G EORGIAN A Publication of George School, Ne wtown, Pennsylvania Volume Number December
78
03
06
INSIDE THIS ISSUE NEW LIBRARY TIMEFRAME QUICKENS $ 5 M I L L I O N D O N AT I O N I N S P I R E D B Y WA R R E N B U F F E T
K I T C H E N T R A N S F O R M E D B Y R E S TA U R AT E U R S U M M E R G I F T P R O V I D E S E C O - C O N S C I O U S F E AT U R E S
PERSPECTIVES C O L L A B O R AT I V E L E A R N I N G O N C A M P U S A N D I N T H E W O R K P L A C E
GEORGIAN
Volume 78 / Number 03 / December 06
0 3 PERSPECTIV ES : Collaborative Learning
14 New library timeframe quick ens
03 Collaborative Learning: Preparation for the Twenty-first Century
16 k itchen transformed by restaurateur
04 Collaborative Learning Plays Essential Role in Education
18 an alumnus returns
06 History Class Undertakes Collaborative Debates
20 The language of memory
08 Libraries Facilitate Collaboration and Individual Study
22 Campus News & Notes
09 Collaboration in the Arts
27 PAUL and PAM test alumni loyalty
10 Alum Fosters Peer Collaboration
28 A LUMNI TELL US
11 Alum Collaborates to Help Clients
50 IN MEMORIAM
12 eQuiz Highlights
ON THE COVER main ( front cover)
bancroft ( Back cover)
Built in 1892–1893, Main is the oldest of the buildings built
Built in 1928 and named for philanthropist William Bancroft, a
specifically for the use of the school, as well as the largest.
major benefactor of the school, Bancroft (formerly called Bancroft
Originally, classrooms in the basement were devoted to
Hall) now houses classes in English, foreign languages, and
nonacademic subjects: sewing, cooking, mechanical drawing,
history. William’s goals for George School were two: promote that
and woodworking. Three departments now reside in the basement
which is “honorable, just, pure, and lovely” and teach young
instead: the Advancement Office, the Children’s Center, and
people that “of our strength, our abilities, of everything with which
Environmental Services. The administrative offices and dining
we are endowed, we are stewards.”
room on the first floor, as well as the upper floor dormitories, have retained their original uses, though structural modifications have been made over the years.
cover PHOTOS BONNIE BODENHEIMER
STAY CONNECTED SUBMI T A CL A S S NO T E
C ON TA C T O T HER A L UMNI
1 Fill out the online form available at:
For contact information for other alumni:
http://alumni.georgeschool.org/?class_note
1 Visit the online community at: http://alumni.georgeschool.org
2 Or send it by email to: georgian@georgeschool.org
2 Or contact the Advancement Office:
3 Or send it by postal mail to:
By phone at: 215-579-6564
Georgian, PO Box 4438, Newtown PA 18940-0908
Or by email at: advancement@georgeschool.org Or by postal mail at: PO Box 4438, Newtown PA 18940-0908
UP D AT E YOUR C ON TA C T INF O R M AT ION 1 Fill out the form at:
V I SI T T HE ONL INE C OMMUNI T Y
http://www.georgeschool.org/explore.asp?content=157
http://alumni.georgeschool.org
2 Or modify your profile in the online community
See class homepages, update your personal profile, contact
3 Or contact the Advancement Office:
friends, check the event calendar, see photos, and more.
By phone at: 215-579-6564 Or by email at: advancement@georgeschool.org
V I SI T T HE G EO R G E S CHO O L W EB SI T E
Or by postal mail at: PO Box 4438, Newtown PA 18940-0908
http://www.georgeschool.org
PHOTO mark wiley
Head of School Nancy Starmer stands on the proposed location for the new George School library. The exciting design for the library provides more flexible space for collaborative group work and faculty-student interaction, as well as individual quiet study areas.
PERSPECTIVES
Collaborative learning preparation for the twenty-first century Collaboration is no longer an occasional occurrence in the workplace, but an expectation. For our students—who must be prepared for a world where global communication is faster and more prevalent than ever—it is also a necessity. The question of how young people learn to collaborate, how they develop the intellectual and interpersonal competencies, the selfawareness and understanding of their obligations to others that will enable them to contribute meaningfully and
IN PERSPECTIVES
by nancy starmer
confidently to collaborative work, is a topic of real interest to us here at George School. Just putting students in groups and asking them to work together isn’t sufficient to yield collaboration. Students need careful guidance and clear instruction from teachers, as well as knowledge of themselves and of others in the group so that they can trust and appreciate the unique contributions that each member can make to the work of the whole. Role models are also helpful to students as they develop these skills,
and George School provides its students with plenty of examples. Collaboration is both taught and modeled through such Quaker practices as meeting for worship and consensus decision-making. It is also modeled daily as teachers, advisors, coaches, and staff contribute their unique gifts to the collective task of educating our students. Many of you had important things to say about collaboration in your responses to our eQuiz. I hope you find this issue’s Perspectives as stimulating and thought-provoking as I did!
profiles edited by juliana rosati
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George School Director of Studies and Dean of Faculty Scott Spence offers an overview of collaborative learning at George School and explains theories behind the technique.
Marion Wells, George School librarian, addresses the relationship between libraries and collaborative learning.
As a document quality specialist for a pharmaceutical company, Jean Boardman Duff ’62 promotes collaboration among her colleagues.
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In John Davison’s history classroom at George School, students collaborate to produce spirited in-class debates.
Stagecraft teacher Scott Hoskins illustrates the importance of collaborative learning in the performing arts at George School.
Management consultant Chinezi Chijioke ’96 knows that collaboration is a vital tool for solving problems and helping clients.
DECeMBER 2006 / 03
PHOTO mark wiley
Director of Studies and Dean of Faculty Scott Spence (pictured above) received his master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University, with a concentration in Soviet foreign policy that involved study at the Pushkin Institute in Moscow. He received his bachelor’s degree in history and Russian studies from Colgate University. He lives on campus with his wife, Jasmine, and their three daughters.
