Community – Page 3 – Barry Dequanne

Fun Run

Go fast enough to get there, but slow enough to see. ~ Jimmy Buffett.

There is something special about the early morning in Brasilia. Birds welcome the dawning light with joyous melodies, the vast and magnificent blue sky instills a spirit of optimism and possibility, and fresh air invigorates the mind and body. It was one of these typical Brasilia mornings that set the stage for our school’s annual Fun Run.

EAB’s Fun Run is one of many educational opportunities that constitute the Sábado Legal, or Cool Saturday, program. The “Learners Inspiring Learners” element of our school’s mission statement is embodied through these special events when students, parents, and teachers embrace the opportunity to learn and grow together.

This year’s Fun Run attracted approximately 450 people of all ages who were anxiously awaiting the start of races designed to meet the needs of all ages and interests. From the three-year-old student sprints to the 10-kilometer run, it was a remarkable day of community building, personal connections, learning, positive energy, and healthy activities.

The day can best be described through the pictures included in this post, with color photos to highlight the vibrancy and energy of the day and black and white photos to emphasize emotion and the special relationships in our community. It is events such as the Fun Run that underscore the role schools play in ensuring meaningful, relevant, and experiential learning opportunities that further personal growth, relationship development, and community building.

Relying on the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words, it is hoped that these photos can at least partially capture the full spirit of the day and the special nature of our community.

Versão em português depois das fotos

Fun Run

Vá rápido o suficiente para chegar lá, mas devagar o suficiente para enxergar. ~ Jimmy Buffett

Há algo de especial sobre o início da manhã em Brasília. Os pássaros dão às boas vindas à luz da aurora com melodias alegres, o vasto e magnífico céu azul infunde um espírito de otimismo e possibilidades e o ar fresco revigora o corpo e a mente. Foi uma destas típicas manhãs de Brasília que preparou o palco para a corrida anual da nossa escola, a Fun Run.

A Fun Run da EAB é uma das muitas oportunidades educacionais que constituem o programa Sábado Legal. O elemento da nossa missão “aprendizes inspirando aprendizes” está incorporado através destes eventos especiais, em que os alunos, pais e professores abraçam a oportunidade de aprenderem e crescerem juntos.

Este ano, a Fun Run atraiu cerca de 450 pessoas de todas as idades, esperando ansiosamente o início das corridas programadas para satisfazer as necessidades de todas as idades e interesses. Desde a corrida (sprints) dos alunos de três anos de idade, até nas provas de 10 km, foi possível notar a construção de uma comunidade, as relações pessoais, a aprendizagem, a energia positiva e as atividades saudáveis.

A melhor forma de descrever esse dia é através das imagens incluídas neste artigo, com fotografias coloridas para destacar a vibração e energia do dia e com fotos em preto e branco para enfatizar a emoção e as relações especiais da nossa comunidade. São eventos como aFun Run que ressaltam o papel que as escolas desempenham em garantir experiências de aprendizagem experimentais, significativas e relevantes, que futuramente levarão ao crescimento pessoal, ao desenvolvimento dos relacionamentos e na construção da comunidade. Com base no ditado, uma imagem vale por mil palavras, espero que essas fotos possam, pelo menos parcialmente, capturar o espírito completo do dia e da natureza especial da nossa comunidade.

Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) flickr photo by Fe IIya: Run; https://www.flickr.com/photos/renneville/3031455100/

All Other images by Rayssa Sereno Dequanne

Gratitude

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” William Arthur Ward.

The end of another school semester brings with it so many exciting events, including sports tournaments, musical and theatrical performances, Model United Nations (MUN), community service projects, art displays, and parent workshops, to name a few. In this seemingly frenzied mix of events is, of course, Thanksgiving. EAB celebrated this event with a traditional Thanksgiving lunch that was highlighted by the large number of parents who joined their children to share a special moment together. Families were also invited to bring desserts to support the event. Given the strong sense of community at EAB, no one should have been surprised at how many tables were filled with desserts provided by our families. Thank you, once again, for making the event such a success.

While engagement with so many enriching experiences at the end of a semester is indeed a cause for celebration, the frenetic feeling associated with this experience also poses a challenge. If we spend all of your time literally running from one event to another, when do we find the time to reflect and appreciate all that is wonderful in our lives? When do we stop to think about our relationships, our opportunities, our work, our personal growth, our unique experiences, and our lives in a meaningful context? Fortunately, the Thanksgiving long weekend represents an opportunity to not only recharge our batteries, travel, and eat delicious food, but it also a time to reflect, learn, dream, and marvel. While the extraordinary can easily become commonplace, it is hoped that we do not lose our capability to be awestruck, humbled, and grateful.

There may be no single word more important to our wellbeing, happiness, and future than gratitude. Melody Beattie highlights this sentiment when stating that, “gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

In the spirit of this Thanksgiving holiday, this post is highlighting seven videos that are intended to emphasize the importance of gratitude as a fundamental element associated with our happiness, wellbeing, and humanity.

Nature. Beauty. Gratitude.: Louie Schwartzberg

Want to be Happy? Be Grateful – David Steindl-Rast

The Epidemic of Smiles and the Science of Gratitude – Jennifer Moss

Gratitude, Gifting and Grandpa – John Styn

The Power of Saying Thank You – Laura Trice

365 Days of Thank You – Brian Doyle

365 Grateful Project – Hailey Bartholomew

Wishing everyone an enjoyable, restful, reflective, and thankful holiday weekend.

