Why the Arts? by Sherilyn Brown Education Director, RI State Council on the Arts The Rhode Island Arts Learning Network states in our vision: “We envision a Rhode Island where all children and youth have equal access to rich and challenging arts learning opportunities in their homes, schools, and communities, thus enabling them to become creative and critical thinkers, effective communicators, responsible citizens and knowledgeable adults.”
The arts provide different ways of knowing for the many types of learners we serve in our school and community programs. The now well-known theory of multiple intelligences was developed in 1983 by Dr. Howard Gardner, Professor of Education at Harvard University. He was concerned about the view of intelligence being defined and limited by I.Q. testing, and proposed eight different kinds of intelligences. For example, some children think best with their bodies using movement. Some think visually and excel when incorporating imagery and design into their learning. Still others are best thinking with their emotional intelligence at the forefront. Students who think best verbally and mathematically are addressed in most school-based approaches to learning, but other students are often made to feel less intelligent because we do not acknowledge that they both learn and express their knowledge in other ways. If we do not incorporate artistic ways of thinking about the world, in a serious and intentional manner, we are not really serious about addressing all children and youth—whether that learning is inside or outside the school walls and day. Additionally, many artistic ways of thinking support the verbal and mathematical learning that we are working hard to achieve with all learners. A theatre program is a super-sized literacy program—it offers emotionally engaged speaking, listening, reading, and writing—while on the technical side, math and design skills are put to practical use. For those who are concerned about preparing our students to be successful in the worlds of science and technology, interdisciplinary teaching often strengthens student comprehension of all subject areas. Concepts such as balance and pattern are present in both arts and sciences, for example. Artists and scientists both imagine and test theories. The sketch journal is a way that both artists and scientists record their observations and data. Einstein developed the theory of relativity by visualizing a beam of light traveling through space. Until now, we have persisted in marginalizing the arts for more “serious” subjects that supposedly have more to do with the real world. Why not acknowledge that all these types of thinking support each other, and give our children all the tools they need to succeed? There is a national dialogue about changing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) to STEAM. The “A” (for “Arts”) is a driving force in design, technology, and innovation. You may have heard the saying that the new MBA is an MFA; there is good reason for that. Creative industries and the global knowledge economy require the skills, habits, and ways of thinking provided by serious, sequential arts education. Studio Thinking, a recent research project by Harvard, documented through case studies that the arts teach students to engage and persist, envision, express, observe, reflect, and stretch and explore. There is a point that we often miss about the arts when we think about the assessment of all kinds of learning. Beyond giving our young people ways to understand the world, the arts offer ways for them to fully express to us what they know and understand. Several years ago, I heard the story of a boy who continually flunked social studies tests and spent his time “doodling.” The time came for a test on the Egypt unit. The teacher, out of frustration, asked the student to just doodle what he knew about Egypt. The student did just that. When the test was over, the teacher looked at the intricate drawing and asked the student to explain it to her. As the student explained what he had drawn, the teacher was amazed at the depth of knowledge the student had about Egypt. He needed a way that was compatible with his brain functioning to express his knowledge. For those who wish to go deeper, there is a multitude of research supporting the value of the arts in teaching and learning. An on-line national research-based communication toolkit is available on NASAA’s web site. The toolkit focuses on three areas: arts and literacy, arts and workforce development, and arts and social/cognitive development. There is also good policy news locally. In this time of math and literacy test scores measuring the worth of our children as learners, it is good to know that Rhode Islanders can rally around the value of the “whole child.” On April 1, 2010, the RI Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education unanimously adopted the new Arts Grade Span Expectations. The passage was the culmination of many years of policy work by arts educators, parents, students, artists, arts organizations, and others working to make the arts an essential part of learning for all our children and youth. The Arts GSEs are on the RI Department of Education web site.
The Basic Education Program (BEP) is also a newly passed regulation that protects the arts in K-8 by requiring all our children to have at least visual arts and design and music instruction. Our high school regulations now require that all students demonstrate proficiency in an art form by graduation. So the next time you hear about arts programs being cut for the more “important” subject areas, take action. Stand up for the arts, using the regulations and resources we now have at hand. The RI Arts Learning Network is also developing a toolkit to help community members in Rhode Island make a case for the arts. This toolkit will be piloted in four communities statewide over the next several months. When we honor the arts, we honor the richness of our world and our children as human beings and learners; in other words, we honor the whole child.