PERSPECTIVES
Collaborative Learning Plays Essential Role in Education
by scott spence
In the summer of 2002, George School officially began a comprehensive, fiveyear curriculum review. In the first and second years of the curriculum review, when we were studying the latest research on the brain, learning, and how best to teach a broad range of students, we reaffirmed the necessity of using multisensory teaching techniques and active learning strategies to promote deep understanding and critical thinking in our classrooms. Educators have known for a long time that students learn most effectively when they are actively involved in the process. Collaborative learning is usually multisensory and it involves students quite actively at the center of their own learning. While we did not formally recommend in our curriculum review process any particular techniques for collaborative learning, it became clear through discussions and presentations at workshops, retreats, and faculty meetings that many of our teachers utilize collaborative learning as a means for deepening understanding of their
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subject matter and fostering the growth of critical thinking skills. What is Collaborative Learning?
Collaborative learning is known by a number of different terms, including cooperative learning, learning communities, collective learning, group work, and peer learning. While there is some debate in the education research community as to how to distinguish among these terms, here I am using the term “collaborative learning” broadly and simply to mean the pairing or grouping of students to work together in small groups toward a common academic goal. One type of collaborative learning that George School teachers frequently employ is the ad hoc, informal clustering of students within a single class session— asking students to pair with a neighbor and spend a few minutes discussing a question or concept. A teacher might also form groups of three or four students and instruct them to solve a problem, pose a question, or take a position on an issue
in order to debate another group. More formally, teachers may assign groups to complete a specific project—such as a lab experiment, a presentation, a written report, a position paper, or a debate— during a single class period or over the course of several weeks. Outside the classroom, yet another type of collaborative learning is quite popular at George School—unassigned student study groups. Here we have students spontaneously grouping (without prompting by teachers) to pool their intellectual resources. I see a great deal of collaborative studying going on over breakfast in the dining room, particularly around exam time. At night, dorm teachers are often scrambling to find a group study space so those studying individually will not be disturbed. Unfortunately, our library cannot accommodate group study during study hall hours, so we have had to recruit and pay proctors to supervise the first floor of Bancroft so students can do group work in classrooms.
Maximizing the Benefits and Avoiding the Pitfalls
Proponents of collaborative learning claim it develops critical thinking through discussion, clarification of one’s ideas, and evaluation of others’ ideas more effectively than other methods of instruction.1 Research on the topic indicates that students learning collaboratively achieve deeper levels of understanding and retain information longer than students working quietly on their own.2 In addition, the collaborative experience provides opportunities for students to take responsibility for their own learning.3 However, at least one study indicates that in terms of gaining factual knowledge, collaborative exercises are only equally as effective as other methods of instruction.4 Perhaps that is why most George School teachers who utilize collaborative techniques tend to do so in the later phases of the learning continuum, when students are deepening their understanding of the material. In my own teaching, I’ve utilized role plays primarily as collaborative opportunities for students to develop empathy and a deeper comprehension of the issues being studied, apply their knowledge in problem-solving situations, and demonstrate mastery of the material in an assessment different from traditional tests. I’m excited that some of our students are exploring the possibility of getting involved with projects such as the National Association of Independent Schools’ “Challenge 20/20,” in which they would collaborate with students from a school in another country to examine and propose local solutions to a global problem. When collaborative learning first became a trend in education in the early 1970s, teachers and educational policy scholars were experimenting with new ways of organizing classrooms. It was an exciting time, and while some ideas never gained much traction (e.g., open classrooms) collaborative learning proved to be quite popular and successful. It inspired a flood of studies from 1975 to 1995, a rigorous set of principles for success, and a number of
formal methods that could be adopted by elementary through secondary teachers and schools. Some of the big names in early research are Robert Slavin of Johns Hopkins University, and David Johnson and Roger Johnson of the University of Minnesota. Their research, and that of many others, demonstrates that “students achieve more in cooperative interaction than in competitive or individualistic interaction.”5 The research revealed not only the success of collaborative learning techniques, but also its pitfalls. Not surprisingly, the researchers found that collaborative assignments in which the teacher simply grouped students together to help each other out or work on a project without explicit structure and guidelines were ineffective. I’ve observed this in my own and others’ classes and I am sure some alumni can recall experiences such as these, when one student does all the work and the others watch, or one student gets the answer and gives it to the rest of the group. Such experiences are not beneficial to anyone’s learning. In order for collaborative work to be truly effective, there must be clearly indicated group goals and rewards and individual accountability for learning.6 That is, group work needs to be structured so that all members of the group are motivated to help one another master the material or accomplish the task collaboratively, to avoid any group member “hitchhiking.”
Collaborative assignments often confront students with conflicting perspectives and provide students with the opportunit y for discerning a sense of the group that honors all voices.
demonstrate their own understanding at some point without the help of their peers, so that both the work and the grade have an individual component and a group component. Cultivating Teamwork
About ten years ago, Ramien Pierre (a former George School history teacher) taught me a couple of great tricks to add to my repertoire for group work with younger students. Everyone in the group has to be “knee-to-knee and eyeball-toeyeball.” And no one in the group may ask a question of the teacher unless everyone in the group has the question. So many times I’d get called over to a group to answer a question from one student. I’d ask another student in the group what the question was, and he or she would have no clue. And yet another student in the group would have the answer! It takes practice to instill the right habits, but it’s impressive what students can do when they free themselves from sole reliance on the teacher and become more actively engaged in their learning. While collaborative learning is a means for academic achievement, many George School teachers see collaboration as an end in and of itself. These teachers see cultivation of teamwork, community building, and leadership skills as valuable goals for the classroom—not just positive side effects—because much work in the professional world, as well as in college and graduate school preceding it, is done collaboratively. Collaborative learning provides students with opportunities to learn about their strengths and weaknesses in relation to others and how they can best contribute to a group goal. For many, it also provides leadership opportunities as they discover how to bring out the potential in others. Thus, students working collaboratively are learning important life and professional skills. CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
This might be done, for example, by assigning unique portions of a project to individual students who have to
DECeMBER 2006 / 05
PHOTO mark wiley
History teacher John Davison (pictured above) sponsors George School’s chapter of Junior State of America (JSA), a national organization that holds national and regional nonpartisan political conventions and conferences for high school students. JSA conventions feature addresses by national political figures. George School students have won Best Speaker awards for their performance in debates at JSA conventions and have also participated in other convention events, such as simulations of U.S. Congress sessions. At their meetings on campus, George School’s JSA members debate and discuss current events and controversial issues.
