First an acknowledgement:

In a recent newsletter, I credited Helen Foss for acquainting me with the term “Conceptual Redundancy.” What I neglected to add was that Rachel Lotan and Elizabeth Cohen deserve credit for that term. Conceptual Redundancy is at the heart of “Complex Instruction,” a program they developed at Stanford University that was used when Delaware was involved in a “Statewide Systemic Initiative.”

GENERATING DATA ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Recently, I had the privilege of working with Dr. Paul Vermette (Niagara University), Ted Werner (recently retired middle school principal, Lockport), a dedicated school improvement committee from the Malone Middle School, and a wonderful staff. I believe that the staff development day that all of the aforementioned teamed to design is one of the models that Linda Darling Hammond has been calling for as an “exemplar” of the new paradigm of staff development that is needed for our schools (Kappan, April, 1995).

In a future article, I will provide a narrative of what occurred on this staff development day, what steps preceded its design, and what follow-up is occurring. Right now I want to share a reflective form, which Dr. Vermette distributed to 25 students following demonstration lessons he conducted on Harriet Tubman, and mathematical measurements. (Staff selected the topics.)

Dr. Vermette (“Call me Dr. V,” he told the 25 middle school students) had conducted a highly interactive series of activities within the 38-minute timeframe of an actual class period in Malone. He had given students opportunities to rely on different multiple intelligences, and to work cooperatively, and he achieved the learning objectives for the lessons that had been suggested by teachers in the district.

During Q and A with the entire staff, Dr. Vermette was asked how he collected data to assess the quality of student learning. He cited numerous instances of student interaction and responses, which gave him valuable information, and then he shared this reflective form, which he distributed to students, and then collected, near the end of each lesson:

Name & Date:

1. Today, the topic we investigated was:

2. My teacher should give me 5 4 3 2 1 (circle one) bonus points today because:

3. One thing that I learned from my partner(s) was:

4. I was really interested to learn that:

5. The neatest thing that I did today was:

6. One thing that I am still wondering about is:

7. A song that will remind me of today is______because:

GENERATING STUDENT DIALOGUE

Recently, I wrote a piece on the difficulty many of us have generating meaningful student dialogue. I shared some strategies and asked for ideas. Here is a strategy submitted by Anne DeFiglio:

This is a strategy that I've used as a facilitator with adults when I've tried to get at the heart of an issue. It works. I suspect that it would work well with students also.

Seat students in a circle (or 2 concentric circles if space is an issue), face to face interaction being very important. (Or a large table such as a conference table.) They need a piece of paper and a pencil.

Give the directions in short spurts between the expected behaviors. (DO NOT SAY, "This is what we're gonna do. First, this, then, this, then this, then this, then this - doomed to fail.)

Get students settled in a circle arrangement with their tools. If the rearrangement of the room was hectic, instruct all to take a deep cleansing breath.

Pose a meaty question to all students.

Give 1 full minute of "think time" for personal reflection about the question. (More or less time as appropriate.)

[Directions, "Students, here is a question for you. You have 1 full minute to silently reflect on a response to the question. I will be the timekeeper. Are there any questions about the process? The question is, " . . . ."]

Watch the clock and BE COMFORTABLE with the silence.

Ask each person to write down, in 1 sentence only, what they were thinking about the question. [Directions, "Now write down, in ONE SENTENCE ONLY, what you were thinking about the question."] Don't cue them to a particular perspective but, if necessary, let them know that ALL responses are acceptable - might be an answer to the question - might be a connection to something else - might be an emotional response, etc.

If questioned by the students about what to write, a response to them is, "Write from your personal perspective. What were YOU thinking about THIS question? There are no right or wrong answers." What are you thinking about the question? should be interpreted in the broadest manner possible.

Next, each person in the circle, in order (no jumping around-nobody gets off the hook), reads their sentence out loud with a minimum 5-second silence between readings. [Directions, "Let's put everyone's statement 'in the room.' You will read your sentence out loud and the next person will pause for 5-seconds before reading. There is no response from anyone until all statements are 'in the room.'"]

