“Inspired to teach, eager to

learn: an introduction to
SPEC TM
Teaching and
Learning”

Bruce Bonney & Jack Drury

The Educator’s Challenge Which Standards?

Social Foreign
Math Science Studies English Arts Language

Decision making
Problem solving
Organization
Critical thinking
Creative thinking
Leadership
Management
Communication
Self direction
Integrity
Collaboration
Quality work
 Educators
Designing
Growth
Experiences

Designing and facilitating personal and organizational growth

through experiential, collaborative problem solving
Participating Teachers
Ausable Valley
Ballston Spa
Chazy
Colton-Pierrepont
Corinth
Glens Falls
Hadley-Luzerne
Heuvelton
Indian Lake
Keene
Lake George
Lake Placid
Long Lake
Massena
Minerva
Newcomb
Northville
Ogdensburg
Parishville
Peru
Potsdam
Queensbury
Raquette Lake
Saranac Lake
St. Regis Falls
Ticonderoga
Thousand Islands
Town of Webb
Tupper Lake
What does the ACP do?

Help children meet NYS Standards and

learn about the Adirondacks.
 How?

“Adirondack Challenges”
Over 80 Student-centered, Problem-
based, Experiential and Collaborative
Constructivist lessons already online.
Examples
 Adirondack Curriculum Project

Adirondack History Through Song

Brian R. Bishop
Corinth Middle School
Corinth, NY 12822
Bishopb@corinthcsd.com

“Arts Forever Wild”, an ACP Project funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
 The Investigative Question:
• How can we recreate an event in
history through music or tell the
story of a prominent historical
person?
 The Challenge!

• Students will create lyrics to a

song depicting the story of a
historical event or the life of a
historical person.
 The Quality Standards!
• The song must be historically
accurate.
• The song must tell the story in an
entertaining way.
• The lyrics must fit the rhythm of
the song accurately.
 The Students’ Product

Oh Dear Teddy
(to the tune of Oh Susannah)
Music by Steven Foster
Lyrics by Corinth Middle
School 5th grade music
students 2003-2004
Sung by the Tomahawk
Troubadours
Oh Dear Teddy

He was born in New York City

Back in 1858.
He was a sickly child
But he grew up to be great.
He became a great assemblyman
At the age of twenty-three.
He went to work to clean up things
Down there in Albany.
 Oh dear Teddy
Our favorite President.
It’s really quite a story
All the places that you went.
He led his men up San Juan Hill
In the Spanish – American War
The Spanish saw him coming
And they ran right out the door.
 He was a great outdoorsman
He loved hiking so you see
When he was the Vice – President
He climbed up Mt. Marcy
 Oh dear Teddy
Our favorite President.
It’s really quite a story
All the places that you went.
While climbing up the mountain top
He took some news with dread.
He found he would be President
For McKinley soon was dead.
In nineteen – one he went to work
To protect our wild lands.
By forming several National Parks
Our world was in good hands.
 Oh dear Teddy
Our favorite President.
It’s really quite a story
All the places that you went.
 Oh dear Teddy
Our favorite President.
It’s really quite a story
All the places that you went.
Will these children
remember what they
learned about Teddy
Roosevelt?
NYS Learning Standards
• Arts, Standard 1, P.I.: sing and/or play, alone and
in combination with other voice or instrument
parts, a varied repertoire of folk, art, and
contemporary songs, from notation, with a good
tone, pitch, duration, and loudness
• ELA, Standard 1, Speaking & Writing, P.I.: write
stories, poems, literary essays, and plays that
observe the conventions of the genre and contain
interesting and effective language and voice
• SS, Standard 1, P.I.: investigate key turning
points in New York State and United States history
and explain why these events or developments are
significant
Adirondack Art & Literature
Investigative Question or Issue: How can an exhibition book
reflect our appreciation and interpretation of Adirondack,
Catskill and Hudson Valley art and writing within the historical
milieu in which they were created?
ELA: Standard 1: Interpret
& evaluate data, facts &
ideas
Standard 2: Read literature
published in a given era;
Write imaginative (original)
literature
Standard 3:Write a critical
essay comparing and
contrasting two works of art
Terri Smith, Newcomb Central School
Oral History of the Local
Community
Investigative Question or Issue: What was it like to
live in our local community over the last 80 years?

