By Josh Spickler

I have no idea what the weather’s like while you’re reading this, but as I’m writing it, it’s chilly outside. And on Feb. 11, at Peabody Elementary, it will be chili inside. Get it? Chilly outside. Chili inside. Get it? I’ve been waiting five years to use that joke, which, of course, is not original. Regardless, it’s time for the Fifth Annual Cooper-Young/Peabody PTA Chili Cook-off! Can you believe it’s been five years?

With your help, over the past five years, we’ve raised more than $6,000 toward beautification on and around the Peabody Elementary campus. We’ve installed new play equipment, new landscaping, fresh paint and other exterior improvements that help Peabody and Cooper-Young shine for visitors and residents alike.

But not only do we raise money for a good cause, we have fun doing it. You’d be surprised how many different ways there are to make chili. Hot, exotic, Texas or Cincinnati style. We always get a little of everything, and the chili and the neighbors are a warm respite on a cold, winter afternoon.

So, in just a few short days, no matter the weather, there will be plenty of hot, delicious chili available for your consumption in the Peabody Elementary Cafetorium. And, despite what our moms taught us, we’re going to judge. There will be awards in the following categories: Judges’ Choice (decided by our celebrity panel of chili experts, of course), People’s Choice, Best Vegetarian, Best Hot and Most Unusual.

Soak those beans, brown that beef, plug in that Crock Pot and meet us at Peabody Elementary on Saturday, Feb. 11 at high noon to see who takes home the prizes this year. It’s only $15 to register before Feb. 3 ($20 after Feb. 3). Contact mandygrisham@gmail.com or visit friendsofpeabody.org/ for registration information.

If you only want to eat the chili, you can do that, too. Five bucks gets you four generous tastings (more than enough to count as lunch) and a drink. Get there early when the chili is still warm and, well, still there. We’ll crown the winners at 1:30 sharp. Don’t miss it.

By Kandra Kolehmainen

Picture a beautiful, fall day. All around you the world is filled with movement and life. Looking up, you see a sky full of trees, branches bending back and forth, propelled by a strong, invigorating breeze. Leaves are falling to the ground in unique patterns, sometime smooth and beautiful, other times in a zigzag rush. On the ground, leaves are blowing across the yard as bushes flutter and the grass lies gracefully down. Your ears are filled, not only with the sound of the wind dancing through the branches, but also the dead and crumbling leaves rustling across the sidewalk. Your senses are full of the moment. You can smell fall in the air, and if you try hard enough, you can even taste it.

Now imagine a four-year-old on her way to school on that same day, at that same moment. She takes in all of the newness of the moment: the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. But, unlike you, she is compelled to touch it as well. Her eyes are as big as saucers as she holds a yellow and green leaf and looks up at all of the life in the sky. Her mind full of discovery, beauty, and wonder that is growing exponentially. Experiential learning is taking place.

As she goes inside, she is full of questions: why are the leaves falling, how do they hook on to the trees, why are the leaves different colors, why do they make a crunching sound? The teacher has a few options: gathering information about trees from books or the internet, directing the child to look out the window and watch, answering the questions that the child has asked, or realizing that what the child really needs is hands on discovery. She needs to go back outside and investigate.

At this point the Reggio teacher seizes the opportunity to gauge the interest of all of the students and announces that they will be going outside to look at the day. Back outside real life experience continues, as our four-year-old, as well as many other students, are able to make connections between trees and leaves, live leaves vs. dead leaves, the effect of wind on both trees and leaves, and how trees and leaves are joined. They study what leaves look and feel like, as well as the differences and similarities between them. They look at all the different colors. They listen to the different sounds that stomping creates on both dead and live leaves and (one of childhood’s greatest pleasures) what it feels like to roll in a pile of them.

At the end of the day, the Reggio teacher creates a web (a type of flow diagram) laying out not only all of the directions the project might take, but also which skills can be taught along the way. This is not guesswork but rather a thoughtful examination of the subject matter. The project may not go where a teacher thinks it will, but all avenues are prepared for so that learning does not have to wait for materials or the environment to be prepared.

