Time seems to quicken as I age. Wasn’t it just yesterday our students were getting out for summer? End of Grade testing. Saying their goodbyes. Family vacations. But where did summer go? Can they really be headed back to school already?

Academic coaches don’t know what athletic coaches don’t know they know — one of the most powerful recognition breakthroughs in our nation that was born on January 29, 1904! Historically it was about one year after the visionary Wright Brothers’ flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C. The impact of these two events has provided us with essential principles that revolutionized the world as we know it. At the end of the football season on that late January day, University of Chicago coach, Amos Alonzo Stagg, presented blankets to his players who had earned them, custom blankets with a Big “C” for Chicago ... the beginning of The Athletic Letter Man’s Club was underway. Coach Stagg was an American football coach who had the longest coaching career — 71 years — in the history of the sport. In 1943, at the age of 81, he was named college coach of the year, and he remained active in coaching until the age of 98. WOW!

Our Mission: To promote the principles of child development for all decision-making about young children.

Introduction

The study of early childhood education has produced some extraordinary findings as of late. Many tenets of early childhood that we previously just knew or had a gut-level feeling for, now have research to confirm these beliefs; e.g., reading aloud to young children is good for them. For example, I have fond memories of my mother reading to me. 

In a world of tests, curricula and standards, for even the youngest children, it is easy to forget the most basic learning task of childhood — play. Play is often seen by school administrators as a waste of time and is quickly being replaced with lessons, instructions and tests to ensure American children remain competitive in a fast-paced world. As educators, parents and policymakers debate and work to “fix” our broken education system, we should not lose sight of the benefits of structured and unstructured play and the amazing impact it has on a young child’s developing brain.

School administrators concerned about the educational achievement of all children should lead and advocate for high-quality preschool programs, supporting them in their communities and operating them in their schools if the need and opportunity arise.

School buildings are some of the most important buildings in society. They are centers of the community, as they bring families, neighbors and friends together. Every year, tens of thousands of students spend thousands of hours in these facilities that will help define their future. Yet, with systems, materials and components that are failing, or have already failed, a vast majority of the schools in our country are in a state of disrepair. These important building blocks of our society are failing; and this failure is having a direct impact on student success.

Every year, public school systems in the United States struggle to make available funding work. In the last decade, this funding has dwindled to the point that hard choices have had to be made at every level. One of the items that has been cut back severely is priority maintenance. Funding necessary to adequately care for aging facilities has never been enough, and deferring maintenance and upkeep of schools is a losing battle; the more items are delayed, the more it costs to repair and/or replace.

What should schools and districts know before building a facility?

As design professionals, how can we frame this question with a different lens and ask it in another way? What thoughts, concerns, ideals and aspirations do school districts have for their students that planners and designers should know prior to starting the process? You may not know the answer. You may not know how design can help realize your goals.

To achieve successful building design, there needs to be open dialogue throughout the process, with the active engagement, collaboration and participation of multiple constituents. Today, it is important to recognize that the planning and design process can be as unique as the students in class. We know not all students process information and learn the same way. The process for adapting or building a new facility should be viewed with the same perspective.

Outdoor learning environments and recreation areas in schools are essential for students. Now more than ever, schools need to provide children with a strong foundation of maintaining healthy physical fitness habits throughout their life span as well as discovering the world around them outdoors. No two children are exactly alike, thus the way in which each child learns best varies as well. Having both indoor and outdoor learning opportunities is the key to providing all children the ability to achieve success.

The “Encarta” dictionary defines communication in part as: an exchange of information, a message, rapport. As I look at the definition, it sounds very much like a two-way engagement, a conversation, a two-way street.

We educators often take a one-way street approach to communication with parents. We know what we want to say. We’re familiar with the language we’re using. We can clearly express the thoughts we have, and we do so either verbally or in writing. However, we may be surprised when what we’re so clearly communicating is misunderstood or not heard at all. It’s easy to get frustrated with those on the other side of the communication, the parents. Why don’t they “get it?” What you said was very clear.

Teachers can best support English language learners by presenting them with challenging mathematics, encouraging the use of graphic models and representations, and addressing mathematical language. The implementation of these strategies will create a supportive environment, giving English language learners the tools needed to be successful in the mathematics classroom.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, children ages five to 17 who speak a language other than English at home rose from 10 to 21 percent of the population from 1980 to 2009 (NCES). As the number of English language learners rises in the United States, there is increasing concern about how to best address their needs in mathematics classrooms. 