Editor's note: To underscore the wonderful points made in the article above, here are two recent publications that demonstrate the power of the arts in education and how they support student achievement: Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts, and the Brain (2009) and Critical Evidence: How the Arts Benefit Student Achievement (2006).
Voices from the Field The Value of RIPQA by Joseph V. Tomchak As Director of Program Services and Outreach at the Boys and Girls Club of Pawtucket, my responsibilities extend to assessing the effectiveness of the programs that we deliver for thousands of kids here at the Club. Prior to implementing the Rhode Island Program Quality
Assessment Tool (RIPQA), when I thought of measuring youth programs, I typically thought first of outcomes: the breadth, duration, and intensity of children attending; pre- and post-tests; surveys, etc. I assumed that good outcomes meant a quality program.
I was in for a surprise. While these tried-and-true measurements are benchmarks for good programs, they miss the quality that happens at the point of service and leave several questions unanswered. Is there a safe and supportive environment for participants? Are conflicts addressed in a healthy and productive way? Do we have enough leadership opportunities? Are child/staff interactions meaningful?
Fortunately, a grant requirement enabled us to begin working with the Providence After School Alliance to implement RIPQA, which is based on a nationally recognized and validated tool developed by the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation. It has a supplementary component that addresses the unique needs and priorities of Rhode Island afterschool professionals. RIPQA measures and evaluates the quality of the youth program experience. We use the insight from the evaluation to create enhanced programs during which youth are truly motivated to attend and engage.
Although I couldn’t argue against RIPQA’s value, I originally believed the evaluation would be so complex and time-consuming, that it would be a burden to an already overworked staff. This was simply not true. In fact, the RIPQA evaluation is neither complex nor time-consuming. After training on how to use the tool, the formalized assessment is completed with an impartial quality advisor over a two-week time period, which includes program observations and a consensus meeting. The tool is easy to use and the scoring process is self-explanatory. It illustrates specific goals to meet and gives concrete examples on how to create meaningful experiences for children and youth. RIPQA has helped our professional instructors to look at Club programs from a different perspective. We have always had a proven and reliable curriculum from which we could work and an expectation for how we wanted the program to look; however, until we began to implement RIPQA, we lacked the framework to specifically state our expectations to instructors. Sometimes what instructors think they do is different than what happens, and differs from what RIPQA indicates. After thoughtful self-assessment, staff members can now examine their own program design and rethink ways to foster greater impact. The process requires staff members to show evidence for meeting the targets for their program areas. The Boys and Girls Club of Pawtucket offers a broad range of programming and activities from education and career development, character and leadership development, health and life skills, to the arts, and sports, fitness, and recreation. One might think that such a wide variety of programs would make a consistent assessment difficult; however, when utilizing RIPQA, this is not the case. RIPQA can be implemented for each of these programs. It reinforces the fact that a good learning environment is a good learning environment—regardless of the learning content or the specific setting.
All programs continually evolve over time, regardless of how structured they may be. The evolution can be subtle or overt, through changes in staff and client populations, in response to financial constraints, or as a result of new information and identifiable concerns. Some changes are planned and implemented intentionally, while others are beyond our control. RIPQA gives us the tools to ensure that Club services continue to improve over the long haul, regardless of anticipated or unanticipated changes.
Because of RIPQA, the Club views evaluation not as a one-time event—rather, as an ongoing process. Here, all full-time program staff members are directly involved in the training and implementation of RIPQA. Since the tool literally teaches as it is utilized, our staff readily learns what a high-quality program should look like. They are able to look critically at one another’s programs and make informed observations through RIPQA on how programs can be improved. Staff members see the value, observe the results, and embed the assessment process into their program management efforts. Therefore, RIPQA’s value is unquestioned. It serves as a highly useful tool to measure the effectiveness of a variety of programs while, simultaneously, being easy to learn, implement, and interpret. The bottom line is that RIPQA leads to better, stronger programs for our children and youth.
How Afterschool Expands Learning Time at Highlander Charter School
by Dana Borrelli, Director of Expanded Learning Time, Highlander Charter School
Wooosh! An “airplane” occupied by second, third, and fourth graders “flies” through the building, down hallways, through the cafeteria, and up the stairs. The students make airplane sounds as their Afterschool Teacher/”Pilot” speaks through her imaginary intercom. “Ladies and gentleman, please fasten your seatbelts. In case of a water landing, the seat cushions may be used as a flotation device.” A few minutes later, the plane lands safety in front of room 138…but the room is no longer a Highlander Charter School classroom. This week, it has been transformed into Morocco.