With leaves as an inspiration, learning continues both inside and out over the next two weeks. Children experience leaves on dry days, windy days, wet days, and calm days. They go on walks around the neighborhood and to the local park. They notice other indications of fall: the change in temperature, the fact that it gets dark earlier, and the pumpkins on every porch. They notice the nuts on the ground and the squirrels chasing each other up and down trees while collecting the nuts. They take containers on their walks to fill with fall “treasures.” The teachers are constantly challenging the children with questions and focusing their attention on things they may not have noticed.

Back in the classroom children draw pictures, create clay sculptures, paint leaves to make stamps, and use rollers to make prints. They make leaf garlands, necklaces, and belts (art). They write stories and poems as they are able and read them to teachers and other students. They dictate stories to teachers which can then be acted out (language arts). Some children count, sort, and compare the leaves by color and shape and order them according to their quantity. They learn positional words like over, under, up, down, beside, above, and below. Quantitative words like more, less, fewer, add, take away, heavy, light, full, and empty (math). Others create beautiful displays and use leaves as instruments, props, and costumes in a musical play (dramatic play and music). Through questions and books, the teacher helps students answer their own questions and the questions that teachers pose: why are some leaves dry and cracked while others are smooth and pliable, why do they fall from the trees, why do we only see pumpkins in fall (science). Many students work together with yellow, red, green, and brown blocks, Lego, and with recycled materials glue and paint to construct trees and leaves. Together, Reggio students and their teachers have taken one inspiring moment and turned it into a project that includes math, science, art, music, dance, theater, costuming, construction, and language arts.

Although most adults can see how much fun and how interesting a project like this can be for preschoolers, many doubt that this approach can be used when “real” academics need to be learned. The truth is direct experience combined with high interest equals successful learning at every age. To quote Albert Einstein, “Learning is experience. Everything else is just information.”

To see how this works in an elementary setting, look for our article next month.

By Dr. D. Jackson Maxwell and Laura Smith

‘Tis the season for exchanging gifts. Unfortunately, this can be a time of uncertainty and anxiety. What do our friends and family really need, value, or want? What can I give them that will have a positive impact on their lives or make lasting memories? Hopefully, this column will provide you with a few ideas for gifts that will be remembered.

Family memberships to a museum or park are gifts that keep giving throughout the year. Memphis has a number of excellent museums. For the musically inclined, consider these: Memphis Rock N Soul Museum (audio tours of interactive displays of music pioneers, age 5+); and STAX Museum (audio tour paying tribute to soul music, age 9+). Art lovers will like: National Ornamental Metal Museum (rotating displays and practicing metalworking artists, age 7+); and Brooks Museum of Art (permanent and visiting collections of visual art, age 7+). The history buffs have: National Civil Rights Museum (archives of artifacts of the Civil Rights struggle, age 4+); Fire Museum (interactive exhibits of firefighters and their apparatuses, all ages). Memphis is also home to excellent parks: Memphis Botanic Gardens (nature themed activities, workshops, and family playgrounds, all ages); Pink Palace (family of museums including Lichterman Nature Center, Mallory-Neely/Magevney Houses, Coon Creek Science Center, plus Pink Palace IMAX and Planetarium, age 4+); and Memphis Zoo (animals on display in natural settings, all ages).

Gifts that can be used repeatedly or help the receiver gain knowledge are always a bonus. Subscriptions to magazines are great for many reasons. Children and adults alike anticipate their arrival in the mail, magazines target specific interests, and they encourage reading. Some recommendations are Sports Illustrated for Kids, Dig, Cobblestone, Highlights, Ranger Rick, Kidz Fun, Footsteps, Appleseeds, Hopscotch for Girls, and National Geographic Kids. Thoughtfully selected board games can be both fun and intellectually stimulating. They can be enjoyed by all ages, encourage family interaction, and build happy memories of time spent playing them together. Some examples of these types of games are Boggle, Upwords, Balderdash, Trivial Pursuit, Charades, Scrabble, Life, Password, Scattergories, Yahtzee, and Blokus.