We have heard many explanations of how the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS) will affect America’s schools, from the need to radically modify curriculum around scope and sequence imperatives, to changes in instructional methods and assessment of student learning. For school administrators and classroom teachers, every new piece of information makes them realize how daunting CCSS implementation will actually be!

Help! The Common Core ate my kid! Have you read the Writing and Language Common Core Standards? Do you think they are on track? Their mission is clear “The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers...”

Common Core. Teacher evaluation. Career pathways. Here they come. Is everybody in your district on board?

If you’re being honest, the answer is probably no. While everyone is aware of these incredibly important reform issues, administrators are asking, “How do we get teachers, families and communities to understand, accept and buy into the changes?”

A recent survey from STEMconnector® and My College Options® showed one out of four high school freshmen indicated an interest in science, technology, engineering and math,(STEM). The study also showed 57 percent of these freshmen lost interest in STEM careers before their senior year. In addition, 60 percent of college students in STEM majors are graduating in non-STEM careers.

For the first 12 years of this century, American schools were so short of funding, some were asking parents to send toilet paper to school because the schools were unable to supply this staple.

All of a sudden, some school districts have enough money to make technology purchases in the millions of dollars at a time. It is encouraging to see schools re-gaining economic support and moving on with much-needed technology upgrades.

However, many educators, parents and other members of the public are alarmed by the order of spending, the directions of that spending, and the radical thoughts behind it.

This article is a call for a more thoughtful approach to technology acquisition and deployment in schools. It argues for keeping technology in perspective and doing the right thing for the right reasons.

Our world is full of threats. The buildings and systems we interact with

everyday are designed to limit our exposure to the risk of fire, bodily harm and other such threats. We tend to take for granted many of the safety features afforded us by these systems, but nevertheless they influence our daily lives.

American Psychologist magazine recently addressed the issue of violence in schools in “Understanding and Preventing Violence against Teachers,” published online in January and in its February–March print edition.

Not a day goes by that we are not introduced to a new product or service that enhances our ability to communicate, work, play or learn via the Internet. The speed of technical innovation is often breathtaking leaving educators racing to catch up to the “early adopters.” Unfortunately, as these technologies enter into the mainstream of our society, finding their way into our schools, they may also introduce a “dark side” that disrupts the ability to keep our students and teachers safe. Witness the growing backlash to the recent launch of Google Glass, an innovative, wearable computer product that allows users to connect to the Internet, record video and post pictures. While a technical marvel, dozens of articles have been posted in just the past week arguing the right to privacy — fear of potential abuse and electronic harassment — versus First Amendment rights. How will our policies address this product as it enters our schools? What new liabilities will we face?

Many of us associate the fall months with carving pumpkins, picking more apples than we could possibly ever eat, and coming to terms with the fact that yes, it is once again time to retire our flip flops for another season. Just as the winter boots make their entrance, so does the stress and anxiety that families and schools often sense as college application deadlines surface on the horizon. While I don’t feel that the college application process will ever be completely stress-free, there are steps that schools and families can take to make the experience easier for everyone involved.

Honesty is Always Best

Students are most likely to succeed in college when they are well prepared to manage the academic demands they will face. While most high schools offer numerous rigorous course options, encouraging students to challenge themselves is just the first step. As students are progressing through school, particularly middle and high school, we should be mindful of their academic performance, including their patterns of success and areas where improvement is needed.

Go to school, get a job. That age old mantra of parents everywhere has taken on a ring of desperation in recent years, with horror stories of college grads finding employment prospects only at their local Starbucks and long-time workers being hit with temporary layoffs that stretch into years.

So where are the jobs? One place is agriculture. Far from its roots of farming, agriculture has exploded over past decades to include more than 16 million jobs — about one in every 12 here in America, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. And the opportunities aren’t going to diminish any time soon. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Employment Opportunities for College Graduates publication estimates that there will be more than 54,000 job openings annually between now and 2015 for those with baccalaureate and advanced degrees in agriculture.

Each year there is a growing awareness of, and emphasis on, the inclusion of students with disabilities into the general education population. While the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) does not specifically define the term, “inclusion,” IDEA does require school districts to place students in the least restrictive environment (LRE) and to educate students with disabilities in the regular classroom with appropriate aids and supports.

