CREATIVE AND CRITICAL THINKING

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High School 24 HISTORY THROUGH THE LENS OF THE IMAGINATION by Michael Hogan, HS teacher What must it have felt like to be branded with a burning cattle iron on the cheek? I asked myself this question while I was writing the book The Irish Soldiers of Mexico, a history of the Mexican-American War of 1846-48. This was exactly what happened to John Riley, the leader of the San Patricio Battalion, when captured by the Americans. I could not answer the question of what Riley was feeling from a formal history text, of course, because it was about pain and humiliation; about emotions. The answer depended on using my imagination to empathize with another human being, whereas what is required from a historian is cold objective analysis. But I could answer it in a novel which I later went on to write called Molly Malone and the San Patricios. Producers of the movie One Man’s Hero, based on my book, took it one step further and dramatized this terrible event on the screen. In our Honors World History class this year I have asked the students to read at least one work of historical fiction as well as the Advanced Placement textbook. In the pages march 2013 CON NEX ION of The Clan of the Cave Bear, or Augustus, or The Fall of Troy, I hoped they would be able to see the characters of history become real in a vivid fashion -- to imagine themselves living at such a time. While the time of the Roman emperors was very different from the 21 st century, the people who lived in those years had the same desires for comfort, for love, for accomplishment that the people of today have. Students in this class, through visualization and use of the imagination, become a part of history, and history becomes a part of who they are. It is a unique experience. It is also one they can share with their fellow students around the world through reviews of the books they read which we then publish on Amazon. We often hear it said that “those who do not understand history are doomed to repeat it.” But how many people really understand history? Here at the American School we do much more than simply show the students the lives of great leaders, the perennial wars, the dates of the rise and fall of empires, and the evolution of man. We also try to demonstrate the interconnectedness of the events that have occurred over time, and how, even though things change, there are certain underlying currents that remain the same. But is that enough? I sometimes hear discussions among educators about teaching for the 21 st century. As if that is something different from quality teaching at any time or any place. One of my great friends on campus, Leo Diaz, once said in annoyance, “Well, as for me, I am a 6th century teacher!” Leo, like Aristotle, like Marcus Aurelius, is interested in helping his students discover the interconnectedness of things, of making the students aware that technology existed long before the Internet. The quality of teaching which made Alexander the Great, Einstein, Madame Curie, Gandhi, and Octavo Paz such wonderful contributors to society, was not "21 st Century Thinking;" some narrow, isolated-from-history method only thirteen years in existence. It was something bigger than that. It was critical and creative thinking, and that has been what good teachers have been doing for many centuries. Another of the projects my students are working on this year on is choosing a tool or technology that existed in prehistoric times and following that tool/technology through the Roman Empire, the Golden Age of Greece, the Persian epoch, the Byzantine Empire, the Middle Ages. The students are required to show how the tool or technology not only evolved and was changed, but how it in turn changed the world around it. Thus each student is able to discover that a variety of tools and technologies existed before mankind even had the word “technology” in its vocabulary. Before, in fact, man developed a language. The students learn through their own research that men and women were applying the principles of physics and chemistry and mathematics long before these subjects existed formally. There were aqueducts in Rome before Newton “discovered” the Law of Gravity; the Persians used complex compounds for makeup and the Chinese for gunpowder centuries before there were any books on chemistry. The Egyptians built pyramids ages before Euclid wrote his text on geometry. The world has always been an interesting and dynamic place, filled with technologies new and old. And one technology doesn’t necessarily replace another. The wheel exists today right alongside the computer. The screw exists inside the most complex machine. People read real books and magazines as well as Kindles and iPads. The old is simultaneous with the new. The history of the world (unlike what CNN and most politicians tell us) has not been a steady progression toward some wonderful future of the evolution of man. It has been filled with up-cycles and down-cycles. There have been times of great accomplishment and peace: the Golden Age of Greece, the great advances of the Persians – followed by the Dark Ages and the Hundred Years War. There have been great innovations in technologies and civilization, of art and music, followed by invading armies who destroyed much of what was built up and generations who wallowed in ignorance. There have been days of peace and security followed by days of terrible wars and murders of children. And the murders of children occurred not just in China during some long-forgotten incident in the 5 th century but in 21 st century Connecticut as well. What we learn from the past, or don’t learn, tends to come about as a result of active minds being challenged (and challenging themselves) to see the world from different perspectives. Not merely the perspective of a single influential country with formal programs of education that are often dominated by the textbook publishing business and testing companies, following the imperatives of corporate culture and the need for a gullible consumer and obedient citizenry. But also the view of the outsiders, the view of other cultures who measure success in other ways, who measure progress other than by perennial consumption of the resources of the planet. This is part of why we study WORLD history, not merely United States History or Mexican history. We hope our students will become good citizens, yes, but not High School nationalistic automatons, singing anthems and reciting pledges while the world around them is destroyed. We hope they will be citizens of the world: young men and women who will have respect for all the creatures on the planet, for all cultures, and will honor the lives of those around them. That is not possible unless they are able to imagine who those people are and why those cultures are the way they are. It is also fun to do these things. It is enjoyable to step out of one’s narrow vision of the world and see it from another perspective. It is why I became a writer and why I became a historian. Why I am I also a teacher? Well, I just had so much fun doing these things that I felt it would be selfish not to share them with others. Dr. Michael Hogan is a writer and historian and the author of twenty books, including The Irish Soldiers of Mexico, an Amazon best-seller about the Mexican War which formed the basis to an MGM movie and two award winning documentaries. He currently teaches Honors World History at ASFG. 25 march 2013 CON NEX ION
