Test scores confirm that America’s students are falling behind their international counterparts in vital “fields of the future” such as science, technology, engineering, and math, collectively often referred to as the STEM subjects. Girls, in particular, are underrepresented and are entering the STEM fields in disproportionately limited numbers, depriving the country of talent and ingenuity that is critical to our nation’s long-term economic standing.

The questions that face us are: What can we do in the face of such a challenge? How can we prepare our students to be truly competitive in the 21st century?

In the article, we outline 21st century skills, talk about the girls’ school model and record of success, and the power of an all-girls’ environment. 

Take a read!

Chua’s book is subtitled, “This is a story about a mother, two daughters, and two dogs. This was supposed to be a story of how Chinese parents are better at raising kids than Western ones. But instead, it’s about a bitter clash of cultures, a fleeting taste of glory, and how I was humbled by a thirteen-year-old.”   Battle Hymn is a memoir of Chua’s life as a Chinese-American mother, married to a non-Chinese husband, managing their family’s child rearing according to traditional, and strict, Chinese methods.  Among the rules imposed upon Chua’s daughters were the following no-no’s:

• attend a sleepover
• have a playdate
• be in a school play
• complain about not being in a school play
• watch TV or play computer games
• choose their own extracurricular activities
• get any grade less than an A
• not be the No. 1 student in every subject except gym and drama
• play any instrument other than the piano or violin
• not play the piano or violin.

NCGS member school Holton-Arms head of school Susanna Jones weighs in:

“I think Chua is trying to deliver a more complex—perhaps even conflicted—message than simply the superiority of her parenting methods. Indeed, the cover of the book and the frontispiece represent her story much better:  This was supposed to be a story of how Chinese parents are better at raising kids than Western ones.  But instead, it’s about a bitter clash of cultures, a fleeting taste of glory, and how I was humbled by a 13-year-old.

Reading that, I thought, this is a very different story—’bitter clash’ and ‘humbled’ are not words of triumph. The book is very readable, and certainly as parents, her story draws us in, whether to quote ABC reporter Juju Chang, we are ‘repulsed or completely jealous.’”

Continue reading Susanna’s blog.

• March 2011 wrap up of our branding/marketing project resulting in refashioned branding, messaging, marketing and communications strategies and plans that will support our schools and the ongoing need to market the transformational power and thought leadership of girls’ schools;
• Late Spring 2011 launch of a revitalized and restructured NCGS website, providing a digital platform and information source for members and non-members alike including an up-to-date resource library on girls’ education and girls’ schools, as well as the capability to connect members virtually, with each other and topical experts, on topics and issues that matter most to them;
• June 20, 2011 kick-off of NCGS’ 20th anniversary year, with a hallmark reception for the full NCGS community – including member schools, staff, NCGS alums, past leaders, and other friends of the NCGS community – at the Southfield School in Brookline, MA;
• June 21, 2011 NCGS’ annual member gathering for “Advancing Girls in STEM: An NCGS Symposium;”
• Fall 2011 conclusion of formal recommendations from NCGS’ Task Force on Research, outlining a proposed research agenda for the Coalition over the next few years, on issues and topics that are vital to support girls’ education and demonstrating the effectiveness of our schools in delivering the same; and
• Year Round series of professional development opportunities, informative materials and resources, and venues for lively exchange and debate for member schools to support the critical work they do each day to educate girls as effectively and as comprehensively as possible.

Over the next several years, with our organizational capabilities firmly established, we can and will move to develop our rightful public presence as the country’s leading voice and go-to source for expertise on educating girls.

We have much to be excited about and a busy year ahead as we work towards accomplishing the goals we have set forth.  We look forward to celebrating our progress with you and heralding the 20th anniversary milestone that is just around the corner.  Cheers to you and to the NCGS community!

Susanne Beck, Executive Director

20 Years•140 Schools•1000’s of graduates.  And countless stories of NCGS alumnae transforming the world.

*******

mzungu n. (Kiswahili) white person; foreigner

*******

To an Australian teacher in Manhattan, who has only ever experienced six weeks of summer holidays, three months of vacation seemed excessive! To fill the time, I volunteered this summer at a unique school for some of the neediest girls in the world.

Below are excerpts from my blog, told while I was on the ground in the Kibera Slums.