Gratidão

“Gratidão pode transformar dias comuns em dias de ação de graças, transformar trabalhos de rotina em alegria e transformar oportunidades comuns em bênçãos.” William Arthur Ward.

O final de mais um semestre letivo traz consigo muitos eventos emocionantes, que vão desde torneios esportivos, apresentações musicais e teatrais, o MUN, projetos de serviço comunitário, exposições de arte, até seminários para os pais, entre tantos outros. E, no meio dessa mistura frenética de eventos, encontramos o Thanksgiving. A EAB celebrou o evento com um almoço tradicional de Ação de Graças, que se destacou pelo grande número de pais que se juntaram a seus filhos para compartilhar um momento especial juntos. As famílias também foram convidadas a trazer sobremesas para apoiar o evento. Devido ao fortesenso de comunidade da EAB, não deveria ter sido surpresa o número de mesas com sobremesas fornecidas por nossas famílias. Obrigado, mais uma vez, por tornarem o evento um sucesso.

Embora o envolvimento com tantas experiências enriquecedoras no final de um semestre seja de fato um motivo de comemoração, o sentimento frenético associado a esta experiência também é um desafio. Se nós passamos todo o tempo, literalmente, correndo de um evento para outro, quando é que vamos encontrar tempo para refletirmos e apreciarmos tudo que é maravilhoso em nossas vidas? Quando é que vamos parar para pensar sobre nossos relacionamentos, nossas oportunidades, nosso trabalho, nosso crescimento pessoal, nossas experiências únicas e nossas vidas, em um contexto significativo? Felizmente, o fim de semana prolongado de Ação de Graças representa uma oportunidade não só para recarregar as baterias, viajar e comer comidas deliciosas, como também representa o tempo de refletir, aprender, sonhar e se maravilhar. Ao mesmo tempo em que o extraordinário pode tornar-se facilmente banal, esperamos que nós não percamos a nossa capacidade de admirar, de sermos humildes e gratos.

Acredito que não exista uma única palavra mais importante para nosso bem-estar, felicidade e futuro do que gratidão. Melody Beattie destaca este sentimento ao afirmar que, “gratidão transforma o suficiente em muito mais. Transforma a negação em aceitação, o caos em ordem, a confusão em clareza … dá sentido ao nosso passado, traz a paz para o presente e cria uma visão para o amanhã “.

No espírito deste feriado de Ação de Graças, este artigo destaca sete vídeos que se destinam a destacar a importância da gratidão como um elemento fundamental da nossa felicidade e bem-estar da humanidade.

Nature. Beauty. Gratitude.: Louie Schwartzberg

Want to be Happy? Be Grateful – David Steindl-Rast

The Epidemic of Smiles and the Science of Gratitude – Jennifer Moss

Gratitude, Gifting and Grandpa – John Styn

The Power of Saying Thank You – Laura Trice

365 Days of Thank You – Brian Doyle

365 Grateful Project – Hailey Bartholomew

Desejando a todos um agradável e repousante, reflexivo e grato fim de semana de feriado.

Um abraço,

Barry

Photo: Villarrica Volcano, Pucón, Chile, January 2015

A Better Tomorrow

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

International news reports in recent weeks and months have been filled with disturbing reports of terror attacks, refugee migration, acts of aggression, and indescribable loss and suffering. Our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected by these horrific acts and circumstances.

As we are reminded daily of the conflict, hate, and desperation that can exist in the world, we are compelled to reflect on the role international schools play, especially with a focus on the education of future generations.

There are clearly no simple answers to what seem to be infinitely complex global challenges. While it is not the explicit mission of schools to solve these problems, it is the responsibility of schools to work in partnership with families to prepare students with the necessary skills and dispositions to make a positive difference in our communities and the lives of others. Taking this belief a step further, there is a moral imperative for international schools to lead by example and provide students with opportunities to learn how to lead and solve complex problems. We know there is no quick fix to our problems and that solutions of a profound nature will require a long-term strategy guided by a strong moral compass. It is hoped that schools can contribute in meaningful ways to this strategy through relevant and profound learning opportunities.

EAB Mission Statement: Learners inspiring learners to be inquisitive in life, principled in character, and bold in vision.

The Model United Nations (MUN) program is one example of how schools support students towards realizing these ideals. Last weekend, EAB hosted the first ever Brasilia MUN conference with 150 students in attendance. In modeling similar issues faced by the United Nations, students are responsible for proposing and negotiating solutions to some of the world’s most challenging problems. The performance of the students was impressive, not only based on their knowledge of world affairs, but also based on their ability to effectively negotiate effective, creative, and innovative solutions. The following video and photo links highlight some of the extraordinary work of our students: Video, Photos, Website.

EAB Vision Statement: To positively impact the world through excellence in academics, activities, arts, leadership, and service.

EAB’s mission and vision statements provide our community with an important framework in terms of the ongoing development of our educational program. To be “inquisitive in life” emphasizes the focus on learning about the world around us, which includes developing high degrees of empathy and understanding about what is both familiar and different. To be “principled in character” challenges us to by guided by a moral direction. To be “bold in vision” is to commit to making a positive difference in our community and the lives of others.

In a letter reflecting on the Paris attacks, Kevin Ruth, the Executive Director of ECIS, underscored one of the key roles of international schools, which also corresponds to the essence of EAB’s “bold in vision” ideal:

“An absolute cornerstone of any school that calls itself an international school should be the social impact that that school can effect, beginning in its immediate surroundings, yet going beyond, to create positive impact in our world. At times like these, we must go beyond our curricula, beyond our politicking, beyond our first world complaints, and seek to create positive impact in our world as deeply and intentionally as we can.”

