This article originally appeared in the summer 2014 Harker Quarterly.
“ImmersionVapor,” the latest work from upper school art teacher Joshua Martinez, was featured at Oakland’s Backstock Gallery through June 16. Using photographs as its medium, the exhibition invoked the feelings of being overcome and surrounded, with the obscuring nature of fog being a central element. The exhibit also explored the nature of memory and how original sensory experiences fade with time.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2014 Harker Quarterly.
Bradley Stoll, mathematics department chair, received an Inspirational Teacher Award from MIT in late March. Lorraine Wong ’13 nominated Stoll for the award, saying, “I am immensely grateful that you believed in me in math, and more importantly, in life, and that you are not afraid to share your belief that being a kind human is more important than getting the best grades in a class.”
Stoll expressed gratitude at being nominated and said he was honored by Wong’s sentiments. “Lorraine’s nomination will be a constant reminder to me that I need to see and treat each student as an individual and not compartmentalize them by their grades, that I need to be compassionate, that sometimes I need to be their teacher, [and] sometimes I need to be their friend.”
This article originally appeared in the summer 2014 Harker Quarterly.
Martin Walsh, college counselor, flew to Beijing in May for a global education conference, during which he gave a presentation on the correlation between project-based learning and college admissions. He was invited to present by University of Oregon education professor Yong Zhao. During his presentation, Walsh discussed student involvement in robotics, Harker’s research program, Intel Science Talent Search finalists and semifinalists, the class Student-Directed Showcase, the journalism program and other facets of Harker’s programs that produce wellrounded students.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2014 Harker Quarterly.
In March, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) recognized upper school journalism teacher Ellen Austin with a Gold Key Award for excellence in journalism at the CSPA conference, held at Columbia University in New York City. The Gold Key, which dates back to 1929, is the CSPA’s highest honor. “The joy in watching a developing young journalist find his or her voice and being a part of helping him or her find a stance in the world is an incredible experience,” said Austin upon receiving the award.
This story originally appeared in the spring 2014 Harker Quarterly.
Congratulations to upper school biology teacher Mike Pistacchi, who recently received National Board Certification in teaching young adolescents and young adult science. This advanced teaching credential is awarded to teachers who demonstrate their ability and dedication to advancing the learning goals of their students. National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) are widely recognized for their ability to improve student learning and achievement. To receive this accreditation, Pistacchi spent nearly two years extensively documenting his teaching methods, which were then measured against the high standards of the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. This process included closely examining student needs, recording videos of teaching sessions and submitting examples of student work that showed their growth in understanding the material and principles being taught in the classroom.
Heather Russell, lower school English teacher, was recently named a finalist in the Next Vista for Learning Super Thoughts video contest. Next Vista For Learning is an online library of useful videos produced by teachers and students. Russell’s video, made after her visit to Japan for this year’s teacher exchange with Tamagawa Academy (K-12) & University, briefly covers some of the things she learned about the similarities and differences between the cultures of Japanese and American students. For example, though Japanese students learn how to read and write English, gather for story time and use computers, they also exercise as a group every day, practice Japanese calligraphy and keep Legos in their desks. “I received a $50 gift certificate and am now going to help my students submit some videos they are making for the next contest,” Russell said.
This story originally appeared in the spring 2014 Harker Quarterly.
In late December, Harker Quarterly received word that Jason Berry, the highly regarded English teacher who died suddenly in August 2013, had received an outstanding educator award from the University of Chicago in 2012. First-year University of Chicago students nominate candidates by submitting letters detailing how teachers have changed their lives by inspiring and challenging them to make the most of their educational experiences. The prestigious award has been given for three decades. Berry was nominated by Rachelle Koch ’12, who wrote in her letter that Berry taught her the value of writing. “Before I met Mr. Berry, English was just another class. I read when I had to. I wrote when I had to. I analyzed (if it could be called that) when I had to,” she wrote. “Once Mr. Berry became my teacher, I began to recognize and appreciate the beauty of literature and writing.” More about Berry’s life and teachings can be found in the Milestones section of the fall 2013 issue of Harker Quarterly.
This article originally appeared in the spring 2014 Harker Quarterly.
In early January, upper school chemistry and astronomy teacher Rachel Freed presented at the Google Apps for Education Summit in Napa Valley. Hosted by the Ed Tech Team, a self-described “global network of education technologists,” the summit brought together a wide variety of education experts to share how they use technology in the classroom. Freed’s presentation demonstrated how she uses a Web-based tool called LiveBinders to organize the teaching materials she uses in the classroom, including Google docs and online resources. Students also use it to submit their work. In addition, Freed’s session covered the use of LiveBinders to create a project-based environment and how she teaches students to maintain and maximize their online learning experiences.
This story originally appeared in the fall 2013 Harker Quarterly.
For the last five years, Jaap Bongers, Harker’s upper school art department instructor and chair, has used the summer break as a unique opportunity to personally donate items to needy children in the Republic of Zambia, a landlocked country in Southern Africa. This past summer he also spent time in Tanzania.
“I have been going there every summer and one time I even went during the Christmas break,” said Bongers, explaining that, in preparation for the annual sojourn, he uses the school year to collect toys, children’s clothes and children’s books (many of which have been donated by Harker students) for the African children.
Come summer, he fills a big plastic storage box with the donated items, which he takes with him to Africa. There, he donates the toys, books and clothes to the neediest children he encounters.
“I do this while traveling to very remote villages where there is still wonderful ages-old original culture. Initiation rituals, traditional dances by masked actors and healing ceremonies by witch doctors can still be found although it is getting harder to locate them.”
After handing out and emptying the storage box of donated toys, Bongers then refills it with ancient traditional artifacts he discovers and buys on his travels. “I note down their use, meaning and age. I have found objects and heard about customs that were not yet known. Once I return to Harker I use this information, the items and the pictures for my Study of Visual Art class,” he said, noting that his house is filling up with an impressive collection of ancient traditional African art.
The remote villages that Bongers visits are reminiscent of the hunter-gatherers and migrating tribes who inhabited the country for thousands of years.
Susan Smith, Harker’s library director, traveled to Chicago over the summer for an annual conference sponsored by the national American Library Association (ALA), where a book she contributed to received a special award.
Last year Smith contributed a chapter to the now published book “Growing Schools: Librarians as Professional Developers,” showcasing librarians leading professional learning in the school setting. At the recent ALA conference the book received the prestigious Best Professional Reference award.
Smith called it “very special” to have the book recognized by a committee of her peers as being such a valuable resource for librarians in schools across the country.
According to the book, school librarians are ideally qualified to lead professional development because they service the entire school network, from the students and faculty to families and the community. The “Growing Schools” book is the first such resource to directly address the potential role of the school librarian as a staff developer.
Within the book’s chapters authors like Smith relate their own professional development journeys, collectively representing experience within K-12 public and private institutions, district and regional units, and universities across the United States and Canada.
Smith explained that the 50-page chapter she contributed to was the story of Harker’s ambitious and successful information literacy program which originated under former library director Enid Davis back in 2006. Since then, Harker has become recognized as having one of the premier library-directed information literacy programs in North America.
“I learned a tremendous amount from the other contributors, some of whom co-led a half-day professional development workshop with me at the ALA pre-conference in 2012,” recalled Smith.
This year’s ALA conference, which ran from June 27 to July 2, was the 137th annual event for the library association. The theme of the event – which carried an impressive lineup of guest speakers, including Khaled Hosseini, Ann Patchett, Oliver Stone, Alice Walker and Octavia Spencer – was “Transforming Our Libraries, Ourselves.”