ELA: Standard 4:
Language for social
interaction
Standard 1: language
for information and
understanding
Standard 2: language
for literary response and
expression.
Sue Norris, Raquette Lake School
Fantastic Fungus Fun
Investigative Question or Issue: How does a tree
fungus fit into the scientific classification of living things
and how can you use a tree fungus to create a work of art?

MST Standard 4: The

living environment

Art Standard 2: Knowing

& Using Materials &
Resources

ELA Standard 1:
Language for Information
& Understanding
Kathleen Lefebvre, Tupper Lake Central School
 Leave No Trace
Investigative Question or Issue: What’s the
correct way to behave when hiking in the Adirondacks?

Health, Physical Education, Home

& Career Skills Standard 3:
Become discriminating consumers
of fitness information; health
related fitness activities in the
community; and fitness and sports
equipment.

Students work in groups to create

skits that illustrate each of the 7
principles of Leave No Trace.
Jen Kretser & Thea Moruzzi, Adirondack Mountain Club
• Challenges can be designed to
meet any Standard at any
grade level.
• Place-based education has been
recognized as an effective
learning strategy.
 QuickTime™ and a
H.263 decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

“Hurrah for the Life

of the Lake George
Kids”, adapted, with
permission, from a
Dan Berggren song.

Mary Sager,
Lake George Central
School
 Characteristics
of the
Education By Design Classroom
 Characteristics
of the
Education By Design Classroom

• Students frequently work as a team

 Characteristics
of the
Education By Design Classroom

• Students frequently work as a team

• Students actively solve meaningful problems
 Characteristics
of the
Education By Design Classroom

• Students frequently work as a team

• Students actively solve meaningful problems
• Students publicly exhibit their learning
 Characteristics
of the
Education By Design Classroom

• Students frequently work as a team

• Students actively solve meaningful problems
• Students publicly exhibit their learning
• Students reflect on what they are learning and doing
 Characteristics
of the
Education By Design Classroom

• Students frequently work as a team

• Students actively solve meaningful problems
• Students publicly exhibit their learning
• Students reflect on what they are learning and doing
• Students apply criteria for quality to their work
 Characteristics
of the
Education By Design Classroom

• Students frequently work as a team

• Students actively solve meaningful problems
• Students publicly exhibit their learning
• Students reflect on what they are learning and doing
• Students apply criteria for quality to their work
• Teachers mediate, coach, and support the learning process
 Characteristics
of the
Education By Design Classroom

• Students frequently work as a team

• Students actively solve meaningful problems
• Students publicly exhibit their learning
• Students reflect on what they are learning and doing
• Students apply criteria for quality to their work
• Teachers mediate, coach, and support the learning process
• Targeted learning results guide culture, curriculum, and
assessment
 Characteristics
of the
Education By Design Classroom

• Students frequently work as a team

• Students actively solve meaningful problems
• Students publicly exhibit their learning
• Students reflect on what they are learning and doing
• Students apply criteria for quality to their work
• Teachers mediate, coach, and support the learning process
• Targeted learning results guide culture, curriculum, and
assessment
• Work is interconnected
 Characteristics
of the
Education By Design Classroom

• Students frequently work as a team

• Students actively solve meaningful problems
• Students publicly exhibit their learning
• Students reflect on what they are learning and doing
• Students apply criteria for quality to their work
• Teachers mediate, coach, and support the learning process
• Targeted learning results guide culture, curriculum, and
assessment
• Work is interconnected
• Students take responsibility for and ownership of their learning
and for the classroom community