CLEAR Program
(Communications,
Language Education, Arts & Reading)
Purpose Statement: Communication, Language, Arts and Reading are tremendously important in our social context. In fact, they define our social context. The philosopher Martin Heidegger wrote, "Existence is itself essentially linguistic." Articulate communication is the essence of both leadership and business. To be effective communicators, students must acquire basic language skills as well as opportunities to apply those skills to relevant tasks. They must also recognize the limitations of communication and learn to use multiple channels of representation in a coherent and expressive manner.
Philosophical Position: We believe that effective communication is the key to successful social interaction. We believe that it is important for all students to be able to understand and express ideas clearly using different mediums for a multiplicity of purposes.
Supporting Documentation: We live in an accelerated, technical age. The pace of advancement is exponential instead of incremental. Very few of us have the vision to even imagine what the future will look like 50 or 100 years from now. Our children will live in this world and be responsible for setting the course and deciding humanity's fate. The key to an enlightened future for all mankind lies with education. How will we prepare our children for this future? What foundation will we give them in knowledge, character, morality and skills? In a global economy, can America survive with declining values and educational skills?
The American educational system is in crisis! This was the consensus of our government in the 1983, when the Reagan administration published a report called, A Nation at Risk. "Our once unchallenged preeminence in commerce, industry, science and technological innovation is being overtaken by competitors throughout the world. The educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a nation and a people. If an unfriendly power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war. We have, in effect, been committing an act of unthinking, unilateral educational disarmament."
Communication of knowledge and skills is the process of education. The more effective communicators they are, the greater the likelihood that our young people will be able to understand and solve the complex problems that they will confront in the 21st Century.
Critical Elements: This program will stress three main areas, Language, Art and Reading. These topics will emphasize four objectives:
Program Objectives: The primary objective in Language Education will be to equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to examine and evaluate information and informational sources. They will learn to recognize the essential concepts contained in written text and explore the biases and ambiguities inherent in language. Emphasis will be put on the development of vocabulary, the structure of sentences, the formation of paragraphs and the construction of essays. The Language Arts standards of the Sunshine State Standards for reading, writing, listening, viewing and speaking for middle school students will form the basis for student achievement. Understanding the nature and power of language will be demonstrated by the production of newsletters, brochures, articles, yearbooks, etc., that the students will create. As authors, they will learn to skillfully manipulate the elements of literature and prose to convey their messages.
A second objective for language education will be to have students learn a foreign language. Speaking another language will help students appreciate a foreign culture, as well as open new doorways to understanding.
The objectives in the Arts will be to understand and appreciate the multiple forms of communication beyond the written and spoken word. Visual art will be practiced in the creation of graphics and illustrations to accompany published material. Students will be afforded opportunities to convey meaning through music, dance and theater in individual and group presentations. Creativity and aesthetics will be explored in many project-based venues.
Reading skill objectives will focus on bringing all students to their grade appropriate reading levels and beyond. Students will read many different texts, fictional, non-fictional, informational and persuasive, technical and descriptive. Reading will be for content, meaning, interpretation, and enjoyment. Students will use reading as a vehicle to acquire knowledge and produce publications for themselves and others.
Observable Standards: The CLEAR curriculum will actively engage students in projects involving communication and the arts. Desktop publishing, peer editing, student presentations and discussion groups will involve students in relevant real-life tasks and promote cooperative and collaborative learning opportunities. After completing this portion of the program, students will be able to demonstrate the following:
Read a newspaper article and explain the content and meaning of the editorial
Read a book and prepare a summary identifying the author's message and purpose
Listen to a speaker presentation and list the important points and pertinent information
Prepare a research paper using multiple sources
Interpret the meaning expressed in a foreign language text
Use Internet resources to support and substantiate viewpoints
Clarify meaning through note taking, summarizing, outlining, reporting and writing
Write a persuasive essay
Present a project to a panel of judges
Explain and defend a personal view or belief
Discuss and debate current issues
Make requests and state desires in a foreign language
Convey meaning through alternative avenues of expression (dance, music, art, etc.)