PERSPECTIVES
History Class Undertakes Collaborative Debates
by juliana rosati
“I think it’s important that students know they can learn in a variety of ways. There’s not just one road to wisdom. There are many,” reflects George School history teacher John Davison. “If the teacher offers a variety of formats, sooner or later each student will find a format that appeals to him or her.” Students who have taken John’s Accelerated U.S. History class—a yearlong chronological survey of the history of the United States from the age of European colonization to the end of the Vietnam War—will tell you that his commitment to bringing variety to the classroom can have surprising results. A quiz might contain a hidden joke poking good-natured fun at George School English teacher Ralph Lelii or at John himself. And it’s quite possible that during a lesson on the Great Awakening (a period of religious revivals that occurred in the American Colonies in the middle of the eighteenth century) John might mention that he invited an “expert” to visit the class, leave the room,
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and reemerge a few minutes later dressed in a long black coat and holding a Bible under one arm, ready to read a sermon by John Edwards, an evangelical minister who was prominent during the Great Awakening. “He makes it interesting all the time,” says Lianna Patch ’07, describing John. Noah Baron ’07 adds, “He’s a fun guy.” Collaborative learning plays a key role in an activity that John has used for twenty years as part of his varied teaching approaches—in-class debates that echo real debates that occurred in American history. “Team debates successfully combine both a collaborative element and an individual element,” John says. He will typically hold at least two debates in the class during the course of the school year. Students can choose a side to represent, but John occasionally ends up assigning some students to one side or the other in order to ensure that both sides have an equal number of students (usually eight or nine). For one debate, students must
argue in favor of the views held by one of the first two political parties in the United States—the Federalist Party (which existed from approximately 1789 to 1824) or the Republican Party (which is considered the origin of the contemporary Democratic Party). John has the students form a “Federalist” team and a “Republican” team and asks them to imagine that it is 1804, just before the presidential election in which Federalist Charles C. Pinckney will run against Republican Thomas Jefferson, who is finishing his first term as president. The class argues about the proper role of the federal government (the Federalists advocated a strong federal government, while the Republicans wanted states and citizens to have as much power as possible) and other important points of dispute between the two parties. For another debate, students must advocate or oppose the annexation of the Philippines by the United States, which occurred in 1899 after Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States in
exchange for $20 million at the end of the Spanish-American War. John describes this time period as “the classic period when the United States really became an imperialist country.” He notes, “It was a very bitter debate, historically.” Divided into “pro-annexation” and “antiannexation” teams, the students employ arguments that were used at the time in the Senate, where the debate was so controversial that the treaty stipulating the annexation was ratified with just one vote beyond the required two-thirds majority. The night before a debate, each student in John’s class writes a position paper arguing the validity of the side he or she will represent. Then, during the first fifteen to twenty minutes of class the next day, the teams prepare for the debate, sharing ideas and deciding how to structure their arguments, which points to make, and what order the team members will speak in. Once the debate begins, each team makes an opening statement for two to three minutes. Four or five rounds follow, in which each team has one member speak for two to three minutes while the rest of the class listens quietly. Following each round is a three-minute break in which the teams strategize and decide how to respond to the arguments that the other team has made. “They really do their real work during the breaks,” John says. Depending on the approach the opposing team has taken, John explains, “Their original strategy may go out the window.” Lianna recalls that as she listened to her opponents’ arguments, “I was writing in eight different colors trying to organize my points.” Noah says, “For me the debates helped to reinforce what we learned. When you actually have to
defend something, you have to put what you learned into use.” When he and his teammates conferred during the breaks, Noah recollects, they would have to decide which parts of their position were essential and which should be eliminated in order to make their argument as coherent as possible. “Sometimes we’d have good points, but they wouldn’t logically follow,” he explains. Daniel Baum Baicker ’07 believes that the strategizing and quiet listening involved in the debates reinforces respect for one’s classmates. He says, “You really were arguing as a group and you had to learn to respect what anyone on your team wanted to say.”
Team debates successfully combine both a collaborative element and an individual element. At the end of each debate, John gives a critique of each team’s performance, identifying the strongest and weakest arguments and assessing whether or not each team effectively addressed the points made by the other. If some historically significant arguments were not mentioned in the debate, John notes that as well. “They’re always very disappointed that I don’t pick a winner,” he says with a smile. John also comments on the historical accuracy of each team’s assertions. “It’s crucially important to guard against inaccurate historical information, distortions, or misrepresentations. As
valuable as it is to have students engaged in learning together, what they learn is just as important,” John says. In the rare cases in which errors occur, he says, they usually happen in the heat of the moment when students are trying to refute an argument from the other team—not from faulty research or preparation. “They want to respond to a particular point and squelch it somehow, so they slide into an inaccuracy,” he explains. In addition to correcting historical inaccuracies, John believes he has a responsibility to provide strong, close supervision during the debates and other group projects he assigns in order to ensure that students stay on task. With collaborative projects, he says, “the goofoff factor is always greater.” To keep students focused, he eavesdrops on the groups as much as he can. He also makes himself available to answer questions and give advice, and he holds the class to strict time limits for the assigned activities. When John assigns group projects other than the debates, he picks the groups, paying close attention to who is working with whom. “I’ll put groups together for different reasons,” he says. “I sometimes put strange bedfellows together quite knowingly.” In order to make sure that the more reserved students participate, sometimes he assigns them to work with classmates who have similar personalities. “There is a risk of stronger personalities dominating, and I’m very sensitive to that because I was always a reserved, back-row student when I was in school,” John says. “I guess one of the things I’m trying to do is to get that reserved, back-row student involved and interested.”
december 2006 / 07
PHOTO mark wiley
Librarian Marion Wells (pictured left) works at George School’s McFeely Library with Library Director Linda Espenshade Heinemann and Library Assistants Betty Craighead, Peggy Karaffa, and Joanne McNaught. The library staff provide a cohesive curriculum of research instruction for all George School students. Staffed and open for eighty hours per week, McFeely Library participates with over 2,000 libraries in a system of interlibrary loan.