Through an educational program that includes experiential learning opportunities such as MUN, it is one of EAB’s fundamental goals to “seek to create positive impact in our world” based on a whole child, community-based educational approach. It is with this vision and commitment that we look to the future with optimism and a belief in a better tomorrow for all.

A escuridão não pode expulsar a escuridão; apenas a luz pode fazer isso. O ódio não pode expulsar ódio; só o amor pode fazer isso. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

As notícias internacionais nas últimas semanas e meses foram preenchidas com relatos perturbadores de ataques terroristas, a migração de refugiados, atos de agressão, perdas e sofrimentos indescritíveis. Nossos corações estão com todos aqueles que foram afetados por esses atos e circunstâncias.

Ao sermos lembrados diariamente dos conflitos, ódio e desespero que podem existir no mundo, somos obrigados a refletir sobre o papel que as escolas internacionais desempenham, especialmente sobre a educação das gerações futuras.

Evidentemente, não há respostas simples para o que parecem ser os mais complexos desafios globais. Mesmo a solução desses problemas não sendo a missão explicita das escolas, é nossa responsabilidade trabalhar em parceria com as famílias, para prepararmos os alunos com as habilidades e disposições necessárias para fazerem uma diferença positiva na nossa comunidade e na vida dos demais. Ao levarmos esse pensamento à diante, existe uma exigência moral das escolas internacionais para darem o exemplo e proporcionarem aos alunos, oportunidades para aprender a liderar e resolver problemas complexos. Sabemos que não existe uma solução rápida para os nossos problemas e que as soluções de uma natureza profunda requer uma estratégia em longo prazo, guiada por um forte compasso moral. Esperamos que as escolas possam contribuir de uma forma significativa para essa estratégia, através de oportunidades de ensino profundas e relevantes.

Missão da EAB: Aprendizes inspirando aprendizes a serem questionadores na vida, firmes em seu caráter e com uma visão audaciosa.

O programa do Model United Nations (MUN) é um exemplo de como as escolas podem apoiar os alunos para realizarem esses ideais. No último final de semana, a EAB sediou o primeiro evento do MUN em Brasília, com a participação de 150 alunos. Usando como modelo os problemas enfrentados pelas Nações Unidas, os alunos são responsáveis por propor e negociar soluções para alguns dos problemas mais desafiadores do mundo. O desempenho dos alunos foi impressionante, não apenas com base no seu conhecimento sobre os assuntos mundiais, mas também em sua capacidade de negociar soluções de forma eficaz, criativa e inovadora. O vídeo a seguir e o link das fotos destaca alguns dos trabalhos extraordinários dos nossos alunos: Video, Photos, Website.

Visão da EAB: Impactar o mundo de forma positiva, através da excelência acadêmica, atividades, artes, liderança e serviço.

A Missão e a Visão da EAB fornecem a nossa comunidade uma importante estrutura em termos de desenvolvimento contínuo do nosso programa educacional. Ser “questionador na vida” enfatiza o foco na aprendizagem sobre o mundo que nos rodeia, o que inclui o desenvolvimento de um alto grau de empatia e compreensão sobre o que é familiar e diferente. Ser “firme no caráter” desafia a nos orientar em uma direção moral. Ter “uma visão audaciosa” significa se comprometer a fazer a diferença positiva na nossa comunidade e na vida dos outros.

Em uma carta que reflete sobre os atentados de Paris, Kevin Ruth, o diretor executivo da ECIS, destacou um dos papéis principais de escolas internacionais, o que também corresponde à essência do ideal da EAB “visão audaciosa”:

“O alicerce de qualquer escola que se diz internacional deveria ser o impacto social que essa escola influencia, começando pelo seu ambiente, mas indo além, criando um impacto positivo no nosso mundo. Em tempos como esse, nós temos que ir além do nosso currículo, além da nossa politicagem, além das nossas primeiras queixas sobre o mundo e procurar criarmos um impacto positivo da forma mais profunda e internacional que pudermos.”

Através de um programa educacional que inclui oportunidades de aprendizagem como o MUN, um dos objetivos fundamentais da EAB é “buscar a criação de um impacto positivo em nosso mundo”, com base na abordagem educacional da criança/comunidade por um todo. É com essa visão e comprometimento que nós olhamos para o futuro com otimismo e crença num amanhã melhor para todos nós.

Moving Pictures

Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit. ~ Jawaharlal Nehru

The process of capturing and effectively communicating the essence of an organization’s culture can, at times, be a challenge. However, social media and video provide us with the means to share organizational and cultural highlights with a great community. To that end, the following series of videos are designed to communicate a little about what makes the American School of Brasilia (EAB) so special.

EAB Institutional Video

Sábado Legal: EAB’s Sábado Legal (“Cool” Saturday) offers families the opportunity to engage in further learning opportunities on Saturdays.

Celebrating Learning and Innovation: Highlights of the changes made to EAB’s facilities to better support innovative, creative, and collaborative learning practices.

Teacher Flashmob: A surprise teacher flashmob during an evening band performance.

Tour of EAB’s Campus: Click on the following link to take a 360 tour of the American School of Brasilia

360 Tour

“Culture is the underground stream of norms, values, beliefs, traditions, and rituals that builds up over time as people work together, solve problems, and confront challenges .This set of informal expectations and values shapes how people think, feel, and act in schools.” ~ Peterson and Deal

Bold in Vision

“Use your unique gifts and talents to make a difference in the world.” Lailah Gifty Akita.