******

The Kibera School for Girls, where I am volunteering this August, is a tiny, noisy, happy mud-brick styled building, in the slums of Kibera in Nairobi. Kibera is the second largest slum in Africa, is roughly the same size as Central Park, and has somewhere between 600,000 and 1.5 million residents. It mostly lacks electricity and water, there is no sewerage and the homes are tiny, mostly single-room establishments with curtains dividing them into even tinier, albeit somewhat more private, sections.

Kibera is a higgledy-piggledy mass of various building materials, many people and lots of rubbish lying around. It smells terribly. Dogs roam freely, as do chickens and goats, and various foods are prepared and sold on the dirt paths: chapattis, roasted maize, boiled eggs, meat on skewers, dried fish, samosas, fresh tomatoes, bananas, onions, avocados and eggs, among other things.

I’ve been told that in daylight, Kibera is not a place to be afraid. In fact, the mob rule keeps everyone in order – thieves are dealt with in the harshest of ways. I’ve been told that if something were to be stolen from me, I need to make a quick decision about whether the thing that was taken is worth more than the thief’s life – for being beaten or stoned to death is a surety. Indeed, in a Grade 2 class I sat in on at the Kibera School for Girls, the teacher was teaching about the basic human rights for all Kenyans. One of the final rights was “the right to fair trial.” The teacher went on to explain that being stoned for stealing is not fair trial, and that “the next time” – the NEXT TIME!? – the girls saw someone being stoned they should speak up that it is against Kenya’s Charter for Human Rights. “But I know you will, instead, run away scared,” she said, to the eight year old girls, with a chuckle.

Among the chaos, I’ve noticed two things which really surprised me. One, the people don’t look miserable at all. In fact there seems to be a lot of joy among the general populace, from the women who chat and giggle together as they prepare the chapattis, to the children with their inventive games (who knew that filling a little container with dirty water and pouring it on a sleeping dog’s head, or rolling a tyre down a hill, could be so much fun?), to the men building the clinic behind the school (employment for the community being a large part of the school’s governing organization’s mission) – people look happy! And two, the people are incredibly clean. There are showers set up all around Kibera, where you can pay to have a wash – and people do so with regularity. Their clothes are clean and neat, no holes or patches, and they take pride in their appearance.

I had a very endearing moment in the classroom on Tuesday, with the ‘babies’ class (Pre-K, 3-4 years old). One little girl was copying the letter ‘d’ in her book, and was not getting very far. She was able to see that there was a circle and a line in the letter, but was unable to form the letter. There being no desks in the tiny classroom, she was lying on her tummy on a larger mat that the girls shared. I lay down next to her to help her trace and copy the letters. A group of little girls near me covered their mouths and burst into giggles. The teacher looked up and I asked her why they were laughing at me. She replied with a smile, “You are lying on the floor. They are lying on the mat. Only poor people lie on the floor.”

Monday and Tuesday at the school were a wonderful experience. The girls are tremendously motivated to learn, and approach all their work with respect and enthusiasm. The school currently goes from Pre-K to grade 2. I’ve spent time in each classroom, observing and helping, ready to discuss curriculum with the teachers and other volunteers. I’m the only qualified Western teacher they’ve had since the inception of the school, and already I can see a few simple things that can change for the better. While there is an extensive curriculum already designed, the introduction of a scope and sequence for maths or social studies, for example, would mean that each teacher would know exactly what to teach in which week, each month – currently the teachers seem to just pull the day’s lesson out of thin air, and lessons don’t necessarily follow each other in a logical order.  (For those teachers out there, consider this: Grade 1 doing column addition one day, then multiplication and division word problems the next!)

As many of you know, I went to Nairobi with more than 50kg of school supplies donated by students and colleagues at Chapin. Second grade Chapin girls and teachers lovingly packed bags for each Kibera student containing items necessary for learning (books, pencils, erasers… even a homemade bookmark!) and third grade girls donated money to buy coloured pencils, crayons and exercise/composition books. First grade and kinder colleagues donated gently used pencils, crayons, markers and glue. The head of Lower School math prepared a “Math Backpack” with some items for classroom use. To make matters even more perfect, I contacted Virgin Atlantic’s charity team, who were more than happy to give me extra baggage allowance to carry these much-needed items to Nairobi from NYC!

*****

Another week of school has passed, and I am reminded of how little time I have here really. With some more time spent in the classroom, I can see clearly how much I can share, how much I have to learn about the culture of school here and how much need these children really have.