PERSPECTIVES
Libraries Facilitate Collaboration and Individual Study by marion wells
A typical day in the life of McFeely Library includes a dynamic flow of students who arrive when the doors open in the morning. Students have different reasons for coming to the library. Research needs to be conducted. Papers need to be written. Books and journal articles need to be read. Solitude must be sought before the demands of the day begin. And yes, email needs to be checked. McFeely Library is both a place of quietude and, increasingly, a place that brings people together through shared learning experiences. If you visited the library today, you would see students collaborating in informal ways by asking each other for assistance. More formally, several students at one computer station are working together, dividing and synthesizing their tasks in order to create a group presentation. Students at tables are studying together and sharing notes. They search databases together and share information about useful websites. In short, there is a rich, social fabric that binds the work of the students together. Faculty often require small group work in the library. The librarian assists the groups as they exchange ideas and
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strategies. The librarian also supports the group by fine-tuning critical thinking skills and recommending subject-specific sources. The result is an understanding that by negotiating, sharing ideas and experiences, and working as a team, we can solve problems together. Many George School students will attend colleges that offer collaborative learning centers, which were formerly called learning centers, writing labs, information centers, and instruction centers. Equipped with state-of-the-art visual and sound technologies, these study areas promote working together and solving problems in a group setting. The communal design simulates for the student the collaborative management style that is becoming common in the workplace environment. As different learning styles and study behaviors become better understood by our institutions, it is imperative that libraries respond to the new knowledge that is available about library users’ needs. Therefore, it is important that the library offer options both for students who need a quiet learning environment and for students who need space to work on group projects. Our two Absolutely
Quiet rooms are reserved for those individuals who need an environment that is free of interruptions and noise. Students who need to collaborate are welcome to use tables and computer stations in other parts of the library during the day. To accommodate the need for group study space during study hall hours, we established staffed group study rooms in Bancroft several nights per week. The students have plenty of space to work and freedom to discuss their assignments without compromising the independent work of others. We recognize the intrinsic value of peaceful inquiry and strive to maintain an environment that supports quiet reading and study. We also understand the importance of creating an environment that is conducive to shared learning. Offering both avenues for learning provides balanced alternatives for the students and faculty of George School. I am pleased by the way in which the vision for our future library reflects this belief—the building will house both quiet study areas and collaborative learning spaces, thus encompassing both modes of scholarly inquiry under one roof.
PHOTOs scott hoskins
Pictured above is the interior set constructed by Stagecraft class students for the Spring 2006 George School production of Noises Off, a play about the comic antics that arise both onstage and offstage as a struggling theater troupe takes a show on tour. During the course of the play, the interior set rotated 180 degress to the backstage look (pictured below) for the second act, and then rotated back to the interior set again for the third act.
PERSPECTIVES
collaboration in the arts Collaborative work is at the heart of the work we do in performing arts at George School. My teaching of Stagecraft relies on the assumption that virtually no performance should be done in the dark, and a play without an articulated environment would feel incomplete and confusing. Our collaborative support of the musicians, the dancers, and the actors is just as crucial to their success as their performances are to our success, and that interdependence is an explicit lesson about the equivalent connectedness of
most parts of life as we know it. The script of Noises Off, for example, specifies the scenery as “the interior of a converted posset mill,” an interior set which must, during the course of the play, rotate 180 degrees for the second act, and then back again for the third act. The lighting on the interior set needs to look intentionally theatrical, and the lighting on the rear side of it, the “backstage look,” needs to look radically different. My stagecraft students worked carefully on the creation of such a set, and the cast
by scott hoskins
who acted on that set came to appreciate the complexity of their relationship to scenery as they came and went up and down stairs, in and out the nine doors. I believe my stagecraft students in turn came to appreciate the difficulties of comic timing, of character development, and ultimately, of the realization of such a complex comedy. In performance, it is rare that one works alone. For that reason, I think it provides a rare opportunity to learn the value of trust, of mutual respect, and of collaborative interdependence.
december 2006 / 09
PHOTO jessica leet
Jean Boardman Duff ’62 (pictured left) formerly worked as an elementary school teacher and as an entrepreneur. She owned CareerTracers—a company that conducted background investigations on candidates for hire—from 1979 to the mid-1990s.
PERSPECTIVES
Alum Fosters peer collaboration by karen doss bowman
There’s an old saying that “two heads are better than one,” and Jean Boardman Duff ’62 has found that adage to be particularly true in the worlds of graduate school and the workplace. In an effort to enhance productivity and boost morale at the pharmaceutical company where she works, Jean has found ways to gather her colleagues into teams that possess a variety of talents and knowledge. As a document quality specialist at Wyeth—a position she’s held since March—Jean works with her team at the company’s Collegeville, Pennsylvania, campus to ensure the accuracy of all documentation sent to regulatory agencies around the world, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Within her department, she recently started a “peer coaching” approach where each employee determines his or her own strengths and teaches the others during weekly staff meetings “until we’re all good at it,” she says. “You find out what employees are good at, what brings them to work every day, and what they’re passionate about, and you build on that,” says Jean. Some of the individual talents present within her team include being detail oriented, understanding statistics, and having pharmaceutical knowledge. For her part, Jean says she enjoys coaching and drawing out the strengths of
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others so that her colleagues can work more effectively and feel greater job satisfaction. Three years ago, Jean (who spent nearly seven of her eleven years at Wyeth working as a trainer and internal performance consultant) cofounded the Wyeth Performance Consortium. The association brings together Wyeth trainers who are scattered all over the United States for monthly meetings to share resources and ideas, such as techniques for motivating employees or opinions on which computer systems are the best for training employees. Though she’s no longer a trainer, Jean continues to serve on the consortium’s board. Jean first encountered the concept of collaborative education in graduate school at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where most of her classes in the training and organizational development program included group assignments. During her last year of graduate school, which she completed in 2003, Jean and two classmates teamed up for a project that spanned two semesters: consulting with the Girl Scout Council in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, on restructuring decisions. Jean learned through this project that an important part of group dynamics is listening to and appreciating other people’s insights. “There’s a nice balance that has to exist between listening to the other individuals and being sure that you get your own ideas out there,” says Jean. According to Jean, leadership skills have a chance to emerge during group work, and the particularly insightful person may discover his or her own strengths and weaknesses. Jean, for example, learned from the Girl Scout project that analyzing a client’s motives is not her strength, but she is quite adept at facilitating meetings—keeping the group focused on the goal and redirecting a meandering discussion back to the point. The biggest challenge of working in groups, Jean says, is to avoid letting individual personalities hinder progress. She compares individuals’ methods of confronting issues within a group to different ways of perusing a menu in a restaurant. Some people glance briefly at a menu and quickly identify what they want; some may not even need to look at the menu to know what they want; and others may patiently browse through the entire menu—and even then, may not be able to make a decision. It takes a little patience and respect for others’ opinions to work collaboratively, she says. “It’s really hard sometimes to sit back and allow the time that it takes,” Jean admits. However, she is happy to be able to use her training background towards helping her current colleagues appreciate one another’s strengths. “Each person brings something different to the table,” Jean says, “and the real learning comes from building on what you already have. One of the ways that you build that knowledge is by sharing it.”
