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