47&Morpeth Collaboration&Inclusion

“47” is located in the heart of what was the old industrial gasworks area of New York City.

One hundred years ago, immigrant families of the gasworks area had few amenities. Children with disabilities had few prospects. But it was out of this area that a powerful idea came from the collaboration of 47 young people.

Introduction to “47”


Named for the 47 deaf and heard-of-hearing young people who demanded an education and got a school from the City of New York 100 years ago, “47” has become an incredible resource in the Gramercy and Stuyvesant communities.

Perhaps best known for its preeminent ASL-based pre-school program (with a waiting list that is about 6 years long), 47’s secondary school is remarkable for its tolerance of differences, diversity, openness and small classes.


With a maximum of 20 students in most of its classes, the “seminar” atmosphere of this school is unusual in a public school.

As a dual language school, “47” draws students fluent in or interestedin learning ASL, which fulfills college requirements for a second language.

“47” & Morpeth:Collaboration and

InclusionWhen the current principal arrived at this school 2 years ago, our High School was the "most failing" and "most dangerous" school in the city. Most of the violence was due to communication problems. We didn’t take the rating as a label; we took it as a challenge.

Not through any private partnerships but through conscious work and accountability, on the part of teachers and students alike, we have gone from an F to an A in these two years.


InclusionChange meant inspiring the kids to work and helping them see how collaboration can produce results. We accomplished all of this at a time when deep budget cuts have cost us teachers and supplies.

So far, we have used borrowed instruments. We hope to raise money for 47 drums. 47 drums make a powerful impact. A drum costs about $100. If you want to help please send an email to: [email protected] or [email protected].

mailto:[email protected]


Today the American Sign Language & English Secondary School on 23rd Street is a model for inclusion of deaf and hearing students -- recently recognized with an “A” rating from the NYC Department of Education.

The very same week that 47 got news of that “A” was the week the Morpeth School visited for an educational exchange and musical collaboration. There was an air of excitement, progress, celebration, creativity and productivity that was truly palpable with the beating of our drums.

More about “47”

Through the collaboration, students from Morpeth and “47” were able to explore their musical interests, develop as independent learners, and practice their team skills.

At the same time, the staffs of “47” and Morpeth looked at learning styles in relation to the “Five Rs” (Resilience, Responsibility, Reasoning, Resourcefulness and Reflectiveness).

“47” & Morpeth:Collaboration and Inclusion

Raising student aspiration is another key focus of the music programs and the teacher-facilitated lessons, which result in drum-based ensemble work.

All of the participating students are able to learn and practice drumming as a whole-body experience.


Drumming demands whole-body involvement, every part of the body must feel the texture and ‘be’ the beat. So it was no surprise to find that many of the best drummers in the group were deaf students, who were not simply relying on what they heard, but what they felt as well.



Music theory suggests that perfect drumming is a mathematical proposition. It is a mind measure. If you can learn the exact duration of the full note, the half note,

the one-quarter note, the one-eighth, the one-sixteenth, and so on…then you are doing the mental calculations.

The notes never vary in their musical measurements.

Deaf people are much more acute in their other faculties -- including their perception of the different textures of rhythm.


Beethoven is one of history's supreme composers. His deafness was not a disadvantage to his work. The deaf have an opportunity to discover a strength in something generally considered a domain of the hearing world and can truly shine – perhaps even be “stars.”


The hearing rely on the imprecision of the vibration of an eardrum. Drumming is very much more about learning different sound textures. Here, the deaf are more precise.

As in every activity, we build in important milestones along the way, so we include informal music sessions with more formal ones, along with competitive sessions among students.


As we saw the project grow, it was no longer just about the music. It is also about confidence and productivity – resulting in an overall work ethic that translates across curricula.

Another interesting aspect of this project is that students are not assessed using traditional methods. They look to each other for verification.


They know what the “assessment rubric” is, and they know it by heart, because they are composing it themselves and see it in each others’ faces.


They respond to their own views and those of others, working towards a real-life outcome, which they can relate to.

What kids are able to produce in three short days – left considerably to their own devices -- is truly amazing! And it is something they never forget….

The knowledge they gain of themselves and their own capabilities is something they bring into everything they do from that day forward. We had students singing, signing, and playing the drums, bass and piano.

47 Principal Watfa Shama has promised, “We will be organizing a trip to London for next year.” The fundraising has begun, with knowledge that every penny spent on this project reaps many dividends.



Inclusion

For now, we are hoping to raise money for 47 drums. 47 drums make a powerful noise – something you can feel and something that moves through you.

So far, we have used borrowed instruments. So we hope to raise money for 47 drums. A drum costs about $100. If you want to help please send an email to: [email protected] or [email protected].



Collaboration & InclusionIs inclusion just an ideal we can never reach? We

were part of it. We saw it, felt it, heard it, moved to it.

47&Morpeth Collaboration&Inclusion

Education

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