Why our Learning Platform is different!
Finding An Agent That’s Right For You
On Friday, September 12, 2014, Radians
School teachers underwent a series of
professional development seminars and
workshops on non-traditional education
and the Virtues Project. All the teachers
participated actively in a series of mini-
workshops intended to keep them updated on
the latest educational trends, studies, and
reports. They also reviewed key elements of
the Virtues Projects such as “The Language
of Virtues”, “Honoring the Spirit”, and much,
much more.
SEPTEMBER 2014 ISSUE 2
current topics >>>
How a student learns DOES make a difference!
Teaching in the Internet Age means that you must teach tomorrow’s skills today! ~ Jennifer Fleming
The cornerstone of our institution’s educational philosophy is our Virtues-
Based Community. Dr. José Castrodad initiated the full-day conference
with an introduction speech that placed emphasis on the role that our
institutional philosophy has on the development of every aspect of our
Virtues-Based Community life.
thoughts... final
A Virtues-Based Community
Radians eSchool Success
Prof. Osvaldo Colón—HS Mathematics
Teachers in an “Honor the Spirit” activity
Prof Sánchez’s “Non-traditional Learning” Session
One of many hands-on activities at the training sessions.
Dr. Castrodad addressing her staff.
Prof. Osvaldo Colón—HS Mathematics
RADIANS SCHOOL Of Math, Science, and Technology Carr 735 Km 0.4 Cayey, Puerto Rico 00736 (787) 738-4822 www.radiansschool.org
The first and still the only school
in Puerto Rico recognized as a
“National School
of Character”
When we are speaking about the learning platform (or virtual
learning environment -VLE) that we offer at Radians School, it is
important to recognize that we are speaking of an entirely different
creature than what many think of as online learning.
Many institutions have ebooks as part of their curriculum. What this
entails is that the student has access to an online version of the
textbook. These are available in a multitude of platforms (kindle,
pdf, epub, etc.) HOWEVER, this does not mean that the child is
receiving a complete online experience. The Learning Platform is very, very different than this. A true VLE
models conventional, in-person education by providing equivalent
virtual access to classes, class content, tests, homework, grades, assessments, and other
external resources. A true Learning Platform, such as the one we have in place at Radians
School, is also a social space, where students and teachers can interact. Students are also
involved in synchronous and asynchronous activities by which they deepen their learning.
By integrating this with our physical classroom environment, we are providing the
type of avant-garde educational experience and excellence that parents who register
their children in this school desire.
In essence, what this means is that the student is enjoying a complete, structured, and
dynamic online educational experience that will prepare them for advanced educational
studies. As this continues to grow and develop, parents can rest assured that their child
will be able to successfully confront the challenges they will face.
elearning doesn't just happen. It requires careful planning and implementation. ~Anonymous
Students do not learn much just sitting in class listening
to teachers, memorizing pre-packaged assignments, and spitting out answers.
They must talk about what they are learning, write
reflectively about it, relate it to past experiences, and apply it to their daily lives. They must make what they learn part of themselves.
~ Arthur W. Chickering and Stephen C. Erhmann
Professional development is important in every
field, but even more so in education. New and
constantly evolving educational practices and
studies help create a professional educator who is
in tune with the needs and requirements of today’s
student and is able to temper the educational
process for the students benefit. The firm
commitment of the instructors at Radians
School is to continue to provide the most
effective, viable, and avant-garde educational
experience available.
Dr. Rodríguez addressing the participants
Dr. Castrodad “Virtues Project” Session
Dr. Castrodad, the only Certified Master Facilitator in
Puerto Rico, answers questions at the conference.
Modeling for others >>>
ask the experts >>>
Several of our teachers selflessly participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
There’s just one exception to this: Respect the rules of the classroom!
Setting the stage >>>
Non-Traditional Game-Based Teaching at Radians School
A s far as life-changing events go, there’s no doubt that having
my children changed me in an instant. And not just as a
parent, but as a teacher too. Parenthood didn’t cause me to
change my teaching philosophy or create new classroom procedures,
but it did give me a valuable perspective. Immediately, I understood
the implicit hope that the world would be good and just and full of
opportunity for my children. I also understood, viscerally, what
parents need from teachers: to recognize the infinite potential in each
student, even when he can’t see it in himself; to know that fair and
equal aren’t the same; and to be fully present with the children we
work with.
