I am starting this blog to chronicle the educational development of my children. I recently completed a PhD in what would most appropriately be termed Learning Science in 2010 with an emphasis in Psychometrics (test development and evaluation). I completed my degree at the University of Texas in Austin. My program tied with Harvard for #2 in the country. I needed only only 9 more credit hours to complete a dual PhD (to include psychometrics). We moved to Philadelphia due to my husband's job before I had time to take the additional coursework.
I originally pursued doctoral study to learn the research skills necessary to explore a unique learning model I have been practicing the last 15 years referred to as the Morningside Model of Generative Instruction. With this unique model, students labeled with various mild to moderate "disabilities" will average over two grade level gains in one academic school year with no homework included. Students without any learning constraints typically learn much faster. The model is comprised of evidence-based BEST practices in teaching and learning - no weird gimmicks... just a science-based approach to professional practice similar to the course required by the field of medicine. To follow this example, a doctor's promises that s/he can cure a child's severe illness with a regime focused on enhancing the child's self-concept or having the child do a certain yoga pose isn't good enough. I want the best treatments supported by scientific evidence for my family. The best medical treatments. And the best educational treatments. Period. Life is too short and too precious for anything less.
After completing a Fulbright research grant in Peru, I taught fulltime at Morningside's laboratory school in Seattle for one year. My students carried disabilities that included Aspergers Syndrome, Tourette's Syndrome, ADD/ADHD, Learning Disabled, and Oppositional Defiant. By the end of the school year, my students posted the highest average gains across the elementary and middle school programs in reading (+2.5 grades), math (+2.8 grades), and writing (+4.1 grades) on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). These gains are attributable to the power of the model, rather than any unique feature of my teaching skill set. I'm confident that I could train any teacher or parent with a positive attitude and a decent work ethic to advance the academic proficiency of most kids by at least two grade level gains in a school year. Illiterate adults immersed in the model typically gain one grade level per 10 hours of instruction in a specific subject matter. I have not worked with adult learners yet, but am really looking forward to the opportunity.
I have successfully trained teachers in grades K-12 to apply this model in special and general education settings with tremendous success. Most recently, I worked with a middle school affiliated with the Cornerstone Schools in Detroit. By the end of the school year, the 7th grade students in one of the toughest neighborhoods in inner city Detroit averaged over 3 grade level gains in mathematics on the Test of Mathematical Abilities (TOMA) and tested at the 10th grade level on the Michigan state test called the MEAPS. Surprisingly, despite the incredible power of this model, it is extremely difficult to find educators or administrators that are interested in the outcomes. I've recently decided to take a break from beating my head against the wall and instead focus on working with my own children (20 months & 4 months). Not such a difficult decision given I recently moved to Moscow, Russia. This blog will chronicle my experiences teaching my children for now.. and we will see where it goes from there...
I originally pursued doctoral study to learn the research skills necessary to explore a unique learning model I have been practicing the last 15 years referred to as the Morningside Model of Generative Instruction. With this unique model, students labeled with various mild to moderate "disabilities" will average over two grade level gains in one academic school year with no homework included. Students without any learning constraints typically learn much faster. The model is comprised of evidence-based BEST practices in teaching and learning - no weird gimmicks... just a science-based approach to professional practice similar to the course required by the field of medicine. To follow this example, a doctor's promises that s/he can cure a child's severe illness with a regime focused on enhancing the child's self-concept or having the child do a certain yoga pose isn't good enough. I want the best treatments supported by scientific evidence for my family. The best medical treatments. And the best educational treatments. Period. Life is too short and too precious for anything less.
After completing a Fulbright research grant in Peru, I taught fulltime at Morningside's laboratory school in Seattle for one year. My students carried disabilities that included Aspergers Syndrome, Tourette's Syndrome, ADD/ADHD, Learning Disabled, and Oppositional Defiant. By the end of the school year, my students posted the highest average gains across the elementary and middle school programs in reading (+2.5 grades), math (+2.8 grades), and writing (+4.1 grades) on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). These gains are attributable to the power of the model, rather than any unique feature of my teaching skill set. I'm confident that I could train any teacher or parent with a positive attitude and a decent work ethic to advance the academic proficiency of most kids by at least two grade level gains in a school year. Illiterate adults immersed in the model typically gain one grade level per 10 hours of instruction in a specific subject matter. I have not worked with adult learners yet, but am really looking forward to the opportunity.
I have successfully trained teachers in grades K-12 to apply this model in special and general education settings with tremendous success. Most recently, I worked with a middle school affiliated with the Cornerstone Schools in Detroit. By the end of the school year, the 7th grade students in one of the toughest neighborhoods in inner city Detroit averaged over 3 grade level gains in mathematics on the Test of Mathematical Abilities (TOMA) and tested at the 10th grade level on the Michigan state test called the MEAPS. Surprisingly, despite the incredible power of this model, it is extremely difficult to find educators or administrators that are interested in the outcomes. I've recently decided to take a break from beating my head against the wall and instead focus on working with my own children (20 months & 4 months). Not such a difficult decision given I recently moved to Moscow, Russia. This blog will chronicle my experiences teaching my children for now.. and we will see where it goes from there...
