Whole Child Education

From specialty schools to courses and programs of study within larger school offerings, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education is an interdisciplinary approach where academic learning is matched with authentic projects. Engaging students in these practical, kid-centered projects develops critical thinking and problem solving skills, fosters creativity, and inspires innovation. Examples of STEM implementation demonstrate new and creative ways to bring education meaningfully to life for students with hands-on, real-world applications.

On this episode of the Whole Child Podcast, ASCD's Walter McKenzie and guests explore what it means to be a "STEM school," its place in a supportive and challenging whole child approach to education, and share working models. Listen to the episode below or download.

Panelists

• Jackie Gerstein is an independent thinker and advocates for providing students the education they deserve. She has been teaching in-person and online for several decades and currently teaches master's-level online courses in educational technology for Boise State University, American Intercontinental University, and Western's Governors' University. She believes that one of the responsibilities of the 21st century education is to share resources, ideas, and instructional strategies with other educators. Connect with Gerstein through her blog, User Generated Education, and on Twitter @jackiegerstein.

  
  (Mark your calendars for the 2015 ASCD Annual Conference and Exhibit Show in Houston, Tex., where Gerstein will copresent a session titled "The Flipped Learning Toolkit for the Busy Teacher: Tips and Tricks for Practice" on March 21. Go to annualconference.ascd.org to learn more and register.)

• Pamela Moran has served as superintendent of Albemarle County (Va.) Public Schools since January 2006. She oversees a division with an annual operating budget of $151 million, with more than 1,100 teachers educating 13,000 students in 26 schools. During her tenure, Albemarle County Public Schools has become one of the top performing school divisions in Virginia with an on-time graduation rate of 93 percent. Moran has long had a commitment to providing broad-based and innovative learning opportunities for students, believing that excellence in multiple disciplines provides students with the skills essential to becoming successful as citizens, in the workforce, and in post-secondary education. Connect with Moran through her blog, A Space for Learning, and on Twitter @pammoran.
• Amanda Siewert is a passionate new educator who teaches at the Colorado STEM Academy. She began working with Colorado ASCD during her senior year of undergraduate university study and has been active since. Her mission statement is this: "Inspire each child to reach their full potential." This mission carries over into her interest of creating opportunities for teachers to grow as educators into their full potential. Connect with Siewert on Twitter @msaes14.

What does a focus on STEM look like in today's classrooms and across content areas? What are the implications for teaching and learning now and in the not-so-distant future?

How many times have you heard (or asked), "What does a whole child education look like in a school setting?" Over the years since ASCD launched the Whole Child Initiative, teachers, principals, and administrators have implemented the Whole Child Tenets (healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged) in creative ways in classrooms and schools. Last year, four ASCD Emerging Leaders participated in a grant program to explore the approach through a new lens.

On this episode of the Whole Child Podcast, ASCD's Kevin Scott talks with these leaders about their experiences creating and implementing projects for reading culturally relevant texts in an elementary setting, science in a middle school setting, and leadership for minority students in a high school setting. There's something to learn at every level.

Listen to the episode below or download.

Panelists

• Jessica Bohn is a former science curriculum specialist and high school science teacher and is currently the principal at Gibsonville Elementary in Guilford County, N.C. Bohn has written for Educational Leadership magazine, ASCD Express, Education Update, and the U.S. Department of Education's The Teacher Edition. In addition to being a wife and mother, she is passionate about professional development, teacher development, science education, and weather. Connect with Bohn on Twitter @JessicaBohn.
  
• Fred Ende is a former middle school science teacher and department chair and is currently the assistant director of curriculum and instructional services for Putnam/Northern Westchester Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) in New York. Ende has been a facilitator for the American Museum of Natural History's online professional development program, both written and reviewed manuscripts for the National Science Teachers Association and ASCD, and writes for ASCD's Inservice blog, SmartBlog on Education, and Edutopia, and he serves on the New York State ASCD board of directors and is an ASCD Policy Advisory Committee member. Connect with Ende on Twitter @FredEnde.
  
• Amy Fowler Murphy currently works as chemistry education specialist with the Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative at the University of Montevallo. Prior to her role with this program, Murphy taught high school chemistry in urban and suburban settings for ten years. She is a National Board–Certified teacher and serves on the Alabama ASCD board of directors. Connect with Murphy on Twitter @amykfmurphy.
  
• Krista Leh Rundell spent the first ten years of her career in education as a high school social studies teacher. For the next five years, she served as a curriculum and instructional technology coach supporting K–12 teachers across the district in rigorous curriculum design. Currently she is an ASCD Faculty member focusing on social-emotional learning, curriculum design and instruction, and teacher leadership. Connect with Rundell on Twitter @klrundell.