Chinezi Chijioke ‘96 (pictured left) earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and African studies at Harvard University. After graduation, he worked at an Internet start-up, and then he went on to become a mathematics teacher at George School for two years.
PERSPECTIVES
Alum collaborates to Help Clients by kim fernande z
Chinezi Chijioke ’96 sends emails in the middle of the night, waiting to finalize travel plans between African countries, snatching sleep when he can. As a management consultant with McKinsey and Company in Johannesburg, South Africa, his schedule is full of business trips. While his work is hectic and busy and breathtaking, Chinezi says it not only provides a great opportunity to work in Africa, but is also a fantastic example of a job in which collaboration is essential. Chinezi felt an urge to travel, specifically in Africa, a few years after college. Once he earned a dual MBA and MAEd from Stanford University, it was an easy hop to McKinsey. “Working with McKinsey provides me with a tremendous learning opportunity—an opportunity to learn about working in Africa while developing my problem-solving skills in a business context,” he states. McKinsey provides management consulting for organizations in the for-profit, not-for-profit, and public sectors. Chinezi explains, “That may mean working with a global airline company to improve its operations, or with an African government to create a strategy that facilitates economic development.” Chinezi recalls that he experienced collaborative learning as a student at George School via sports practices and group
projects. In graduate school, in both his MBA and MAEd programs, case study projects and an overall emphasis on working with others gave him his first intensive experience with the technique of collaborative learning. Under the case study method, which is a part of the Stanford Business School curriculum, students analyze detailed reports of real-life business situations and discuss strategies for solving the problems the cases involve. “The case study method depends more on the preparation, participation, and interaction of class members than on the course material or professor lecture,” Chinezi says. “Group assignments were the norm, and we even prepared for individual exams in study teams, where we divvied up the work of preparing study guides and synthesizing our notes.” Dividing up the work had its pitfalls. “Sometimes it meant we each developed expertise in only part of the curriculum,” he explains. “But the volume of material at hand required that we share the burden and we tried to share expertise by reteaching one another in our study team meetings.” That experience serves him well in his current position. “McKinsey’s approach to consulting and problem solving is thoroughly collaborative,” he says of his employer. “Projects are staffed by teams that include both McKinsey and client consultants. Problem solving happens as a team, though the techniques vary from group brainstorming to iteratively sharing work done individually.” Chinezi notes that learning to work collaboratively has taught him to work with people who don’t necessarily take the same approach he does. He believes that making a conscious effort to understand the work styles of others can be the key to success. “At McKinsey it is not unusual for a consulting team of four people who have never met one another, who come from different countries, and have vastly different personal styles, to have to work together for six intense weeks,” he says. “One way we address that is by having ‘team learnings’ very early in the project in which we explicitly share with one another how we prefer to work and our developmental goals for the project. Knowing whether a teammate likes to solve problems alone and quietly or in conversation can prevent a lot of frustration over the course of a project!” Chinezi enjoys learning from his colleagues and says projects are finished successfully because everyone is expected to work together to reach common goals. That includes clients, whose own expertise and feedback are a valued part of the process. And that, he says, is a terrific experience for everyone. “Collaborative learning depends on the commitment and collaboration of those doing it to succeed, and when effective, takes everyone farther than they would get by striving alone.”
DECEMBER 2006 / 11
PERSPECTIVES
equiz HIGHLIGHTS Below and on the next page you will see various points of view from alumni on the topic of collaborative learning. All of the comments were submitted in response to the August eQuiz, which asked alumni to share their experiences with collaborative learning at George School, at other academic institutions, and elsewhere. We were also interested in learning about alumni experiences with collaborative problem solving in the workplace. Thank you to the 109 alumni who participated. 1951 eleanor magid
“Collaborative learning” was not named in my years at George School, but every phase of my life after George School was influenced by the reality, based on principles of mutual respect and appreciation. I first realized this during the summer of 1951 while working at Friends Neighborhood Guild in Philadelphia PA, prior to entering Smith College. 1957 Anne thompson
I used group work in an introduction to poetry course which I taught for many years at Bates College. Students were placed in small groups (sometimes of their own choosing) and given a poem to work with. Their task was to teach the poem to the class, through stimulating discussion on it. In order to prepare for this they needed both to do research and to meet together to discuss strategies for the discussion they led. The results were uneven but at best, students came to class with highly original techniques and strategies for running the discussion which not only led to some profound insights about the poem itself, but also generated an atmosphere that was lively, spontaneous, and fun. I heard often from the student groups that the meeting they had with one another in order to prepare was the best part of the process. Away from the teacher, they had to work hard to develop their own understanding of the poem and they valued both the independence and the challenge this offered them. 1962 ellen clemmer ballou
French students need to practice French, like soccer players need to play and piano students need to practice. If I hog the class it is like the soccer coach keeping the ball or the piano teacher playing instead of the student. For my discipline, collaborative learning is essential. I also value the practice it gives my students in working together as they will have to once they are employed.
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spotlight on: christopher rivinus ’88 COLLABORATIVE LEARNING PRIOR TO HIGHER EDUCATION
Probably the best collaborative learning I engaged in was through team athletics where you face quickly evolving problems that you have to solve immediately using your collective efforts. You get immediate feedback on the actions that you take and through the course of the game or season get a chance to evaluate, collaborate, and try different tactics later on. COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION
For our final class in my MBA program we had to design and pitch a business plan to venture capitalists. Sorting out roles and responsibilities in such a venture, especially when you are collaborating via distance in most cases, is crucial. You have to get contributions from everyone to do well and you have to keep everyone motivated to contribute to their highest capacity but within the roles defined. COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING IN THE WORKPLACE
Our company is currently overseeing the World Trade Center site development. We are coordinating the integration of designs for the rail infrastructure, the proposed buildings, the memorial, etc., and developing a rational approach to the construction phasing and logistics. With the number of constituencies and emotional intensity associated with this project, our skills in driving collaboration sometimes—in spite of the myriad of various agendas that the parties bring to the table—are our core competency.
