Seniors…  Until Spring Break

4/5/2018

1 Comment

 
PictureBrad Rathgeber
When I was a classroom teacher, I loved teaching Seniors.  They were driven, inquisitive, curious, creative, thoughtful, and articulate… Until about this time of year.  That post Spring Break time could be dreadful.

I wish I knew then what I know now about student motivation.

Post Spring Break was dreadful because I kept plowing through content the way that I had throughout the year.  And, even though the content got more and more interesting (from my perspective) and even though I had some of the top students in the school in my class, the students became less engaged, less motivated, and less interested.

What I didn’t do then, but would do now, is unleash the energy, motivations, creativity, and passions of my students.

Seniors think that they are finished with high school before high school is actually over.  So how do we keep them motivated to learn down the home stretch? Here we rely on the psychology of adolescent development and growth mindset.  Student motivation surfaces at the intersection of some of our favorite education researchers - Dweck, Ferlazzo, Hattie, Marzano - who collectively show that students want to learn when they are given the freedom to explore what’s important to them.  Appropriately supported by teachers who give targeted and constructive feedback, autonomy not only empowers learning by motivating students to ask deep questions and solve real problems but also to stay engaged and finish what they’ve started.

That’s one of the reasons that we’re launching a new type of course for next year: fall semester courses with an option for a guided research project for the second semester.  This fall, we will introduce six fall semester courses: Abnormal Psychology, Business and Entrepreneurship, Civics, Culture, and Intersectionality, Creating Tomorrow: Computer Science by Design, Gender and Sexual Identity in America, and Engineering, Design, and Robotics. All of these courses have an optional second semester guided research project.  

What does that project look like? Students are expected to engage in sustained inquiry, authentic and iterative research, critical analysis, and rigorous reflection, revision, and assessment.  They’re given choice in terms of what pathway to pursue, with options including:
  • Designing a solution to real-world problem and building a prototype;
  • Practicing source evaluation to research the answer to an ethical question;
  • Applying research and analysis skills throughout an experimental design process; or
  • Collaborating with a peer to create a product to bring to market.
They will be able to draw and defend conclusions from theoretical underpinnings, contextual background, and mathematical analysis or source evaluation.  They will have created and tested something meaningful of their own design.

This student experience builds on what we know about motivation and unleashes student creativity, in a flexible, asynchronous learning environment… banishing (as much as we can) the post Spring Break dread.

1 Comment
Laura Monagan
4/22/2018 03:42:42 pm

Exciting to hear that One Schoolhouse is adding these new courses! Permission to explore...even more!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Authors

    Brad Rathgeber (he/him/his)
    Head of School & CEO
    Corinne Dedini (she/her/hers)
    Assistant Head of School for Academics
    Elizabeth Katz (she/her/hers)
    Assistant Head of School for School Partnership
    Kerry Smith (she/her/hers)
    Instructional Designer for Professional Development
    Peter Gow (he/him/his)
    Independent Curriculum Resource Director
    Sarah Hanawald (she/her/hers)
    Assistant Head of School for PD & New Programs
    Tracie Yorke (she/her/hers)
    Instructional Designer for Equity, Inclusive Innovation & Accessibility
    ​Lorri Palko (she/her/hers)
    Finance & Operations Advisor; CFO (retired)
    Karen Douse (she/her/hers)
    Director of School & Student Support (retired)

    Archives

    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    September 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    October 2013
    August 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    May 2012
    March 2012
    November 2011
    October 2011
    July 2011
    June 2002

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Organization

About
Welcome
​History
FAQs
​Calendar

Policies

Tuition & Policies
Non-Discrimination Policy
Technology Requirements & Policies
​Privacy Policy




Team

Team Members
Board of Trustees
Employment Opportunities
Contact Us
1701 Rhode Island Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036
info@oneschoolhouse.org
T: 202-618-3637​
© COPYRIGHT 2020, ONE SCHOOLHOUSE, INC.. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.