The teachers are all qualified, of course, but have all been taught the “Kenyan Way” (as it’s colloquially known). This involves passive students – ones who listen to the teacher and repeat verbatim. Not a whole lot of educational discovery going on, which is what the founders of the school are trying to achieve. Coupled with that is the fact that the students are taught exclusively in English and that this is a school only a year old – so all the students from Pre-K to 2nd grade are in their first year of learning English.

My task is to run workshops for the teachers and teach the odd lesson in the classes, demonstrating “American style” (and I daresay, “Australian style” too!) teaching – with more emphasis on experiential learning. I have decided that my greatest impact can be on their Maths curriculum and the students’ language development – both reading and writing. If anyone has any great tips on teaching kids not yet proficient in English I’d love the input – my classes at Croydon in Sydney had plenty of English language learners but always with native English speakers as friends and mentors so a whole different ball game…

Last week I was able to take the teachers for a 2-hour workshop on engaging kids in math through discovery, experience and games. I was really nervous about it – I felt a little uncomfortable shaking up the teachers’ methods and was concerned about presenting it with an “our way is the best way” kind of mentality. My fears were all unfounded – we had a ball!! It was so nice to have the 5 teachers and two mzungu volunteers playing, discovering, cheering and giggling at each other’s successes and mistakes.

The following day when I arrived at school, I found two of the teachers pouring over the math texts from the teacher resources section of the tiny library. They greeted me with smiles and said, “We have never looked at these books before but we have so many ideas of what we want to teach! We thought we could find some more ideas in here!” My heart sang! Then, the cherry on the cake, they asked, “Do you have ideas on literacy and science and social studies too?”

Clearly, these are teachers who are just like all of us out there: excited, enthusiastic, always willing to expand on their professional knowledge. Sadly, I simply don’t have the time here to tackle everything – but I’ll do my best!!

********

The friendliness of the Kenyans continues to be a highlight of this trip. I regularly adopt curious people for portions of my walk to and from school, who introduce themselves with a handshake, ask me where I’m from, and how I’m liking Kenya. Then they continue on their way, leaving me smiling that in a country with so many mzungu, they’re still excited to talk to me.

I am never alone. There is a constant progression of people into and out of Kibera’s streets: children on their way to school or to collect water, or just hanging around (many kids are not lucky enough to attend school and therefore spend their days doing nothing much), people on their way to work or to look for work, traders buying and selling wares.

As I walk, the chorus of children begins – as soon as they see wazungu (plural of mzungu) they chant “how are you? how are you?” This starts to sound more like “ha-wa-yu! ha-wa-yu!” and the smallest kids copy with “wa-wa-yu! wa-wa-yu!” It’s very endearing! The kids all want to touch our hands and arms, and we’ve learnt that if you say “Gota!” (which means fist) you can bump fists with them instead which means picking up slightly fewer childish germs first thing in the morning.

We have often discussed among the volunteers that it is impossible to enter Kibera in a bad mood – you need to be able to smile and say hello to everyone you pass! We are also quite well-known in the area now – I certainly see the same people every day, in their shops or outside their houses. On our walk through Kibera, people are looking out for us; they know why we’re in their part of the slum, and that we’re working for the girls in their community. We have so many people watching out for us! Just the other day, I was buying vegetables for dinner from one of the stalls in Kibera when a drunk man came up to me and another volunteer and asked us to buy him an orange. A simple enough request, but we simply can’t support beggars because it sets the wrong standard for mzungu in the community. Another man overheard him repeatedly requesting the orange, and took him by the elbow, saying, “Leave them alone. They’re not here to help you, they’re here to help the girls. Give them peace.”

The dwellings in Kibera are tiny. Each has four walls and a corrugated-iron roof, some have doors and some have curtains for doors. Running along the ‘road’ (no space for cars) on both sides, outside the homes and shops are 15cm-deep trenches for rubbish and sewerage. Many of the homes have small frontages onto the trenches, from which children play and people sell their wares; where people sit to eat and women braid each other’s hair.

The school is located on the side of a hill. It has 5 classrooms (four of which are currently being used for classes, the fifth will be filled next year and right now is holding all the musical instruments), a teachers’ lounge, an office and a library. The school is tiny: each of the classrooms so small that there is room for a just few bookshelves and a mat in the middle of the floor. The students do all of their learning sitting on the floor.

