SPRING 2003	Accelerated Schools Project
	Greetings from the Director
INSIDE Page 1 Greetings from the Director, Satellite Center Information Page 2 World of Wonder Art Show, Web Site Information, Training Schedule Page 3 Leadership Institute Report, Powerful Learning Study Groups Report, Powerful Learning Lab Reminder Insert Powerful Learning Lab Registration INSIDE	I’m writing these words on May 8, National Teachers Day. What was a mere coincidence seems quite fitting. I’m reminded today of so many teachers in our network schools that I describe to others as “magical” with children. What makes these teachers magical are not some bag of tricks that only they possess, but rather a passionate focus on doing whatever it takes so their students are successful learners. These teachers know intuitively what their students will enjoy. They choose books, activities, and projects that their students will literally gobble up. They create classroom environments where their students don’t want to leave at the end of the day. When these teachers speak, they are like E. F. Hutton, people listen. I can walk into their classrooms any day of the week and at any time of the day and their students are joyfully engaged. The students in these classrooms are eager to tell me what they are doing. When I visit these classrooms I hear laughter, questions being asked, sometimes silence, usually a gentle hum, and always more student voices than teacher talk. The children in these classrooms experience powerful learning every day. I’m disappointed when I walk into these classrooms and there’s a student teacher. My first thought is how selfish of me to feel this way! Instead, I should think, how fortunate for the student teacher to work with such a master teacher. We need to celebrate the “magicians” among us. Each of our schools is populated with them. None of you would identify yourselves this way, because you are too hard on yourselves, but as you read these words you can probably think of someone this describes. Why don’t you celebrate your colleagues and thank them for the masterful job they do each day? Who knows – you may be one of those people another colleague celebrates! I celebrate each of you and salute you for a job well done on behalf of your students. Have a summer of relaxation and personal learning!
	Dayton Satellite Center for Accelerated Schools University of Dayton 300 College Park Drive Dayton, OH 45469-510 Dr. Julie Biddle, Director (Phone: 937-229-4517) (email: julie.biddle@notes.udayton.edu) The ASP newsletter is published 3 times a year by the ASP Satellite Center. Vickie Hodges, Communications Coordinator (Phone: 937-229-3870) (email:vickie.hodges@notes.udayton.edu) Web Site:http://www.soeap.udayton.edu/support/accel/
Collaboration & Powerful Learning at the World of Wonder Accelerated Learning Community as reported in the Dayton Daily News
Dayton Students Create Works of Art By Virginia Burroughs Thursday, March 13, 2003 DAYTON – Works by Michaelangelo, Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Frieda Kahlo, Paul Cezanne, Norman Rockwell and Faith Ringgold are all on display in Dayton. These are just a few of the 40 artists who are featured in a display at World of Wonder charter school, 4411 Oakridge Drive. Reproductions of the famous artists’ works hang alongside student interpretations in the school’s Rainbow Connection art show. Parents, family members and other visitors filled the hallways the other day to discuss the works with students during a reception. Each of the 34 third-, fourth- and fifth-graders who worked on the integrated visual and language arts unit was at his or her “station.” Seated or standing under a reproduction and two pieces of their own art – inspired by the reproduction they had selected – students proudly shared the reports they had written on their artist. “I liked the way she drew a girl flying in the sky over the house,” DeAisha Hughes, 9, said of her chosen artist, Faith Ringgold, and the reproduction of her painting, A City Flight. Hughes had singled out one segment of the painting, which depicted a child flying over a large city apartment building to replicate, then did another painting of her own interpretation of a child flying. Ringgold has written a song, Anyone Can Fly, to encourage young children to reach for their dreams. Hughes was also prepared, with the help of her researched report, to discuss Ringgold’s life, books and other art works. Sherman Lucas selected Norman Rockwell’s, The Dugout and had duplicated a character in the painting who stood waiting a turn at bat. In his own interpretive painting, Lucas focused on a football player. Teachers Nancy Jackson and Sanjii Johnigan worked with art teacher Nancy Vogel to integrate the visual arts into their literacy program with the project. “We read the book, The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg,” Jackson said. The story is about the adventures of two children who run away and hide out in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Afterward, we did two weeks of art history and had students do art based on the art in the book. Then, we had each of them do research on one of the artists in the book and select a work. We ordered reproduction prints of all the works students had selected, and they painted their own copies and then did creative pieces based on what they learned.” “It’s been a wonderful experience,” said Vogel, who enjoys working with classroom teachers on integrated