Lead teacher, AmeriCorps member Hillary Vargas, stamps the students’ passports as they enter Morocco. She is adorned in a customary Moroccan dress. Traditional Arabic music fills the air. Students “ohh” and “ahh” as they enter the space, marveling at the cultural artifacts, food, and displays organized on their desks. For the next hour, Hillary and her co-teacher Alyssa lead the class on the trip of a lifetime, exposing Highlander Charter School students to a world very different to the one experienced daily on Broad Street in South Providence. At 5:00pm, students leave room 138, wondering where in the world Passport Express will transport them next week.
Upstairs, Highlander teacher Patty Houlik manages the Math Center. Twelve 5th graders are paired with twelve 4th graders, and for an hour every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon, the 5th graders coach the struggling 4th graders through their multiplication tables, geometry, and long division. The 5th graders must maintain a high math grade in order to be considered afterschool math tutors, and the 4th graders work hard to be graduated from the tutoring program. With Ms. Houlik’s innovative teaching styles and interest in peer learning, significant student achievement has been made in student math grades. In the past two months, three 4th graders have graduated from the Math Center, a feat that can be directly attributed to their extra work during the afterschool program.
Throughout the building each afternoon, over a dozen such programs are taking place simultaneously. And while the goals and objectives of each Highlander Afterschool Program activity are dramatically different, all reflect the importance of expanding the learning time for students.
At Highlander, a small state charter school founded in 2000, the school day ends at 5:30 pm—not 2:30/3:00—for over half the student population. The Highlander Afterschool Program, funded primarily by a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant, works to change the perception of how, when, and where learning can take place.
Afterschool is the place for innovative teaching and learning methods. Student voice leads the learning, allowing students to direct the activities towards student-centered goals. Students use space and place differently, kicking off their shoes or reorganizing classrooms for a different sensory experience. For the lower school (Kindergarten through 4th grade), movement, dancing, and talking are very important. Collaboration and play lead the way. Most importantly, FUN is a must!
Expanded Learning Time is an educational movement driven by the idea that more time allotted for learning will best help students achieve. The concept, hardly new, is taking on new life as more schools and districts reimagine the way afterschool programs can play a vital role in reshaping the school day. For example, Massachusett’s Expanded Learning Time Initiative has recently expanded the school day by 300 hours annually for its 26 pilot schools. In order to redesign the school day, participating schools partnered with over 150 community-based organizations that were traditionally hailed as afterschool program providers. One of the goals of the Massachusetts ELT Initiative is making “afterschool” a part of the school day by mixing up the school schedule. At participating schools, this restructuring has extended academic time, offered more enrichment opportunities, and allowed more time for teacher prep and professional development.
And although Massachusetts is doing incredible work in the Expanded Learning Time arena, there is no concrete, single approach to Expanded Learning Time that works for all schools and districts. As Expanded Learning Time takes a more vital role in national education policy, each school or district will have to approach and construct Expanded Learning Time uniquely to fit their community needs.
Back at Highlander, Expanded Learning Time is being interpreted in a way that best suits the school community. Expanded Learning Time is understood as the backbone running through the very different programs offered during the afternoon, as well as the expanded opportunities for students, parents, and teachers.
The Highlander Afterschool Program believes that Expanded Learning Time also means expanding the opportunities for volunteers, young adults, and those new to the education arena. All are considered school staff members, and everyone is valued as an integral piece of the afterschool puzzle. Contribution at all levels is encouraged and nurtured through trainings, peer coaching, and personalized performance plans. And while the support of classroom teachers like Patty Houlik is truly appreciated, most afterschool staff members represent a host of experiences and backgrounds that do not often translate onto résumés and college degrees.
In order to speak the same afterschool programming language, all afterschool staff participate in regularly scheduled professional development focused on lesson planning, program implementation, and peer and self-evaluation based on the RI Core Knowledge and Core Competencies for Afterschool and Youth Development Professionals and RI Program Quality Assessment (RIPQA) tool. Staff learn to articulate the intentionality of their activities and focus on specific skill development based on youth development principles. Staff are encouraged to have a vision and objective to all that they do with students afterschool and to see the notable benefits in every activity, whether it be socio-emotional development, multicultural learning, or academic skill enrichment, to name just a few.
