Characademics
21st Vision presents “Characademics”, our signature program which brings the phenomenally successful theory and practice first staged in a residential school setting* to the everyday classroom.
Schools on every level are trying to fix the chronic problems which plague education. Longer school days, shorter school days, longer academic years, shorter classes, smaller classes, abolition of letter grades, phonics in place of whole language, whole language in place of phonics, middle schools replace elementary schools, K-8 replaces both, charters, new schools, construction, new leadership – any of this ring a bell? The guiding question is always, “what’s going wrong, and how can we fix it?” We’ve run out of answers, and yet we retry old solutions year after year.
There is a different way of thinking however, which can change a stuck system.
Operating from 21st Vision’s unique framework, Characademics focuses primarily in two arenas. First, we provide substantive content and practice for the professional development of administrators, teachers and school staff in a systems-based theoretical approach to their task. This phase enhances the skill set of administrators and teachers in personal growth as individuals, and profound contributors to the school culture and classroom.
Secondly, we develop compelling, media heavy “character content” to provide teaching staff with insights into the student mind and practice in linking real life issues into the curriculum. And when a teacher so chooses, she or he may make use of the media in the everyday classroom, so directly linking character messages inextricably to academic lessons.
This is not a curriculum, and there is no need to change anything about existing curriculum or current practices. We link the character content to every existing big idea in your core academic content. This is not “one more thing” on a teacher’s to-do list. The characademic framework will be a welcome and profound ingredient in achieving higher and more relevant classroom results while promoting fully differentiated instruction at every level.
We make academics relevant to life in every curricular goal, within contexts of vision for the future and nobility of action. Students will aspire more readily to greatness, see real solutions to real life issues, and achieve more fully in academics as they understand the relevance.
Please contact info@21stvision.org for more complete information on how Characademics can make a difference in your schools.
*Endorsed by the Maryland State Department of Education and fully aligned with the Voluntary State Curriculum, NorthBay opened to Maryland Public School’s neediest 6th graders in September, 2005. While at NorthBay, students participate in a unique and powerful curriculum which links a student-directed environmental science core curriculum with fully integrated character content. 9000 plus Maryland sixth graders now spend an entire instructional week at NorthBay each year.
Beginning in June of 2007, due to the overwhelming demand for follow-up to the NorthBay experience, a new effort (21st Vision) began, designed to bring the theory and practice first staged at NorthBay to the everyday classroom, in every subject.