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…
Dr. John Austin is the Head of School at Deerfield Academy and the lead author of “Thriving in a World of Pluralistic Contention: A Framework for Schools.” The Framework was produced by a Task Force of Heads of School in partnership with the E.E. Ford Foundation. What follows is a conversation between John and R.E.A.L….
Name/Hometown: Sumner McCallie, Chattanooga, TN, McCallie School Current Role and School: Dean of Faculty & Curriculum at McCallie School in Chattanooga, TN. How did you learn about R.E.A.L.®? [R.E.A.L.® Founder] Liza Garonzik had presented at a conference, and our Middle School Principal came back and said, “you’ve got to be connected with her. She has…
Penny Austen is the founder of ThinkGive, a SEL program that helps students build character, confidence, and connection. What follows is a conversation between Penny and R.E.A.L. ® founder Liza Garonzik. This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity. Liza: Penny, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to have you, as…
R.E.A.L.® Discussion is a program that equips faculty to teach, measure, and celebrate discussion skills – which students use in the classroom, in the cafeteria, on the court, and, even, at the grocery store (said one sixth grade girl) and on dates (shared a ninth grade boy)! The system is based on the four R.E.A.L.®…
As Susan Cain, the author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, said in a now-famous TED Talk, “Our most important institutions – our schools and our workplaces – are designed mostly for extroverts and for extroverts’ need for lots of stimulation.” Indeed, in rejecting the lecture-based classes of…
Listening skills are critical for students of all ages. They matter for academics, friendship, and all relationships – and yet, most schools stop proactively teaching students how to listen after age eight! Even then: children are most often taught how to “listen-to-comply” rather than the art of true, deep listening. At R.E.A.L.®, we know that…
We are delighted to announce the winners of The Second Annual R.E.A.L. ® Discussion National Essay Contest! We invited the thousands of students who have used R.E.A.L.® this year to submit an essay exploring the differences between communicating in-person and on-screen. We asked for predictions about how Gen-Z will communicate in 10 years, and we…
Thank you to Holly Silberman for sharing her REAL life with us! Holly is a middle school English teacher at William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia. Here are her thoughts on discussion, R.E.A.L.®, and learning. Name/Hometown: Holly Silberman/Doylestown, Pennsylvania Current School: William Penn Charter School, where I teach sixth and eighth grade English. Can you…