Highlander Afterschool Program staff are expected to take healthy risks and try new things. New AmeriCorps members or volunteers are encouraged to step outside their comfort zone and experience firsthand the art of teaching. Support is provided through the entire process so staff of all levels feel excited and able to pursue their goals. Veteran staff are pushed to reach higher rather than plateau at safe programming levels. The constant pushing and encouragement allows the program to continue its upward climb with an undeniable buzz of excitement.
That buzz can be heard through the doors of the cafeteria. Comic Book Creation is nearing its final week, and students have decided to act out their original comic books as plays. After weeks of writing, drawing, and “publishing” their original works, students run and yell in the cafeteria as second grader Jeshua acts as the director for his play involving superheroes. AmeriCorps member Lisa Melmed and staff member Ramarr Robinson have been cast as the superhero and evil nemesis, respectively. The class is enjoying the way the comic book is coming to life as Miss Lisa and Mr. Ramarr battle, with Miss Lisa saving the day. Jeshua’s classmates shout out ideas and revisions to the story as he navigates through his directorial debut. “That’s a wrap!” they yell as parents start to congregate for pickup. The controlled chaos and fun will resume tomorrow, with different activities but similar goals on fun and learning…just another day at the Highlander Afterschool Program.
Putting Play in Your Afterschool Program
by Cathy Saunders, Director of Education, Providence Children’s Museum I observed two children work together for thirty minutes transforming a pile of flattened boxes into a tunnel system. They discussed their vision and collaborated as engineers, securing the wobbly cardboard with tape and buttresses. The other children in the room watched this elaborate play space emerge with anticipation of the chance to crawl through the new “adventure park.” This type of open-ended play is important for children’s healthy development. I think educators all know this intuitively, and we can look to child development experts for affirmation. In the last century, child psychologists Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky linked play to cognitive development. More recently, in 2007, the American Academy of Pediatrics stated that “play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth.”1 Play is at the core of Providence Children’s Museum’s philosophy and work, and we are concerned that play is being devalued in our culture, that teachers are pressured to focus on test-driven material, and that many parents are afraid to let their children explore in unstructured settings. The causes are many, but the result is that, as a society, we often forget how to encourage and support children’s free play. We at the Museum thought long and hard about how we could demonstrate to our audiences the importance and value of play in children’s lives. The result was Play Power, a new exhibit that invites children and their caregivers to explore, imagine, create, and experiment through open-ended play experiences. For the last dozen years we have partnered, through our AmeriCorps program, with afterschool programs to provide themed activity series and free play at the Museum. Now, our AmeriCorps educators have begun leading afterschool programs at new partner sites as well. We have also trained afterschool and summer learning professionals on topics from games to science. Through these experiences, we have learned some important lessons about how to incorporate play into any afterschool program. Getting Started Whenever we do a staff training about play, we ask participants to share their powerful memories of play. The first time I was asked this question, I immediately thought of Capture the Flag games in the woods at summer camp. What I remembered was the sense of adventure, the strategizing and negotiation, and the physical exhilaration. Ask your staff to share their childhood play memories. Notice the themes. Were you playing alone or with others? Were adults involved? Did the experiences take place indoors or outdoors? What materials, equipment, or tools were involved? This discussion will prove a goldmine as you and your staff think about ways to infuse your program with play. Many of these memories may be about unsupervised times. We know that afterschool programs need to provide structure and safety for children, and may have to work with many limitations. However, as you listen to your childhood memories—which likely include making discoveries; creating narratives and stories; and “messing around” with dirt, art supplies, or other materials—think about how you could provide these elements in