Want to build a discussion skills program?
Last week, we were thrilled to welcome friend-of-R.E.A.L.® Jeff Wetzler to give a keynote presentation to our intrepid R.E.A.L.® educators. Jeff, the former Chief Learning Officer of Teach for America, is the co-founder of Transcend, an organization that strives to support school communities as they create extraordinary, equitable learning environments, and the author of Ask:…
by Emily Gromoll and Izzy Guiliano One of the ways teachers (and students) gauge growth in discussion skills as part of the R.E.A.L.® Discussion process is through the Student Survey and R.E.A.L.® Data Dashboard. Prior to starting R.E.A.L.® and every three discussions thereafter, students take a short, anonymized survey in which they report on their comfort…
It’s clear that AI will have a role in the future of schools – and teachers are (perhaps surprisingly) receptive to that idea. A 2023 Walton Family Foundation survey found that 61 percent of teachers see legitimate educational uses for ChatGPT. In our conversations with R.E.A.L.® faculty grappling with the impacts of ChatGPT on class…
Grant Lichtman is a renowned thought leader on the transformation of K-12 education who works with educators to develop a comfort and capacity for change in a rapidly changing world. Grant spent two years on a cross-country journey exploring deep wells of cultural wisdom that our tech-centered culture has eroded. What follows is a conversation…
Name: Hannah Higgin Hometown: Wallingford, CT Current School & Teaching Assignments: History Department Chair at the Westover School in Middlebury, CT. Describe yourself as a student in three words: Curious, studious, and engaged. Who was your favorite teacher and why? I loved my high school English teachers. Two who meant the most to me are…
Every teacher of young people today knows that, in many cases, the kids are not alright. Anxiety and depression are at an all-time high, cancel culture runs rampant, and many young people spend more time conversing on-screen than they do in-person. As educators, what can we do? How can we arm students with the skills…
Kids these days. Adults have been shaking their heads and repeating that phrase about younger generations for…generations. It’s as true today as it ever was, and the kids of Gen Z – who’ve grown up as digital natives, during a global pandemic, at the cusp of an AI boom – can sometimes seem impenetrable to…
Name/Hometown: Patrick Farmer, Newton, Massachusetts Current Role and School: Sixth grade lead teacher at Nativity Preparatory School of Boston. How did you learn about R.E.A.L.®? I used to work at Shady Hill School, where Liza had done her teacher training. One of Liza’s mentors is also one of my mentors, and she saw that we…
As we head back to school, questions and concerns regarding AI’s role in students’ lives resurface. In an AI world, what do students actually need to learn? How should they communicate? Is class discussion still relevant? Our short answer: yes! Especially in a world dominated by machines that serve individual needs, discussion skills are a…
This summer, we were delighted to welcome another amazing group of interns to the R.E.A.L.® team. As the summer draws to a close, our interns are heading back to college campuses – and after eight weeks spent thinking, breathing, and living discussion, they have new approaches to in-person conversation. We asked four of our interns…
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