The aim for the school is to provide an education for the neediest girls in Kibera. The directors select girls who not only show academic potential, but whose parents would never be able to afford school for their sons, let alone their daughter. In a place where only 8% of girls ever have the chance to attend school, these girls would never have this chance. What a mission!

The girls are truly inspirational. Some of their background stories make us, as adults, want to curl up in a ball and think happy thoughts. And yet, they are motivated and eager to learn, appreciating everything school has to offer them.

Apart from education and a purpose in life, the school also offers the girls the chance to two guaranteed meals in a day. At 10am they have porridge (it’s a fermented maize porridge that I’m trying hard to like) and at 1pm they have lunch, which is sukuma and ugali (kale and a white polenta-like grain) on Mondays, and variations on beans every other day.

The after-school program for Grades 1 & 2, currently the oldest in the school, also distribute some fruit because they stay an extra hour and a half later than the younger ones. This created a funny circumstance when a Kindergarten child, Movin (this kid is one to watch) led a sit-in, arguing that it was unfair that the older children got extra to eat. She rallied her 14 classmates to refuse to leave their classroom after school until their demands were met – they wanted fruit too. She was successful, however it has been decided that fruit should be provided to all kids at the beginning of the day as many of them arrive at school with empty bellies and therefore can’t do their best learning. And that Movin and friends will have to wait until next year to get their after school snack!

Hunger is truly a problem for these girls. For many of them, school is the only place they get a guaranteed meal, which is why school runs year-round except for two weeks at Christmas/New Year. The students are also expected to come to school when they are sick – at least that way they can have clean water, good food and be taken to a clinic or hospital if necessary.

School is free. As I said before, these are girls who show academic promise, who would definitely not attend school if not for this one. Uniforms, food and supplies are all included – the payment is 5 weeks of work by one parent, split over the course of the year, in cooking and cleaning at the school. The vast majority of the parents are more than willing, in fact excited, to be involved with their daughter’s school, but of course, there are some that shirk their responsibilities. The big question is what to do about that, as kicking the girl out for her parents’ transgressions is not an option.

Shining Hope for Communities is the organization which built and runs the school. SHoFCo (as it’s known) also has a community centre in the area, which runs Sex Ed classes for teenage girls, a sewing project for women, meetings of the local soccer club and is in the process of setting up a cyber cafe (the first in the area) and library (also the first in the area). The bio-latrine block by the school is having its official opening today (I’m not quite sure of the exact science involved, but as far as I can gather, within the block, the gases created get channeled into creating energy for the school). Right now, there is a health clinic being built behind the school and emergency housing for 12 girls is almost furnished and ready to go for those girls who are at immediate risk of abuse in their homes.

This week, the teachers and I are developing a plan for their social studies and science curriculums, and we’re going to look at their reading and writing programs. At the moment, the girls don’t spend a great deal of time reading OR writing – many of the writing activities for 1st and 2nd grade are things like copying sentences from a book or the blackboard and reading is just a time when the girls look at books and are not held accountable for actually reading. In the Pre-K classroom (many of the girls are still 3 years old, and are in the first 5 weeks of school) they are doing “sound recognition” of about 6 sounds at the same time, by copying from the blackboard a letter and a picture to go with it.

Given that the teachers have actually asked for the help, and I do have some ideas to share with them, I am greatly looking forward to this week!

I have just four more days in Kenya. So much to do, so little time! As rewarding as it has been here, and despite the fact that I could happily spend years here, I feel ready to return home – to see my beloved husband, to move into our great new apartment, to return to my wonderful job, to have a hot shower with decent water pressure (oh, the simple things in life we take for granted).

*****

September 2010 – What a life-changing experience. I’m so incredibly lucky to have been given the opportunity to work with the inspirational teachers of the Kibera School for Girls, the learners and future leaders that are the students there and the talented, young volunteers of Shining Hope for Communities. Thank you for all your friendship and advice while I was with you.

Thank you to The Chapin School, who supported my trip. The donations in kind from the staff, students and parents in the Lower School were so appreciated by girls in dire need.

Finally, thank you to you, the reader. I hope that my stories remind you of the work you do every day in your own classrooms and communities and perhaps inspire you to further your impact on the world’s children.

