a place for student choice, teacher guidance, parental involvement,
and community interactions
| Progressive
vs. Montessori Elementary Schools |
| Montessori |
Progressive
|
| Differences |
| Follows a strict tradition according
to the design of one person: Maria Montessori |
Unites teachers, children, parents, administrators
and the community and encourages diverse ideas about how the
school should operate. |
| Requires particular teacher certification
credentials. |
Selects teachers based on experience in progressive
education, knowledge, compassion, and ability to facilitate
children's growth, not adherence to one particular teaching
method. |
| Believes that development proceeds
in a strict order (e.g., that circles should be learned before
squares) |
Less focus on a timeline or appropriate ages
for learning; more focus on each child's current challenges. |
| Greater focus on each child developing
as an individual, less focus on the group. |
Focus on each child developing within a group
which is in turn useful in society, while emphasizing that without
the individual contributions of each person, there is no group
or society. |
| Curriculum broken down into small parts with
each requiring specific materials and affording a particular
action. |
More emphasis on deep, holistic
understanding, and learning in real, hands-on, contexts. |
| Children are allowed to choose own activities
for many hours each day. |
Respects children's interests, abilities, creativity
and individuality within a teacher-directed framework. |
| Teacher introduces a specific
use for each structured piece of apparatus. |
Children gather and create materials along
with the teacher to achieve the learning purpose. |
|
Similarities
|
| Both approaches have a long tradition,
parts of which have recently been validated through scientific
research, and are beginning to be incorporated into public schools. |
| Both believe that mixed-age classrooms
better accommodate students developing as individuals and social
beings. |
| Both believe that children are
naturally curious learners who learn best by interacting with
their environment. |
| Both focus on overarching
themes, so that learning fits into a context. |
| An important goal in
both is for students to learn how to learn and to enjoy the
process. |
Some Differences Between
Traditional and Progressive Education
A visual summary of the article
"Progressive Education Makes a Difference: A Comparison
of Two Educational Approaches"
by Sheri Werner, Director, Foundations School
Community
|
|
Activities/Interaction
Observed in one
Traditional Classroom
|
How This Would Be Different
in a Progressive Educational Setting
|
Additional Comments
|
| A kindergarten
class is studying early cultures in a distant place: Native
Americans and Pilgrims in Plymouth, Mass. |
A progressive
kindergarten curriculum would reflect the developmental level
of 5-6-year olds, with hands-on experiences that children can
relate to themselves and connect to their own lives. |
A true "developmental
curriculum" provides units of study with which children
already have some familiarity, so that they may grasp, connect
to, incorporate and expand their information to help themselves
learn. Field trips are a primary source of these experiences. |
| The teacher tells
the children the information he or she thinks they should know.
Children sit quietly and listen. |
Children are expected
to think, to act, to interact, to ask questions. The teacher's
role is to provide experiences, materials and opportunities
for children to explore and expand their knowledge, and to support
children to be proactive as they move through their individual
learning process. |
The hallmark of
Progressive Education is a hands-on approach to academic skill
development. Our children do a lot of concrete activities to
represent - and integrate - their understanding of their object(s)
of study. They are expected to ask questions, then to answer
those questions for themselves by thinking, measuring, reading,
writing, etc. |
| For the activity,
the teacher gives the children a ditto sheet with pre-drawn
objects. "Correct" colors are specified for the children,
who are told to stay within the lines. |
Progressive Education
attempts to pull from the child his/her own ideas, thoughts
and personal expression in creative work. Children have the
experience of being respected as capable, contributing human
beings. |
We learn about
our students by creating a safe environment and asking them
to freely show us what they know. The choices that children
make in their drawing, color scheme, layout, etc. help us learn
much about them. |
| In a traditional
school, children are usually measured on what they have learned
by being asked to regurgitate the information previously told
to them. What's valued is their ability to retain facts and
repeat them back. |
Through observation
and dynamic interaction with the children, teachers monitor
what they are learning. Children learn to take risks and to
not fear a "wrong answer." What's valued is children's
critical thinking, individuality, collaboration skills and pro-activity. |
Experienced-based
learning isn't enough. Our children must do something with the
information they acquire. A culmination to end a unit of study
might include a play written and performed by the students;
songs, art, stories, books or dioramas based on the unit of
study; etc. The culmination helps them solidify and internalize
the information. |
|
The goals of Traditional and Progressive
Education are similar: we all want to produce children who
are educated, pro-active and self-confident. We believe that
the job of all educators is to constantly examine whether
the methods they use in the classroom will actually produce
the results that they seek.