After a yearlong review process, involving regular feedback and contributions from parents, students, and teachers through surveys, retreats, and focus group meetings, the American School of Brasilia’s new mission statement was officially introduced at the start of this school year:

Learners inspiring learners to be inquisitive in life, principled in character, and bold in vision.

As part of an ongoing analysis of EAB’s new mission statement, this week’s post looks at the fourth and final element of the mission: Bold in Vision.

Bold in Vision highlights the aspiration that our students and community members will make a positive difference in our community and the greater world around them. In one sense, Bold in Vision is the outcome that brings the other elements of the mission together towards a higher aim. While it is imperative to support and empower a community of learners to inspire each other and foster a lifelong love for learning (Inquisitive in Life), knowledge and learning can be further enhanced in the context of values systems (Principled in Character). Taking this progression a step further, it seems to be a loss if all of this learning and character development are not applied in some manner to improve, not only ourselves, but our communities and the lives of others.

To further the goal of making a positive difference, the Bold in Vision aspect of the mission also focuses on the strategic approaches to implementing effective change. These strategic changes and the ability to effectively address many of our current challenges will require creative and innovative approaches. To that end, our schools must assume the fundamental responsibility towards ensuring learning environments that support creativity, innovation, empowerment, and engaged learning.

In his book, From Master Teacher to Master Learner, Will Richardson highlights this responsibility of schools, with a particular focus on the role of teachers:

“Our job as educators is to understand deeply what it means to be a modern learner more so than a modern teacher. Our goal should not be to learn new technologies in order to become better teachers in the traditional sense. Our goal is to develop expertise in powerful new technologies to become better learners for ourselves and for our students, who may lack other learning models.”

It is hoped that EAB’s new mission statement embodies the ideals associated with Richardson’s words.

As with any focus on a Bold in Vision statement, technology will play a key role in the future of education. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published a report in 2015 entitled, Students, Computers, and Learning: Making the Connection, which frames the role that technology will play in education. Specifically, the report stresses that, “information and communication technology (ICT) has revolutionized virtually every aspect of our life and work. Students unable to navigate through a complex digital landscape will no longer be able to participate fully in the economic, social, and cultural life around them.”

The work of teachers is key to leveraging the opportunities associated with ICT. However, the report cautions that, “technology can amplify great teaching but great technology cannot replace poor teaching.” This is an important quote in that it clarifies that technology is not driving our work nor replacing poor teaching but rather providing teachers with an additional, important, and ubiquitous resource to support the learning process.

Finally, when considering our commitment to the Bold in Vision aspect of our mission statement, the OECD report emphasis the role of schools and educators on the future of learning:

“We need to get this right in order to provide educators with learning environments that support 21st century pedagogies and provide children with the 21st-century skills they need to succeed in tomorrow’s world. Technology is the only way to dramatically expand access to knowledge. Why should students be limited to a textbook that was printed two years ago, and maybe designed ten years ago, when they could have access to the world’s best and most up-to-date textbook? Equally important, technology allows teachers and students to access specialized materials well beyond textbooks, in multiple formats, with little time and space constraints.”

Returning to EAB’s new mission statement, the last element of the mission – Bold in Vision – was purposely designed to be less prescriptive and focused as compared to the other elements of the mission. The reason for this design is to frame the American School of Brasilia’s future work in the context of dynamic and changing environments. Bold in Vision is an open-ended premise that challenges us to use our collective learning and development to make a positive difference in the world through personalized, innovative, and creative approaches.

Learners inspiring learners to be inquisitive in life, principled in character, and bold in vision.

Previous Posts about Mission Statement:

Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) flickr photo by Chase Elliott Clark (Binoculars V) https://www.flickr.com/photos/chasblackman/8502151556/

Principled In Character

“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

After a yearlong review process, involving regular feedback and contributions from parents, students, and teachers through surveys, retreats, and focus group meetings, the school’s new mission statement was officially introduced at the start of this school year.

Learners inspiring learners to be inquisitive in life, principled in character, and bold in vision.

As part of an ongoing analysis of EAB’s new mission statement, this week’s post looks at the third element of the mission: “Principled in Character”.

The American School of Brasilia builds its educational program around the ideal of a whole child education that includes a focus on five pillars: academics, activities, arts, leadership, and service. Within this context, character education plays a critical role towards whole child development.

By way of example, EAB’s Character Counts! program has become a deeply integrated part of the Lower School, which also includes a monthly assembly led by students and regularly attended by over one hundred parents. The program is framed by six ethical values – Trustworthiness; Respect; Responsibility; Fairness; Caring; and Citizenship – which are used to further develop a positive school culture where students feel safe in their learning environment. The program also works to develop a culture of kindness in addition to addressing issues associated with bullying.

The Upper School recently engaged in a collective process, led by students, to establish a student honor code, which was approved and is now a essential part of the school’s culture. EAB’s student honor code reads as follows:

We, as students of the American School of Brasilia, give our pledge to live by the guiding principles of responsibility and respect in all that we say and do, understand that these values carry far beyond the classroom environment, affecting not only our peers and the activities we participate in, but who we are and who we will become, we commit to treat all people with compassion, be engaged and collaborative in all aspects of our education, and in all cases act with honor and integrity. We will uphold these values as the core of our identity, hence becoming principled individuals and contributing citizens to society.