READY, SET, GO! As the new school year launches, young women dive into school work, clubs, sports, part time jobs and more. Today’s young women are busier than ever. Amidst the pressures to succeed and excel, it is vital to keep this important time of growth in perspective.

Becoming a well rounded person is a result of incorporating many different and challenging activities into one’s life. “Making the grade” is not just about getting all A’s. Becoming a balanced PERSON is as important as studying for that English test. This is hard lesson to drive home. It will challenge our thinking and force us to think outside the boxes of status, and the cultural desire to “get ahead.”

As a program director for service and leadership activities at an all girls’ school, I am inspired by watching timid high school freshman become strong and spirited graduating seniors. When I look at the young women who have made it work, I see strong organizational skills that were learned over time. I also see that the most successful young women are those who have developed a healthy social and emotional intelligence. They are at home with communicating with peers, teachers, and parents.  There is a healthy self regard and a regard for others.

Here are some quick and simple strategies for young women and their families to help create balance and overall personal success:

1.     PRACTICE HEALTHY TIME MANAGEMENT: At the end of a school day, take a glance at your homework. Ask yourself: “How long will each of these assignments take me?” When you see you have 2 hours of homework, then you can live the next eight hours or so related to reality. This quick and simple check in can help avoid being surprised at 10PM when you crack open a book!

2.     KNOW HOW TO SAY NO: You cannot do everything. While enthusiasm for all that is going on in school is great, give careful thought to what you participate in. Pick one or two clubs that really excite you. Play the sport that makes you feel alive. Don’t just do things to do them. Say no to what doesn’t fit. Say yes to what speaks to you!

3.     TALK TO EACH OTHER: Parents and teens benefit from open lines of communication. It’s important that teens feel like a parent is an ally not a micro-manager. This is the time of life where young people must learn how to make decisions for themselves. It is also a time that learning effective communication is crucial to their long term success. Teens need to remember that it is normal and healthy for a parent to ask you about your day. Your parents have invested love, time, and money into your future success. The least you can do is share a part of your life with them!

4.     TAKE TIME TO DO NOTHING: You cannot be moving every second. Time to reflect is essential for young people to make good choices and strengthen character. Make sure there is down time for you to just be. Don’t forget, life is also about ENJOYING it. There is no race. Even if you think there is one, there still isn’t.

5.     GIVE BACK: Take the time to serve others. Volunteer in your town or with a local non-profit organization.  Do SOMETHING that makes a difference to others. Find some way to remind yourself of what is truly important.

Our world is in dire need of great people, not just people with the best job or who went to the best school. At the end of one’s life they are mostly remembered for the PERSON that they were. Young women investing in their personhood is the hidden key to the kingdom. Take the time to think about the things that are always in the background. Slow down when you need to. Speed up when its necessary. Most of all: enjoy the adventure. It’s the only one you have!

Members of the millennial generation are energized by technological advances they have experienced in their lifetime. They are finding creative and imaginative uses for technology to express themselves and their ideas and to collaborate with peers. Certainly there are instances of teens misusing technology and these should be taken seriously. But these stories are in fact exceptions. Many of us were fortunate to attend the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools annual conference hosted by the Louise McGhee School in New Orleans this past June. A key theme that emerged from the dialogue was the crucial role that technology will play in helping to solve complex global problems. How confused our students must be receiving mixed messages: technology will help you solve the energy crisis, world hunger and major epidemics, but you must use it in moderation and only once you have completed your academic work.

How do we help today’s students channel their innate digital skills and enthusiasm for social good? At Springside School in Philadelphia, the girls are leading the way by using their digital skills in service to others. Nearly six years ago, a group of tech-savvy students came together and organized themselves as Student Technology Leaders. Their mission was to provide tech support and information for their peers and their teachers. This group has evolved over the years, but they remain committed to advocating for the role of technology in their own education. The girls freely give of their lunch periods, study halls, and free time to receive training, talk with a teacher about a lesson that might be reinvented using technology, or help a classmate learn a new program. This past year, NCGS put out a call for help building a website for a girls’ school in Africa. We mentioned this need to our students who eagerly embraced the opportunity to lend their support. The girls cheerfully devoted hours of their free time to design and build the website. During our meetings, they began asking what more they could to apply their digital skills “for good.” In the spring they held an iHELP fundraiser, an open event for people in our community to receive free one-on-one tech support. Community members who came learned how to set up a Skype call, how to set their Facebook privacy settings, how to format an Excel document, and much more. The girls collected donations and with their earnings donated seven laptops to the One Laptop per Child program that provides rugged low cost laptops to the world’s poorest children. They are expanding their efforts this coming year with a proposal to bring emerging technologies to our campus and share with students across Philadelphia.

