Project-Based Learning

by Dr. Robert Beebe, Principal

New Hope School conducts a project-based learning component as part of its overall education program. Project-based learning focuses on teaching students key knowledge and understanding as well as success skills, such as critical thinking/problem solving, collaboration, and self-management.

A typical project is based on a meaningful problem to solve or question to answer, at an appropriate level of challenge for students, and is governed by an open-ended and engaging driving question.

The project involves an active, in-depth process over a period of several weeks, during which students generate their own questions, find and use resources, develop further questions, and come to conclusions.

There is a real-world context using real-world processes, tools, and standards. The project is connected to students’ own interests and identities and is expected to make a real-world impact.

Students are encouraged to choose the types of products they wish to create, how they will work and use their time, with guidance by their teacher.

Opportunities are provided for students to reflect on what and how they are learning as well as on the project’s design and implementation.

Students are expected to give and receive feedback on their work in order to revise their ideas and products or conduct further inquiry.

At the end, students demonstrate what they have learned by making a presentation beyond their own classroom, either to the entire school, their parents, or to the general community.

Past projects have included creating a 3D model of the Delaware Water Gap to understand its ecological significance and impact on the surrounding region; examining the physical geography of northeast New Jersey and its impact on the people living in the area; and creating a sales pitch to an imaginary tech company to convince its CEO to locate its new headquarters in a particular city.

Below is a catalogue of project-based learning projects being conducted by our various classes this spring:

Kindergarten: “Ecosystems in Real Life.” Students will research and create dioramas of various kinds of ecosystems illustrating the types of vegetation and animals that live there. Students will learn how their ecosystems support these life forms. Their products will be presented as part of our science fair in May.

First grade: “My Body, My Life.” Students will research and reconstruct on a model of the human body six major systems of the body: digestive, respiratory, circulatory, skeletal, muscular, and nervous. They will learn the connectedness of these systems and the link between the physical body, exercise, and diet. They will also examine the effect of their emotions on their physical well-being. Students will present their discoveries at the science fair in May.

Second grade: “Water Pollution.” Students will examine the impact of water pollution on our school, city, country, and the world. They will investigate how pollutants enter the water cycle and the damage its causes. Working as a group, they will discuss, reflect, and decide the best ways to purify water. Using their knowledge of the water cycle, students will create a terrarium, a water filter, write a report, and present their findings at a school assembly in June.

Third grade: “Designing a School.” Working as a group, students will design the ideal school, taking into consideration its overall purpose, function of the different sections, the school day schedule, the types of classes held, technology, efficiency, and budgeting. They will consider the types of materials to be used and will present their finished product to the entire school community.

Fourth and fifth grades: “Marking History, Making History.” Students will research, write and illustrate the history of the Clifton area from the perspectives of Native Americans, African-Americans, early English settlers, and later immigrants. In this way, students will come to understand that there is more than just one history of a given area depending on one’s perspective. Presentations will be made at a school assembly in May.

Sixth through eighth grades: “Rocking the Rock Cycle on Mars.” Why is Mars so different from Earth? Students will compare the two planets seeking to understand the conditions necessary to support the generation of life. Their investigation will include geological structure, the water cycle, the formation of an atmosphere, and the generation of weather. The project will conclude with students giving a PowerPoint presentation at the school assembly in June.

In the coming weeks we plan to post photos of our students’ work on these projects under the Academics section of our website. Check it out!