curriculum. “We know from studies that students who are involved in the arts do better on tests than other stude4ts,” the school’s principal, Richard Penry, said. As is a former principal of Colonel White High School for the Arts and Stivers School of the Arts, Penry has a firm belief in the role of the arts in education. Students were thrilled when local artist Willis “Bing” Davis attended the reception, stopping by each station to talk to the students about their work and their chosen artists. He listened as 8-year-old Crystal Norman told him, “I picked Frieda Kahlo because of her colors and because I liked her life. She lived in Mexico, married another artist and did a lot of self-portraits.” In addition to her own rendition of one of Kahlo’s self-portraits, Norman did a self-portrait. The students’ work will be on display through march at the school, which is the only charter school in the city sponsored by Dayton Public Schools’ board of education. Visitors should stop by the office, as the exhibit is located in the school’s older building on Kammer Avenue, which is being refurbished.
http://www.soeap.udayton.edu/support/accel/
Training Schedule Powerful Learning Lab – July 27 – August 1, 2003 (at WOW) Leadership Institute – August 14-15, 2003 (and January & May 2004 dates TBA) Coaches’ Gathering – September 15, October 20, November 17, December 15, 2003; and January 19, February 16 (or 23), March 15, April 19 and May 17, 2004 Powerful Learning & Literacy – September 22-23 (M-T) Introduction to Accelerated Schools – September 29 (M) Inquiry – October 16-17, 2003 (Th-F) Network Conference – November 7-8, 2003 (StEP at McTaft in Middletown) Powerful Learning & Math – November 13-14, 2003 Powerful Learning – February 9-10, 2004 (M-T)
May 5 and 6 were the final two days of the 2002-2003 Leadership Institute. Dr. Linda Lambert joined us to lead the discussions. We had spent the year taking another look at her work on building leadership capacity, then reading Conzemius’ and O’Neill’s work, Building Shared Responsibility for Student Learning. We identified key areas to focus our work and then met with Linda to pull our theory and practice together. Dr. Lambert suggests that leadership can be understood as reciprocal, purposeful learning in community. This vision of leadership requires us to assume the following: Everyone has the right, responsibility and capability to be a leader. The adult learning environment in the school and district is the most critical factor evoking leadership actions. Within that environment, opportunities for skillful participation top the list of priorities. How we define leadership frames how people will participate. Educators yearn to be more fully who they are. Leadership is an essential aspect of a professional life. Educators are purposeful . . . leading realizes purposes. This year most of the participants were building principals. Our commitment for next year is to find ways to include more teacher leaders in our discussions. We will begin the 2003-2004 Leadership Institute in August on Thursday, the 14^th and Friday, the 15^th. We intend to pick up our dialogue with additional readings by Linda and other leadership authorities. Our continued focus is on how to build leadership capacity in our schools so that our school improvement efforts are sustained over time. The major goals of this work are: The development of the formal leaders thoughtful, focused and collaborative instructional leaders. The development of all adults within the school community as reflective, skillful leaders. Achievement of steady and lasting improvement in student performance and development. Constructing schools and districts that are sustainable organizations.
Powerful Learning Study Groups were held in two different regions of our network this year. Svea Cooke facilitated a group at McKinley Accelerated in Elyria, OH and Julie Biddle facilitated a Powerful Learning Study group in Dayton. Both groups studied Strategies that Work, by Harvey & Goudvis. Plans are underway for a study group in Dayton beginning in September 2003. The group will study Nonfiction Matters, by Harvey and On Solid Ground, by Taberski. We will meet quarterly at the University of Dayton. Let Julie know if you are interested in participating so enough copies of the text can be ordered.
It’s Not Too Late - You Can Still Participate in this Summer’s Powerful Learning Lab - July 27-August 1 The Powerful Learning Lab 2003 begins July 27 at the World of Wonder Accelerated Learning Community School (WOW) in Dayton. We will meet at WOW on July 27^th from 4-6 p.m. At this time participants and mentor teachers will meet and begin their joint planning for the week. Classroom participation begins Monday, July 28 and continues through Friday, August 1. Participants will be paired with a WOW teacher for the week. Each participant will team teach with the WOW teacher and follow his/her schedule. The Lab concludes Friday, August 1, in the evening after debriefing with one another. If you are interested in participating in the Lab please fill out the enclosed application and either mail or fax to the Satellite Center. Information will be mailed to you upon receipt of the application. You won’t want to miss this wonderful professional development opportunity!

Dayton Satellite Center for Accelerated Schools

NONPROFIT ORG

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

DAYTON OH

PERMIT NO. 71

300 College Park Drive

Dayton, OH 45469-0510