1962 Robin zawodni bird
1973 robin kester patterson
I teach computing to groups. I put beginners together to help each other. They learn about 50 percent faster than they do working with an expert or working alone. One student operates the computer, the other is the “Neener Sayer,” who watches the screen and when the operater goofs says, “Neener, neener, neener, you should put your pointer there!” Then they trade places.
Collaborative learning is very useful in training new umpires/ officials. Experience, theory, philosophy, and information are shared to enable officials to develop good judgment and keep games fair and safe. 1986 rudy berk
I facilitate high-level role-playing exercises for rising government officials and politicians in third-world countries. These invariably require intense collaboration and teamwork between players representing different parts of the executive branch, and often also the legislature.
As a creative professional (information design director at a software company), I find myself regularly in interdisciplinary brainstorming sessions, often to solve mind-numbingly challenging problems. There is a delicate balance between ego, and humility, confidence, and restraint. I’ve been at this for quite some time now, as have many of my coworkers, and this makes for exceptionally productive and enlightened collaborative problem solving.
1969 Robert ganz
1987 regina winters
Group work [at George School], especially in Clark Moore’s World History class, taught me for the first time the value of listening to other students and learning from them. Prior to that time I thought that all wisdom came from the teacher. That insight gave me the ability to learn from my fellow law students in later years.
I’m an architect but I teach city planning at the University of New Haven. Students work collaboratively, in teams of their choosing, on at least one planning project during the semester. The results of such work are far more successful and beneficial to the class than work done individually—particularly since the class I teach is one composed of engineering students whose proficiency in planning, and site and building design (not to mention the history of urban development) varies tremendously.
1966 loren cobb
1969 jeff walker
I work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. I remember National Environmental Policy Act meetings in Oregon after forest fires where the topic was whether to salvage burnt timber or leave it to recover naturally. The community was fairly divided between timber beasts and tree huggers, yet because there were good meeting facilitators, everyone treated each other respectfully and all opinions were heard. 1971 Lock Kiermaier
My experiences in collaborative education occured at George School in the form of working with different individuals and groups with the goal of learning and understanding more about particular topics. These experiences certainly prepared me for the course work I did in higher education and, more importantly, later in my professional life. I am continually involved in the formation of state budget policy which is a collaborative process of the highest magnitude.
1994 kristin muzina
As a clinical social worker who develops and facilitates many support groups for patients, I often use a collaborative learning model to help encourage patients to learn from each person’s unique perspective and experiences. I often find that this type of learning leaves a more positive and long-lasting impact on the participants. 2004 carey walden
Collaborative learning at GS allowed me to understand that a leader doesn’t necessarily always lead, but rather shows characteristics of leadership at all times.
DECEMBER 2006 / 13
Barbara Dodd Anderson ’50 (pictured left) has long played a significant role in supporting the faculty and students of George School. Her recent $5 million leadership gift for the new library allows her to name the building, and she has chosen to name it in honor of her nine-year-old granddaughter, Mollie Dodd Anderson.
New library timeframe quickens by Juliana rosati
As the donor of a $5 million leadership gift, Barbara Dodd Anderson ’50 has initiated an exhilarating new period in the campaign to bring a new library to George School. “Barbara’s gift brings us to a tremendous milestone,” declares David Bruton, clerk of the George School Committee, the school’s governing board. “Through her incredible generosity, we have taken a vast step forward on the road to making the new library a reality,” he states. “It’s just a very exciting thing,” Barbara says of the plan for the new library. She credits Warren Buffett, whom she has known for many years, with providing inspiration for her gift. “He believes in giving your money when you can still enjoy seeing what you can do with it,” she explains. The secondrichest person in the world, Warren Buffett announced in June that he would donate 85 percent of his fortune to five foundations. Describing him as someone who has chosen to give his money “to the right causes,” Barbara states, “I certainly feel that George School is my right cause.” David remarks, “The new library will change meaningfully the quality and pattern of life at George School, and the moment at which that change will occur is significantly closer today than it was just a short while ago. It is wonderful that Warren Buffett’s philanthropy is inspiring others to give.”
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Barbara expresses great admiration for the way in which George School instills a strong work ethic in students and prepares them academically for college, and it’s clear that she cherishes the memories of her days as a George School student. When she sums up the qualities that made her time at the school so valuable, she cites “a kindness and a generosity about the faculty and the students.” When she describes her favorite teachers, her gratitude for the caring manner and high academic standards they exemplified is evident. Of history teacher Walter Mohr, Barbara says, “He was kindly but he was also tough.” She characterizes art teacher Leah Perkins, who supervised her co-op in the Arts Department, as “a gentle, sweet person” who helped her to feel at home as a new student by inviting Barbara to her apartment for tea. Julius Laramore, she remembers, was “an amazing man.” Her appreciation of him did not decrease even when he assigned her to conjugate the verb “to be” while performing a ballet dance in front of his Latin class. (Barbara borrowed a blue taffeta skirt from her roommate for the assignment.) “He was a little bizarre, but he was neat,” Barbara says. “He had so much experience, and he had such a good sense of humor.” In addition, time has not diminished the impression that science teacher John Carson made on Barbara, due not only to his skillful teaching of one of her favorite subjects (biology), but also to his striking good looks. “I had a crush on him,” she recalls with a fond laugh. Barbara has long played a significant role in supporting the faculty and students of George School. She established the David LeFevre Dodd Teaching Chair (named in honor of her father) to help George School attract and retain teachers who demonstrate unusual strengths in classroom teaching and personal values. In addition, she created the Barbara Dodd Anderson ’50 Scholarship, which provides tuition aid to students who embody the principles of social involvement, respect for others, and a commitment to academic excellence. A leadership donor to the Annual Fund, Barbara also contributed generously to the renovations of Main building that were completed in 2003. Barbara’s gift to the library allows her to name the building, and she has chosen to name it in honor of her nine-year-old granddaughter, Mollie Dodd Anderson. “If there was ever a library person, it’s Mollie,” Barbara says proudly. She explains that her daughter-in-law, Mollie’s mother, is such a reading enthusiast that she read to Mollie while she was still in the womb, and today Mollie, who is in the fourth grade, reads at the tenth-grade level. Regarding George School’s current faculty, Barbara says, “They teach you the things that you need to know to get into college and do it well.” On her visits to campus, she has sat in on classes and enjoyed observing the ways in which current teachers such as Polly Lodge and Paul Machemer ’65 continue
DECEMBER 2006 / 14
The $5 million leadership donation from Barbara Dodd Anderson ’50 takes George School a large step forward in making the proposed new library (artist rendering at left) a reality.
