Yesterday I had the opportunity to hear Amanda Ripley, author of The Smartest Kids in the World, speak at the Museum of Fine Arts. After studying education and schools around the world, she learned this: in order to be best prepared for life beyond school, kids need to engage in productive struggle.
Call it creative tension (a la Peter Senge) or productive struggle, or even the zone of proximal development (Vygotsky); bottom line is this: as a teacher or parent, are you solving kids' problems for them? Are you letting THEM do the thinking, or do you rescue them when the going gets tough? The school experience should be about setting kids up with REAL problems, and teaching them creative and critical problem-solving strategies. If kids can zip through an assignment, it wasn't hard enough.
Consider this example the author gave . . . .when visiting a high school Government class in the US, she witnessed sophomores who were asked to "name the seven continents." Compare this task to the one required by the Finland exit exam (given to high school seniors): given five hours, write about "why the conflict in the Middle East has not yet been solved." Which course do you want your student in? Which task reflects YOUR kind of teaching? How can YOU promote productive struggle with the children in your life? Let's help them grow!
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Can you believe we have finished the first three weeks of school? Our little Mavs have settled right in, and are on fire for learning! Most of the students have already "digitaled up" and have experienced technology in a new way this year! We have students of all ages blogging, tweeting, posting photos of their learning, and connecting with others around the world. It is so exciting to have the world at our fingertips! Join our fun . . . come volunteer at MRE, or connect with us digitally -- respond to a child's blog or tweet! Real audiences always make writing more meaningful!
Monday, September 8, 2014
MRE Parents are Awesome!
What a great beginning of the year here at the Ranch. Not only do we have amazing students and staff, but MRE has incredible parents too.
At MRE, we have two parent groups to encourage volunteering and participation at school. For dads, we have WatchDOGS. For moms, we have M&M (Mommies & Mavericks).
WatchDOGS is a national organization where dads (or uncles or grandfathers) spend an entire school day at the campus. WatchDOGS get to help in a variety of tasks from helping in the lunchroom, supervising at recess, reading to children in the classroom, giving high fives to students doing a good job, and walking around the campus to keep everyone safe.
M&M is a fun volunteering club created just for the mothers at MRE. M&Ms help with projects such as chaperoning at Super Specials, supervising classes during Teacher Tea Time, creating teacher appreciation gifts, making instructional materials for the teachers, beautifying our campus grounds, and much more.
We are so thankful to the parents who give of their time to support our school. Our goal is for every parent to sign up and participate in these awesome organizations. Come join the excitement!
At MRE, we have two parent groups to encourage volunteering and participation at school. For dads, we have WatchDOGS. For moms, we have M&M (Mommies & Mavericks).
WatchDOGS is a national organization where dads (or uncles or grandfathers) spend an entire school day at the campus. WatchDOGS get to help in a variety of tasks from helping in the lunchroom, supervising at recess, reading to children in the classroom, giving high fives to students doing a good job, and walking around the campus to keep everyone safe.
M&M is a fun volunteering club created just for the mothers at MRE. M&Ms help with projects such as chaperoning at Super Specials, supervising classes during Teacher Tea Time, creating teacher appreciation gifts, making instructional materials for the teachers, beautifying our campus grounds, and much more.
We are so thankful to the parents who give of their time to support our school. Our goal is for every parent to sign up and participate in these awesome organizations. Come join the excitement!
Monday, September 1, 2014
First Week of School
Well, we did it! The first week is in the books at Morton Ranch Elementary and what a week it was!
Many of these students/parents told us stories about their previous schools and how excited they were to be joining MRE. It was mentioned by several that our arrival procedures "are simply amazing to begin the day in a positive and calm manner". Students head straight to class (or to the cafeteria to eat breakfast) beginning at 7:55am. Educators are greeting buses, daycare transportation, and car riders with HUGE welcomes, warm smiles and a friendly handshakes. It is the little things that make a big difference!
Students engaged in morning meeting on the first day of school with their new teachers. We find out so much about our students' lives, dreams, and hopes through these morning conversations.
The first day of school would not be complete without a Happy Birthday celebration for MRE during a whole school assembly. Our school turned seven years old this year! Every student and staff member sang and ate a delicious cupcake to celebrate this event. Yep, 1,000 cupcakes were ordered and distributed!
Mrs. Hubble, Mrs. Glasser and Mrs. Carr are determined to visit classrooms daily to watch excellence in action. One thing is for sure, we have hired the best and the brightest in Katy, Texas. It is such a pleasure to watch our educators amazingness in action. Our students are pretty amazing, too! It proves that we have such a phenomenal team.
We plan to share moments and build our MRE story so please stay tuned. Can't wait to see what the rest of the school year brings!
Mrs. Palmour and team registered many new families. It was simply amazing to watch our enrollment grow. Students came from various states to join us at "The Ranch". We loved meeting all our new Mavericks.
Students engaged in morning meeting on the first day of school with their new teachers. We find out so much about our students' lives, dreams, and hopes through these morning conversations.
The first day of school would not be complete without a Happy Birthday celebration for MRE during a whole school assembly. Our school turned seven years old this year! Every student and staff member sang and ate a delicious cupcake to celebrate this event. Yep, 1,000 cupcakes were ordered and distributed!
Mrs. Hubble, Mrs. Glasser and Mrs. Carr are determined to visit classrooms daily to watch excellence in action. One thing is for sure, we have hired the best and the brightest in Katy, Texas. It is such a pleasure to watch our educators amazingness in action. Our students are pretty amazing, too! It proves that we have such a phenomenal team.
We plan to share moments and build our MRE story so please stay tuned. Can't wait to see what the rest of the school year brings!
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