Duke School Under the Oak Magazine, Summer 2014

PROJECT
WORKSHOP FOR
EDUCATORS
Project-based learning is definitely in the limelight
these days. Schools across the country, striving to
prepare students for the 21st century, are seeking
ways to engage its students in strategic inquiry
work and problem solving. At Duke School, on
the other hand, inquiry-based project work has
been fundamental since its inception. As Lower
School Director Sandy Gillespie says, “The Project
Approach is designed to get children interested
in learning and to take ownership of their own
education,” a value now considered as best
practice across the country.
When the school began getting more requests for
educator tours and project training than it could
handle, Les Webster, Duke School’s director of
auxiliary and alternative programs, and directors
Kathy Bartelmay, Sandy Gillespie and Jenny
Murray, saw this as an unique opportunity. A
Summer Institute for Educators, Project Work:
Preparing Problem Solvers for the 21st Century,
was launched in 2013. The workshop quickly filled
with educators from across the country, eager to
learn how to implement inquiry-based projects in
their own schools.
The first seeds for the project workshops were
sown in 1996 when Drs. Lilian Katz and Sylvia
Chard, creators of the Project Approach, visited
Duke School and conducted a four-day workshop
for the entire faculty. The goal was to deepen every
faculty member’s understanding of project work
and to build a cohesive preschool through eighth
grade program. The school has had an ongoing
relationship with Drs. Katz and Chard ever since,
sending new teachers to their Summer Institute at
the University of Illinois and inviting Dr. Chard to
consult on a regular basis.
But most importantly, faculty members continue
the work and have conversations day in and day out
about planning projects collaboratively, observing
one another’s classroom and sharing samples of
student work.
“The conversations and shared student work has
made a huge difference to student success and my
journey as a learner,” says Julie Marshall, second
grade teacher and project committee member.
As a result of this ongoing work, Duke School
teachers have become leaders in inquiry-based
project work. Their work has been featured in
several publications by Drs. Katz and Chard and on
the Project Approach Web site. In addition, Kathy
and Sandy are members of the Project Approach
Teacher Education Network (PATEN), a small team
of Project Approach consultants.
Lower School art teachers Marki and Jodi with
kindergarten students.
But learning about the Project Approach at a
conference is not as powerful as seeing it in action.
When Kathy received a request to train teachers at
the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge a few years
Sixth grade teacher Michelle Reich with student Lauren Taylor.
ago, she invited them to visit Duke School instead. Institute for educators each year. The next Summer
In addition to observing students deeply engaged Institute will be this August.
in their investigations, educators were able to ask
Duke School teachers logistical questions that “This has really changed my thinking about project
were essential for successful implementation of work and how to do it. It’s been wonderful to
inquiry-based curriculum.
see kids so engaged and be such great problem
solvers,” one participant wrote in her workshop
“It’s one of my favorite things, to teach teachers,” evaluation.
says Jenny. “We can help more children that way.
It’s exciting to know that what we know about Just as Duke School teaches its students to be
teaching children best will go to other schools.” productive members of their community, the school
itself is a great example to other independent and
Duke School now hosts a Winter and Summer public schools.
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