your programming. Where can you give children opportunities for free choice within an activity? Ask yourself, “Am I putting more constraints than I need to in this moment?” Setting the Stage When we designed our Play Power exhibit, we knew we wanted a beautiful space that was warm and inviting. We wanted a variety of mini-environments: places where children could have large motor play, quiet play, group play. And we wanted lots of fun materials with which children could build and create. Obviously, you cannot build a museum exhibit in your afterschool program, and you may be further limited by shared space situations. However, there are ways you can set up your afterschool space with intriguing things that invite children’s curiosity and inspire enthusiasm about learning. Set the tone with children’s artwork and non-school-day images. Provide open-ended materials. We find that blocks, Tinker Toys™, magnets, and sand are intrinsically inviting materials for children. Make art materials (crayons, markers, colorful scraps, tape, glue, scissors, etc.) accessible and visible to help inspire children’s creativity. You can stock up with lots of unusual, inexpensive items from Recycling for RI Education.2 Stations (permanent or temporary) provide structure while inviting choice. A corner with pillows (or carpet squares) and books makes a cozy story nook. A dramatic play area with costumes, a “stage,” puppets, and dolls encourages collaborative story making. A chalkboard or wipe-off board allows for public self-expression for drawings, songs, or poems. Provide a table with simple building or science materials.3 When we spend a day exploring a topic like color we might have three stations for children to rotate through: one with paints to mix, another with a flashlight and gels, and a third with collage materials. Pay attention to what intrigues your children. Play is an important way that children discover what they like and what they are good at. One group may gravitate to pretend play, so be sure to have resources for them. Other groups may be much more interested in creative construction, so augment your building supplies (which might include items like paper-towel tubes, newspaper, or packing peanuts). Getting Your Sillies Out We all know children experience a lot of structure, desk time, “work,” and constraint by the time they get to afterschool activities. So how can you take the ordinary and make it playful and fun? A goofy hat, a funny song, or a rhyme can energize everyone. This lets children know that this time is different than the school day, that here they can color outside the lines–literally and figuratively. Fantastical stories about superheroes or dogs that live under the ocean help them process their understanding of the world. Being silly also works when you want to deliver content. For instance, faced with teaching the anatomy of a worm, two of our AmeriCorps educators got playful: one pretended to be a journalist and interviewed the other who was in a worm costume made from a tube of fabric. The children loved it, and it had a lasting impression.
Challenging Your Children Challenges, in which there is no one right way to accomplish the task, allow for pockets of free choice and self-directed discovery. A simple challenge we like is: design a tinfoil boat that will hold the most weight. If you step back and watch closely, you see children try all sorts of things, using their ingenuity and creativity to figure out new ways to do things. You can encourage them to share ideas, to talk about their designs, and to celebrate what they learn from their successful and not-so-successful attempts. This supports their intrinsic motivation to dig deeper.4 Play in afterschool programs is a partnership between program leader and children. Think of your job as playing a game—one that encourages children to be excited about learning, curious about the world, creative about solving problems, and able to work with others as well as independently. By paying careful attention your children’ interests and offering them space and materials that enable them to play, you can support their healthy, joyful development. We are happy to continue this conversation and support you in your efforts to create a playful afterschool program; I can be reached at saunders@childrenmuseum.org or (401) 273-5437 ext 136. We also invite you to join our new listserv “PlayWatch: Connecting the Community to Promote Children's Play.” Visit www.playwatch.org for details.
Innovation during the Summer Respectfully submitted by Christine Gingerella, Director of SCOPE Central Falls on behalf of Dr. Fran Gallo, Superintendent of Central Falls School District, and Cathy Carvalho, Summer Curriculum Coordinator of the COOL (Community Of Outstanding Learners) Summer Program.