When all statements have been read, teacher directions are, "Everyone's statement has been read. Please respond to anything that you heard. When you respond, look at the person you are responding to, and use that person's name. For example, "Tom, you said that you thought "da da da da." I thought that was interesting. Could you say some more about that?" Use each other's names, and do not look at me because you do not need my permission to speak."

The teacher sits in silence FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES! If you sit long enough, someone WILL speak. Sit long enough again and someone WILL speak again.

If the teacher's goals are to get the students to speak, the teacher DOES NOT become part of the conversation but becomes a moderator and an active listener. BITE YOUR TONGUE. When the conversation has run its course, the teacher then uses that information to direct the next part of the learning experience.

There is great power in silence. Our culture is so uncomfortable with silence that we do our students a disservice. They subconsciously know that we'll fill the gap, and we let them off the hook for deep thought and introspection.

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If
you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a
message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

Copyright (c) 2001, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
rights reserved.

This is the time of year that educators make decisions on what holidays should be reflected in displays, and in songs that are selected for winter concerts. Despite the separation of church and state, certain cultures and religions will be prominently on display much more than others. If we are sensitive to issues of diversity, we should, primarily, sympathize with the minorities whose culture and/or religion is ignored, right?

Wrong! I think we should feel sympathy for the students in the majority whose culture or religion is prominently on display, to the exclusion of others. Schools that provide representation for the rituals and traditions of minority students in their populations are, primarily, being sensitive to the needs of their minority students. Right?

Wrong. While their intention may be to show sensitivity to their minority students, they are, in fact, primarily, providing a benefit to all their students.

Let me explain.

Six years ago, I heard a highly educated individual indicate that people in Northern New York didn’t have to be as concerned about issues of diversity as people in Niagara Falls because, in this person’s words, “There is not as much diversity in the North Country of New York.” Let’s ignore the fact that this statement may not be true. If we assume it is true and there is little diversity in the North Country, I submit it is equally important, not less important, to address issues of diversity in the North Country.

What is my point?

When schools prepare for the holidays, some educators will be sensitive to the existence, within their population, of minorities, and may include decorations, displays, and songs that reflect the heritage of minority members. Many will not, or will give token recognition. But even those who do include meaningful representation for minority group traditions will do it for a reason that, in my opinion, is less important than what should be the real reason. They will do it out of sensitivity toward the minority population.

This is good as far as it goes. While many of us who are in minority populations appreciate it when a school recognizes our religion, heritage, or cultural background, often we don’t need it. We have been forced to prepare our children for life in the minority. Sometimes being in a minority is an advantage because we are forced to be sure that our children understand their heritage and take pride in it – we can’t rely on the outside world to do our teaching for us.

My concern is with the majority. Students in the majority in your school may not always live and work in an area where they are the majority. This becomes more true with every generation. How will a student who has been brought up surrounded by people who believe, celebrate, and pray as he/she does handle the situation if their first exposure to certain minorities occurs when the “minority” is in the majority and he/she is not?

As you plan your holiday displays, the agenda for the school concert, the announcements on the loud speaker, class lessons, and other activities that will connect students to the holidays, please think of the majority. Think of the disservice you do them if you limit displays, music, etc. to only that with which they are already familiar.

Several years ago, I walked through the lobby of the Clifton Fine School District and, I saw student created displays reflecting at least half a dozen different religions, traditions, and/or heritages. It occurred to me that it must give a wonderful feeling to a child of a minority persuasion to see his or her own traditions on display.”

Some of the displays were of practices by minorities in the Clifton-Fine District, and some were of practices and traditions of people not represented in the Clifton-Fine student or faculty population. “What a wonderful example this is,” I thought to myself, “for the majority of Clifton-Fine students who are learning about practices of races and religions that they will not experience in their own community. What wonderful preparation this is for the world that may lie ahead of them. What wonderful preparation it is for them, even if they remain in the local area, for interacting with people from diverse cultures who may come to their community. And what a loud and clear message is being sent by the school district when it gives equal space and attention to people and events of diverse origin.”

