\n
\n
This website is designed to support Teacher Leaders, and other leaders, as they explore selected, some recent and some quite historical, proven, often neglected, and powerful approaches to the improvement of\u00a0learning – approaches such as: the teaching of the arts, then, the use of the arts, character development, and collaborative relationships for\u00a0the continuous improvement of learning, for teachers and students…for\u00a0transformation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
The teaching of the arts, and the intentional development of good character, first done for their own sake, but also then used as tools to create a better learning culture for students and teachers, and also used as tools for whole school transformation, is exactly what this website is designed to facilitate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Much of the detailed support material is located within the ‘Courses, Modules & Prompts’ with access to some courses gained by assigned ID and passwords, but each section contains a ‘Sampler’ of learning prompts, which needs no password.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Hands-On, and Much More — Head, Hands, Heart & Spirit – Why the word ‘systems’ in BenjaminSystems you might ask?\u00a0 Finishing my undergraduate degree in 1964 I did a self-study project on General Systems Theory (see Resources) ideas which I never really left.\u00a0 Then many years later I was pointed toward The Fifth Discipline and Systems Thinking in the learning organization.\u00a0 Thinking of a classroom or a school as a learning organization, and as a system, with many parts acting together for a purpose helped in understanding and in guiding continuous improvement.\u00a0 Then, seeing that the relationship between the parts was as important as the parts themselves brought even more insights, and suggested even more tools.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
One application of systems thinking simply helps us remember that providing a ‘hands-on’ dimension almost always strengthens cognitive learning, adding touch and the other senses<\/u> to the reasoning done by the ‘head’\u00a0 and that any further extension involving the emotions or the ‘heart’ provides further strengthening.\u00a0 When the ‘spirit’ can also be invoked, involving meaning connected to a purpose larger than one’s self, one gets the benefit of a more complete learning system.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Teaching the arts, then using arts integration and interdisciplinary approaches, and adding a character development dimension, all done in appropriate ways and at appropriate times, generally creates and enhances the above more complete system.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]This website tends toward a personal \/ professional perspective, and remains in a developmental stage…(a ‘sloppy copy’ needing help)…so, comments and suggestions are very welcome.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
It is pretty personal because I am heading into\u00a0that age (OK…I am well\u00a0into that age) when keeping track of the details of complex projects is increasingly difficult.\u00a0 The website is, therefore, one of my prosthetic devices…..[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]\n
Companion Websites:<\/strong><\/u><\/b><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
BenjaminSystems.com<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/li>\n
Schools and Projects<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/li>\n
Arts Integrated \/ Character Development Units<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/li>\n
Masterworks….Universal Concepts….Big Ideas….Essential Questions<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/li>\n
A companion website, just being developed and providing support for most of the initiatives here, is to be found at BenjaminSupportSystems.com<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Please get in touch to offer ideas and comments….<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
Character & Invitational Education projects:\u00a0 rbenjamin@character.org<\/a><\/li>\n
Arts Integration projects: r ichard@artsnowlearning.org<\/a><\/li>\n
School Transformation projects:\u00a0 richardbenjamin7@gmail.com\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]\n
More Good Examples:<\/strong><\/b><\/u><\/i><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
But wait, there are more real data, with numbers, not just relying on our observations of the percent of people using the stairs? more…<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/li>\n
Here is a brief ‘Chalk Talk’ giving a glimpse of the big picture. more…<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/li>\n
Or, perhaps you would like an overview and a comprehensive resource of a specific example of the use of the arts to foster academic achievement. See the video on OMA (Opening Minds Through the Arts), and also review their OMA Grade-Level Instruction Rubric and the listing of OMA Instructional Practices, in the list of PDA resources below the video. more…<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/li>\n
Arts Integration School Implementation Rubric<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/li>\n
Finally, a clear description, from Edutopia, of a much-needed student-centered approach.<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/li>\n
More on the People and the Painting ‘The School of Athens’<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/li>\n
Hamilton and Teaching Goals<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]John Trumbull<\/a>‘s Declaration of Independence<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 The painting is often described as the “Signing of the Declaration of Independence”, but this is an error. The painting actually shows the five-man drafting committee<\/a> presenting their draft, an event that took place on June 28, 1776, and not the signing of the document, which took place later.[2]<\/a><\/sup>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Sunday, March 31, 2013<\/strong><\/p>\n
Administrative & Teacher Leadership: Guiding the Culture<\/strong>Two recent articles suggest two different ‘cultures’ to be considered, one separating ‘managers’ from teachers in order to make the new teacher evaluation systems effective, and one urging ‘more training – not just on academics – but also on how to build relationships and support for learning among staff and students.’<\/p>\n
The common insight seems to be that successful transformation involves more than a checklist of best practices, it involves the establishment and maintenance of an appropriate culture.<\/p>\n
The first, building on the observation that the new teacher evaluation systems do not seem to be accomplishing much because 98% of the teachers are identified as good or outstanding.\u00a0 This is taken as proof that either the student achievement standards are being set too low or that the principal observations are too generous, because ‘<\/p>\n
Principals, who are often responsible for the personal-observation part of the grade, generally are not detached managerial types and can be loath to give teachers low marks. \u201cThere\u2019s a real culture shift that has to occur and there\u2019s a lot of evidence that that hasn\u2019t occurred yet,\u201d<\/p>\n
It appears that the shift that is needed is for principals to become more ‘detached managerial types’ so they will be more inclined to give teachers low marks.<\/p>\n