Most of us have a childhood memory about summer camp, a summer playground program, or the dreaded …summer school! Think back on your worst summer experience. In the late 70s, I had a cousin who was mandated to attend summer school because he failed English his entire high school career. For four weeks, two hours a day, with a sizeable check to cover tuition (that his parents took from his college savings), he would trudge to summer school. He recalls a clammy, smelly classroom led by a complete stranger. There was no instruction, just a thick workbook that contained a series of short stories followed by multiple choice questions and a vocabulary test. He easily completed the workbook chapter within the first 30 minutes, would get in line to have it corrected, and then was sent back to his desk to read “a chapter book” until dismissal. Think back on your best summer experience. Once finished with our early morning chores, my brother and I ran to the city’s summer playground program, passing our cousin who was on his way to summer school. I remember bright colored bins filled with art and craft supplies, a volleyball net ready for action, and the counselors in their day-glo orange t-shirts greeting all the kids with a high five. Each hour was organized with a variety of activities. The counselors were stars in our eyes because they were in “college”. They encouraged boys to learn how to make “a gimp bracelet,” and girls were always invited to join in a game of wiffle ball. I recall feeling really special when a counselor chose me to approach the shy girl on the monkey bars to join us at the picnic table for our afternoon homemade Popsicle treats, made the day before with Dixie paper cups, wooden sticks, and super-sugary Kool-Aid. Since 2005, my colleagues in Central Falls factor in student/teacher/community/family feedback, lessons learned, and “our childhood summer memories” in designing a summer learning experience that addresses the academic and social/emotional development of all students (and in particular, the students most at risk). In addition, a majority of our teachers and community partners proclaim that our summer learning experience is an opportunity for them to develop as professionals, experimenting with innovative instructional and youth development strategies to bring back to their classrooms and programs throughout the school year—an unexpected, but rewarding outcome. The following highlights the five key conditions that research from the Center for Summer Learning at John Hopkins University have concluded as essential for summer learning success, and how Central Falls is working to address these five conditions: Supportive leadership (“How to get your foot in the door”) Market and advocate summer learning programs to school leadership as “built-in” to school reform and student success, not as an “add-on” perhaps perceived as an additional burden to an overwhelmed principal and/or school system. Ask to participate in the School Improvement Teams, building relationships and seeking input from teachers and community organizations who could partner with you in the design, implementation, and instructional components. Persist in finding support from just one passionate, dedicated, and respected teacher, administrator, or community partner who will open up many doors to insure student and program success. Aligned missions/shared values (“Similar mission, different strategies”) If you are a community-based organization, do not hesitate to proudly share your accomplishments focused on youth development. Use national research that reports positive outcomes when melding best practices in youth development with academic instruction. If you are a school system in need of support for your disengaged students who exhibit at-risk behaviors which interfere with their learning, do not hesitate to reach out and network with the many well established youth-focused organizations in your community. Bring professionals in youth development and education together, working “shoulder to shoulder” during the design process, professional development, implementation, and direct service provision of your summer program. Presence of formal and informal communication structures (“Ugh, not another meeting!”) Plan ahead like the fashion industry does—they design their summer lines and marketing strategies before the sighting of the first snowflake the year before! Begin the discussion of summer learning programs early by organizing meetings with school and community leadership before the winter/holiday break. Host regularly scheduled, “user-friendly” meetings by taking the lead in setting up the logistics. Coordinate memos, reminders, agenda items, note taking and, of course, offer a delicious, nutritious snack. Work together using every creative strategy to refer and recruit youth into the program. Avoid using titles to promote your program like “summer school,” “mandated,” or “Pre-Algebra”. Recently, the High School Summer Learning Work Group asked Central Falls high school students to brainstorm and propose the name of the summer program targeting incoming 9th graders. Of the three titles proposed, the work group unanimously chose “PEACE,” an acronym for “People Entering A Cooler Education.” One member of the work group began singing the famous John Lennon song, “All we are saying, is give PEACE a chance”. That very well could be the 9th grade Summer Program’s slogan! Multi-dimensional relationships (“Share and share alike”) Invite all stakeholders to your summer planning meetings. Reach out to community-based partners, your local police department, teachers, administrators, higher education institutions, business partners, faith-based organizations, parents, and youth. Foster a supportive and trusting environment where open and productive discussions occur. One suggestion is to begin by asking each participant to describe their worse and best summer program experience. Present/offer data regarding gaps in student achievement, students’ social infractions (truancy and tardiness rates), and local juvenile delinquency reports to assist in defining the goals and objectives of your summer learning program. Facilitate focused meetings using brainstorming and shared decision-making strategies when designing the program. Provide a nationally proven framework, such as “create a theme-based program that aligns language arts and math instruction and incorporates hands-on, experiential activities that are project-driven”. Match and graciously assign a task to individual participants for them to address and report at the next meeting, and always try to end meetings on time. Your collaborative partners will feel appreciated and recognized as the experts at the table, and likely become truly invested all summer long. Organize an end-of-the-program celebration that showcases students’ work, and publicly acknowledge and commend your invited collaborative partners.