Dulce et Utile

By Mose Durst, Ph.D.
To please and to teach have been standards of good literature, both fiction and non-fiction, for more than 2000 years. Pleasure may refer to the style, while teaching refers to the moral content of a work of art. Great literature, such as Shakespeare's plays and Dickens' novels, are written well and have obvious moral or ethical themes.
We encourage young people to read because they can enlarge their experience of people and places, as well as the enjoyment of the written word. As students experience good literature they can learn to empathize with characters beyond those they encounter in their daily routines.
Themes of courage, humility, and love help develop the mind and heart of students as they enter into unfamiliar worlds of literature. The essay below, for example, was written by an 8th grade student. She was asked to write an essay on Annie Sullivan, the heroine of The Miracle Worker, a play by William Gibson about Helen Keller. Her discussion of the play allows her to understand the depth of character of Annie and the extraordinary results she achieves in teaching Helen Keller.
THE CHARACTER OF ANNIE
In The Miracle Worker, Annie Sullivan displays powerful character strengths; such as bravery, perseverance, and compassion. Because she was able to discipline herself in these areas, she gave a deaf and blind 6 year old her whole future, as well as developing her own character.
Annie developed a large amount of bravery throughout the play. On page 25, she says, "[My] third [advantage] is, I've been blind." It's Annie's first job, she just met Kate but she bravely admits one of her biggest shortcomings in life. She does this to show Kate that she is well-qualified to teach Helen. Another example is on page 45, when Annie exclaims, "I'll begin [to teach] this minute, if you'll leave the room, Captain Keller!" It isn't even her house, but she told Keller to get out! This will allow Annie to teach Helen to eat properly. On page 60 she boldly states, "I don't think Helen's worst handicap is deafness or blindness. I think it's your love. And pity." She tells the parents that they are preventing their daughter's ability to learn. This is very brave, for she could get fired. But she does it despite the risk for Helen's well-being. Her brave actions brought Helen one step closer to learning language.
Perseverance has also helped Annie pull through the task of educating Helen. This can be shown on page 49 while Helen tried to escape from Annie: "she tries right again and is deposited back [in her chair], and tries left again and is deposited back, and now feints Annie to the right but is off to her left, and is promptly deposited back." No matter how many times Helen tries to run, Annie won't give up, and will always try to catch her. On page 78 she argues, "I want more time." Annie wants to remain teaching Helen even though her parents want her back. She is persevering from the forces that tell her no. Annie says, on page 84, "Simply go on, keep doing what I've done, and have faith that inside she's - That inside it's waiting." She's stating how she has to persevere until Helen understands the meanings behind the hand games. Neither Helen nor Annie would have benefited without perseverance.
Lastly, the character strength of compassion has benefited Annie and Helen. For example, on page 77 she says, "Spell it! If she ever learns, you'll have a lot to tell each other, start now." Annie's compassion for the Kellers shines here when she eagerly tells Kate to practice her sign language. She does this because she wants them to communicate as mother and daughter. Annie's compassion can also be seen on page 81 when she says, "I wanted to teach you - oh, everything the earth is full of, Helen, everything on it that's ours for a wink and it's gone, and what we are on it." Annie wanted to teach Helen everything she could because, unlike before, she genuinely cares for the well-being of another. My last example, the final words of the play, is when Annie whispers, "I, love, Helen. Forever and ever." If it weren't for Annie's compassion, Helen would have never been able to be fully human, and neither would have Annie, if she had never manifested compassion.
A miracle like Helen would have never happened if it weren't for Annie's character. Because she took on brave acts, never gave up, and cared for Helen's well-being; she gave her a way to speak. She also completed herself when she learned to love again. Better futures were made because of Annie.

About the Author

Dr. Durst is President of The Principled Academy, a sister school of New Hope School, located in San Leandro, CA.

Educating the Whole Child

By Mose Durst, Ph.D.
"If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational
performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war." This famous quote from the 1983 study entitled A Nation at Risk is only partially true today. With charter schools and other strategies to improve PreK - 12 education, there are bright spots on the educational landscape. However, there is still a fundamental failure to educate the whole child, rather than merely improving test scores.
Under the sponsorship of the Aspen Institute, a new study has just been published entitled A Nation At Hope, with a conscious allusion to the earlier study. This new study provides a comprehensive analysis of how children learn, and recommendations of what actions we must take to insure that children do actually learn and flourish. Rather than focusing on improving test scores or rates of graduation, the present commission provides research and success stories about the social, emotional, and academic development of children.
Over a period of more than two years, a group of scientists, educators, parents, students, and community leaders interviewed hundreds of hundreds of people in like positions. A summary quote by this commission, which contrasts with the earlier quote in A Nation At Risk, explains that "social, emotional, and academic skills are all essential to success in school, careers, and in life, and they can be effectively learned in the context of trusted ties to caring and competent adults."
Viewing academic skills as an isolated element of student learning, our nation has promoted numerous programs to boost test scores: No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top, Common Core, and others. Little improvement has been the result. The new study reveals that academic learning takes place in the context of social and emotional learning. They are intertwined.
The research from the report "suggests that efforts to support social, emotional, and academic learning should be aligned across homes, schools, and communities because students benefit more