High School 26 THE ENHANCEMENT OF CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING SKILLS THROUGH INTERNSHIPS AND JOB SHADOWING OPPORTUNITIES AT ASFG by Leonardo José Díaz, High School Counselor CAREER COUNSELING AT ASFG ASFG recognizes that each student possesses unique interests, abilities and goals that will lead to many future educational and career opportunities. Collaborating with students, families, educational staff and the community, ASFG works to ensure all students develop an academic and career plan reflecting these characteristics and including rigorous, relevant coursework and experiences appropriate for the student. As a leading educational institution ASFG seeks to provide all students the opportunity to: • Make course selections that allow students the opportunity to choose from a wide range of post-secondary options. • Explore the connection between coursework and life experiences. • Explore interests and abilities in relation to knowledge of self and the world of work. • Experiment the world of work through internships and job shadowing opportunities in the community. • Develop a career and college admissions portfolio to highlight strengths and interests. march 2013 CON NEX ION Academic and college/career planning at ASFG provides all students with the opportunity to identify strengths, areas in need of improvement and areas of interest early on so students and their families can set post-secondary goals and make informed choices to support students in reaching the desired outcome. The focus of individual academic and career planning is thus threefold: a) to help students acquire the skills to achieve academic success; b) to make connections between school and life experiences and c) to acquire knowledge and skills to be college and career ready upon high school graduation. Being a college preparatory school, ASFG places a lot of emphasis on career and college admissions guidance both as part of the high school mentoring program and as a key function of the high school counselor. Career guidance can be broadly defined as a spectrum of activities and programs designed to help young people learn about careers, plan, choose, and succeed in their chosen careers. Thus, ASFG implements a comprehensive school counseling program that includes educational and career planning activities for all students designed to assist them in reaching academic, career and personal/social goals. These career guidance programs and experiences effectively prepare for college and career readiness. One example of these programs and activities is ASFG´s annual Career Fair for high school students to explore a wide variety of career fields. A keynote speaker kicks off the event plus numerous presenters from all types of professions offer sessions so that students can choose fields that are interesting to them. Students are encouraged to ask questions regarding their personal interests and preparation for that field. ASFG relies every year upon the generosity of our parents, graduates and community members to present their professions during these sessions. THE CAREER GUIDANCE ENHANCEMENT PROJECT Recognizing the importance of developing models of career education and guidance that involve not just the school but also the wider community, the Parents Association is leading an exciting new project where ASFG parents will provide our high school students the opportunity to join them at work either through internship opportunities like the Wonderful World of Work offered every year during Week Without Walls and through job shadowing opportunities. This initiative, led by Mrs. Laura Guerra de Escobedo, Parents Association President, Mrs. Marina Furia, PA Liaison for the Career Guidance Enhancement Project and several amazing and committed mothers from all the school divisions (early childhood, elementary, middle school and high school) has three projects. : Wonderful World of Work during Week Without Walls - March 2013 During the entire week, students participating in the Wonderful World of Work will work with a professional, a business or organization where they can explore and experience a particular career. Some examples: working in an industrial engineering plant, with a doctor, a restaurateur or as a teacher assistant in kindergarten. The goal is to experience a career in the real world. The range of careers can be very broad. Fifteen students signed up to work for a full week with law firms, industries, businesses, a consulate, a school and a hospital. We are very grateful to those parents who have given these 15 warriors the chance to fully immerse in the wonderful world of work under their guidance and mentoring. Job Shadow - April and May 2013 The program "Job Shadow" enables our students from 10th, 11th and 12th grades (ages 16 and up) to experience a specific profession for a full workday being the "shadow" of a professional who will become the student’s mentor in the career of their choice for the day. Career Fair - October 2013 Every year during October, high school organizes a career fair in which students have the opportunity to High School spend time with professionals in fields they are interested in. All students attend three different career presentations of their choice. We offer approximately 30-35 career options. AN OPEN INVITATION TO JOIN US The Parents Association has invited the ASFG professional community to join us in one, two or all three projects and we have had a great response so far. If you are interested in participating in one or all more of these projects, we invite you to send an email to career.orientation@asfg.edu.mx expressing your interest and/or availability. We will give you more information and request additional information depending on the project or projects you want to participate in. The critical foundations for lifelong career development are being laid out at ASFG in partnership with the school community and we hope that as a community we can activate and utilize all resources that can help our young people to learn how to explore, learn about and choose their careers making informed decisions through opportunities that allow them to test their “vocational hypothesis” in live work settings with mentors from our community. These experiential learning opportunities enhance critical and creative thinking skills by allowing students to question their assumptions about the careers they are interested in, ask clarifying questions about the key features of a given career or profession and assess their experience with adult mentors in a system that provides clarification and feedback on the chosen careers of interest. 27 march 2013 CON NEX ION
Page 1 and 2: From our LEARNING GOALS Our ASFG co
Page 3 and 4: Editor’s note Joaquin, 5 th grade
Page 5 and 6: ASFG´s Instructional Programs marc
Page 7 and 8: PE & Sports 10 ASOMEX ASFG Guadalaj
Page 9 and 10: Library 14 Taking Time to Read marc
Page 11 and 12: Early Childhood 18 Drawing to Learn
Page 13: Early Childhood 22 El pensamiento c
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Page 19 and 20: Middle School 34 The Fish Pharaoh:

CREATIVE AND CRITICAL THINKING

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