*Based on one visit to a Los Angeles public
school kindergarten. We acknowledge that all teachers and
all classrooms are different regardless of the educational
philosophy.
|
HOW do Golden Independent School students learn?
Children work
individually and in groups, guided by exemplary teachers, interfacing
with parents and community members, local businesses, and other non-profit
organizations.
Project-based, social-studies core curriculum:
- Realistic learning about life in society, at home and around the world
- Units are organized around central themes that integrate all subject areas
- Reading, writing, speaking, and communicating with technology are
primary skills that children use throughout all project themes
Example of an Integrated Project: "Jobs People Have"
Students might:
- study graphs showing earnings data
- debate whether society spends too much money on sports vs. science
- visit a job-counseling or placement firm
- shadow a worker in a local community business for a day
- interview different people with the same job title, compare and contrast
- produce a play that takes place in the Great Depression
- write about what jobs there will be in the future due to innovation
- communicate with a partner school in Africa about differences in jobs
- investigate and calculate: How much money do people earn in various jobs? How much do different products and services cost? What portion of people have jobs?
Regardless of the project, there will always be a culminating activity
in which the working groups and individuals share information, reflect,
and present their findings to the Group and/or the whole school, parents,
or larger community. The sense that each child is a valuable contributor
to a larger accomplishment is always present through the interplay
between the group and the individual.
Math, Science and Technology:
Math is the study of patterns, logic and numeracy. Dealing with
data, numeric estimation, calculation, and concept-building is part
of every project.
Science is ultimately the study of energy -- the
concept which is common to all the sciences and ties physics to
geology, astronomy to biology. As these children are of the
generation which will have to face severely declining amounts of
fossil fuels, their thorough understanding of energy is essential for
our collective future.
Technology is the set of tools people use-- essential for all education,
and always changing. Our students will have state-of-the-art equipment
and teacher development will be continuous to ensure the best integration
of technology to subject matter.
Age vs. Ability grouping:
In each classroom's ongoing Group Jobs within the school community, students
spend two years studying the very broad theme (e.g. Commerce) and move
from being a "worker" in the first year to a "manager" in the second.
This benefits students who, by virtue of their birthday, would always
be the youngest (or oldest) in a traditional classroom.
All instruction will be differentiated; we will not attempt to teach
the same thing to the whole class at the same time in the same way.
Rather, each child's challenges and readiness will guide instruction.
Ability-based groups, mixed groups, individual and whole-group
learning will be used. The diversity encouraged by our scholarship
program will enable children to learn to appreciate and how to work
with people different from themselves.
Assessment:
Children will be responsible for meeting deadlines, accomplishing their
own challenges, and demonstrating their understanding of subject matter
and skills. Each child will have an individual education plan. The
focus will be on individual improvement, not grades, or other competitive
comparisons. Parent-teacher and parent-teacher-child conferences will
be held on a regular basis, and students will maintain portfolios
of their work.
Students in private schools are not required to take the CSAP tests. We
will focus on each child's progress throughout each year, not the
school's average score during a particular week in February.
WHICH Group will my child
be in?
Because we are growing, our structure will remain flexible. Each Fall, we group children
with other students according to their social and emotional, not just academic, needs.
For 2006-07, we will have a group of 4 1/2 - 7 year-olds (the Blue Group) and a group of 8-12 year-olds
(the Yellow Group), with up to 16 students and two teachers in each group.
