Every student is unique. We know this better than anyone and we’ve spent the last nine decades making it possible for this uniqueness to complement a top-quality education. Our students come from a variety of backgrounds, with their specific ways of learning, particular interests, and distinct aspirations. This individuality is celebrated by the flexibility and the choices they are able to make for themselves at Beekman.
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Popular wisdom says this generation of students is digitally native, and that they have facility with digital technology that people even of my generation (I’m just on the upper edge of millenial) don’t have. Indeed, in my household we had a family computer all through my years in high school. Cell phones were still relatively novel, and the iPhone was not even a twinkle in Steve Jobs’ eye. This difference in perspective led to my over-enthusiasm for introducing digital technology in the classroom.
I recently read an article in the Harvard Business Review entitled “6 Ways to Make the Most of Your Internship.” Even though this piece was intended for an audience of college students working as short-term summer interns, as a teacher of high school students, I was struck by how much of this advice should be taken to heart by teenagers. And so I offer my own “6 Ways to Make the Most of High School:”
It’s no secret to parents and educators that most students dislike the thought of summer ending and school starting up again. For some children it can manifest through the usual complaining and reluctance to wake up, while others can feel paralyzing fear also known as school refusal disorder - a condition that affects children of all ages, including high school students.
"Photomath” is an app. It's free. Its name alone conveys its purpose: take a picture of a math problem and the app will instantly provide you a step-by-step solution to it.
You’re in high school—hurray! It feels like a huge accomplishment to get through your first day (and it is—go you!), but there are some things to keep in mind as you start at a new school.
Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Figure out how much time it will take you to do your homework before you sign up for Student Council, Chess Club, and the yearbook staff. It’s great to be involved, particularly in a new school, and it can help you make new friends. But you don’t want to feel so overwhelmed that you feel like you can’t accomplish everything.
It had been a year since Angela stepped foot in a classroom. Her anxiety disorder had taken control of her daily routine and manifested in serious social and academic struggles, resulting in her being homeschooled – the only option that provided the flexibility and comfort she needed to successfully complete the school year. Over time, however, her desire to be part of something bigger than her immediate family circle, to build friendships and to grow as an individual, led to the decision to transition back to the classroom environment.
Now that middle school is coming to an end and students know where they will be attending high school next year, there is a little preparation that can be done this summer to help facilitate a comfortable, successful move to a new school this September. Fear, stress, and anxiety don’t have to be stumbling blocks even if they can’t be entirely removed.
Which brings me to my first point:
I’ve taught the course Audio Mixing Bootcamp for three years now. I used to allow the students a lot of leeway in their choice of sounds they used in their mixes. I mistakenly assumed that this freedom would lead to great results. Although one or two students were especially gifted, most students were too enamored with their process to the point their mixes meandered and wandered with almost no point to sound decisions or any developed idea. In order to get my students thinking and planning in a more effective way, I had to alter the projects.
In the age of selfies and 140 character social media posts, is the art of persuasive oration dead? Can a hashtag win the 2016 election? Do we want more than a soundbite? Sure, we can state our opinion, “I like (particular candidate),” but do we remember how to provide a reason for our claim and how to back up that claim with relevant evidence?