When students can see a direct and positive impact of their work, they are inspired and motivated to do more. Instead of vilifying their love of all things digital, we should be celebrating the profound potential of these students. By channeling their tech savvy skills in a positive direction and nurturing them to develop innovative and creative thinking, we can partner with students today to bring about positive change for the future.

Pam Erikson, Executive Director CSG

The prospective students and parents in the room were impressed by their ability to speak articulately, and with passion – about an experience that had significantly impacted their lives. One student is from rural Vermont, the second from the Maine coast, and the third from inner city Boston. When questioned about the highlights of the semester, one student replied, “You know, before I went to CSG, I never said anything, I was reluctant to speak up. And now, I know the importance of using my voice.”

While she spoke, I sat on the sidelines, proud – of the risks they took, the successes they achieved, and the challenges they overcame. And I know that the impact of their learning goes far beyond the experiential marine science and leadership courses they took while with us, and extends into the high school, college, career and life choices they will make.

The book currently on my desk is How Girls Thrive by Jo Ann Deak, PhD. In this book, (updated in 2010; 12 years since the original), Jo Ann discusses how current research continues to dramatically support single-gender classes, especially in middle and high schools. “The research points to structural components of a school or system that can and do influence gender equity. Those reported as positive for girls include single-gender settings that are democratic and collaborative.” She goes on to say that “Girls in these situations generally get better grades, report that they learn more and are more positive about the learning situation, have higher self esteem, and more often move on to advanced courses than do girls in regular coeducational situations.”

I have been keeping up with the reports on single gender education since the late 80′s when there was a lot of buzz about the AAUW reports. I have been pleased to read that the reports continue to show the power of all girls’ environments, and the latest “Why so Few?” is a valuable read.

I am glad the research exists and it makes it a bit more tangible for many people who are skeptics. But when I sit quiet and check in with the mission of Coastal Studies for Girls and its impact on girls (and women), it is my HEART that feels it the most. Beyond the percentages and statistics, girls STILL come to these programs because there is something magical about them, and women STILL make less than their male counterparts in many arenas of the workforce, and girls STILL feel the lack of support to excel (especially in the STEM fields). And when someone asks, “Haven’t we accomplished our work with girls? Haven’t we ‘been there, done that?’ It’s 2010, for goodness sake!” I respond, “When was the last time you sat in a middle or high school classroom?” Because for as far as we have come, we still have a long way to go. And I know that the 15 year old who, after one semester of an all girls program, is just now beginning to find her voice, is finding so much more. The impact she, and other members of her class, will make in their homes, schools and communities, excites me. Their perspective, a can-do attitude, democratic and collaborative, hard-working, community and environmentally minded, with strong intention about who they are and who they want to become – excites me for the world they are entering. The world needs these girls and others like them.

“Oh, to be 15 again!” exclaims nearly every woman over 30 who crosses our threshold. And when I tell them that programs for women are also in the works here, there is a twinkle in their eye, a bit of apprehension, and plenty of anticipation. Keep in touch, women of ALL ages – there is more to come!

For more information, about Coastal Studies for Girls and their upcoming semester long programs, please visit http://www.coastalstudiesforgirls.org/. You’ll also find the Student Gallery where portions of the Pioneer Class and their End of Semester Reflections are gathered.

Brenda Conlan - Alcohol and Other Drug Educator

I wrapped up my school year at a girls school where I facilitated an interactive 8th grade student/parent evening that was a wild success. The activity is fascinating, as families are put into discussion groups about alcohol/drug issues with other people’s family members – the results are astonishing. It is delightfully freeing to talk about this topic with someone else’s mom or child – you can truly listen without that emotional investment you have in your own person. As the groups finish and return to the auditorium, the students are running around frantically asking, “was my dad weird in the group? Who had my mother?” The answers are so sweet and reassuring: “We had your mom in our group; she was so funny and nice!” Whew, once the kids realize that their parents didn’t misbehave, they relax and are enthusiastic about how interesting it was to hear from other adults on this vast and confusing issue…Generally, parents focus on safety and describe the fear that their child could end up hurt or damaged in some way. Hearing another parent package the same message in slightly different language or a new anecdote is refreshing and comforting for kids. I will often say, “raise your hand if you found out your parents are normal tonight!” Many hands slowly and reluctantly go up…The questions used in the groups are meant to promote honest dialogue and not put any one on the spot. I beg parents to approach the kids from their vulnerability as parents and not lecture or “educate” the students. I never have to guide the students; they just intuitively know what to do and are glad for an opportunity to hear something other than the Surgeon General’s Warning from adults.