Some of the best selling gifts of recent holiday seasons have involved gaming systems. Wii, PS 3, Xbox, and Nintendo DS have released a wide range of intellectually challenging games that the whole family can play together. For example, Wii has really broadened its catalog of educational games of which Smarty Pants Trivia, Endless Oceans, Wild Earth: African Safari, and Big Brain Academy are a few of the best. The PlayStation 3 (PS3) system has a couple of offerings such as Little Big Planet and Flower that promote learning. Kinectimals and Axeland Pixel for the Xbox 360 are mind enhancing. Finally, for those who are more inclined to use portable devices, there are Nintendo DS games. Art Academy, Warioware, and Scribblenauts all encourage emergent game-play and creativity through puzzles and art challenges. While there are many other high quality educational games, this list should provide a starting point.

Anything we as gift givers can do to inspire fun learning opportunities involving the whole family is definitely a plus. The suggestions offered here will hopefully appeal to those on your gift list. So, this holiday season consider giving presents that stimulate the mind, spur the imagination, and encourage family togetherness.

A special thanks to Laura Smith, who in addition to being an outstanding, highly qualified teacher, co-authored this article with Dr. D. Jackson Maxwell. To ask further questions, contact djacksonmaxwell@gmail.com.

By Kandra Kolehmainen

When I went to school as a young girl, educational options were very limited. In fact, in the small Iowa town where I lived there was only one option – traditional. My school was like most: teacher led, children in desks, textbooks, and a state approved curriculum. Many communities did offer a variety of traditional schools, but the truth is, for most of us alternative schooling did not exist. But now many education options are available, each with its own set of ideals, precepts, and vocabulary. Philosophies such as Montessori, Reggio, Waldorf, and Classical education have become accepted and very well known. But much of their terminology is not. At the Natural Learning School we embrace the Reggio philosophy as well as the ideals that govern it.

The Reggio philosophy is punctuated with terms such as learner led, project based, webbing, facilitator, and emergent curriculum. One of the most central and least understood precepts of the Reggio philosophy is emergent curriculum.

Curriculum is defined as “the courses offered by an educational institution.” Courses and lessons are designed to teach students specific information in a specific order and usually on a specific day. Curriculum is designed to teach an entire class the same information in adherence with state requirements but with no regard for an individual student’s actual skill level.

An emergent curriculum is a curriculum that is not planned in advance but rather emerges from what is happening in and around the classroom. Ideas come from many places such as classroom resources, research (books, experiences, and computer), teacher interests, family or friends of students, local or world events, classroom discussions, school events, student conversations, and the interests of the students themselves. As interests form and new ideas are discovered, the curriculum changes to fit students’ interests as well as necessary academic skills.

In fact, emergent curriculum is tailored to fit each individual student. Interests that develop out of the classroom experience and turn into projects may involve all students, a small group, or an individual child. Students follow their individual interests and participate in projects at a pace that works with their skill level, not with outside arbitrary standards that may or may not fit the child.

Emergent curriculum is a living thing that constantly changes as new discoveries are made.

Although it is free flowing, it is in no way a free for all. Reggio teachers and the classroom environment must be incredibly organized in order to respect the child’s need to explore according to his own timeline. Teachers must be very flexible and willing to let learning happen when the child is ready and in the way that works best for the child. Projects that develop out of the classroom are webbed (a spider web-like flow diagram) to show all of the possible directions in which the project may go, along with skills to be learned at each step. The Reggio teacher must reevaluate daily where the project is taking the students and what adjustments need to be made for available resources and future activities.

For example, at the elementary school a discussion over the course of a month went from storms, to lightning, to electricity, to energy, and then to atoms. A planned experiment regarding the effect of temperature on atoms turned into an exercise in the importance of eliminating variables. The atom discussion was put on hold while the experiential learning of the day took center stage. Follow up discussions cemented the children’s learning. The teachers then made resource and planning adjustments to support the change of direction. It was emergent curriculum in action, and all students gained amazing understanding from being allowed to follow their natural course of learning.

Even though the students’ interests are of utmost importance in a Reggio school, not all interests are followed. Projects and individual interests that are explored in the classroom must have both value and depth in order to stimulate children’s critical thinking skills. Children learn by making connections; by applying existing knowledge to new situations. In depth studies are full of opportunities to develop new connections. Those interests that do not have critical thinking value and depth are not forgotten. Instead, children are encouraged to research these interests at home and report back to the class (a lack of homework at the Natural Learning School gives the child time to research at home). In reporting back, interests may be piqued, new ideas may form, and a new project may emerge. Teachers will plan for it, and students will learn through it. Through emergent curriculum children learn in an exciting and interesting way that stimulates a life-long love of learning.

