The Academy Times: Spring Edition
Posted on March 19, 2018 by Anthony Hubbard - No Comments
Enjoy our latest edition of The Academy Times!
- The Difference Between Education and Schooling
- Student Profile: Kyle Fields
- Special Feature HEZ/Social Impact Projects
- Build-A-Bed 2018
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From Student to Trainer
Posted on March 29, 2017 by Anthony Hubbard - No Comments
By Cesar Ramirez, Construction Trainer
When I came to YouthBuild Providence as a student, it was because I felt it was my last chance to get my GED. I was tired of working warehouse jobs and wanted something better for myself. Joining YouthBuild, I realized that it was more than just a school, we’re a family.
Meet Lucia Cipriano
Posted on March 29, 2017 by Anthony Hubbard - No Comments
Lucia Cipriano, a Student and Vice President of the Student Council at YouthBuild Providence pursuing her high school diploma with the hopes of becoming a police officer.
After graduation, Lucia plans to join the police Academy in hopes of working in narcotics. Currently, she works full-time at Memorial Hospital as a security officer while attending YouthBuild but maintains a 95% attendance record and a 3.85-grade point average.
Lucia recently went to Washington DC to represent YouthBuild Providence at the COYL. Because of her experience, she plans to join 1000 leaders network to be part of the conference of young leaders.
Embracing Conversations about Race in Schools.
Posted on March 13, 2017 by Anthony Hubbard - No Comments
By Anthony Hubbard
Discourse about race dominates American life
‘Race’ is the ugly word that dominates American life in a near complete negative manner despite the fact that large portions of the country voted twice to elect an African American president. The term race forces us to confront horrid factors such as institutionalized discrimination, widespread poverty and paranoia, distrust and despair, criminal justice failings, police brutality, and widespread racial discrimination.
In the current scenario, conversations about race extend well beyond the plight of millions of blacks. It covers Latinos, Asians, Muslims, and several persecuted minorities. Open up a prominent national newspaper or switch on cable news, and you’ll find several horrific news stories that ensure that racism remains an omnipresent conversational topic and with good reason. At most schools and colleges, we fail to sensitize America’s children about race issues at an age when their minds are very vulnerable to internalizing subtle forms of racism. Successful classroom engagement is essential to reducing problems related to race in our society.
The Lion’s Roar – Fall 2016
Posted on January 19, 2017 by Anthony Hubbard - No Comments
Catch up on the latest YouthBuild News!
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An Examination of Modern Teaching Practices and how they align with Learning Styles
Posted on January 19, 2017 by Anthony Hubbard - No Comments
By Anthony Hubbard
As it is happening with the majority of professions today, one can witness rapid growth and development in the field of teaching too. The developments are primarily driven by technological and social changes.
Teachers working in the modern classroom environment are gradually acknowledging and accepting that there is in fact a need to make changes to the traditional teaching approach. They are now looking at students as eager participants who wish to be actively involved in the process of attaining knowledge. The teacher is no longer a mere source of information or someone who demonstrates “correct solutions”.
All over the world, teachers are placing an increased emphasis on making learning a well-structured process. This means including a range of different student-oriented activities, such as project work, in the teaching plan so that the classroom inhabitants can enjoy greater autonomy.
Engagement
One of the preferred modern teaching methods, often termed as ‘engagement’, is designed to encourage students to interact with the real world. This means analyzing what happens in different spheres of life, i.e. social sphere, economical, sphere, business sphere etc. As opposed to traditional teaching techniques which are restricted to the classroom space, students are taken for visits to local businesses. Here, they get an opportunity to see the actual application of concepts which they learnt in the classroom.
Open classroom discussions
Modern teaching practices are centered on having open classroom discussions as well as collaborations. This helps encourage the students to come up with their own ideas and makes it easier to implement new teaching methods. Teachers are suggested to allow their students to ask questions and really make an effort to listen to them.
Personal dialogue with the students is a very important part of modern teaching. Students don’t always like getting answers from textbooks or the Internet. They enjoy having healthy, intriguing discussions on various subjects as it allows them to develop their own perspectives and opinions.
Technology and Innovation vs. Emotional and Mental Development
While on the one hand, it is true that modern teachers should be willing to try new and innovative concepts and teaching skills (educational apps, electronic teaching devices etc.); it does have its downside too. The youth is becoming more and more tech-oriented and though it is good to retain the essence of classroom teaching, it might be helpful to bring in some technology so that there is greater alignment with the modern learning styles.
But the concern regarding the use of computers and modern technology, especially at a younger age is that it could not only have a negative impact on the child’s physical health, but also his/her intellectual and emotional well-being.
A greater number of students are complaining of serious physical ailments affecting their spine, neck, eyes etc. due to the excessive amount of time spent working on computers and other electronic devices. Whether its research or project work, technology does end up affecting the health of the youth. It also leaves minimal time for human interaction and creative play. This in turn has a negative impact on their intellectual, emotional and social well-being.