when they have consistent opportunities to build and practice skills. "So the focus is not only on the whole child, but also the whole environment. All institutions within a culture can play a part in nurturing young people.
We know, however, that families are weakened as a large number of women have children without a husband. Studies show that children born to these women will generally struggle more to be successful in school. Further, numerous books have described the breakdown of community ties, the most famous of which is Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone. So this reality places additional burden on schools and teachers to provide the care and nurture for students that they don't receive elsewhere.
The report recognizes that teachers will need additional training for teaching the whole child. This needs to take place not only in schools of teacher training, but also in the day-to-day working and collaborating with teachers. If the goals of the report are to be realized, there needs to be systematic, on-going training. Teachers are professionals, and they need the recognition of their status that they receive in other countries. Teachers, like other professionals, need to read books, attend conferences, and continually improve their effectiveness. And to be paid well for their training.
Finally, the report needs greater emphasis on the character goals of education. "We learn in order to serve" is the motto of my undergraduate college. Many schools have similar mottoes. We need young people to develop a character of compassion and care for others and for the environment. It is hard not to see that we are connected to one another and to the environment. Students need models of parents, teachers, schools, and communities that will help them become excellent human beings.

About the Author

Dr. Durst is President of The Principled Academy, a sister school of New Hope School, located in San Leandro, CA.

Civility

By Mose Durst, Ph.D.

​"3 out of 4 Americans are lonely, says a UC study" reads the headline in the San Francisco Chronicle. There are complex reasons for loneliness: fragile families, disappearing communities, and individuals striving for success. And there are also complex remedies. An obvious cause of loneliness, however, is something that offers immediate remedy: lack of civility.

We are built for relationship, and therefore we suffer when we are lonely. Serious loneliness can lead to physical and emotional breakdowns. Civility, however, involves the endless ways we relate to each other. The word derives from the word city, and it is the means by which we become civilized. Not so much by what we know but how we behave. It is the means by which we show care and concern for each other.
​Although manners, kindness, and politeness are dimensions of civility, civility involves these and other qualities in the realms of public life, the classroom, the workplace, political life, and the environment. P.M. Formi, the author of Choosing Civility, and the Director of the Johns Hopkins Civility Project, explains that "to be civil … [is] to behave… in a manner that takes into consideration the feelings and the comfort of others - … practicing the art of giving." We can nourish ourselves and others, and escape some degrees of loneliness, by the way we interact in the common experiences of the day.

"I can live for two months on a good compliment," writes Mark Twain. One small remark or act of kindness nourishes the soul an even brings benefits to the health of the body. We need to care for each other in our daily activities. So we can avoid road rage by courteously driving. A smile to a waiter (and a reasonable tip for good service) enhances the quality of our meals. "Thank you" are two of the most powerful words in the English language. To receive or offer these words enhances our relationships. And they are gifts without cost.

​As a teacher, I am overwhelmed with joy if I receive a kind note from a student. I remind students that the practice of gratitude is to build a character strength, and gratitude is an example of civility. I urge them to keep a gratitude journal, and I remind them to express gratitude to their parents in numerous ways. Students are often unaware of how they impact each other. I teach oratory, and while a student is making a presentation another student enters the room and the door slams shut. Or a student entering a room will fail to hold the door for the next student. A simple act of civility in a classroom creates a culture of care.
​Teachers are models for students, and their behavior toward one another is a powerful lesson for students. "Have a good class" are simple words that can encourage a fellow teacher who is having a difficult day. And we all have difficult days. Simple acts of civility nourish the body and build caring relations.