By Dr. D. Jackson Maxwell

Every few years I write an article on one of my favorite topics – the baffling machinations of our educational system. Being a parent of two school aged children this subject is dear to my heart. As a parent, I have observed many things good, a few bad, and some downright odd. Ponder the following and see if you, like me, find the following policies and practices as peculiar as I do.

My first concern is a health issue. It is common knowledge that the best way to prevent the spread of colds, flu, and other diseases is by frequently washing our hands with soap and warm water. Oddly enough, I have never found a sink in a school that students have access to that has warm water! When asked, one teacher postulated the reason was that the school designers were fearful children would scald themselves if they turned the water on too hot. Nonsense I say. All you need is a regulator on the hot water heater to control the temperature. So what’s real the deal?

Why do some schools allow teachers to choose the classes they want to teach based primarily on seniority? Shouldn’t the principal assign teachers to subjects they will teach based on their test scores and proven experience? Doesn’t logic dictate that this is the best way to assign teachers to a particular subject? Yet many courses are assigned to teachers based merely on their seniority, personal preference, randomization, or favoritism rather than a proven performance record. Hmmm.

Under Superintendent Kriner Cash’s administration much emphasis has been placed on holding teachers accountable. It has been asserted that more time needs to be purposefully directed to good first teaching and targeting specific student needs. Yet Cash, by his very own actions, has consistently made this extremely difficult. For example, in 2010 the Cash administration terminated hundreds of teaching aides. The president of the Memphis Education Association stated this was a terrible blow to morale which ultimately piled the former aides’ tasks on to already over worked teachers. While a few aides were eventually rehired, the end result is that now teachers have been taken out of their classrooms to do nonacademic jobs such as watching students eat lunch and other housekeeping task for four or more hours per week. Educators with master degrees, doctorates, and even National Board Certification are picking up trash, monitoring noise, and clearing trays rather than developing curriculum, writing grants, and doing the work of actually educating students. Hmmm…a true waste of professional talent, eh?

Beyond this, problems abound concerning the public’s perception of Dr. Cash’s opulent lifestyle. In a city noted for its high poverty rate, Superintendent Cash makes an annual salary in excess of $258,000 plus benefits and is chauffeured around town in a school board owned car accompanied by a detail of police-style Memphis City School officers. It’s not just Dr. Cash who merits the royal treatment. Similar benefits are bestowed upon much of the upper management. While in its own right appalling, all of these over-the-top, taxpayer funded benefits are being heaped upon the Cash administration while they regularly announce teacher layoffs and decry the need for more money. In my humble opinion, these ego-stroking perks are a waste of tax dollars. What are the superintendent and his cronies so afraid of that they need to be escorted around town in security vehicles protected by armed officers? Could it be those very taxpayers they are bilking of millions to support their bloated salaries and benefit packages? Or is it the throngs of educators in the trenches—teachers, teaching aides, and support staff—that their administration has terminated. Perhaps they are afraid of a revolt by parents who are sick of seeing Dr. Cash and his entourage parading from one media spectacle to the next while each year more and more Memphis City Schools fail to make the grade. Hmmm, indeed!

Lastly, President Bush initiated No Child Left Behind where all students are to be 100% proficient in reading and math by 2014. Hmmm, everyone 100% proficient? As you already know, for 100% of any large group to be proficient in anything the bar has to be set mighty low, and that is exactly what happened. To make strides toward this unrealistic goal and avoid the penalties, many states chose to dumb down their tests thus enabling more students to be deemed proficient. Need I say more?

Despite my best attempts to understand the reasoning behind the actions of our local and national leaders, I remain at a loss. I guess these things are not meant for a mere taxpaying citizen to understand. If you have any similar type questions or answers to my ponderings, please feel free to email these to me, and I will try to pass these along in future articles.

Dr. D. Jackson Maxwell is a parent, freelance writer, and Educational Consultant. If you have any questions or comments, please email him at djacksonmaxwell@gmail.com.