EAB’s efforts in the area of “Principled in Character” are guided by our school’s Student Learner Profile (see below), which highlights how learners are Engaged, Collaborative, Contributing, and Principled. The Learner Profile further emphasizes the “principled” focus with the following statement: “As an EAB Learner, I am responsible for my learning, my actions, and their consequences.” This statement is then articulated with additional and more specific assertions:

I am responsible and do my best when assigned a task.
I persevere even when something is difficult.
I meet deadlines.
I come ready to learn with the materials and mindset needed for school each day.
I approach problems respectfully and ethically and work hard to solve them.
I know the difference between right and wrong and accept consequences for my actions.
I look for opportunities to learn and grow beyond what is expected of me by my teacher.

Perhaps the best way to summarize EAB’s work with respect to the “principled in character” aspect of the school’s mission statement is to refer to a comment made during a professional development session. Dr. Michael Thompson, a renowned child psychologist, was asked to define a “moral school”. He responded by quoting another author (whose name I cannot recall), who stated, “A moral school is a school that is always talking about what it means to be a moral school.” This is a profound statement in how it highlights the importance of process and focus, rather than one definition that would inevitability lead to an oversimplification of a deeply complex issue.

It would be an act of hubris for EAB to claim, as a school, that it always has all of the right answers for all situations in relation to character and education. It certainly does not and nor does any school. However, what is important is to be always engaging in a collective conversation about character, in the context of programs such as Character Counts!, and working with guiding principles, as found in the Student Honor Code and Learner Profile.

Related Blog Posts:

Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) flickr photo by Beccatevi questo! (Stròlic Furlàn – Davide Gabino) https://www.flickr.com/photos/56743832@N04/8662153499/

Learners Inspiring Learners

The first three words of the American School of Brasilia’s (EAB) new mission statement – Learners inspiring learners to be inquisitive in life, principled in character, and bold in vision – were on full display this week. In the Lower School, approximately 300 parents participated in workshops focusing on several different aspects of the learning process. Through the act of working in the classrooms with teachers, parents were modeling the learning process for students and inspiring our students to make the most of their own learning. To further highlight this ideal, students, parents, and teachers were also meeting and working together during the Welcome Back BBQ and the Middle School trips planning meetings.

Looking ahead to the coming weeks, parents and teachers are invited to attend the Family Education Workshop with Dr. Gini Rojas, the Upper School Open House , and the Environmental Stewards Sábado Legal at Brasilia’s Botanical Gardens.

Teachers have also been modeling the ideal associated with “learners inspiring learners” in several different ways. In addition to engaging in professional development opportunities during the school break and Professional Wednesdays, EAB’s teachers have been working together during professional days to collaboratively improve their practices. Teachers will also be spending several days next week, including Saturday and Sunday, working with Dr. Gini Rojas, who is a specialist in differentiation. Looking ahead to the following week, several faculty and staff members will be taking CPR and First Aid classes as part of EAB’s ongoing effort to ensure the highest levels of safety and wellbeing at the school. Other teachers will be working with another external consultant, Erma Anderson, with a focus on assessment using Common Core math. Teachers will also be attending a retreat with IB students to collectively continue to learn about the International Baccalaureate diploma program and plan for the year ahead.

These are a few of the examples from the month of August in which teachers are bringing to life the idea of “learners inspiring learners”. EAB is committed to working as partners towards to education of our students, which includes an expectation that all members of our community are active and continuous learners. Given the rate of change in today’s society, in conjunction with technological advancements, we all havean obligation to be active and continuous learners, inspiring and inspired by other learners.

EAB’s new Technology Director, Mr. Rod Narayan, shared a quote from a former student that provides for a thoughtful summary of these ideas and the expectations for adults in support of student learning:

“Educate me for my future, not your past.”

Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) flickr photo by Mark Brannan https://www.flickr.com/photos/heycoach/1197947341

Success in School & Life

How would you answer the following question: What are the factors that most influence how children achieve success in school and life?

Several EAB teachers are currently attending the annual AASSA teachers’ conference with a focus, in part, on answering this essential question. To that end, our teachers are spending three days engaging with professional colleagues and internationally renowned educational specialists. Two of the specialists, Dr. Michael Thompson and Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair, both highly recommended authors, have offered insights towards answering this question.

The psychologist, Michael Thompson, challenges adults to remember what school is actually like to better understand the psychological journey that students experience during their K3-12 school years. Thompson argues that children are constantly searching for three things: connection, recognition, and a sense of power and highlights that children are able to find these three needs in a variety of ways within the life of a school.

Thompson further describes the different student needs by elaborating on the “three types of children in school:
I. those whose journeys are characterized mostly by success,
II. those whose journeys are characterized by a chronic but manageable struggle,
III. those whose journeys are characterized by fury and despair.
Each journey has its own different pressures. Every child is constantly developing strategies for coping with the pressures that he or she feels.”

Thompson uses the metaphor of a person preparing for a long hike and the importance of finding just the right shoe “fit” to facilitate the hike and avoid painful blisters. While there is an important element of resilience and persistence associated with the learning process, the shoe metaphor challenges schools to find the right educational program to “fit” student needs so that the three types of children in schools are not subject to unnecessary “blisters” and are able to achieve personal success.

