Radians School News Lettter Issue # 2 Features: Why our Learning Platform is Different! Non Traditional Game-Based Teaching at Radians School! Parents and Teachers Working as a Team.

1. 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.
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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.

2. Modeling for others >>>
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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