I already mentioned that it was a brilliant evening. I would have just walked away feeling fine about the evening and not given it any more thought it hadn’t been for a comment from an adult. When we re-gather as a large group, I always ask for people to speak about what they will take away from their group discussion. An older woman who is raising her granddaughter said something provocative and very true. I have actually been thinking about it ever since. These are not her exact words, but this is essentially what she said: “The girls in our group were lovely, smart and articulate. They said all the right things and gave countless reasons to abstain from illegal drug use and underage drinking. They all speak as if they will never get involved in any of it. Yet there are lovely, smart, articulate high school aged girls involved in drinking and other drug use – how do we go deeper with this conversation, so it’s not just people saying the right things, but actually living well and avoiding harmful behaviors throughout their lives?” I have been doing this work for a long time and I still have many more questions than answers when it comes to teen behavior. The only thing I feel sure of is that the answer to that grandmother’s question lies in relationships. It’s relational – I feel that relationships are the access point to kids, starting with their relationships at home. The people I know who don’t abuse substances or have quit abusing them often say they are preserving something important – they recognize that drug use and all that goes along with it will interfere with their relationship to ______ (fill in the blank).

I am not discounting how compelling, sexy, edgy and attractive alcohol/drug use is made to seem in our culture – think of all the messages kids receive on social media sites that we adults aren’t even aware of. What we do see on TV and in movies is aggressive enough and it is terrifying to think that there is a whole online world that isn’t on our radar screen. Only something real and valuable, like human interaction can compete with all of that.

Marymount School NYC student using mobile technology in the classroom

In his book Rewired: Understanding the iGeneration and the Way They Learn, professor and author Larry D. Rosen states “iGeners are growing up with portable technology. But I look as the little ‘I’ as reflecting the individualized culture.” Portable technology can take on many forms in education, including a 1:1 laptop program or the integration of smartphones and other mobile technology into the curriculum. No longer are our students sitting behind a desk with an open textbook, reviewing the “end of the chapter problems” on stoichiometry. They are blogging, commenting, sharing; they are accessing multimedia, multitasking and evaluating. Whether they are commuting on the subway on the way to school; hanging out in social spaces within school or sitting on the bench at sports practices, how our students access, interpret and respond to knowledge is rapidly changing. And its changing at a rate at which educators often cannot keep up with.

At Marymount, we have taken several steps to integrate mobile technology into our curriculum. We also tip our hat to the Atlanta Girls’ School, whose nationally recognized technology program was the impetus for our foray into mobile technology. We developed our program, the Marymount Mobile Computing Initiative, through the lens of research on how girls learn. Cognizant of the 2009 UCLA study, which noted that girls’ school graduates have more confidence in mathematics and computer abilities, and further supported by the 2010 AAUW report, which suggested that there has been an increase in the number of women in STEM careers, we sought to create a program that would allow girls to interact in an environment of interconnectedness while using a wide range of instructional strategies. The goals of this initiative were also fully in line with the Marymount Model of STEM education: an interdisciplinary focus, supported by technology, pedagogically-sound resources, all under the umbrella of a real world context.

Phase I of the initiative focused on the integration of mobile technology in two Advanced Placement courses: French Language and Physics C: Mechanics. Students in each class were given an iPod Touch for use during the school year. In AP Physics C: Mechanics, the curriculum was supported by pedagogically-sound Apps from the iTunes Store. For example, the study of oscillations was enhanced by the MassSpring app, a basic physics lab in which a block is attached to an ideal spring; students could then investigate the influence of the mass of the block and the spring constant, for example, on simple harmonic motion. Using the Newton’s Cradle app, students could investigate Newton’s Third Law and Conservation of Momentum. These Apps were used to supplement the curriculum and did not replace the required lab activity. However, the students were able to complete the activities “anytime, anywhere.” Moreover, students were able to access a variety of physics-related podcasts found on iTunes as well as additional teacher-produced, interactive podcasts.