Returning to the need of children for connection, recognition, and a sense of power, Catherine Steiner-Adair’s book, The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age, addresses the impact technology has on the relationships between children and adults. While Steiner-Adair advocates for the use of technology and the benefits to be gained, she also shares research findings that highlight how the ubiquitous presence of technology in our lives can result in serious negative implications for our relationships. Steiner-Adair offers insights and advice that can help parents and educators to determine how best to integrate technology in our daily lives without diminishing our personal connections. She asks us to question how we interact with technology when engaging with children (e.g. Do we give children our undivided attention when they are speaking with us or are we continuously looking at our cell phones?) and how our need to access technological devices frames our days and lives.

If we are to respond to each child’s need for connection, recognition, and a sense of power, then we must not only question how well our educational program is addressing these needs, but also review the degree to which technology may be adversely affecting our relationships with students and adults alike. The further integration of technology into our lives is a reality that will not go away. Therefore, it is our responsibility to control how technology affects our lives to ensure that we are taking advantage of the tremendous benefits and available opportunities that technology provides, while also addressing the inherent challenges to our relationships and overall wellbeing.

Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) flickr photo by Matt https://www.flickr.com/photos/d35ign/9580068088

The Hero’s Journey

“Heroes didn’t leap tall buildings or stop bullets with an outstretched hand; they didn’t wear boots and capes. They bled, and they bruised, and their superpowers were as simple as listening, or loving. Heroes were ordinary people who knew that even if their own lives were impossibly knotted, they could untangle someone else’s. And maybe that one act could lead someone to rescue you right back.” ~ Jodi Picoult

It was a typical beautiful and sunny morning in Brasilia. Teachers from the American School of Brasilia were preparing a churrasco, a Brazilian barbecue, to show their appreciation to the maintenance, cleaning, security, and support staffs for their daily contributions in support of the work of teachers, students, and our school’s educational program. This special day was filled with family activities, games of futebal, food, conversation, laughter, and relationship building.

It is days like this that we are reminded of the importance of community and the difference a positive and supportive culture can make in the lives of all members, particularly students and their education. With all due respect to Joseph Campbell’s seminal work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, perhaps we can redefine the meaning of the Hero’s Journey to one more representative of Jodi Picoult’s vision where heroes are everyday people making a positive difference in the lives of others. Whether it is an act of kindness, a sacrifice for a stranger, a demonstration of empathy, or to simply listen, the seemingly small gestures of everyday heroes often lead to significant and meaningful differences in the lives of others.

Each morning, I see our guards welcoming every student by name, personalizing the start of their day and making our students feel special. I see the cleaning staff cleaning the walkway in the courtyard, seeing to every detail and taking pride in the appearance of the school. A few weeks ago, members of the maintenance department and support staff were on their way home after a long day when they heard that a water pipe had burst in the chemistry class and, without hesitation, dropped everything to return to school to spent three hours of their evening to ensure class could resume as normal the next day. Schools the world over can share similar stories about those special people whose daily actions, which often go unnoticed, make a difference in the lives of others. It is this ideal of daily contributions towards community building and the development of relationships that makes a school special.

The French existentialist, Simone de Beauvior, touches on this subject in her book, All Men are Mortal. In the 13th century, the main character of the novel, Fosca, attains the status of immortality. For several centuries, he travels the world, reads countless books, meets fascinating people and falls in love many times. Fosca has a life that a mortal human could only dream of. He has the opportunity to achieve anything a person could wish to attain.

But, there is a problem. Fosca’s immortality becomes burdensome as he is unable to find happiness, an idea further explored by Derek de Lint in his film about the novel: “Fosca is haunted by events from past centuries, living with the same mistakes over and over again, with war, cruelty and injustice. He must question whether immortality and love can exist at the same time or whether true love and commitment are only possible through the limitations of life. He eventually begins to desire mortality as a basic necessity for human happiness.”

Fosca desperately searches for meaning in his life but his immortality robs him of it. What he finally understands is that it is the finiteness of the human condition that forces us to embrace our lives and to live each moment with passion. And where is meaning to be found? This is a seemingly difficult question to answer. Fosca does not find meaning through power, studying, reading, position in society, travel, or the accumulation of wealth. Madame Beauvoir leaves the reader with the notion that everything in our lives, everything we strive for, everything we accumulate is meaningless with one exception: the relationships we have with others, the lives we touch and the lives we are touched by.

If a meaningful life is defined through relationships and our efforts to make a even a small and positive difference in the lives of others, then it is fitting to confer the title of “hero” to those dedicated support staff members working in all schools. Through small acts of kindness, our colleagues attain what Fosca desperately failed to achieve through immortality. Through their commitment to support the work of teachers, students, and parents each and every day, those individuals who oversee security, maintenance, cleaning, technology, business and secretarial affairs, contribute to building community and enhancing the lives of others in essential and significant ways. They are our everyday heroes.

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A Jornada de um Herói

“Heróis não são capazes de saltar por cima de prédios altos com um único impulso ou parar balas com uma mão; eles não usam botas ou capas. Eles sangram, se ferem e seus superpoderes são tão simples como ouvir ou amar. Os heróis são pessoas comuns e sabem que, mesmo que suas próprias vidas estejam cheia de nós, eles podem ajudar a quem precisa. E aquela única ajuda é capaz de te resgatar “ Jodi Picoult

Em uma típica bonita e ensolarada manhã em Brasília, os professores da Escola Americana de Brasília estavam preparando um churrasco para mostrar o seu apreço as equipes de manutenção, limpeza, segurança e apoio, pela sua contribuição diária em apoiar o trabalho dos professores, alunos e o programa educacional da escola. Esse dia especial foi preenchido com atividades para a família, futebol, comidas, conversas, risadas e construção das relações.

