|
CPCS Guiding Principles…
Approaches to Instruction
For the 2008-09 CPCS Annual Report, click here.
Note: The 2009-2010 Annual Report will be submitted, posted and made publicly available after the State Education Department releases the assessment data and a revised format for the Annual Report.
Culturally/politically relevant instruction
Instruction should be centered on curricular materials that are relevant to the students’ lives. Students should see themselves and their community in the work presented in class. Teachers learn from families and the community to create activities that engage the local community and its strengths and needs. Culturally/politically relevant instruction is empowering for students in their communities.
Integrated meaningful instruction
Instruction should be integrated among the various subjects. The goal for this kind of instruction is for students to experience a seamless day wherein they utilize reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the pursuit of scientific and social inquiry. Developing interdisciplinary projects based on student’s questions makes for meaningful learning.
Differentiated instruction
Instruction should be differentiated for different learners. All students should be working on the same concept, but at their individual instructional levels.
Process vs. product
Instructional activities should be geared toward helping students internalize processes of writing, social and scientific inquiry, mathematical thinking, and reading for meaning. Such learning necessitates a product that demonstrates the processes used by the students. The goal is not the product itself, but that students are learning and using appropriate processes to achieve their learning goals.
The senior experience
Fourth and fifth graders have a special position at CPCS as self-reflective learners and leaders. As students approach their "senior" year at CPCS, they begin to earn special priveleges and to take on new responsibilities. Senior Collectives, a weekly elective opportunity that begins in the fourth grade, gives students the chance to discover and develop personal interests before entering middle school. The capstone activity for seniors and rising seniors is their trip to Ramapo, N.Y., an outdoor educational experience that encourages students to take risks as they build leadership skills. Click here to learn more about the senior experience at CPCS .
Organizational Principles
Partner & small group work
In order to create interdisciplinary, differentiated, and process-based classrooms, teachers should utilize small group and partner work. Students working in small groups foster a sense of collaboration and facilitate the inquiry process.
Heterogeneous grouping
Because all students vary in their abilities, strength, and weaknesses in different areas (art, music, reading, math, inquiry, social interactions, etc.), children are grouped in mixed-ability classes. In this way, students gain from each other's strengths and learn to help each other with weaknesses.
Student centered vs. teacher centered
Student centered classrooms focus on the needs of the students. This requires regular and ongoing assessment to determine "what to teach next." Student centered classrooms focus on the interests and the questions of children. The teacher is knowledgeable and cognizant of the curriculum and the standards for the grade, but builds these in to the students' own needs and interests.
|