The role of the building principal is a challenging responsibility that incorporates characteristics, behaviors and actions that are difficult to isolate and define. In addition to being the instructional leader, principals develop policies and procedures, manage staff, support students and develop strong relationships with parents and the community. Within the context of school improvement and accountability, the role of the principal has expanded and evolved in response to the demands of mandatory assessments, teacher evaluations, concerned parents and struggling students. Researchers and policy makers continue to investigate the characteristics and key activities that define effective principals. Recent landmark research commissioned by the Wallace foundation identifies five practices that effective principals engage in. Great principals:

The goal of the school-wide physical activity program is to develop the skills and knowledge individuals need to lead a physically active lifestyle. Accomplishing this goal requires the commitment of the entire school, just like any other curriculum area. There are two aspects to a comprehensive school-wide physical activity program. One is the physical education program. The other is the school physical activity program. The following briefly outlines the two programs.

Childhood Obesity is an American epidemic. In America’s South, a region often plagued with fast food and processed meals, the children are feeling the effects of unhealthy eating as one in three are overweight, while 15 percent are obese (Center for Disease Control [CDC], 2010). One of the issues concerning the epidemic is that both children and parents don’t recognize poor eating habits. Making a change requires available information and resources. To allow the South to improve its eating habits and to fight obesity directly, the change in available foods and healthy eating has to start at home, in supermarkets and schools.

With the explosion of technology in our schools virtual field trips are capable of “plugging the gap” in experiential learning. Technology in creating/viewing virtual field trips has evolved as well — more capabilities, using less tech resources and available on more devices. If the students can’t come to the museum/mountain, virtual field trips can be used to bring the museum/mountain to the classroom.

Leave the 21st century and walk through the palisade walls and gates of the Henricus fort of 400 years ago; follow the path to the Corps du Garde where you will be challenged by a soldier tending a cook fire and prepping his musket for the day’s drills. The blacksmith is starting the fire in his forge; the goats, pig, chickens and cats are being fed at the planter’s house; tobacco is being sowed in the field. The new “stately church” to be built of brick has begun; Powhatan Indians come from their nearby village and fields to trade corn and hides to the English for metal tools and copper.

The New River Gorge and the surrounding areas offer some of the best outdoor recreation and adventure activities found anywhere in the United States. One of the most unique of these activities is Bridge Walk, a guided stroll within the structure of the New River Gorge Bridge. This tour of one of the world’s largest and well known man-made objects not only arouses the senses with breathtaking views and the exhilaration of being over 800 feet above the river, but it includes an educational component that separates it from so many of the other activities in the area.

Visit Horry County, South Carolina for beach vacations, camp grounds, golf trips, fine dining, outlets stores, theme parks and the most modern tourism amenities available on the east coast. If these are the things that come to mind when you think of Horry County then you have got it right. But, when you think of Horry County do you also think of Waccamaw Indians, turpentine and naval stores, Gullah Gee Chee culture, Revolutionary war heroes, historic small towns, thriving agriculture traditions, rivers and swamps, and local arts and culture? If you don’t, then you still have a lot to learn about Horry County, South Carolina.

Berkeley County is the ideal place for educational groups seeking adventure and history in non-traditional forms.

If history is your thing, the Old Santee Canal Park should definitely be on the must-see list! Learn about the first true canal in America located on 195 acres, see the first semi-submersible torpedo boat, CSS Little David, that was built right here on the plantation.

Enjoy enriched educational experiences at the Old Santee Canal Park. The park, which sits on the historic Stony Landing Plantation, was an important site for trade and transportation since colonial times. You will find a 19th century plantation house, four miles of boardwalk that brings you face-to-face with nature, brilliant at any time of the year. The canal bed can actually be seen at Biggins Swamp. Our impressive 11,000 square foot Interpretive Center tells the story of the engineering feat of digging a canal from the state’s midlands to the Cooper River. The Interpretive Center houses cultural and natural history exhibits, an interactive computer, live snake exhibits and more. Two theaters feature nature and history films.

STEM has become a common acronym for the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Loggerhead Marinelife Center, a non-profit organization nestled along Florida’s east coast in Juno Beach, Florida, embraces the science sector of STEM. The center offers various weekly educational programs, along with free admission to over 215,000 visitors annually, with many of them being school-aged children. The center’s mission is to promote conservation of Florida’s coastal ecosystems with a special focus on threatened and endangered sea turtles. The campus sits adjacent to one of the most densely nested beaches in the world for loggerhead sea turtles, with three species of sea turtles returning to Juno Beach to lay their eggs every year.

St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum’s (SAL&M) K-12 programs and tours focus on a broad range of maritime topics as they relate to Florida, the country, and the world! Using program content that meets Common Core and other state and national curriculum standards, all of our programs incorporate Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM)-based activities and lessons in all educational programming.