São em dias como esses que nós nos lembramos da importância da comunidade e da diferença que um apoio cultural positivo pode fazer na vida dos membros, em particular dos alunos e da sua educação. Com todo respeito ao trabalho pioneiro de Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, talvez possamos redefinir o significado da Jornada de um Herói a uma visão mais representativa de Jodi Picoult, onde os heróis são pessoas do nosso cotidiano, fazendo uma diferença positiva na vida de terceiros. Se é um gesto de carinho, um sacrifício para um estranho, uma demonstração de empatia ou simplesmente ouvir alguém, os gestos significativos dos heróis do nosso cotidiano, geralmente causam diferenças na vida dos outros.

A cada manhã, eu vejo os nossos guardas dando as boas-vindas para cada aluno, os chamando pelo nome, personalizando o início do dia deles e fazendo com que eles se sintam especiais. Eu vejo a equipe de limpeza limpando a calçada do pátio na frente da escola, cuidado de cada detalhe e se orgulhando da aparência da escola. Há algumas semanas, os membros do departamento de manutenção e apoio estavam a caminho de casa, depois de um longo dia, ouviram que um cano de água havia estourado na sala de química e, sem hesitarem, largaram tudo, voltaram para a escola e passaram mais 3 horas para garantir que tudo voltaria ao normal no dia seguinte. Escolas do mundo inteiro podem ter compartilhado histórias semelhantes sobre esse grupo de pessoas especiais, cujas ações diárias que, geralmente não são compartilhadas, fazem a diferença na vida dos outros. É esse tipo de contribuição diária para a construção da nossa comunidade e o desenvolvimento das relações que tornam uma escola especial.

O existencialista francês, Simone de Beauvior, aborda este assunto em seu livro, Todos os homens são mortais. No século 13, o personagem principal do romance, Fosca, alcança o status de imortalidade. Durante vários séculos, ele viaja pelo mundo, lê inúmeros livros, atende pessoas fascinantes e apaixona-se muitas vezes. Fosca tem uma vida que qualquer ser humano mortal sonha em ter. Ele tem a oportunidade de conseguir qualquer coisa que uma pessoa pode desejar alcançar.

Mas existe um problema. A imortalidade de Fosca se torna difícil, já que ele é incapaz de encontrar a felicidade, uma ideia mais explorada por Derek de Lint, em seu filme sobre o romance. “Fosca é assombrado por acontecimentos de séculos passados, pela convivência com os mesmos erros, com a guerra, a crueldade e injustiça. Ele deve questionar se: a imortalidade e o amor podem existir ao mesmo tempo ou se o verdadeiro amor e compromisso só são possíveis através das limitações da vida. Ele finalmente começa a desejar a mortalidade como uma necessidade básica para a felicidade humana.”

Fosca procura desesperadamente um sentido para a sua vida, mas a sua imortalidade lhe rouba isso. O que ele finalmente entende é que a finitude da condição humana é que nos obriga a abraçar nossas vidas e viver cada momento com paixão. E onde podemos encontrar o significado disso? Esta é uma pergunta aparentemente difícil de responder. O Fosca não encontra sentido através do poder, do estudo, da leitura, posição na sociedade, viagens, ou acumulando riquezas. Madame Beauvoir deixa o leitor com a noção de que tudo em nossas vidas, tudo o que nos esforçamos para conseguir, tudo o que acumulamos não tem significado, com uma exceção: as relações que temos com os outros, das vidas que tocamos e das vidas que nos tocam.

Se uma vida, significativa, é definida através de relacionamentos e dos nossos esforços para fazermos uma diferença pequena e positiva na vida dos outros, então é apropriado conferirmos o título de “heróis” as dedicadas equipes de apoio de todas as escolas. Através de pequenos atos de bondade, os nossos colegas atingiriam o que Fosca desesperadamente não conseguiu alcançar através da imortalidade. Através do seu compromisso em apoiar o trabalho dos professores, alunos e pais a cada dia, essas pessoas que cuidam da segurança, manutenção, limpeza, tecnologia, negócios e assuntos de secretariado, contribuem para a construção da comunidade e melhoraria da vida dos outros de maneira essencial e significativa. Eles são nossos heróis do cotidiano.

Social Media: A Dog’s Story

“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” ~Isaac Newton

A friend of mine from Brasilia is known for habitually reposting to Facebook, on behalf of desperate dog owners, photos of missing dogs. Gisela’s hope is that neighborhood residents will recognize the dogs in the photos and reunite these beloved, missing canines with their owners.

As a fellow dog owner, I quietly grieve for owners each time I see one of these missing dog announcements. This feeling of grief was no different when a posting of a cute, elderly dog with a broken ear and a lazy eye appeared in my newsfeed. What was different about this posting, however, was that my name was linked to this posting with the following message: “The dog has a tag that appears to be from the United States. Barry, with your connection to the international community, could you reach out to your contacts?” I would of course reach out, but, as a busy workday was about to begin, I made a mental note to send messages in the early evening.

While the day did turn out to be very busy and productive, it was about to end on a high note as I made my way to visit the after-school chess activity. While watching two five-year-old students discover the nuances associated with the beautiful game of chess, I noticed one of the students was in a lackluster, almost despondent mood. When I asked the student if anything was wrong, he turned to me and lamented that his dog Crawford was missing and not been home for nearly a week.