Civility is also necessary in the political realm. Politicians are our representatives. They are, above all, public people. Their public behavior impacts all of us. The passing of President G.H.W. Bush brought forth a torrent of comments about his decency, kindness, and civility to even the humblest person. That was perhaps the most important part of his legacy. We may reasonably disagree with the policies of our present president. But surely, the hundreds of people he has insulted, mocked, and ridiculed makes an impact on all of us. He represents public life, is the representative of all of us; we look to him to represent the best behavior toward others. But, alas, if he is uncivil in his behavior, it seems to give us all a pass to do likewise. 

Finally, Professor Forni reminds us that there is such a thing as civility to our environment. Our behavior impacts all others, even our environment. As we are sensitive, kind, and caring toward our earth-home, then home is a beautiful, nourishing place for us to flourish.

We are all lonely at times, especially if we choose loneliness. But the loneliness that debilitates us can be overcome by our recognition that we are responsible to create civil lives. We are born for relationship, and we can choose to be caring, loving people in endless ways.

About the Author

Dr. Durst is President of The Principled Academy, a sister school of New Hope School, located in San Leandro, CA.

Strong Children

By Mose Durst, Ph.D.

Every teacher knows that how parents impact their children directly affects what can be accomplished in the classroom. "Spare the rod and spoil the child" is one recipe at home for the punishment-oriented classroom. Allow the child as much freedom as possible at home, and the classroom becomes a playground. Parents and educators struggle to find a formula that will produce intelligent, responsible, happy children at home and at school.

Positive psychology, a discipline that focuses on the strengths of children, has brought significant results at school and can be brought into the home. The basic assumption of this branch of psychology is that each of us has potential strengths that can be developed through appropriate activities, exercises, and conversation with children.

So, for example, when a child acts selfishly, a parent can point to a time when a child was generous. If a child receives a gift and fails to acknowledge the gift giver, rather than being chastised, a child can be reminded of a time when she was grateful.
By focusing on the potential strengths of a child, and this can be applied to adults as well, positive energy is released that will enhance the well-being of the child. This process, what Lea Waters describes as "Strength based parenting" in her book The Strength Switch, leads to positive behavior by the child toward others as well as a sense that actions will bring positive results.

Martin Seligman, often called the father of positive psychology, has identified strengths that he has outlined in a kind of periodic table. They include creativity, bravery, kindness, enthusiasm, prudence, humor, etc. One can think of dozens more. By parents helping children identify their strengths, a partnership between parent and child is established for further development.

"A parent's role is to guide children in positive uses for their strengths", writes Prof. Waters. As use becomes a habit, children move from potential strengths to actual strengths. Practice may not bring perfection, but practice makes better. A parent can help a child reflect on situations where the child exhibited a particular strength, thus reinforcing both awareness and pleasure. Perhaps the most powerful thing a parent can do is to be a model of the kinds of strengths she wishes to see in the child.

Waters identifies several strengths that are of especial importance. Gratitude, for example, involves humility, respect, honesty, caring, and a number of other strengths. I have suggested that students, at the end of the day, write down their examples of gratitude from their experience each day.

Mindful meditation is another practice recommended by Waters and is as relevant in the classroom as well as at home. Children are often flooded with emotions and lose sign of problems they face. Simple breathing exercises, even for a few moments, can help a child focus, be presents, and sort through confusion to clarity and good choices. When a class is unruly, I ask students to stand, close their eyes, and follow the awareness of their breathing. This will sometimes calm the student, the teacher, and the class.
What this last example points to is that positive practices are as relevant in the classrooms as well as the home. Parents and teachers can share their experiences. The Values in Action youth survey website (viacharacter.org) can help the parent and teacher identify a child's strengths and weaknesses. Parents, teachers, and students can then work together in developing strengths.

The result of all their efforts is that a child learns to make good choices based on core values. Strengths are in essence virtues that lead to creating good character. We all want intelligent children but, more important, we need respectful, responsible, loving human beings who bring value to themselves and others.

If a child has parents and teachers who seek to develop their strengths, a caring community is the last leg of a tripod that insures that child will grow well. A child growing up in this environment will feel that the world makes sense and, consequently, use his life in a sensibly purposeful way.

About the Author

Dr. Durst is President of The Principled Academy, a sister school of New Hope School, located in San Leandro, CA.

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