Friday, April 27, 2012

Key Practices of the Geometry in Construction Model


Often we are asked what are the key components of our program.  Many times, the inquirer is trying to figure out what parts of the program can they leave out and still get the desired results.  We have given much thought but have never been able to give the answer they are seeking.  Instead, we decided to just list our most important practices.  These practices are our compass...if a new situation/problem presents itself, we always return to this list to help make instructional and program decisions. 

Although these practices are found in many the the education reports and findings that are being published today, we believed in them before they were published in Pathways to Prosperity, High Schools That Work, etc.  We believe these practices are nothing more than what good teachers have been doing for years....we just decided to combine them into one class.  So here is our key practices.

·      All Kids
o   Cooperative Groups
o   Team Building
o   Peer Mentoring & Tutoring
o   Scaffold Learning
o   Under Represented Populations

·            Instructional Methods                                                           
o   CTE Driven
o   Math Contextualized
o   Math is Not Watered Down
o   Team Teaching
o   Kid Done- Kid Friendly Apprenticeship Learning
o   Active Learning
o   Accountability

·            Cultural Practice
o   21st Century Workplace skills
o   Small Learning Community
o   Parent Communication
o   Culture of Kid Success
o   Networking with the Community
o   Collaboration Between Teachers

·            Service Learning
o   Authentic Project
o   Self Funded
o   Engaging