It was then that I recalled the Facebook posting from the morning. While it seemed highly unlikely for there to be such a coincidence of circumstances, I went ahead and showed the student the Facebook posting of the missing dog with a broken ear and lazy eye. Upon seeing the photo, the student beamed an enormous smile and shouted, Crawford!!!”

After a series of phone calls and messages, Crawford was finally reunited with his owners later that evening.

The events of the day served as an important reminder of the inherent power associated with social networks, particularly when used in an ethical, meaningful, and purposeful manner. It is clear that the way we communicate, connect, problem solve, and learn has been forever changed. While we need to continue addressing the challenges of social media, the potential for creative and positive change derived from the harnessing and application of seemingly endless resources offers a unique set of tools to solve problems and ensure a better future.

Isaac Newton’s iconic quote, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants,” refers to Newton’s gratitude for the contributions of those who have preceded him. In today’s context, I wonder if Newton would have considered the “shoulders of giants” to also include the learning and understanding resulting from the use of technology to exponentially increase levels of collaboration, networking, and sharing?

If social networks can be used to rally a community’s resources towards reuniting Crawford with his family, it is exciting to imagine how these same networks and associated resources will continue to redefine not only our daily lives but the paradigm of traditional education and learning. It is the challenge of educators to determine how these new technologies will be employed to improve the learning process.

There is no doubt we are living through a fascinating inflection point in the history of educational development in addition to our understanding of how we learn. Nevertheless, through all of this change, we must never lose sight of the “why?” and “to what end?” questions. I am confident that Crawford would approve of this guiding principle as he again basks in the warmth of his home and loving family.

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“Quando nos importamos, nós compartilhamos.” – Jonah Berger, Contagious: Why Things Catch On

Uma amiga minha de Brasília é conhecida por sempre compartilhar fotos de cães perdidos, em nome dos donos que, sempre estão desesperados. A sua esperança é que moradores do bairro possam reconhecer os cães nas fotos e, fazer com que eles retornem aos seus donos.

Como proprietário de uma cadela, bem companheira, eu sempre lamento a perda dos donos quando eu vejo um desses anúncios. Esse sentimento de tristeza, não foi diferente quando eu vi um anúncio no meu feed de notícias sobre o desaparecimento de um cão idoso, com a orelha quebrada e um olhar de preguiçoso. A diferença desse post para os demais é que o meu nome estava marcado no post com a seguinte mensagem: “ Esse cão tem uma placa que parece ser dos Estados Unidos. Barry, já que você tem tantos contatos na sua comunidade internacional, você poderia compartilhar com eles?” Claro que eu o faria, mas como eu estava começando um dia cheio de trabalho, eu decidi que iria compartilhar no final do dia.

Já era quase o fim de um dia corrido e produtivo e eu estava a caminho da aula de xadrez. Ao observar dois alunos de cinco anos de idade descobrindo as nuances do belo jogo de xadrez, eu percebi que um dos alunos estava triste e desanimado. Quando eu perguntei ao aluno o que havia de errado, ele me disse que o seu cachorro Crawford estava desaparecido por quase uma semana.

Foi então que eu me lembrei do post no Facebook que eu havia visto pela manhã. Eu achei que não seria possível tamanha coincidência, mas mesmo assim eu mostrei o post do cachorro perdido, com a orelha quebrada e um olhar preguiçoso, que estava no Facebook, ao aluno. Ao ver a foto, o aluno deu um grande sorriso e gritou: Crawford!!!

Após uma série de telefonemas e mensagens, Crawford, finalmente, se encontrou com seus donos naquela noite.

Os acontecimentos do dia serviram como um lembrete importante do poder inerente associado às redes sociais, especialmente quando usados de forma ética, significativa e proposital. Está claro que a nossa forma de comunicar, conectar, resolver problemas e aprender foi mudada para sempre. Enquanto nós precisamos continuar a enfrentar os desafios da mídia social, o potencial para as mudanças positivas e criativas vieram do aproveitamento e da aplicação de recursos, aparentemente, intermináveis e oferece um conjunto exclusivo de ferramentas para solucionar os problemas e garantir um futuro melhor.

A famosa citação de Isac Newton – “Se eu vimais longe, foi por estar de pé sobre ombros de gigantes,” se refere à gratidão de Newton em relação às contribuições que o precederam. No contexto de hoje, eu me pergunto: Será que Newton teria considerado os “ombros de gigantes” para também incluir o aprendizado e a compreensão resultante do uso da tecnologia, para aumentar exponencialmente, os níveis de colaboração, networking e compartilhamento?

Se as redes sociais podem ser utilizadas para reunir recursos de uma comunidade, no sentido de juntar Crawford com a sua família, é emocionante imaginar como essas mesmas redes e recursos associados continuarão a redefinir, não só as nossas vidas diárias, mas o paradigma da educação e da aprendizagem tradicional. Esse é o desafio dos educadores, determinarem como essas novas tecnologias serão empregadas para melhorar o processo de aprendizagem.

Não há dúvida de que estamos vivendo um ponto de inflexão fascinante na história do desenvolvimento educacional e na nossa compreensão sobre como aprendemos. No entanto, através de toda essa mudança, nós nunca devemos perder de vista os “porquê?” e os “para quê?”. Estou confiante de que o Crawford aprovaria este princípio orientador, já que ele, novamente, se aquece no calor da sua casa e amorosa família.

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Featured image: cc licensed ( CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 ) flickr photo by Tarek Harbi: https://www.flickr.com/photos/53813549@N08/15090632281