As we grow toward our goal of 80 students, more classrooms, teachers, and space in the building will
be added. We plan to increase enrollment until we have 4 groups (pre-K-K, 1st-2nd, 3rd-4th, and 5th-6th)
and children will stay in each group for two years.
We utilize the services of lead and one associate classroom teacher in each group, plus adjunct music,
ceramics, physical education, and foreign language teachers.
All groupings will be flexible to
accommodate learning differences, giftedness, and special needs.
Benefits to mixed-age grouping include:
- a child born late in the school year will not always be the
youngest in the group
- teachers get to know students' needs much better over two years
- learners in the group for the second year serve as models for those entering
- the setting is more family-like, as in the child's first learning community (home!)
- the diversity within each small group emphasizes our focus on children's individual
gifts, growth, interests and talents, and how they contribute to the community
- children are not limited by age- or grade-level expectations, so there is no need to
"hold back" a child to give him or her an advantage in school, nor is there a need to
"skip" a gifted student so he or she will not be bored
WHERE is Golden Independent
School?
CONVENIENTLY LOCATED IN GOLDEN:
1280 Golden Circle
Golden, CO 80401
Quiet and secure in the Golden Ridge condominium complex. Enter from
Heritage Road, near the Jefferson County buildings. Click here for MapQuest directions to our school.
Our location is convenient to
Highways 6 & 40, I-70, and C-470.
In addition to spacious classrooms, the facility offers open work areas;
a stage area for performances, whole-school gatherings, and community events;
a full kitchen; office space; and a large, fenced outdoor play yard.
All areas are wheelchair accessible.
As tenants of the condominium association, we also have access
to the pond, volleyball, basketball and tennis courts, and
other shared areas.
WHO benefits from Golden Independent
School?
DIVERSE STUDENTS
with varied backgrounds and ability levels are guided toward
academic success, social development, and personal integrity.
CHILDREN are inspired not just to learn basic skills, but to deepen
their understanding and to apply those skills in real-life situations.
YOUNG PEOPLE grow, share ideas, and learn to work with others both
like and unlike themselves.
ACADEMICALLY GIFTED students can pursue their interests, learn at
their own level, and contribute to the Group without being isolated
or singled-out.
LEARNING-DISABLED students receive services from special education
teachers while being supported and valued for what they contribute to
the community.
ALL MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY are individually challenged to
think critically, solve problems, and resolve conflict.
FAMILIES are involved with their children's education in day-to-day
learning, special events, and community interactions.
LOWER-INCOME PARENTS are supported through our financial
aid program.
NON-TRADITIONAL LEARNERS find that the flexibility of our integrated
curriculum nurtures them in ways that whole-class, age-equals-grade
instruction does not accommodate.
SOCIETY that will ultimately be led by the children of today benefits
from students who participate in a peaceful, respectful, and democratic
learning community.
GOLDEN gains from our community service efforts, adult workshops
and classes, and community-group interactions as we study local people
and places.
WHO founded Golden Independent School?
The Founders
were Golden parents, teachers, education professionals, and community
members committed to creating an additional elementary school choice
in the west Denver metro area.
Planning began
on January 1, 2002. We registered as a non-profit corporation in the
State of Colorado on March 6, 2002. We were approved as a 501(c)(3)
in December 2002.
Director and Music Teacher
Dr. Erika Sueker is a research scientist who has studied how people
think and learn since 1982, and a lifelong musician. She received
her Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from the University of California,
Santa Barbara (1993). She then developed science curricula at the
Learning Research and Development Center, and technology-integrated
mathematics curricula at Carnegie Mellon University. Dr.
Sueker has worked helping school districts implement technology-enhanced,
hands-on mathematics curricula and evaluate their professional
development programs. Her professional goals include
informing practice through research, and improving society through
increased educational opportunities for all. As a child, Erika attended The Westland School, a progressive school in Los Angeles which serves as
one model for Golden Independent School. Erika leads the music program at Golden
Independent School and her two children are thriving as students.
Yellow Group Teacher Rob
Erwin has 14 years of teaching experience after leaving a career in
Civil Engineering. He has taught all elementary grades in public,
private, charter and choice facilities. He is happy to be a part of
Golden Independent School as he is an advocate of progressive
education.