By Kate Lareau

Another great Peabody Elementary event is coming up, and the whole community is invited to come enjoy Central BBQ, shop for Christmas (or for yourself!), and support your neighborhood school! The Peabody Elementary Silent Auction will take place Thursday, November 17, from 5:30-7:30pm in the Peabody Cafeteria. Last year’s auction raised over $2500 that went toward software for the Accelerated Reader program, new playground and exercise equipment, and new items for the library.

Items in this year’s auction will include gift certificates to local businesses, items from local shops/artists, themed gift baskets, and much more. All proceeds will go to support learning at Peabody. Because of Central’s generous donation of barbecue, all proceeds from the sale of the dinner (only $5 per plate) will also go directly to the Peabody PTA to purchase needed supplies and materials for the teachers and students of Peabody.
So let’s summarize: dinner for $5 and great shopping – a pretty fabulous deal considering it all benefits the kids of Peabody and strengthens our neighborhood school!

Peabody Elementary Silent Auction
Thursday, November 17
5:30-7:30pm
$5 for Central BBQ dinner, no charge to shop the Silent Auction

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Storm Water Program Office, 636-4349

City of Memphis Storm Water Program to Host Public Information Meeting at Bert Ferguson Community Center

Officials will Address Litter & Pet Waste Issues and Storm Water System Maintenance, and will Respond to Questions at October 27 Meeting.

Memphis ( October 19, 2011) – The City of Memphis Storm Water Program will host a public information meeting at the Bert Ferguson Community Center on Thursday, October 27 to share information and gather community feedback. Refreshments will be served beginning at 6:00 p.m. and the meeting will begin shortly thereafter.

Storm Water Program officials will discuss the issues associated with litter and pet waste entering the storm water system.  They will be joined by an official from the City’s Drain Maintenance Department who will address cleaning and repairing the storm drain system.  The participating officials will then open the floor to questions and comments from the audience.

The Bert Ferguson Community Center is located at 8505 Trinity Road .  The Center is on the south side of Trinity Road, between North Walnut Bend Road and North Ericson Road, just east of the Cordova library.

For more information on the City’s Storm Water Program, call 636-4349.

By Dalila Early

For a Reggio teacher, the most commonly asked question is not “What are your views on education?” or “How do you teach math?” or even “Do you give standardized tests?” The most asked question is “Who is Reggio Emilia?” The truth is Reggio Emilia is not a person, but a place – a city in northern Italy.

After the destruction of World War II, the citizens of Reggio Emilia decided that a new approach to early childhood education was necessary. Families worked together not only to physically build schools, but also to develop a philosophy based on an emergent curriculum where children learn by becoming part of their world through direct experiences, relationships, and exploration. They also believed that the children would develop as individuals through respect, responsibility, and following their own interests. This innovative approach stressed that a child’s education is in the hands of the child, and that teachers are present not to teach, but to facilitate the child’s learning.

A Reggio education occurs through questions. Information is not given by teachers, but rather discovered by students. Teachers step in when a child truly cannot either perform a specific skill, or cannot find answers after much investigation. When a child asks “Why?” the Reggio teacher answers with the question “What do you think?” Children then have to look inside themselves for answers; in other words, they have to think. They form their own opinions and theories, and come to their own conclusions. This is true learning, and is the heart of the Reggio philosophy.

This approach is only possible if one trusts in the fact that children are innately curious and eager to learn. Following the interests of the child through project based curriculum, children learn math, science, social studies, art, language arts, movement, and music in a more in depth manner. As a Reggio Emilia teacher, this is proven to me every day at the Natural Learning School. Whether it is a baby watching leaves falling from the trees, preschoolers mixing colors for the first time, or an elementary student researching and finding the answer to the all-important question “How does an airplane stay in the sky?” our teachers have the privilege of being a part of discovery every day.

Located in the heart of the Cooper-Young at 1992 Nelson Ave, the Natural Learning School is the best kept secret in town providing a child centered, project base, Reggio inspired education for children 1 year to 11 years old. For more information check our website at naturallearningschool.com.

By Jacob Flowers

The 2011 Gandhi-King Conference will occur at Christian Brothers University on October 21-23. This year’s conference is being co-presented by the Peace and Justice Studies Association and the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center, in hopes of drawing an even larger national audience.

