Achievement Gap

Some notes to start:
3 design principles: personalization, real-world connections, common intellectual mission
- it's not about more and complex content, it's about deepening the quality of analysis
:Rigor is about being in the company of a thoughtful, passionate, reflective  adult who invites you into an adult conversation which is composed of the rigorous pursuit of inquiry."
Debbie Meier- Habits of mind: to think about significance- why it is important; perspective- what is the point of view; evidence- how do you know; connection- how does it apply; supposition- what if it were different.
Instead of rubrics, show examples of exemplary work and ask students to describe it- why it is good.  Once they identify those characteristics, they can do it.  I like this because often i show an example of "great work" and get copies of that work.  Identifying the characteristics shifts the focus off of "what" and onto "how" and "why."
I love the ideas brought up in this article.  The real-life connections makes so much more sense than what we ususally do.  I want to move to San Diego and train with them!  I want to try to find ways to integrate this thinking.  The challenge, though, is the whole community attitude.  When I assign projects that are multi faceted and challenge the students to process on a deep level, they are so not used to it that even if the assignment is structured to be effective, the results are lacking.  I just have to keep trying.