Blue Group Teacher Ms Lea
Brach comes to us from the Logan School for gifted and creative
children where she co-taught the K-2nd graders for two years.
She received her bachelor's degree and teaching certificate through
the prestigious alternative teacher education program based at the
Stanley British Primary school and the University of Colorado at Denver.
Lea is particularly skilled in working with this wide range of
younger children, guiding their initial entry into a community of
learners, helping them become readers and writers, and challenging
their unique gifts.
Red Group Teacher Averill Hovey is
extremely excited to be the lead teacher in the Red Group this year.
She hails from Manchester-by the sea, Massachusetts, which is about
40 minutes north of Boston. In 2001 Averill graduated from the
University of Denver with B.A. in Communications hoping one day to
be a well-established filmmaker. Her sights changed however when she
began working with children at the Vail/Beaver Creek Ski School in
2001. Since, Averill has obtained her teaching certification through
the Stanley British Primary School Teacher Preparation Program and
recently graduated with her Masters Degree in Educational Psychology
from the University of Colorado. Averill is in her third year of
teaching and has built her resume teaching grades K-6 in programs
including the Stanley British Primary School, Steele Elementary, and
the Logan School for Creative Learning. She still teaches skiing
part time for Vail Resorts and for the past four years has been the
Head Coach for the state semi finalist East High School Girl's
Lacrosse Program. She also does residential landscape maintenance
during the summer months. She has two children: a dog named Miles
and a cat named Ity-Bity. She enjoys reading and writing, cooking,
exploring sustainable opportunities, playing outside, being active,
climbing, telemarking, yoga, running with her dog, working in her
yard, painting and most of all learning. Her favorite color is
green, and her favorite food is grapefruit.
Donation and Volunteer Opportunities
Your tax-deductible
donation to Golden Independent School, a 501(c)(3) non-profit community educational
organization, can be designated for one or more
specific purposes:
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT FUND-- to enhance our facility in Golden;
obtain additional educational equipment for use by the school and the community; establish our school as a resource for
many educational opportunities, with a curriculum and faculty that meet high standards; form
partnerships with other community organizations, and with them, complete
community service projects that apply education for the benefit of all.
FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE FUND-- matching funds to assist with tuition for deserving
students who would not otherwise be able to attend Golden Independent School.
You may specify whether standard Federal or other criteria are used for
distribution. ($3300 aids one student for one year; $24,000 aids a student
for her/his entire education at Golden Independent
School).
ITEM DONATIONS: Gifts of things are always appreciated. We've created a list of items needed here.
IN-KIND DONATIONS to our CAPITAL CAMPAIGN 2007: We've created our Alphabet of Aspirations representing items, goals, and programs we
plan to achieve here.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: If you wish to give the gift of time, we
need help with lots of small jobs, which are listed
here.
Board of Trustees
The purpose of the Board of Trustees is to advise the
school on policies and practices regarding
development (e.g., funding, site, legal, marketing, enrollment),
school life
(e.g., curriculum, activities, assessment, technology, community outreach),
and personnel (e.g., hiring, contracts, benefits, insurance, volunteer coordination).
The Board consists of approximately 1/2 parents, and 1/2 community members with staggered terms
to ensure continuity. At the annual meetings of the entire
membership, general elections will be held for expiring Board seats
and new community members appointed.
Meetings are on the
2nd Thursday of each month from 6:30-8:00 pm, and are open to the public. A
50% quorum must be present for valid votes. Please call the
school if you would like to serve on the Board of Trustees.
Current Board Members
| Dr. Erika Sueker |
Founding Director (President) |
| Mr. David Morrow |
Parent |
| Ms. Deb Sloan |
Parent |
| Ms Sina Hirsch |
Parent (Financial Officer) |
| Mr. Andrew Mullis |
Parent |
|
Ms Jennifer Hoogendoorn |
Community Member (Secretary) |
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my child
is ready for school?