How have you implemented whole child projects in your classroom, school, or district? What lessons have you learned that you can share?

Are you or someone you know interested in becoming an ASCD Emerging Leader? Applications for the class of 2015 open on February 2. Learn more at www.ascd.org/emergingleaders, or e-mail constituentservices@ascd.org to be notified when the applications open. ASCD Emerging Leaders are accomplished educators with 5–15 years of experience who are highly involved in ASCD and the education community as a whole. ASCD now enrolls more educators in each class than ever before, and offers the grant opportunity to members in their second year of the program. All emerging leaders are provided with opportunities to pursue various leadership pathways, including serving on committees, hosting networking events for educators, advocating for sound education policy, and contributing to ASCD publications.

Talking and listening are indispensable for learning, but they are also crucial for development and our growth as individuals. Whether developing understanding, conveying meaning, sharing thoughts, sparking new ideas, forming friendships, developing empathy, or even learning how to collaborate and cooperate, the ability to communicate effectively and skillfully is fundamental. On this episode of the Whole Child Podcast, we'll explore how the ability to communicate is being cultivated in the school and classroom.

Listen to the episode below or download.

Panelists

• Annie Huynh is a 4th grade teacher and literacy coordinator at Folk Arts-Cultural Treasures Charter School in Philadelphia, Pa. She is a member of ASCD's 2014 Emerging Leaders program and is the author of the ASCD Express article "Four Ways to Amplify Student Voice."
• Erik Palmer is a professional speaker and education consultant from Denver, Colo., whose passion for speaking has been a part of each of his careers. He spent 21 years in the classroom in the Cherry Creek School District in Englewood, Colo., primarily as an English teacher but also as a teacher of math, science, and civics. Palmer is the author of the 2014 ASCD book Teaching the Core Skills of Listening and Speaking and is a featured author in this month’s Educational Leadership
• Kevin Scott is a strategic advisor for constituent programs at ASCD, where he facilitates programs and initiatives for younger educators, such as the Emerging Leaders and ASCD Student Chapter He also provides services and consultation to ASCD affiliates. Scott previously spent seven years teaching 7th grade history in Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, and he has served as education director for other associations.

How do we teach talking and listening skills? Is there a gap between how they are currently being taught and how they should be taught?

Health and education affect individuals, society, and the economy and, therefore, must work together whenever possible. Schools are a perfect setting for this collaboration. Schools are one of the most efficient systems for reaching children and youth to provide health services and programs, as approximately 95 percent of all U.S. children and youth attend school. To date, however, integrating health services and programs more deeply into the day-to-day life of schools and students remains a largely untapped tool for raising academic achievement and improving learning. This month, the Whole Child Podcast shares a two-part discussion on the importance of a healthy—safe, secure, and connected—learning environment and how unifying the fields of education and health in the school and community settings can aid the growth, development, and learning of all children.

In the first episode, the panelists look at the benefits of a healthy learning environment from the education perspective. We ask, "Why should education (principals, teachers, and students) be concerned about health?" Listen to the episode below or download it here.

Panelists

• Robert Balfanz, PhD, is a research professor at the Center for Social Organization of Schools at Johns Hopkins University's School of Education, codirector of Talent Development Secondary, and director of the Everyone Graduates Center. He focuses on translating research findings into effective school interventions and has published widely on secondary school reform, high school dropouts, early warning systems, chronic absenteeism, school climate, and instructional interventions in high-poverty schools.
• Kathleen M. Budge, PhD, is the coordinator of the Leadership Development Program at Boise State University and an associate professor in the Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Foundational Studies, where her research and scholarly activity focuses on educational leadership, leadership development, rural education, school improvement, and poverty. She has presented and written frequently on these topics, including coauthoring the award-winning ASCD book Turning High-Poverty Schools into High-Performing Schools.
• Mark Pinder, MEd, is the principal of Milwaukie High School and the winner of the 2013 Vision in Action: The ASCD Whole Child Award. Milwaukie High School is in an incorporated city bordering Portland, Oregon, with an enrollment of 1,400 students (9th through 12th grade), of which 60 percent are part of the federal free or reduced lunch program. Twenty-eight percent of the students are Hispanic and 14 percent are English language learners.

The second episode features panelists from the public health sector who take an in-depth look at the new Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model, from its rationale, to its objectives, to its potential to develop a collaborative approach to learning and health. We ask, "How can school health teams use this model to start a conversation with educators?" Listen to the episode below or download it here.

