Duke School Under the Oak Magazine, Fall 2017

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Message from Dave Michelman, Head of School Duke School will turn 70-years-old this year. What began as a nursery school for 30 students has evolved into a nationally renowned We are excited to teach other educators how to bring project work into their classrooms. International consultant and mother of The Project Approach, Sylvia Chard, has designated Duke School as an official Project Approach School – trusting and training many of our faculty how to teach Project Approach to other teachers. preschool through Similarly, Harvey “Smokey” Daniels, a national eighth-grade school, serving about 500 students. While the original nursery school’s purpose was to provide fodder for Duke University’s psychology department, today’s school is totally committed to preparing our students to succeed in high school and more importantly in life. All would agree that today’s world is very different from the one 70 years ago, and yet the core of who we are remains the same. From the school’s beginning through today, teachers perceive and treat students as autonomous individuals who are on a shared learning journey. We treat students and their ideas with respect and encourage them to take intellectual risks. Ironically, many of the schools that discounted this approach for a more conventional one are now striving to mirror Duke School. Finally, we have all realized that empowered students are more likely to succeed in today’s VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world. educational consultant, recognized Duke School as a partner school in his latest book, The Curious Classroom. These esteemed consultants highly recognize both the strength of our program and our teachers. Yet, we cannot rest on our laurels. Our latest strategic plan, FIRE, lays out a blueprint for an even brighter future. We will focus on helping students generate increasingly creative solutions to a range of problems. We will help them become self-aware and be able to care for themselves including knowing when to unplug and set aside technology. We will work to ensure our school is equitable and just while sharing our knowledge with other educators. A rapidly changing world can create a sense of dislocation; it also opens the door to amazing possibilities. Duke School is ready to trail blaze again by taking advantage of those possibilities. 4 UNDER THE OAK
from the desk of... Harvey “Smokey” Daniels To my Duke School friends: far beyond any other school in my research. This was a chance to learn from true experts. We continued to work in varying capacities over the next four years, sometimes including my with MICHAEL GILBERT amazing co-author Sara Ahmed. Earlier this year, Heinemann published my book The Curious Classroom: Ten Structures for Teaching with Student Directed Inquiry. If you flip through that volume, much of it reads like a tribute to the amazing teachers at Duke School. There are stories, pictures, and lessons from many different classrooms, from primary to middle school. The book is finding a wide audience among educators who love learning from what happens on your campus every day. My relationship with Duke School began in 2013, when Kathy Bartelmay and Jenny Murray asked me to come and do a workshop with the faculty. Once I got to see the campus, meet the people, and hear the school’s history, I was hooked. My own kids went to an independent demonstration school with a very similar history and outlook; Duke School was right in my sweet spot as a researcher, a teacher, and a parent. But most of all, Duke School’s inquiry-driven curriculum was advanced Photo: The Heinemann Smokey Daniels’ The Curious Classroom features the work of 16 Duke School educators! The Curious Classroom features stories from 12 different schools around the U.S.; Duke School is one of three that are specially featured. Every Duke School story in The Curious Classroom was written by the teachers who made these remarkable lessons come alive. Featured topics include: electricity, the flu, creating “noticing books,” running a theater company, interviewing an expert, and getting stitches. I served as editor, coach, and cheerleader—but the reports are 100% teacher-sourced. Perhaps my fondest memory of all this work is that, even as a national leader on inquiry teaching, Duke School teachers are leaders—educators who are relentlessly focused on getting better, moving ahead, and experimenting with their practice. What a wonderful model for the kids you serve every day. And what wonderful guidance you are now offering, remotely but powerfully, to schools and teachers around the country. UNDER THE OAK 5
Page 1 and 2: Under the Oak FALL 2017 VISION 2022
Page 3: INSIDE this issue MESSAGE FROM HEAD
Page 7 and 8: A DIVERSE SET OF VOICES Throughout
Page 9 and 10: staying true to what makes Duke Sch
Page 11 and 12: Same Fund, New Name - Dragon Fund:
Page 13 and 14: A. To create the physical animation
Page 15 and 16: CREATING... PROBLEM SOLVERS Since g
Page 17 and 18: for the creation of new circus work
Page 19 and 20: finally converted to a software eng
Page 21 and 22: 4. It’s not just okay to show off
Page 23 and 24: Shan managed the Rainwater Harvesti
Page 25 and 26: Alumni Connections: Destinations of
Page 27 and 28: “The movies we made—I mean, the
Page 29 and 30: “It’s kind of scary,” said Ma
Page 31 and 32: “I like that we actually ended up
Page 33 and 34: Friends share their experiences abo
Page 35 and 36: 2016-17 DRAGON FUND HONOR ROLL OF D
Page 37 and 38: Dr. Vasudha Gupta and Dr. Bhupender
Page 39 and 40: Shelby and Stephen Reed Helen and B
Page 41 and 42: Sarah Wessell and John Bley Megan W
Page 43 and 44: Mr. and Mrs. Donald Schoene ICO: Ha

Duke School Under the Oak Magazine, Fall 2017

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