Demonstrate a command of spoken and written language
Organize information according to the purposes of writing
Develop ideas through the appropriate use of grammatical skills
Use body talk effectively in the presentation of concepts
Understand how media influences beliefs and tastes
Use literary techniques in the creation of written, oral and visual communications
Develop and propose a business/project plan
Exhibit learning of foreign vocabulary words
Critique different forms of expression and display background knowledge
Use alternative forms of expression individually and collectively
Understand the uniqueness of music, dance and art and their importance to society
Recognize and shows appreciation for the diversity of artistic expression in various world cultures
Develop an art theme using variations of color, sound, light and background
Demonstrate the use of technology in the development thematic projects
Compare and contrast the structures of a foreign language with English
Facility Needs: The facility should be large enough to accommodate 50 students and three teachers. Ideally, it will be located in association with a partnered business with emphasis on publishing or media communication. The facility should be subdivided into multiple rooms and project staging areas.
Equipment/Communication needs: Equipment for desktop publishing will include an adequate number of computers with Internet access, printers, copy machines, software, Fax machine, digital cameras, office equipment, foreign language cassettes and cassette recorder, office supplies and telephones. Additional supplies for art and music will be procured as needed. Expansions of the program will lead to supplementary purchases of film equipment, recording equipment and broadcasting equipment
Material/Transportation needs: The county school busing system or alternative carrier will provide transportation for the students to and from the POD site.
Area of needs to be assessed during design: To successfully develop the CLEAR POD design students will need to be immediately assessed to establish existing technology and language skills. Remediation in the necessary areas will be an ongoing process. It will be important to establish and organize communication and support with the associated business sponsors. Basic equipment will need to be in place and operable immediately beginning school.
Time-line for Implementation: This program, if accepted, will begin in the 2006/2007 school year. This will give sufficient time to allow the following developmental steps: Select a program director and coordinator, Submit the proposal to the School Board for acceptance or modification, develop a curriculum plan, identify staff, develop a budget, select students, plan activities such as field trips and speakers, secure the equipment and prepare the facilities, write grants to secure district and private funding.
Budget: The budget must include several categories as well as additional funds for unforeseen expenses and future expansion of the program. The following categories should be included:
Staff Staff Development Equipment Consumables
Awards Transportation Planning Books
Evaluation/Validation checkpoints: Evaluation on a continual basis of the students in the program and the program's effectiveness is necessary. Student evaluation will be checked in all four areas, Communication, Language, Art and Reading through the following criteria:
Knowledge: A written and oral assessment will be administered when beginning and upon completion of the program. The assessment will be in Q & A, short answer and essay format to check for understanding in technology applications, reading comprehension, artistic expression and language aptitude. Knowledge in the selected foreign language will be assessed in a written exam.
Skills: Abilities in the use and application of technology will be demonstrated. Students will prepare documents, graphs and charts and spread sheets electronically. Students will work in groups to initiate and complete projects. Reading skills will be assessed and updated each quarter. Certifications will be monitored to insure a continual progression of student achievement. Oral proficiency in the selected foreign language will be demonstrated.
Attitudes: Students will complete a survey at the end of each unit geared to determine the perceived effectiveness of the program. Students will publish and display their work to the general public. Parents will also be asked to evaluate the program by completing a survey to assess the motivation and enthusiasm of their children for the program.
The program will be assessed on a quarterly basis by the participating teachers and the school and district administrators to examine difficulties, modifications and future expansion of the program.
Task / Responsibility chart: The following people are necessary to develop, maintain, and operate this program:
Program Director and Coordinator - This person will be responsible for the support of the program and help provide the needed coordination with the district administration, the associated business sponsor and the parents of the students involved. Initially, this person should be a coordinator/teacher, but upon initiation of the program the participating teachers can assume these responsibilities.
Staff - The staff will be deeply involved in the planning of the program as well as the selection of the curriculum. They will need to be trained in all areas of the program, including business, technology, language and art. The staff will run the program, supervise the students, assess student performance and report to the school-based Board of Directors on a quarterly basis.
Dissemination Plan: The program will begin at the start of the 2006 school year. The participating students will receive their schedules and proceed to their first day of the program. After initial instruction, they will continue with their instructors into the POD to begin their lessons. Instruction will end at the regular end of the school day and students will return home as all other students. The program instructional staff will perform according to a prearranged and approved curriculum and provide a safe, educational and enjoyable experience for the students.