What I have never seen, but would love to, is a December concert in which every single song reflected the heritage or culture of a different people, whether those people were represented in the community, at the time, or not. Is this a pipe dream? Does anyone know of such an event? Has it happened? What a wonderful experience this would be for the children who are in the majority population. They will experience their own music, and traditions as they walk through town, turn on the radio, and reside in their homes. School should afford students the opportunity for new learning experiences, not simply exposure to what they already know.

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If
you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a
message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

Copyright (c) 2001, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
rights reserved.

“WORKING the ROOM”

Two weeks ago, I credited Beth Konkoski (Maryland) and Becky Buckingham, (Lisbon, (NY) for familiarizing me with the term “Working the Room.” It refers to the role of the teacher during a cooperative activity. I want to share a response from Orval Foraker of the Delaware (State) Department of Education, in which he cites examples of student success when teachers “Work the Room.” First, some information on how our paths crossed.

In June, 2000, I completed two years of intensive work with approximately fifty teachers, in four of Delaware’s largest districts, who were designing web site quality units that addressed Delaware’s new State standards. These units were required to utilize constructivist teaching strategies. At that time, the four districts which had engaged my services, and the Education Department agreed to have the State take over the project so that more educators could benefit. Mr. Foraker was placed in charge. We have enjoyed an e-mail correspondence since then. I am pleased that he will be visiting Potsdam in December to be interviewed by my three education classes at St. Lawrence, and he will also join us for the 2002 summer constructivist conference.

In a recent article about “Working the Room,” I indicated that when students are engaged in group work, it affords teachers more opportunities, in one class period, to identify “Teachable Moments,” then some teachers find in an entire school year. Every time a student asks a question, the teacher is able to individualize the response. As the teacher walks by a group, he/she often overhears information, or misinformation, which provides an opportunity for an intervention. Many times, because of the degree to which the student becomes engaged in the group activity, the asking of a question is creating a teachable moment.

Think, for a moment, of how a sports coach, or musical director, teaches. Is it mostly through lecture or is it by interventions when the players, or performers, are practicing? If you asked a coach, or musical director, to teach primarily by addressing the students as they sit passively in a classroom, wouldn’t you get an odd look? Their reply might be “I need to see them in action, see what they are doing right, and improperly, in order to put my points across.”

When a teacher generates pair or group work, the teacher is creating an opportunity to teach at the time that is most relevant to the student – while the student is performing. But the teacher misses golden opportunities (Teachable moments) if the teacher is not working the room. As with a coach, or musical director, sometimes working the room consists of silent observation. Sometimes it consists of active interventions. Sometimes, it results in lengthy lectures – but the lectures are given with respect to the performance that was observed. When the coach, or musical director, gives information, or a lecture, in response to student performance, the students have hooks to hang their thoughts on.

Orville Foraker works at the Department. of Education as a project manager for DelaWISE which stands for Delaware Web Based Instructional Support for Educators. Presently, he is a Teacher in Residence on loan from the New Castle County Vocational Technical School District. This is his third year. Here are the examples Mr. Foraker offered. The remainder of this article is in his words:

“Working the room provides a way to engage with the students not only to find out if they are following directions but to differentiate the instruction. Informal assessments of verbal, emotional and critical thinking skills, depending on the task, abound in a “working the room” group activity. If, as the teacher, you move into the environments you created, within each group, the feedback is right there with respect to how well you explained the task. Fascinating things happen in those groups.

I walked by a group of special education students putting together their group presentation for the next day connected to some historical research on a theme. I think the theme was civil rights landmarks in the 19th century. What I found out by working the room was that one group member was not sure he would be in school the next day. The other members of the group were trying to talk him into coming.

This student was very nervous, as you can imagine, about getting in front of the class. They even said to him they would pay him cash, five dollars, if he showed up the next day. The end of the story is he showed up and did his part and didn't want the cash.

In another group I heard a student express extreme concern about getting in front of the group. End of story, she did it and then later in the year was asked if she would create and then participate in a VICA speech contest. Another teacher told me that she was amazed by not only this student's willingness to do it, but that she said it would be easy because she already had done something like this in Mr. Foraker's room. Yes!...........