In AP French Language, students used Twitterific and TweetMike to further develop their speaking, listening and comprehension skills in the target language. For example, on a weekly basis, the teacher would “Tweet” the link to an article on French culture found in LeFigaro or Paris Match. Students would then read the article on their iPod Touch and, using TweetMike, produce an audio recording or “TweetCast” that included a response in the target language. Students were also able to Tweet their peers the links to any article, audio or video file as well as access current events and other content in French on through a variety of apps, including Radio24 and TV5.

The student response to the use of the iPod Touch in the classroom has been very positive. Students commented:

• I am a visual learner so being able to conduct basic demos of physics concepts made learning more dynamic and enhanced my basic understanding.
• I appreciated being able to access course material and podcasts at any time.
• All of the French radio apps allowed me to listen to French in real time. It definitely improved my listening comprehension and speaking
• The iPod Touch is a terrific way to learn a language!

Planning of phase II of the Mobile Computing Initiative, for 2010-2011, is currently underway. Students in AP Biology will receive an iPod Touch, which will allow them to access teacher-produced and student-produced course-related podcasts and vodcasts. Students in Atmospheric Science will use the iPod Touch to become “Mobile Meteorologists,” in which they will be able to access current weather information and numerical model data to remotely write and produce audio forecasts for the school community here in New York as well as for our sister school in Los Angeles.

Perhaps the biggest paradigm shift, though, in education is the introduction of the iPad. The iPad provides a new education platform for both teachers and students. While some may argue that the iPad allows for people to consume media and not create it, others contend that the iPad will further enhance and drive the interactive nature of education. Marymount faculty has already embraced the iPad as part of the faculty pilot program this spring.

In the fall of 2010, the iPad will be integrated into our curriculum in all divisions. This additional strand of the Mobile Computing Initiative comes after careful consideration and evaluation by the faculty. As Larry Cuban suggests, “One reason technology integration has historically failed in schools is because technology is initiated with a top-down approach, in which administration forces certain technologies on teachers, and teachers force these same technologies onto students.”

To support the integration of the iPad into the curriculum, Marymount faculty is being given the opportunity to be iPad Innovators this summer. Participating faculty will receive an iPad for the summer, with the overarching goal to redesign a course curriculum using Apps available for the iPad. So far, potential redesigns of Lower School Music, AP Statistics and Middle School Science have been proposed, among others.

The success of the Marymount Mobile Computing Initiative results from a thoughtful approach to technology integration and has given our students the opportunity for individualized, yet instructional avenues using portable technology.

As educators, one of our best practices in elementary schools is to give girls roles within the classroom or as part of the larger school community. From attendance person to doing calendar work and reminding students when it is time to clean up, there are so many ways for children to be exposed to what it means to be accountable and to take ownership of an important community responsibility. The study of leadership, past and present, are also spaces where leaders of all genders and backgrounds can be celebrated and analyzed for who and what they have done to contribute to a better world. As teachers of leadership though, it is my belief that forming leaders begins with the foundation of one’s growing identity and an increasing sense of confidence in who we hope to be, what we aspire to do, and how we communicate, interact with and respond to the daily trials and tribulations of life.

As I made the shift away from answering questions and focused more in determining what the essential questions are, some of them include the following:

1. How do I define, model, and teach leadership?
2. What stereotypes do children hold about what leaders do, who can become a leader, and how one gets there?
3. How do celebrities and the word “leadership” intersect in today’s media-laden world and what are the implications for students?
4. How do children’s attitudes and dispositions toward people and developmentally typical events inform their character and in turn the development of leadership?
5. Do I personally believe that leadership is inherited, nurtured or both? What are the implications of my beliefs?
6. As leaders, how do we connect to others locally and globally?

These are only a few of the questions that I have grappled with in my development of an 11 week leadership course for fifth grade girls, where we focus on authentic discussions and defining of the whats, whos, and hows of positive leadership. Some of the highlights of this class focus on team building, questioning our notions of leadership, engaging in different forms of communication (debate vs. dialogue), and developing an understanding of what it means to impact the world, on a small or larger scale. I invite others to share in their ideas, understandings, and questions about leadership, as we look toward defining our purpose and goals as educators of girls.