Systems (“Don’t be afraid of EVALUATION!”) Whether this is your pilot summer program year or not, setting up a system to collect data is essential and powerful. Utilize measurement tools such as: Daily Average Attendance, Pre- and Post-Student Surveys, Pre- and Post-Academic Assessments, comparison of NECAP scores of students who participated in summer learning versus students who did not. We encourage you to capture and document anecdotal evidence of students’ academic and social/emotional growth, teachers’ and community partners’ opinions, and families’ expressions of appreciation. For example, I was leaving a very popular Central Falls pizza joint one evening and ran into students who were in my previous year’s summer program. Juan, who is new to our country, came to us last summer confessing that he could not read. He was given extra personalized attention by our youth development staff and especially by our Summer Curriculum Coordinator. I asked Juan if he’d be joining this summer’s program. His reply reinforced why I love my job. He said humbly, “Yes, Miss. Not because I have to, but because I want to.” Anecdotal evidence is not only compelling but inspiring. We are fortunate in Rhode Island to have strong organizations such as RIDE, RIASPA, and PASA who have researched and established a multi-tiered process called Rhode Island’s Program Quality Assessment (RIPQA). RIPQA is based on and endorsed by the national HIGH/SCOPE Educational Research Foundation. RIPQA trains a team to visit and monitor programs, then rate and score components in these four areas: Safe Environment, Supportive Environment, Interaction, and Engagement. The intent of the RIPQA process is not punitive or reactive—rather, it is proactive where professional development is designed and planned to respond to areas in need of improvement. Just as you would react to a caring but honest friend when asking “Do I look fat in these jeans?”…view your summer program evaluation results for the purpose of self-assessment and to create a continuous improvement plan. Recognize that anecdotal stories, backed up by concrete evidence, are extremely powerful tools in advocating for future funding and support.
Final outcomes of my summer memories: Regarding the “shy girl on the monkey bars”: I was a member of her wedding party; we are still friends to this day. My cousin is a successful architect, licensed and registered in three states; he admits, however, that you would not find him lingering too long in a Barnes and Noble!
Fun and Cost-Effective Ways to Present Professional Development to Our Staff by Michelle St. Denis, Director of Totally Kids School-Age Adventures School-age directors and administrators are faced with providing staff members with professional development training, even during this difficult economic time. While sending them to outside trainings and conferences is great, oftentimes your budget does not allow you to do so. How can you provide internal professional development economically while simultaneously engaging your staff’s interest? When planning trainings for my staff I often ask myself, “How would I present this to the children in my care?” Like children, adult learners have different learning styles. I attempt to incorporate Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences when planning a training. You know your staff best—which of Gardner’s eight intelligences does each staff member exhibit strengths? Use this information to your advantage and incorporate their interests into your trainings. For example, you know a staff member enjoys music; can you find a song related to your workshop topic? Another enjoys brain teasers; can you create a quick puzzle or two related to your topic? These strategies are a great way to open your training, as it gains staff interest and adds to a relaxing atmosphere in which to learn. When I am the trainer, I always present my information both verbally and visually, again keeping differing learning styles in mind. Then I try to make it fun. One tried-and-true technique is to offer food as an incentive, either by giving small snacks as prizes for games or as rewards for participation. Another is to offer concrete props, which allows your staff a hands-on approach to learning. If I were to present a workshop on children’s nutrition, I would open the training by having them make fruit kabobs. Other activities I may incorporate are a scavenger hunt with food labels, and sorting healthy foods into a variety of categories. Between these activities, I would present the information I want to convey in a more conventional fashion (lecture and posters). Near the end, I would provide some easy, tasty recipes that can be used with children and youth. I like to end any training with a game, a prize, and a handout reviewing key points I covered throughout the workshop. Another strategy to engage your staff is to offer information in the style of a game. Some easy, low-cost games are bingo, with each square on the bingo card being a key point in your training; a scavenger hunt, where each clue given relates to your main idea and leads staff to another clue, with the ultimate treasure being something concrete related to your topic; or trivia presented in a Jeopardy®-board format. If your training is curriculum-based, provide hands-on activities set up as a make-and-take project. Some of my favorite trainings which I have attended included making things, tasting foods, and playing physical games. Provide your staff with fun ideas that they can use immediately with the children and youth in their care. Lastly, collaborate with another school-age center. As the saying goes, “Two heads are better than one.” Similarly, two directors can pool their resources and ideas to present professional development for both centers’ staff. This strategy is an opportunity to tap into your staff’s expertise, too! Encourage a staff member to create a workshop for the other center; a staff member from the other center can then reciprocate. Collaborating is a great way to save money, foster strong relationships with other centers, and give your staff the chance to share their talents. Keeping your professional development fun, providing information creatively, allowing your staff to put useful concepts immediately into practice, and partnering with others in the field—it’s that easy and inexpensive! Editor’s note: A nice complement to this article may be found at ExchangeEveryDay. |