Yet, as a person who has met and talked with
tens of thousands of teachers from across the
country, I also know that teachers can’t do
this work alone. We come into this
profession because we have the same implicit
hopes for your children as you do. Why is it,
then, that I hear far too many stories of
teachers and parents working at odds, rather
than as partners? Here are a few things
parents should know about teachers and the
work they do, in order to truly support your
child’s education.
Teachers are Professionals By the second week of June, I’ve usually fielded several of these
comments: “Oh, you’re a teacher? You’re so lucky to have your
summers off.” I always cringe inside when I hear this. Actually, we
don’t get our summers off. Most teachers end up working most of
June and most of August. Whether they’re taking classes, attending
professional development or working in their classrooms, teachers are
busy long after the kids are gone and far before the kids return.
Teachers also work 12 months in the space of 10. We are deliberate
craftspeople who spend countless hours designing lessons, continuing
our education, collaborating with other teachers, and thinking about--
caring about--the children who walk through our doors each day.
Everyone’s work is tough and skilled and demanding in its own
unique way; the classroom is no different.
Don’t Gang Up on Us Recently, I overheard a conversation between a father and a teacher.
With his daughter sitting next to him, he said, “I want my daughter to
be responsible, but only if you’re doing your job first.” I was struck
by the way she sat up taller, more smugly. This is the first step to
undermining a productive partnership. Teachers want to help
students solve problems; in fact, problem-solving is a fundamental
part of what we teach. But this was clearly a conversation about
blame, rather than one intended to solve a problem. I found out,
later, that this same student all but demanded an A for the semester
because she had “worked hard and was getting an A in all of her other
classes.” Luckily, the teacher coached her through different ways to
advocate for herself, but imagine what the lesson would have been if
she hadn’t.
Talk to Us, Not About Us
Partnerships can become doomed when communication breaks down.
One way to invite strained communication is by avoiding teachers
and talking to their administrator first. So many times I’ve heard
administrators recall a phone conversation where their first response
was, “Have you talked to the teacher yet?” If the answer is “no,” then
an important piece of the conversation is missing. A teacher’s
explanation can usually fill in the gaps and start the problem-solving
process. We really do want to know when something is amiss, but
starting with mistrust can make for a tenuous partnership.
You Have to Do Your Part, Too A great way to forge a new kind of partnership is to be present when
you can. When you show interest in school and in education, the
children will too. Make every effort to come to parent/teacher
conferences. In fact, it’s one of my favorite
parts of the year: I get to learn something about
my students that only their parents can share.
Check the school’s website to see what is going
on.
There’s just one exception to this: Respect the
rules of the classroom. If you have to contact
your child during the day via his cell phone,
make sure he knows that doesn’t mean he has to
answer it. Just last week, a phone rang in class.
I glanced in the direction of the sound thinking
I’d see the student putting it away, but instead
I heard his voice, “Hello?” I asked why he was
answering a phone call in the middle of class.
He replied, “It was my mom. She needed to tell
me where I’m supposed to go after school.” I reminded him that’s
what a lunch break and the front office are for. We want to see you
involved and aware, but not interrupting class with a call.
Know the Difference between Learning and Grades Our school has an online grade program where teachers record grades
as they give them. It’s supposed to create more fluid communication,
but more often than not, it creates an emphasis on the commodity of
school, rather than on the learning. When we focus on points, quibble
over a tenth of a percentage, or check the grade program 37 times in
one day (one of my student’s parents actually did this) we’re sending
a very clear message: it doesn’t matter what you learn, only what
you appear to have learned.
And we know better. We’ve all been in a class where we got an A
and didn’t learn a thing, but struggled in another class and learned
more than we ever would have imagined. An insistence on point-
driven learning leads to students becoming risk-averse in their
studies and not challenging themselves. We should be asking what
they learned, what they’re curious about, or what they want to learn
next, because these are the questions that truly lead to lifelong
learning, much more than a good grade.
