Vision Statement...
As we launch our
summer of preparations for our program's first year, Mr. Bloom and I thought
our first order of business should be to create a mission and vision statement
for the Social Justice Pathway. The idea is to articulate clearly where
we're going, why we exist, and what principles guide our decisions on our
journey. Cursory research tells us that vision statements should be comprehensive,
but concise and catchy enough that everyone in our organization can easily
explain it and remember it.
What is a Vision Statement? Vision statements "Function
as the "north star"--it is what all [students] understand their work
every day ultimately contributes towards accomplishing over the long
term."(1)
Without further ado, the Social Justice Pathway's north star:
Developing students
who assess, adapt, and act
in order to make
the world a better place.
Etymology tells
us that to "develop" means to "unfold", to
"unroll", and "to bring out latent possibilities".
Latent possibility is potential already within the student; service-based
learning gives students the chance to use and hone their unique abilities to
make a difference.
Social
Justice Pathway is all about the As....Assess--Adapt--Act
Assess: the
phase in which students use their critical thinking skills to identify the
nature of the problem before them and create initial plans. Adapt:
students use resources (personal, academic, social, etc.) and reflections
to alter plans as needed in real-time or in preparation for the next task.
Act: students execute their plans. Less an order of
operations than a series of guiding practices, Assess--Adapt--Act is already
present in a student's academic life. Consider the writing process for
instance; students must ASSESS the prompt, drawing up an initial
plan for completion in the form of a brainstorm and outline. Any draft
must be ADAPTed in the revising or editing stage, and drafting (rough
or final) demands ACTion. This balance of preparation,
action, and reflection hones skills of metacognition while simultaneously
ensuring students grasp the content and skills required by the Common Core.
--Erin Angell
Sneak Peek at
the next blog post...
Mission
Statement:
The Social
Justice Pathway is a three-year program featuring self-direction and
project-based learning in an interdisciplinary model rooted in community action
and collaboration. This program is for students interested in
empowerment, conviction and the passion to build a better world.
It's an opportunity for authentic education and experiential learning
beyond the high school walls.
Social Justice Pathway is all about the As....Assess--Adapt--Act
No comments:
Post a Comment