Panelists

• Wayne H. Giles, MD, MS, is the director of the Division of Population Health within the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He directs research and programmatic activities in arthritis, aging, alcohol, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, disease prevention, school health, and epilepsy.
• Holly Hunt, MA, is the chief of the School Health Branch in the Division of Population Health within the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the CDC. The School Health Branch leads chronic disease prevention activities specifically for children and adolescents in schools and focuses on obesity prevention, nutrition, physical activity, and tobacco prevention and control. Hunt leads innovative projects in research application, evaluation, and program and professional development.
• Lloyd J. Kolbe, PhD, is an emeritus professor of applied health science at the School of Public Health at Indiana University Bloomington. He consults for the government, businesses, and industries on public policy research and development to improve the health and education of children and young people. Kolbe served as founding director of the CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health from 1988 to 2003 and then as a professor and associate dean for the Office of Global & Community Health Partnerships at the School of Public Health at Indiana University Bloomington from 2004 to 2010.
• Laura Rooney, MPH, is the manager of the Adolescent Health Program at the Ohio Department of Health and a school health liaison to the Ohio Department of Education regarding policies and programs in schools. She also convenes a state-level school health advisory collaborative to improve health outcomes of school-age children and is a member of Ohio ASCD's Whole Child Planning Committee.

The new WSCC model is the next evolution of the traditional coordinated school health approach. Developed by ASCD and the CDC and launched in spring 2014, the model aims to better align the policies, processes, and practices of education, public health, and school health, and, in doing so, improve learning and health. ASCD and CDC encourage use of the model as a framework for improving students' learning and health in our nation's schools. The model is in the public domain and schools, districts, states, and school health organizations are welcome to use the model in the planning and implementation of coordinated school health initiatives and programs. Go to www.ascd.org/learningandhealth to learn more, request materials, and get started.

Teachers know that engaging and inspiring students initially requires building positive relationships and creating relevant learning experiences. Students who are motivated and see meaning in what they learn progress faster and at high levels, even when they start with knowledge or skill gaps. In fact, focusing on motivation and meaning can be an underutilized tool for the classroom.

On the last episode of the Whole Child Podcast, we talked with author Richard Curwin and ASCD Emerging Leaders Ashanti Foster and John Hines about the building blocks of motivation—hope, meaning, and challenge. In this episode, host Sean Slade, director of ASCD's Whole Child Programs, speaks one-on-one with Baruti Kafele—veteran educator and nationally renowned speaker on the topic of motivating low-performing students—about how knowing your students, intentionally creating a positive school climate and culture, and making learning relevant sets the stage for students to be motivated to succeed.

As a middle and high school principal, Kafele led the transformation of four different schools, including Newark Tech High School, which went from a low-performing school in need of improvement to being recognized as one of the best high schools in the United States. He is the author of Motivating Black Males to Achieve in School and in Life and Closing the Attitude Gap: How to Fire Up Your Students to Strive for Success, and has received more than 100 educational, professional, and community awards.

Listen to the episode below or download:

What are you doing to change your students' attitudes so that every day they walk into the classroom, they are fired up and ready to excel?

Teachers know that engaging and inspiring students initially requires building positive relationships and creating relevant learning experiences. Yet other key actions also matter: setting realistic expectations, creating a needs-satisfying classroom, and teaching students to self-evaluate and self-moderate. Students who are motivated and see meaning in what they learn progress faster and to higher levels, even when they start with knowledge or skill gaps. In fact, focusing on motivation and meaning is a classroom strategy that is often underutilized.

On this episode of the Whole Child Podcast, we take a look at how teachers can spark inner motivation in all students—from those who are disengaged from school to those who strive to succeed—and create meaningful connections that get students excited about learning.

Listen to the episode below or download it here.

Panelists

• Richard Curwin is an author, trainer, speaker, and experienced education practitioner who is known internationally for providing thousands of educators and parents with practical, proven ideas to effectively manage children's behavior in a manner that respects the dignity of each individual. Curwin is cocreator of the internationally recognized Discipline with Dignity program and coauthor of the book with the same title. Curwin's recent publications include Meeting Students Where They Live: Motivation in Urban Schools, Affirmative Classroom Management: How do I develop effective rules and consequences in my school?, and the article "Can Assessments Motivate?" in this month's issue of Educational Leadership. He is currently the director of the master's program in behavior disorder at David Yellin College in Israel.
• Ashanti Foster is the academic dean at Oxon Hill Middle School in Ft. Washington, Maryland. She has been a national staff developer for 13 years, providing teaching and learning experiences to students and teachers of Prince George's County Public Schools and beyond, and is also a National Board–certified teacher and an ASCD Emerging Leader. In addition to her roles in the education field, she is also a Girl Scout troop leader, blogger, dancer, wife, and mother of six. Connect with Foster on Twitter @NBCTeacherMommy.
• John Hines is a world history and AVID teacher at Todd Beamer High School in Federal Way, Washington. He is the vice president of the Washington State Council for the Social Studies, an ASCD Emerging Leader, and a proud, lifelong resident of Tacoma, Washington. Connect with Hines on Twitter @jhhines57.