We know that you’re sending to school each day the very best
child you can. And we’re sure you know that we’re trying to send
home every day, the very best child we can. It reminds me of the
second realization of motherhood, right after implicit hope: implicit
knowledge that I was going to make some mistakes. But as my 5-
year old daughter recently reminded me, “it’s not a mistake,
Mom, if you learn from it.”
Article by Sarah Brown Wessling- the 2010 National Teacher of the
Year and is the Teacher Laureate for the Teaching Channel. (This article included because it is in accord with our school’s
institutional philosophy.)
Why Parents and Teachers Should Work as a Team
Above student playing “Juego de
mimicas para repasar los sustantivos”
When education or training feels dull, we are
not being engaged and motivated. In other
words, we’re not really learning. “Learning”
doesn’t mean rote memorization—it means
acquiring the skills and thought processes
needed to respond appropriately under
pressure, in a variety of situations.
We don’t need more time in the classroom to
learn how to think and perform in the face of
real-world challenges. We need effective,
interactive, and fun experiences that will
motivate and actively engage us in the
learning process. This is where game-based
learning comes in.
Good game-based learning activities and
structured applications can draw us into virtual
environments that look and feel familiar and
relevant. According to Dr. Susan Ambrose,
director of Carnegie Mellon’s Eberly Center
for Teaching Excellence, this is motivational
because we can quickly see and understand
the connection between the learning experi-
ence and our real-life work.
Within an effective game-based fun learning
environment, we work toward a goal, choosing
actions and experiencing the consequences of
those actions along the way. We make
mistakes in a risk-free setting, and through
experimentation, we actively learn and practice
the right way to do things. This keeps us highly
engaged in practicing behaviors and thought
processes that we can easily transfer from the
simulated environment to real life. Research
supports the effectiveness of game-based
learning in virtual environments.
Buckets of icy water, everywhere! It’s an epidemic! Recently, all
social media has been flooded with countless amounts of people
pouring buckets and buckets of incredibly frigid water on
themselves. At first, I chose to dismiss this behavior thinking that it
was just a new trend like “planking”, the
“Harlem Shake” or dancing the “Gangnam
Style”.
This new trend was hard to avoid. Lebron
James was doing it! Robert Downey Jr.
was doing it! The governor, celebrities,
athletes, soldiers, builders, teachers,
anyone and everyone was doing it! A.L.S.
bucket challenge here, A.L.S. bucket chal-
lenge there. So as it usually happens,
curiosity started growing in my brain and I
decided to do some research. Other than
watching some really funny videos of
people making fools of themselves, I
looked at what ALS actually stood for;
what did it mean?
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a neuro-degenerative disease that
affects the areas of the brain and spine that send messages from the
brain to the body and vice-versa. In other words, as time progresses,
the person affected by this condition would eventually lose control
over his/her own body. That to me sounded very familiar…
As the research continued, something began to stand out to me. This
condition was also known as “The Lou Gehrig’s Disease” and that is
when the light bulb sparked on! I was very young at the time
(actually 5th grade to be exact) when my grandfather passed away. I
vaguely remember him always sitting on his favorite recliner chair
reading the newspaper as we arrived to visit on the weekends. I
found it odd that he rarely got up from his chair, but I just figured
that he was very comfortable. The
sporadic instances that he did get up, he
would take his time and would walk very
slowly.
A short time passed and he needed a
wheelchair in order to move around. Skip
forward a couple of more months and my
grandmother or uncles had to push his
wheelchair for him and lift him up to
transfer him from place to place. At my
age, this situation was perplexing to me,
“Why was this adult not able to do basic
things by himself? Why didn’t he want to
play with his grandkids? Why didn’t he
want to go out with his family? Do
things? Get some sun?”
Eventually, it came to the point where he never left his bed. His
death came shortly after. Not only the neighborhood where he lived,
his friends and acquaintances, but my entire family was devastated. I
was too young to remember most details, but, without a question,
every boy needs his grandpa! That’s why I took the ALS Challenge!
Article written by Prof. I. Irizarry
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