Our students are selected through an individual application
and interview process. They must be ready to learn and participate
in a group setting. As a guideline, we use Jefferson County's
October 1st birthday cutoff, so that our
students will be on pace with other children in this area once they
move on to middle schools. However, in unusual cases if a child is advanced in
one or more areas of academic development and socially ready to
learn and participate in a group setting, we will consider early
entry. There are no testing requirements for gifted students.
Why should I choose
an independent school instead of public elementary?
By paying tuition, you are buying not
only the benefits of this unique learning environment for your child,
but membership in a community where parents are welcomed and valued
at all times. You are a voting member of the school's corporation
and we recognize you as the most important component of your child's
development. There is tight communication between the school's administrators,
teachers, and parents, such that our program is coordinated school-wide,
success is shared, and problems are addressed immediately. Families
apply individually for entrance to our school, not via lottery.
School decisions are guided by research, parent input, and what is
best for our students. Our teachers, curriculum, and activities
are free of traditional educational politics.
How is Golden Independent School
different from the Montessori method?
We select teachers who are experienced in differentiated
instruction, but we do not require teachers to be trained at a
specific type of institute. We imbed basic skills within an
integrated curriculum, but do not require highly specialized,
pre-designed materials as Montessori does. We utilize knowledge of
children's cognitive development, but do not believe that there are
always strict sequences for learning (e.g., learning to draw circles
before squares). We put relatively less emphasis on student's
individual choice of activities (Montessori schools allow 2.5 hour
blocks of choice time), and more emphasis on students developing
skills and knowledge that they can contribute to the group whole.
In a mixed-age
classroom, will older students simply be marking time?
All students, including the more
advanced students in our two-year classrooms, are encouraged to
continually move forward at their own pace, facing new challenges,
and always deepening, clarifying, and expanding their understanding.
During their second year in the classroom, all students have the
benefit of the teachers' better understanding of their learning
needs and styles. The older students are leaders and managers of
the classroom job. They set an example for the younger students,
but are never held back until others catch up.
Does Golden
Independent School emphasize basic skills?
Basic skills (reading, arithmetic, etc.)
are obviously important for every child to master, but alone they
are not enough. They must be balanced by an understanding of how
and when to apply the skills. Research shows that people master skills
more easily when they learn them in a realistic context. Drilling
on abstract skills first, then attempting to apply them is less
effective. For instance, we don't assign grade-level-appropriate
spelling lists. Students generate individual lists of words they
need to study-- words they have misspelled in their own writing.
All our math problems are story problems.
How does Golden
Independent School handle discipline?
We teach children to think critically,
solve problems, and resolve conflict. Discipline is not imposed
by the staff, but is inspired within the children through their
internal joy of learning and solid study habits, their respect for
people and environments, and their developing ability to work with
others both like and unlike themselves. In interpersonal conflicts
the children are not simply isolated or punished individually, but
are helped to resolve their differences. If a child is disrupting
the group, we seek to understand the reasons behind the disruption.
With no letter grades,
how will I know if my child is making progress?
Non-competitive assessment means
observing each child's progress in relation to his/her own abilities,
not abstractly in relationship to the class average. Children
demonstrate understanding through portfolios of their work, contributions
to the group projects, and interactions with the teachers. We are
fully versed in the state and national education standards and
challenge each child to learn a complete repertoire of skills and
knowledge that they can build upon and apply to real situations.
Regular parent-teacher and parent-teacher-child conferences are held
to maintain communication about each child's progress in much more
detail than is possible through letter grades.
Will students take
the CSAP tests?
No. Private schools are not required to administer standardized tests.
We will follow the same standards that are assessed by the CSAP,
and we will introduce students to test-taking skills and standardized
tests as they approach graduation.
What happens after 6th grade?
Our teachers will offer counseling and advice to each sixth-grade
family on the middle-school environments that would be most appropriate
for each child. By meeting or exceeding the Colorado state standards,
we will ensure that each graduate is adequately prepared to transfer
to any public middle school. We have relationships with private
middle schools as well.
