Trish King, GPS sixth grade history teacher, gestures as she explains to attendees the project-based learning adventure that her class and Kipton Tugman's science classes enjoyed
Five teachers and administrators from Girls Preparatory School presented skills for the 21st century – empathy, flexibility, risk-taking, and reflection – at the National Coalition of Girls Schools’ annual conference in Washington, D.C. in June. Not content to offer their expertise to others, they also attended sessions that offered professional development and ideas to bring back to their colleagues.
Trish King, history and social science teacher, and Kipton Tugman, science teacher, offered a workshop on “Investigation, Reflection, and Cooperation,” words they use to describe a project-based learning adventure that fused their separate science and social studies courses this past year. Using the medium of interdisciplinary experiences, they shared the progress and achievements they experienced using visible thinking, project-based learning, inquiry, and Human-Centered Design – while meeting departmental and grade level skills and content goals. Their presentation included protocols and essential questions for teacher planning as well as classroom activities for learners. They also shared an activity that brought all the stakeholders at Girls Preparatory School together to introduce their students to the history and culture of their school.
Dr. Ralph Covino, class dean and history teacher, presented “Girl-Centered Innovation: A Latin Story.” Responding to directives to innovate, to renew, and to refresh curricula in light of new research findings or technology, faculty are often asked to make lessons more meaningful, more relevant, and -- especially in the all-girl environment -- to make them more girl-centered. But what if there is little to nothing in the literature to act as guide? Dr. Covino’s session examined his departure from approaches to teaching and learning rooted in the most masculine of pedagogical traditions (Latin) through to the adoption of a more girl-centered style whose methodology is more firmly planted in the literature about how girls learn today.
GPS Head of School Dr. Autumn Graves and the GPS Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications Bilda Small spoke to a group about the entrepreneurial symposium Mad, Bad & Dangerous. Launched in 2015 by GPS, the program invited civic engagement and welcomed over 500 men, women, and girls from public and private schools to support girls in pushing the boundaries of the innovation economy. The program has evolved like the start-ups that GPS wants girls and women to create, expanding and refocusing and building brand identity so that it is accessible to schools and community organizations.