This article, from the March 30,2013 New York Times, entitled “Curious Grade for Teachers – Nearly All Pass” accurately points out an important positive of the new teacher evaluation systems – namely that:<\/p>\n
“teachers are no longer rated simply on \u201cclassroom management\u201d and \u201cplanning,\u201d but rather on 60 specific elements, including \u201cengaging students in cognitively complex tasks involving hypothesis generation\u201d and \u201ctesting and demonstrating value and respect for low expectancy students.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perhaps the advocates for the new teacher evaluation system would benefit from considering the advice from the second article, from the March 6, 2013 Education Week, “Principals Lack Training in Shaping School Climate.”\u00a0 Here the emphasis seems directly out of the transformational, Ethical, Invitational approach advocated by this website, involving the nurturing of trust and being intentiona about the development and maintenance of high quality human relationships.<\/p>\n
Perhaps some readers will take a closer look at the original articles and offer some observations from their experience……[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n
\n
The School of Athens by Raphael <\/strong>(Above)
\n<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
This painting is a highly useful Masterwork…..Providing a ‘hook’ for several major concepts and ideas…..perspective, vision\/current reality, balance, learning by the senses\/learning by reason, philosophy, and more.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
This web site is designed to support those who are working toward school transformation through teacher leadership,collaboration, learning about what works, arts integration, and character development.\u00a0 It is aimed at our personal and professional development, individually and as we work collaboratively.<\/div>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”BenjaminSystems.com Boosting Student Engagement, Knowledge, Skills & Character” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:28|text_align:center|color:%232860a0″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Welcome – This is a personal & professional website, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","pmpro-has-access"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/Pahii4-2","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":42,"url":"https:\/\/benjaminsystemssupport.com\/whats-new-how-to-use-this-website\/","url_meta":{"origin":2,"position":0},"title":"Who Am I?\/What’s New & How to Use This Website?","author":"support_fa28","date":"June 20, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=\"Who Am I? - (Read My Bio below) But the big question 'Who am I?' for each of us, is more generally of concern in this website, as you will see. \" font_container=\"tag:h2|font_size:24|text_align:center|color:%232860a0\" link=\"|||\"][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] How to use this website?\u00a0 Browse to items of interest, click on underlined items for\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":58,"url":"https:\/\/benjaminsystemssupport.com\/prompts-modules-courses\/","url_meta":{"origin":2,"position":1},"title":"Prompts, Modules & Courses","author":"support_fa28","date":"June 20, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=\"Prompts, Modules & Courses\" font_container=\"tag:h2|font_size:24|text_align:center|color:%232860a0\"][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Welcome\u00a0 Please simply choose the prompt, module or\u00a0course that I have suggested to you. \u00a0 For 'prompts' no password is required, and they are designed to be completed in less than 20 minutes when working individually, or in one planning period when working in\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":38,"url":"https:\/\/benjaminsystemssupport.com\/starting-or-continuing-your-journey\/","url_meta":{"origin":2,"position":2},"title":"Starting or Continuing your Journey","author":"support_fa28","date":"June 20, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=\"Getting Started...Or.... Moving Further Along The Path That Brought You Here....\" font_container=\"tag:h2|font_size:24|text_align:center|color:%232860a0\"][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] A key thing is to make a new commitment to yourself, and to your own continuous learning, and reaching your own highest potential (intellectually, psychologically, spiritually, socially, and physically) because modeling this for students is perhaps the\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":44,"url":"https:\/\/benjaminsystemssupport.com\/arts-integration\/","url_meta":{"origin":2,"position":3},"title":"ARTS INTEGRATION","author":"support_fa28","date":"June 20, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=\"Arts Integration\" font_container=\"tag:h2|font_size:24|text_align:center|color:%232860a0\"][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] \u201cArt is the most effective mode of communications that exists.\u201d \u2015 John Dewey [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Video: Arguments for Arts Integration Art For Children's Sake - A+ Schools Model, and more..... Why Arts Education in Important and Who is Doing it Best? The Various Arts: Visual Arts, Music, Dance,\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":66,"url":"https:\/\/benjaminsystemssupport.com\/other-working-papers-projects\/","url_meta":{"origin":2,"position":4},"title":"Other Working Papers & ‘Projects’","author":"support_fa28","date":"June 20, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=\"Other Working Papers & 'Projects'\" font_container=\"tag:h4|font_size:24|text_align:center|color:%232860a0\"][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] While my professional mission is to support a few key groups of teacher leaders, and student leaders, as they support their colleagues and their organizations, I liked discovering that philosophers can be identified, and differentiated, by their 'projects' or what they mostly thought\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":46,"url":"https:\/\/benjaminsystemssupport.com\/character-education\/","url_meta":{"origin":2,"position":5},"title":"CHARACTER EDUCATION","author":"support_fa28","date":"June 20, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=\"Character Education\" font_container=\"tag:h2|font_size:24|text_align:center|color:%232860a0\"][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] 'Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.' - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Good schooling provides an opportunity to encourage the development of good character, and good character enables better schooling -\u00a0the establishment of a high-quality learning environment, and the pursuit\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/benjaminsystemssupport.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/benjaminsystemssupport.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/benjaminsystemssupport.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benjaminsystemssupport.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benjaminsystemssupport.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/benjaminsystemssupport.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":563,"href":"https:\/\/benjaminsystemssupport.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2\/revisions\/563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/benjaminsystemssupport.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

<\/h2>\n <\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n