Develop Your Child's Many Ways of Being Smart

I recently participated in a professional development opportunity and was presented with a number of resources.  The article I site below was among these resources.  To be completely honest, I first read this article with the perspective of being a father.  Like many of you, I have two children and sometimes it is hard to believe they come from the same gene pool. How do we (my wife and I) guide our kids to be the best people they can be?  It is a question we ask ourselves frequently.  Parents have the most and best knowledge of their kids (our students).  This knowledge paired with some educational research can be powerful.

The concept of Multiple Intelligences is not a new one, but one that has stood the test of time.  Every kid is smart.  They are often smart in different ways.  Some kids do better when they hear information, some need to see the information and some need to be moving and experience new concepts.  Many kids show strengths with interpersonal skills and others are introspective and deep thinkers.  Any of these sound familiar to you?

At school we try to include activities in our units of study that tap into all or most of these strengths.  This way all kids can use their strengths to show what they know.  It is also beneficial to have students participate in activities that are not in their area of strength.  This will further develops their skill sets.

In the article, activities are mentioned that connect with each type of intelligence so you, the parent, can recognize and foster the development of these attributes.  Recognize the intelligences in your child.  Feel free to call your child's teacher and let them know what you've discovered (or perhaps what you've known all along)! 

P.S.  Please excuse the typo in the title of the article if you download it!   

http://www.kaganonline.com/free_articles/dr_spencer_kagan/raise_smarter_children_1.php

The OHMS Advisory System

What is advisory and why do our students have this as part of their schedule?

Advisory is part of every student's schedule.  It starts at 7:40 AM and ends at 7:55 AM.  During this time a number of things occur.  Lunch count, attendance and the Pledge of Allegiance and morning check-ins are done every day.  Students are dismissed daily at 2:05 PM from their last academic class.  At this time, students go to advisory for a "check out" of sorts.  Often, advisors will check with their students about how their day went and look at their agendas. Grade checks are also a routine event.

When OHMS has a whole school assembly, field trip or other non-traditional educational opportunity, we often organize the event using advisory groups.  Students sit or participate in their groups.  Advisors work to form a rapport with their students with the end result being every OHMS student has a trusted adult to go to for support.  This is a foundational philosophy for OHMS.  Parents should ask their child about their advisor.  Parents should feel comfortable to reach out to the advisor for assistance or support.

This year we are working on a thematic approach to each grade level's advisory program.  Data is being collected through student surveys to measure the effectiveness of each grade level's programming.  6th grade advisors have their groups for one year.  7th grade advisors stay with their groups through the end of 8th grade.  

You will find on the links bar a synthesis of research that supports advisory systems in middle schools.  It is from the National Middle School Association (NMSA).  You will also find a link to the NMSA website on the front page of this blog.  As always, we appreciate an input or feedback you have about your (or your child's) experiences with the OHMS advisory program.     

1-17-11 We Believe

"This We Believe" is the name of a belief statement created and published by the National Middle School Association (the link to this organization is on the right side of the blog).  This belief statement comes as a result of many years of research on best practice in middle schools.  Prior to school beginning, the OHMS staff examined some of this work.  We sought to put into writing what we as a staff believed about educating middle school students.  Through discussion and collaboration, the staff arrived at a set of statements that summarized our beliefs, called "We believe:"

"We believe:

-in making collaborative decisions that are based on a shared vision in order to achieve the goals of our learning community.

-in high expectations for every learner and in providing meaningful, active, engaging and rigorous educational experiences that meet the diverse needs of students.

-in making informed decisions about student learning based on all relevant data pertaining to the WHOLE student.

-in providing all students with an adult advocate in a safe, respectful, supportive and caring environment.

-in providing students with a staff who value and appreciate the unique characteristics of middle school students.

in the importance of involving our parents and community as a vital voice in the education of our students."

We seek to make decisions at OHMS that are in line with these beliefs.  The OHMS staff will be completing an assessment of our current structure and how it relates to these beliefs.  You will find them posted in each classroom as well as various other places in the school.  If you have questions or comments about these beliefs or the research that supports them, please feel free to contact me.

1/7/11- First blog

So, this is my first blog.  You may be asking: Why blog?  Why now?  I have had a number of conversations about the best ways to get information to parents and to the public.  A clear answer is to use the technology available and to use the most common methods.  A blog seemed to make sense.  I will be seeking to share current events at OHMS along with information and literature around middle school education.

As an example, this is a good time to remind parents that the second quarter will be coming to an end on January 21st.  It is always a good idea to check in with your child's teachers and to check his/her grades on Infinite Campus.

Thanks for reading my first blog and any constructive feedback would be most welcome!