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If
you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a
message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

Copyright (c) 2001, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
rights reserved.

Read the verse at the bottom of this article. It was written by nine students, ages 11 to 18, who spent a week at our summer constructivist conference writing and illustrating a book of original poems.

There are twenty pages in the student published book entitled “Fusion.” There is also a two-page description of the constructivist teaching strategies used by the two teachers who facilitated the students’ work.

For your color copy (five pages and the cover are in color, as originally designed by the students), please send a check for $10 to:

Institute for Learning Centered Education, c/o Don Mesibov, 414 Bagdad Road, Potsdam, NY 13676.

The $10 covers the exact cost of the book and part of the cost of postage. The Institute makes no profit; in fact, we absorb most of the mailing costs. For a black and white copy, send a check for $4.

I thought Thanksgiving Day was appropriate for sending out this notice. I give thanks for the opportunities afforded me to be involved with so many wonderful people (all of you) engaged in the process of preparing future generations for the world that lies ahead. Seeing what students have accomplished with this illustrated poetry book is more than enough reason to give thanks. Please help me thank the children by ordering their book. You’ll enjoy it. The teaching strategies that are described can be used in classrooms or at home.

Here is the first part of a poem written by all nine students. For the rest of this poem, and the entire book, mail in your check ($10 for color, or $4 for black and white).

People listen!
We are the future, your future.
We are complex, young and confused by you.
We are only human.

Learning, destined to become adults; we are unique.
We are what we are.
We feel confused by you, but you can help us,
controlled, but you can free our minds,
confined, but you can release us.

We feel comfortable when you put us together in groups,
challenged when you make us think
curious when you show us something new.
Trust us, we have minds.

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If
you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a
message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

Copyright (c) 2001, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
rights reserved.

A few weeks ago, I shared a Reflective Form, which Dr. Paul Vermette uses to elicit data from students, following group work, in order to aid in his assessment of what they have learned. Here is a response from resource room teacher Frank Pickus of Gloversville, a facilitator at our 2001 summer constructivist conference:

I think Paul's written Reflective Form is excellent. In our institution, we teachers have been so programmed to elicit empirical data that is easily measured, we often throw out the baby with the bathwater by not using our COMMON SENSE. Student reflection (written or verbal) is one of the strategies that can be used so well (I think) in Resource Room. Actually getting students to a point in honest conversation where they can tell you if they understand something -or not.
saves so much time.

Unfortunately our state requires hard, MEASURABLE, data on IEPs. We have lost the option of citing teacher observation, or student verbal response (unless we can provide countable data) when analyzing growth and progress toward stated goals. Perhaps I will be able to use something akin to Paul's quick response form.

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If
you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a
message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

Copyright (c) 2001, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
rights reserved.

A unique experience in professional development occurred in Malone on October 26. A teacher summed it up, at the end of the day: “The faculty actually talked about ‘Good Teaching’ for a full day.”

In a subsequent newsletter, I will print a narrative of the entire day, a template that could be used in any district. As you read this summary, think of these words from Linda Darling-Hammond and Milbury McLaughlin in KAPPAN, April, 1995:

“Teachers learn by doing, reading, and reflecting (just as students do); by collaborating with other teachers; by looking closely at students and their work; and by sharing what they see. This kind of learning enables teachers to make the leap from theory to accomplished practice. . . .”

Notice how many of the paradigm shifts called for by Darling-Hammond and McLaughlin were present on October 26, in Malone. Keep in mind that the single most important factor in the success of the day was the hard work of the school improvement committee for six months preceding the event.

The SCENE: The gymnasium at Malone Middle School; 60 teachers are in the bleachers; 25 randomly selected middle school students are in desks, arranged in rows, on the floor of the gymnasium. The principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent, some parents, and some board of education members are with the teachers in the bleachers.

7:50 - Principal welcomes everyone, introduces school improvement committee (which is responsible for planning the day), welcomes parents (who were invited to participate) introduces board members and guest facilitators. Each participant is handed a folder that contains a copy of the learning cone, research citations on how people learn, a user-friendly graphic of the multiple intelligences, and an agenda for the day.