George School’s traditions of academic excellence and attentiveness to each individual student. “I think it’s a super school,” she says. “I’m proud to be a part of its growth.” Head of School Nancy Starmer
states, “Just as Warren Buffett’s generosity served as inspiration for Barbara, I hope that Barbara’s generosity to George School will inspire others to help us raise the remaining $9 million necessary to build and endow this
visionary facility. The new library will be a true symbol of George School’s commitment to academic excellence and an immeasurable gift to the students in whom we are all entrusting our future.”
named gift opportunities for the library library building
main floor
Second Floor
Naming of Library*
$5,000,000
Main Reading Area
$750,000
Academic Support Center
$1,000,000
Main Level Naming
$2,500,000
Computer Alcove
$500,000
Conference Suite
$1,000,000
Second Level Naming
$2,500,000
Information Commons
$500,000
$1,000,000
Reference Collection
$400,000
Quiet Reading and Study Area
$750,000
Sustainable Building Design Elements
Circulating Collection Area
$500,000
$1,500,000
Research Instruction Classroom
$400,000
Librarian Endowment Fund (Director of Library)
Art Gallery*
$250,000
Computer Work Stations (16) Library Director’s Office
Library Endowment Fund (3 Librarians) Technology Acquisition
each $1,000,000 $1,000,000
Librarian Service Center and Staff Office
$50,000
$200,000
Quaker Collection Area*
$30,000
$150,000
Circulating Search Area
$25,000
Special George School Author’s Collection Area*
$15,000
Desktop Computers (44)
$100,000 each $2,500
Group Study Rooms (4)*
$100,000
Library Inventory and Security Control Systems
$100,000
$1,000,000
Library Staff Office and Workroom
$100,000
Library Building Landscaping
$500,000
Group Study Rooms (4)
$50,000
South Lawn Terrace and Porch Area
$500,000
Laptop Lending Program (18)
$50,000
South Lawn Terrace
$300,000
Circulating Librarian Service Desk
$50,000
Reference Search Area
$25,000
Refreshment Center
$25,000
Design and Development Phase
$700,000
Schematic Phase*
$120,000
exterior Outdoor Walkway
Furniture Porch Area Furniture Benches
$75,000 $200,000 $50,000 each $5,000
Study Carrels (43) [5*]
$100,000 each $2,500
Opportunities listed with * have already been fully funded. If you are interested in giving a gift to the library, please contact Director of Development Anne Culp Storch ’67 at 215-579-6569 or anne_storch@ georgeschool.org.
december 2006 / 15
PHOTO mark wiley
George School Food Service Director Joe Ducati (pictured above) of CulinArt Inc. stands in the newly renovated kitchen. The kitchen upgrade was made possible thanks to a gift from the Chodorow family.
kitchen Transformed by restaurateur by ann langtry
How do you make a food service director happy? Ask him to draw up a wish list of modern kitchen equipment. Then add a consulting design team and a corporate chef, blend in just the right amount of funding, and turn the whole project around in less than two months. George School Food Service Director Joe Ducati of CulinArt Inc. is no stranger to the unpredictable world of the professional chef. Yet after decades of working in restaurants from New York to Miami, he was both humbled and thrilled by the golden opportunity that recently came George School’s way. Thanks to a generous contribution of $200,000 from Jeffrey and Linda Chodorow, parents of Zach ’04 and Max ’07, the school’s kitchen facility was upgraded in a way that Joe describes as “going from driving a 1940 Buick to driving a 2007 Cadillac.” “We are enormously grateful to Jeffrey and Linda for their donation,” says Head of School Nancy Starmer. “We originally approached the Chodorows to see if they might be interested in contributing to the new library. Instead, they offered to renovate the kitchen thanks to feedback from their son Max, who also happens to be very knowledgeable about food and a
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wonderful cook himself.” But the offer did not stop with the funding. Jeffrey, a world-renowned restaurateur and financier, sent his own kitchen design team and corporate chef to George School to assess the layout, food service needs, and other details with Joe in order to maximize the kitchen upgrades. Construction took place during the 2006 summer break while the kitchen staff continued its daily food service for the full complement of camp programs running at George School throughout the season. “The camp directors had no idea we were working from a temporary setup of mobile trailers and tents on the grounds,” says Joe. “Our staff truly rose to the occasion and made it happen.” The entire construction process was captured in a four-minute video created by Sarah McBride ’96, a documentary filmmaker. Sarah used time-lapse photography to showcase the renovation project and the film was shown during a fall assembly so that students and faculty could witness the transformation. According to Joe, the new textured epoxy floor is easier to clean and helps to maintain safety by reducing the danger of slipping on a wet surface. The placement of the new appliances and
equipment creates a more spacious work area. “The individual sinks used for pots are smaller and therefore require fewer chemicals and water waste, and have built-in measuring devices to maintain proper pH balance,” Joe adds, pointing out additional eco-conscious features— such as energy-efficient dishwashers and ovens—as well as an ergonomically tilted braising pan. “The new FRP (fiberglass reinforced-plastic) walls are easier to sanitize,” says Joe. He explains that the updated remote-operated fire retardation system allows for speed and safety in responding to any sudden kitchen fires. The plumbing is new throughout the kitchen, including an open drain made especially for the vegetable wash sink. Stainless steel appliances are wheel mounted for mobility and easy cleaning. A convection steamer purchased by the school two years ago was reused, as was the vegetable wash sink. CulinArt donated the triple sink for washing pots and the dishwasher. Other new equipment includes two double gas convection ovens, a twelve-inch spreader cabinet, a fryer battery, a gas tilting skillet, a tilting kettle, two heavy duty ranges, double cook-and-hold ovens, and two hand washing sinks.
