Proposal - Bringing the University Experience to Middle and High Schools
- 1. Strategies to Create a College-Going, Globally Focused School Culture: Pathways to Global Competence PRESENTERS: Sarah Straub, YES Prep Brays Oaks; Jeff Finelli, the Ogden International School of Chicago TITLE: Promoting Student Choice – Bringing the University Experience to Campus – “Ogden/YES U” TYPE OF SESSION: Panel, 2 presenters FOCUS: Innovation in Teaching Practices, Teachers and Administrators 6-12 What are the two most important issues, facts, or concepts that your audience can take away from this session? Participants will collaborate to brainstorm a list of innovative ways to bring atypical learning opportunities to campus. Participants will examine different survey techniques to best evaluate data collected on student interests What student learning outcomes are addressed during your presentation? This presentation is focusing on the goal for educational access and success for all students. In an age where differentiation is one of the key contributors to student success, allowing for further differentiation beyond the core subjects will not only engage students who struggle with traditional pen and paper work, but also develop talents and interests that may be lying dormant in our students. The International U model is a trimester/semester plan that involves dedicating a day to out of the classroom experiences. Students will have the option to select courses – similar to choosing courses in college – ranging from academic extension course (i.e. Stock Markets) to arts (i.e. choreography and woodshop) and sciences (i.e. creating a campus garden). Please provide a clear, concise description of your session. (Answers should be up to 200 words). If your proposal is accepted, this description will be edited and printed in the program book. To the extent possible, capture the essence of the session and the type of learning participants will leave with by attending your session.
- 2. The main mission of an ISSN school is to prepare students to be globally competent and college ready. One successful way that the Ogden International School of Chicago and Brays Oaks have done is to bring college to the middle and high school campus. Students are presented with a course packet in which they select courses of personal interest in which they will participate. This freedom of choice is extended to teachers who will have the chance to display their additional skills, interests and talents. After short presentations, the participants will discuss the two different ways this International University Day has been done. Participants will collaborate to brainstorm and develop plans that would work with their specific campuses and share out their ideas. Participants will examine and discuss survey techniques to best evaluate data collected on student interests. As John Dewey stated, “Give the pupils something to do, not something to learn; and the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking; learning naturally results.” Please describe the flow of the 75-minute workshop. For example, how much time will be spent on an ice-breaker, or a demonstration, or a hands-on project? How much time will there be for discussion? 5 minutes Participants will be placed in heterogeneous groups of 3-4. They will be asked the question, if you could teach your students how to do anything what would it be? Teachers will discuss their ideas and place “dream” classes on a Parking Lot 5 minutes Participants will be given a course list survey in which they will be asked to rank their top 3 choices and add one additional class that was not represented 15 Presenters will talk about the daily schedule, planning, execution and reflection about minutes Ogden U Student Reflection Exemplars (PPT) 20 Participants will be divided into groups (based on interest) to plan a new ISSN U day minutes Logistics Crew (planning for 500 students, 28 teachers) Community Partners Crew (develop a list of potential partners to co-teach courses) Student Choice Crew (developing a survey and a method for placing students in classes that is fair and allows education access and success for all) Reflection Crew (brainstorm list of challenges this will present to teachers on a
- 3. campus, beneficial reflection process for students and teachers post International University Day) 20 Share out Whip Around minutes Each “Crew” will be given 2 minutes to present their plan with 3 minutes of questioning from other participants. 10 Questions, Comments, Concerns minutes YES U (student created video from YES U)