NDA is keeping on track by continually evaluating the latest trends in education and discerning what would support our students/Staff and families in the best way possible. The following are 5 of the top educational trends for 2019 (as per Teach Thought) that NDA has adopted and implemented.
Growth mindset is a tool for student learning and improvement. Students are taught to believe they can improve.
We empower our students to be creators. Our teachers provide opportunities to solve real-world problems by collaborating with their peers and using their critical thinking skills. Emphasis is placed on what is learned along the educational journey – not just on the final result. Project-based learning also allows our students a more personal choice in their education.
8th Grade: Student teams create a Rube Goldberg based machine, or contraption or invention or device or apparatus that uses a chain reaction to accomplish a very simple task in a very complicated manner.
7th Grade: Using scientific theory/methodology: create/develop solutions to worldwide dilemmas - Science Fair
6th Grade:
God’s Garden, 8th grade make masks, 3-d robots, and more.
Grade levels compose their own songs.
Our science resources (Amplify and Foss) support “a transformational approach to teaching and learning that attends to the real and relevant needs of learners and humans. It is an approach that positions agency and student interest at the center, asking students to become more aware of the design of the world around them, and begin to see themselves as people who can tinker, hack and improve that design.” Amplify is also project-based learning but with the addition of phenomena-based problems.
We are educating our students to be Digital Saints, who are aware of their own digital footprint, respect the footprint of others and be award of the content in their cyber community – not only in Digital Media class but across all content areas.
What to do if we see it, how to prevent it, etc. We acted out different scenarios, sort of have restorative circles about our experiences, etc.
Personalized learning is intended to facilitate the academic success of each student by first determining the learning needs, interests, and aspirations of individual students, and then providing learning experiences that are customized—to a greater or lesser extent—for each student.
The foundation of NDA’s educational philosophy is rooted in social/emotional learning. We teach the whole child by integrating our Catholic identity in all facets of the students’ day – both in the classroom and on the playground.