How do you encourage effort and spark motivation for learning with your students?

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Ask educators why they went into teaching, and the majority will respond that they wanted to make a difference in the lives of young people. That initial idealism, however, is often challenged by the realities of heavy workloads, classroom discipline problems, and bureaucratic demands. How are you (and your teams) working to ensure that each child in your school and community is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged?

In this episode of the Whole Child Podcast, our guests will share what led them to teaching, what inspires them, and how they make a difference in their students' lives and learning. From building meaningful relationships or designing innovative programs that help students overcome challenges to raising academic achievement, we are taking steps to focus on the whole child project-by-project, classroom-by-classroom, and school-by-school. You'll hear from

• Mark Barnes is a veteran teacher, adjunct professor, international education presenter, and leading authority on student-centered learning and technology integration. He is the creator of the Results Only Learning Environment (ROLE), a progressive, student-centered classroom that eliminates all traditional teaching methods, including grades. While transforming his classroom into a ROLE, Barnes has also revolutionized K–12 web-based instruction by bringing private student websites into his classroom—an extension of school into cyberspace. He is the author of the ASCD book Role Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom and ASCD Arias publication The 5-Minute Teacher: How do I maximize time for learning in my classroom? Connect with Barnes on Twitter @markbarnes19.
• Kevin Parr is a 4th grade teacher at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School in Wenatchee, Washington, with degrees in environmental science and elementary education. As a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala, he realized his passion for teaching and working with children. A 2014 ASCD Emerging Leader, he is also a regular guest blogger for the Whole Child Blog and Inservice. Connect with Parr on Twitter @mrkevinparr.
• Allison Rodman is a 2013 ASCD Emerging Leader, instructional coach, and professional development facilitator who is committed to connecting teachers and administrators to the resources necessary to improve student achievement for all learners. A former social studies and alternative education teacher, she is currently the director of teaching and learning for Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School, a K–12 Title I school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Connect with Rodman on Twitter @thelearningloop.
• Joan Young is a teacher and therapeutic coach with 10 years of teaching experience in elementary classrooms and 25 years of experience tutoring students of all ages. She specializes in working with students who need extra support in self-regulation and executive functioning skills. Her principle interests include the application of positive psychology to education, how resilience can help children who have experienced trauma and loss, mindfulness in schools, and teaching through multiple modalities. She is the author of the new ASCD Arias publication Encouragement in the Classroom: How do I help students stay positive and focused? and the blog Finding Ways for All Kids to Flourish. Connect with Young on Twitter @flourishingkids.

Learn how other educators make a difference in students' lives and learning with the summer 2014 issue of Educational Leadership magazine, available beginning June 16. This digital issue gives you instant access to stories about individuals, teams, schools, and even a U.S. state that are passionate about teaching and learning. In a series of videos, you'll hear from Robyn Jackson, Baruti Kafele, Doug Fisher, Jeffrey Benson, Michael Ford, Marilee Sprenger, Myron Dueck, Mike Fisher, and Eric Sheninger on becoming a teacher and how they make a difference.

Access these articles and videos—and many others—to inspire you over the summer. Download the free Educational Leadership app in iTunes, Google Play, or the Amazon Appstore. If you do not currently receive Educational Leadership magazine, subscribe now to stay informed about new ideas and best practices for educators.

How do you know when you’ve made a difference in a student's life?

Ask educators why they went into teaching, and the majority will respond that they wanted to make a difference in the lives of young people. That initial idealism, however, is often challenged by the realities of heavy workloads, classroom discipline problems, and bureaucratic demands. How are you (and your teams) working to ensure that each child in your school and community is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged?

Join us throughout the summer as we look at why we teach and what inspires us. From building meaningful relationships or designing innovative programs that help students overcome challenges to raising academic achievement, supporting students' emotional and physical health and safety, building partnerships with parents, and advocating for education reform, we are taking steps to focus on the whole child project-by-project, classroom-by-classroom, and school-by-school.

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Personalization is quickly becoming a buzzword in education, especially in terms of blended learning and educational technology. I joined a team of educators on a panel on the same subject on the Whole Child Podcast. We unpacked what it is and what it might look like in the classroom. We talked about its challenges and benefits and collaborated to explain its implications for education. Most importantly, we talked about the critical role of relationships.

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In this era of school reform, turnaround, and educational change, it is easy to overlook the basics of why we educate and what we want for our children. Usually when we talk about "getting back to the basics," the conversation is student-focused, if not always student-centered. These basics of learning vary from the 3 Rs (reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic) to STEM to 21st century skills.

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