Problem-based Learning in Secondary Schools
Posted on September 4, 2015 by Anthony Hubbard - No Comments
As student-centric study modules grow popular, so do problem-based learning techniques in academic institutions. Problem-based learning module being a subset of Project-Based Learning, can help expand the thinking capabilities of students, especially their critical thinking skills while also helping them pick up useful skills and knowledge in the process. Students do not just stop at what they are being taught in a lecture format, but also question and analyze it, which can help broaden the learning capabilities beyond the confines of what a textbook has to offer. They naturally hone their analytic skills in the process, which can prove to be a valuable asset even in non-academic settings down the line. It does not come as a surprise that problem-based learning is referred to as a ‘learn to learn’ methodology, as students do not learn by rote or learn by doing, but learn so they can solve problems. This makes the learning experience both fruitful and interesting. Since they work in groups to solve the problem, it also promotes a collaborative and interactive learning experience. Let’s take a look at when and how PBL can be implemented.
How to implement PBL models
The first thing that you need to know about implementing a PBL model is that there’s more than one way to do it. For starters, you want to frame a problem that gets close to defining the type of problems that real-world professionals in the field solve on a daily basis, even if it may not be of the same level of complexity. Framing the problem is one of the most important aspects of the process, and educators can afford to get creative with the process, provided the problem is within the boundaries of question and reason. Of course the problem should be such that it has multiple answers and there are multiple ways to get to the answers. For instance, an educator teaching the concept of economics can frame a question such as- How will the upcoming budget and market situation affect your purchase? The commodity that is being purchased can be anything from real-estate assets to automobiles.
The answer itself is not as important as the thought-process, questioning and learning that occur during the process, and this is the basic premise of a problem-based learning module. Once, the problem is presented, the students can be divided into multiple groups so they can discuss the problem statement and brainstorm possible solutions. This is also when students research on the subject and exchange information with their fellow-team members, and where the actual learning occurs.
Pain points while implementing PBL techniques
No doubt, PBL techniques sound like an effective way to teach but implementing it needs quite some work on the educator’s part, as you may have already guessed. The educator needs to understand that many variables come into the picture in a PBL environment. One challenge that educators face is to ensure that the problem statement touches all the learning points that the students are expected to learn as a part of the curriculum. Also, given the time constraints and the vast curriculum, educators may find it difficult to implement a PBL technique in each and every concept that is being taught. Educators may also have difficulties framing a PBL module for certain subjects like English. Educators should evaluate if a PBL technique has more value to offer over tradition teaching style, and if it is a good fit before they decide when and where it can be implemented. The next step is to assist students while they brainstorm solutions. Educators should primarily act as mediators while implementing a PBL assignment, but they should also be able to gauge when students need a small forward nudge when they are stuck in a tricky spot. Classroom management is another pain point that PBL may present, depending on the size of the class. Many of these pain points can be addressed in secondary school programs such as those that incorporate innovation lab models.
Students get to participate in an exclusive program that goes beyond the traditional curriculum, wherein they meet professionals from the field. They work with a team to gain hands-on experience on the subject, whether it is by designing or utilizing tools to find a solution. Since the Design Studio focuses on STEM areas of learning, students have a holistic learning experience by understanding how they are interlinked with each other. This when combined with the core curriculum, can allow students to get a better grasp of the subject with real-world experience.
MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE II
Posted on September 24, 2014 by Anthony Hubbard - No Comments
The ideal society is one which upholds each child to have an equal chance of success as his peers regardless of background, social standing, or racial color. This, however, is a challenge that is difficult to overcome as we are all witnesses of the wide gap that exists between males of color and their peers in terms of achieving success in school. The national conversation around under-proficient public schools is directly linked to two phenomena: one curricular and the other socioeconomic. Schools which serve economically exploited communities of color are not new, indeed they most prominently date back to Brown v. Board of Education, 1954. Further, there continue to be substantial challenges to the lack of cultural responsiveness in the curriculum used in schools. If all students do not have the requisite access to essential technical, social, and cultural resources necessary to educate a learner for success in the twenty-first century, then we will continue to see our public schools facilitate the production of a static underclass who will perpetually struggle to be academically, politically and economically viable in their communities. Part two of YouthBuild Providence’s Community Dialog Panel seeks to address these issues head on.
Essential Questions:
What kind of culturally responsive resources do boys of color require to help them understand themselves as agents of change rather than objects of their environments?
It is said that if a student does not see him/herself in the curriculum then it’s not education, it’s indoctrination. How might our schools respond to this curricular challenge?
A group of African American families organized themselves and brought a class action suit which eventually rose all the way to Supreme Court in 1954 all in an effort to secure educational resources for their children. That was two generations ago. What radical changes are required of us today?
Many institutions of higher learning report that the retention rates of male students of color consistently sits below their academic counterparts. As we continue to see the rise of student loans and college debt what can be done to secure the varied and necessary resources to ensure that young
men of color not only make it to college, but graduate?
Call to Action:
Immediately following the panel discussion we will convene a gathering of practitioners, thought-partners, parents, and concerned community members to discuss the formation of a subcommittee which will be tasked with organizing follow-through efforts on the initiatives rendered in the panel discussions.
TO REGISTER: CLICK HERE
RECRUITMENT 2014
Posted on April 25, 2014 by Anthony Hubbard - No Comments