We are very excited to begin the conference weekend Thursday evening with a concert by political singer/songwriter David Rovics. Rovics has been called “the musical version of Democracy Now!” by the show’s host, Amy Goodman. While David tours across the country and around the world, he’s never played in Memphis. We are thrilled to bring his songs and ideas to our community. Check the conference website, gandhikingconference.org, to get details on the concert location and time.

We’re also thrilled to bring some of the highest caliber speakers to Memphis to date. Nipun Mehta and Pancho Ramos-Stierle will open the conference at 11am on Friday, October 21 with an address to both the youth conference and regular attendees. Dr. Clayborne Carson from the King Center at Stanford will address the conference Friday evening, followed by a viewing of the film Little Town of Bethlehem and a discussion with the director. David Bacon opens the conference Saturday morning, and we are thrilled to be offering simultaneous Spanish translation for Dolores Huerta’s address Saturday afternoon.

If you would like to purchase exhibit space at the conference, are interested in being a sponsor, or would like to place an ad in the program booklet, please email allison@midsouthpeace.org. And if you haven’t already, please register now for the conference at gandhikingconference.org/register. We look forward to seeing you at GKC!

By Dr. D. Jackson Maxwell

Parents are their children’s first teachers. Children learn by observing their parents, listening and participating in family conversations, engaging in common interests, and spending time with each other. As parents, we start preparing our children from birth for a happy, healthy, and successful life. As our kids enter school, we take on the additional role of our children’s advocate.

As parent advocates we need to attend Open Houses, meet our children’s teachers, and exchange contact information. We have to establish an ongoing communication with our children’s teachers to enable us to praise our children for their accomplishments as well as address concerns in a timely manner. As parents, we need to make sure our kids are getting all the services they may need or deserve. These include taking the steps to get our children qualified for gifted or resource services, and where needed, securing tutoring. Making necessary doctor appointments to ascertain whether our children have vision, hearing, or other sensory issues are a must. Finally, before entering school all children must be current on their vaccinations.

As parents, we must instill in our children the ability to act independently, exhibiting a strong sense of social responsibility. Independence can be nurtured through simple tasks such as having children dress themselves, clean their room, and take on age appropriate chores. Social responsibility should be learned by observing parents. Social skills such as etiquette, sharing, and playing well with others have to be taught. Similarly, socially acceptable communication skills can be imparted through parental role modeling. For example, regularly ask your children questions and engage them in conversations about their day. “Why” questions are best because they encourage higher order thinking and reasoning plus they elicit more detailed responses. Additionally, make sure your children’s responses are polite and that they make eye contact. Finally, be sure to recognize children when they exhibit the desired behaviors.

On another note, while kindergarten has traditionally been the beginning of school, learning should begin from the crib on. As our children’s first teacher and advocate, we need to read to them, play games, explore, build things, create art, and spend time pursuing intellectual endeavors. Other essentials such as showing respect for others and their possessions, knowledge of proper restroom use, maintaining regular routines, healthy eating habits, and good hygiene help prepare our children for school. As parents, we need to prepare our children for these realities so that their transition to the school routine will be easy.

As their number one advocate, we must use everyday experiences as teachable moments to enhance learning that piggybacks on what is being taught in the classroom. For example, we can model reading for our children, talk to them about our favorite books, take trips to museums, utilize the public library, label their environment, start writing journals, begin a reading log, play games together, teach sight words, and demonstrate that reading is fun. If your child is having difficulty in a subject, be patient – children learn at varying rates. If they are still encountering problems, seek out a knowledgeable tutor. In short, utilize all available resources and means to help your children.

Parents are their children’s first and best advocates. As parents, we must be ready to do whatever is necessary to ensure our children’s social and academic success. If you encounter difficulties, ask your child’s teacher for advice. If you find this exchange incomplete, many other resources are available such as guidance counselors, school psychologists, literacy centers, tutorial programs, and similar specifically targeted programs. The key is to empower your children by providing them everything they need to grow into happy, well educated adults prepared to take on the world. This is our responsibility as our children’s #1 Advocate!

Dr. D. Jackson Maxwell is a National Board Certified Teacher with over 25 years of educational experience. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Dr. Maxwell at maxwellj01@k12tn.net.