7:55 - Don Mesibov briefly (5 minutes) cites research on how people learn.

8:00 - Dr. Paul Vermette of Niagara University asks 60 Malone teachers to turn to the person next to them and list three or more characteristics of how people learn.

8:05 - Dr. Vermette facilitates group sharing and records five characteristics of how people learn (offered by the teachers in the bleachers).

8:10 - Then each participant is handed a sheet of paper with a list of the three characteristics Dr. Vermette feels are most important to student learning:

1. We take information and use it (example: The teacher shares information about famous people and asks me to write about them).

8:15 - Dr. Vermette conducts a 38-minute lesson (the actual length of class periods at the school) on Harriet Tubman. The learning objective, proposed by a Malone middle school teacher, is to familiarize students with Harriet Tubman and have the students record a journal entry.

8:53 - The teachers, and nine undergraduates from St. Lawrence University, go across the hall to the cafeteria and begin work in pre-assigned groups of six. Groups are facilitated by members of the school improvement team, the principal, the assistant superintendent, and some of the SLU students. Each group of six is asked the same four questions, and responses are recorded on newsprint:

What, specifically, did Dr. Vermette do to allow students to utilize a variety of multiple intelligences ?

9:30 - Break

9:45 - Everyone returns to the gymnasium. Don Mesibov moderates and Dr. Vermette responds to some of the questions posed during the small group work as well as questions raised spontaneously by participating teachers.

10:05 - Dr. Vermette conducts a 38-minute lesson on Linear Measurements (proposed by a math teacher). PA announcements and students “programmed” to be disruptive help make the simulation more authentic.

10:43 - Groups of six reconvene in the cafeteria and address the same four questions as before, but in relation to this second lesson on Linear Measurements.

11:30 - Everyone returns to the gymnasium. Participants are asked how many had ever seen or used a jigsaw in the classroom. Five hands go up. Participants are asked how many had seen or used a carousel in the classroom. Three hands go up. It is indicated that most faculties have less than ten percent of staff that has ever used either of these strategies. Reference is made to a handout called the “Learning Cone” and research indicating we learn best that which we teach others. It is explained that jigsaws and carousels are strategies that enable a student to teach other students that which we want the student to learn.

11:45 - Don Mesibov and the Health Instructor, Anne Marie Brown, conduct a jigsaw in which students teach each other ten guidelines for good health and why these guidelines are important. As students participate in the jigsaw, on the gym floor, Dr. Vermette fields questions from the observing staff members (almost like a golf announcer whispering information as the golfers walk down the fairway). Participants cite the value of Dr. Vermette’s asides in their evaluations of the day.

12:15 - lunch

1:00 - Teachers return to their groups of six and are asked to reflect, as follows:

List some advantages to teaching through a jigsaw.

1:30 - Teachers participate in a carousel. Actually, four separate carousels are set up in the gym. In groups of three or four, teachers are asked to respond to the following questions:

What additional information do you need? (research, articles, etc)

1:45: - Everyone returns to the bleacher seats. Questions from participating teachers are fielded with regard to the jigsaw and carousel. Then Don Mesibov processes out the jigsaw and carousel. He asks some of the teachers who had indicated familiarity with these strategies to describe how they have used these strategies in their classrooms. Examples are given from several different disciplines in an effort to help teachers transfer the concepts they had observed during the staff development day into classroom usage.

2:00 - A few more questions are addressed (selected by the moderator with the intent of addressing what appear to be the most widespread concerns). Each teacher is asked to try a jigsaw within the next month and to share reactions on a feedback form, which is in the folder that was distributed at the start of the day.

2:10 - Dr. Vermette refers to the list of characteristics of good learning which the group identified at the start of the day and asks how many of these characteristics were addressed in his lessons.

2:15 - The principal asks the improvement committee to stand and be acknowledged, acknowledges several others, thanks the staff, and adjourns the session. Participants are told they will receive copies of what they recorded during the carousel and on the newsprint during the small group sessions.

2:30 - The Improvement Committee meets to review participant evaluations and discuss next steps.

November 8: the school improvement committee meets for an entire day to review feedback from the professional development day, and to continue development of their long-range action plans

Six weeks later: Dr. Vermette and Don Mesibov send the staff a list of all 65 questions that were posed at various times during the day (small groups, jigsaw), with Vermette and Mesibov’s responses in Q and A format. Also, school improvement team members report papers are going up on walls throughout the school as teachers try out the carousel activity with their students. The principal reports “The culture of our school is changing.”

The staff development day, in Malone, October 26, was a success because the professionals who work with our children were supported by their administers (building and central) were given adequate resources, and time, and were trusted to accomplish the task of creating a meaningful professional development day in the context of a long range plan for improving student achievement.

To Quote Pat Flynn: “If you don’t trust the people you ask to do the job, the job won’t get done.”

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If
you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a
message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

Copyright (c) 2001, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
rights reserved.

I had the privilege, recently, of working with four wonderful teachers from a school-within-a-school, the ALPS program in Far Rockaway New York. The ALPS program, for middle school students, is based on Outward Bound philosophies and the teachers have been engaged in our initiative under the Targeted Instructional Staff Development grant. We were discussing strategies for enabling students to take responsibility for their own learning, specifically a strategy suggested in “The Case for Constructivist Classrooms,” by Brooks and Brooks, wherein teachers are urged to let student responses drive lessons.

Laura Dimino offered this story to illustrate a strategy that had been successful for her. As soon as she mentioned the name of the student, Bobbie, and said that he often had difficulty achieving high grades, there were knowing nods from the other three teachers as Laura indicated, “Bobbie was not regarded as a dedicated student.”

Laura told us that, “During a biology lesson, Bobby came up to me and asked ‘Can a virus have a virus?’

“I thought for a moment,” Laura said, “and then I responded candidly, ‘Bobbie, I don’t know the answer, but I’d be really interested if you could find out for us. Would you do some research, ask some people, and then report to the class on what you find out?’

“A week later, Bobby came into class and indicated he was ready to report his findings. He took over the class and gave an excellent presentation, complete with explanations, examples, and diagrams. The rest of the class paid close attention, learned a great deal, and gave Bobbie the respect his efforts warranted.”

As Laura related Bobbie’s story and told of how proud Bobby was of what he’d accomplished and how his classmates reacted, I felt as if I could picture Bobbie strutting his stuff out of class, down the hallway.

The “Learning Cone” informs us that we learn best that which we teach others. Bobby not only was a demonstration of this point, but he received so much more for his efforts than simply the content he had learned.

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If
you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a
message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

Copyright (c) 2001, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
rights reserved.

At our recently concluded 9th constructivist conference, ELA teacher Beth Konkoski-Bates and Art student Linda Konkoski facilitated nine students as they wrote poetry and designed their own illustrations for their recently published book.

The following poem, written by all nine of the students, was published in August. I thought it was fitting to reprint it. I intend to heed the students’ words as I develop my resolutions for 2002. Wishing you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

PEOPLE LISTEN!

We are the future, your future.

We are complex, young and confused by you.

We are only human

Learning, destined to become adults,

We are unique.

We are what we are.

We feel confused by you, but you can help us.

controlled, but you can free our minds

confined, but you can release us.

We feel connected when you put us together in groups

challenged when you make us think

curious when you show us something new.

Trust us, we have minds.

We need

To move around

To stretch our bodies and our minds.

Make time for our questions,

Time to see us one-on-one.

We need you to trust

Our senses,

Our hands.

We need to trust you

With our opinions and ideas.

We need to feel safe.

Written by: Suliman Abdul-Sabur, Tess Amberg, Kelly Benvenuto, Danialah Carter, Jaclyn Maynard, Raina Mesibov, Eamon Miller-Kemp, Kyle Pulsifer-Spicer, and Kaleigh Thomas

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If
you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a
message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

Copyright (c) 2001, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
rights reserved.