Experienced in person, the difference between the old and the new kitchen is striking in ways both physical and edible. Joe has a staff of fifteen fulltime and three part-time employees who serve approximately 1,500 meals each day in the George School dining room. Students and faculty responded to the improvements in a noticeable way, according to Joe. “Our diners are consuming more food, which tells me they are happy,” he adds with a laugh. “For example, we now serve twenty additional pounds of roasted chicken at a given meal and yet we can still run out.” Joe says he and his staff now receive fewer complaints about the food and get plenty of praise and positive feedback. “Everyone makes sure we know we are appreciated,” he adds. Additional changes are now under discussion. “We are hoping to complete further renovations to the dining room itself,” says Nancy. “Jeffrey has already engaged his design team to create new plans for the dining and serving areas.” The George School Campus Master Plan, a facility-needs assessment document, includes a potential new dining facility
well in the future, according to Nancy. “Renovating the current dining room was Jeffrey’s initiative. It is wonderful that Max can enjoy the benefits of his parents’ generosity while still a student here, and that the community can enjoy the benefits of a beautiful and wellequipped facility right away.”
experienced in person, the difference between the old and the new kitchen is striking in ways both physical and edible . Of particular interest to the George School Committee, as well as to Joe and his management at CulinArt, are the ways that the school has committed to sustainability. “Strong concern for the environment is a priority for the George School Committee,” states Nancy, citing a goal developed at a recent board retreat: to create a set of policies and provide
direction to ensure that we are following responsible environmental practices. Joe’s efforts to purchase produce from local farmers in addition to harvesting the George School vegetable garden were noted and praised by his management at CulinArt. In addition to other environmentally friendly practices, the kitchen staff composts food waste and recycles the kitchen’s grease by giving it to a local resident who converts it into biodiesel fuel oil for use in tractors and other diesel-run vehicles. “Recently, I was paid a surprise visit by a CulinArt representative,” says Joe. “We were informed that they would like to use George School as a corporate model for sustainability.” “Kudos to Joe,” says Nancy. “We are thrilled that CulinArt has chosen to use us as a model. They are very supportive of our efforts and we also appreciate their equipment donations.” And thanks to the Chodorow family, the George School dining experience will be eco-conscious and the food will be better tasting, more healthful, and varied to meet a range of palates.
Announcing the 50/50 Challenge Collaborating for Leadership Giving for the Annual Fund George School is seeking fifty new leadership donors to make gifts of $1,000 each to the 2006-07 Annual Fund. Two anonymous donors have committed a total of $50,000 to encourage participation.
Will you accept the challenge? Please make your gift or pledge today by going online to http://alumni.georgeschool.org/donations or by mailing the enclosed gift envelope. For information about the George School Annual Fund contact Diane Barlow, annual fund director, at 215-579-6581 or annualfund@georgeschool.org.
december 2006 / 17
PHOTO mark wiley
Bob Freedman ’54 (pictured above in front of the George School Meetinghouse), was born and has lived in the center of New York City all of his life, and says he has developed a very special appreciation for silence.
an alumnus returns It is often said that while a school such as George School gives a great deal to each student, the situation reverses after graduation, and the students start to give back to the school, both in financial contributions and in service to the school. Naturally, there continue to be effects felt from our years as students, both in terms of education and friendships, and we may get continuing information and inspiration through the Georgian and reunions. However, I’d like to present you all with a thought, based on recent experience, as to one other way in which our school can give to us on a continuing and present basis—a way which I’ll bet at least some of us have never considered. It was a summer Saturday, and I was traveling from New York City to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on a brief vacation to visit friends in that area. I had had something to do in Princeton, New Jersey, and so had spent the previous night at a hotel on Route 1 near Penns Neck. That morning, I left my hotel and headed down Route 1 toward the Pennsylvania Turnpike. I had had a fairly stressful week, and it suddenly occurred to me that George School was just three miles off the Interstate 95 bypass which circles Trenton, New Jersey, to the west, and that I would be passing the
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by bob freedman ’5 4
exit very shortly. On impulse, I got off the highway and headed for the school. My idea was simple—a half hour spent in silent meditation in the peaceful surroundings of the school’s lovely Quaker meetinghouse would put me in a much better state of mind for the day to follow, if not for the rest of my trip.
Most of us don’t get enough silence in our lives. After a few minutes, I pulled into the parking lot next to the meetinghouse. Mine was the only car in the lot, other than a school van. The school looked deserted—in fact, I never saw another person during my stay. “I hope it’s open,” I thought as I got out of my car and walked across the road. I walked to the door we normally enter—the one on the road that leads from Main down past the back of Retford and Hallowell—and tried the handle. Locked. What had I expected? But, not ready to give up, I started to walk around the building, looking through the windows, hoping to find someone. As I turned the corner, a
light inside hit my eye. “Ah,” I thought, amusing myself with the wordplay on the George School motto. “Mind the light!” Finally, in back of the building, an open door. I went inside. The building seemed empty. The only sign of life was a small collection of cleaning equipment in the center of the floor. I sat down on one of the benches, got comfortable, closed my eyes, and sat quietly, just listening to the sounds. A few windows were open, and one occasionally rattled in the wind. There was the distant hum of traffic from Newtown-Langhorne Road, and an occasional sound of a distant airplane high overhead. Some birds chirping. The occasional creaking of the building. And nothing more. No impulse to speak— there was no one there to speak to. Alone with the sounds, and with my thoughts. Quiet, blessed quiet. Slightly more than a half hour passed before I looked at my watch. It had felt like merely a minute or two. I got up from my seat, feeling much more at peace than when I had sat down, smiled, and went downstairs to use the men’s room. On my way back, I saw the framed quotation on the wall at the entrance, read it for the first time (although I had passed it by many times over the years of reunions), and walked
out the door and back to my car. In a few minutes I was back on Route 1, feeling much more relaxed and refreshed—for the first time really ready for the rest of my vacation. As I drove, I got to thinking about this experience. Most of us don’t get enough silence in our lives. We are beset by cell phones, pagers, television sets, sirens, flashing lights, and so on. Life blaring at us on all eight cylinders. What a blessing it is to find silence as I did for a mere thirty minutes! A few of us get this by hiking in the wilderness, but we can find it anywhere—sometimes only three miles off Interstate 95. Not too many of us live near George School, but most of us live near enough to some place that can offer us such silent sanctuary. I’ve found it in cathedrals, in churches, even once or twice in the interdenominational chapel of one of our best and busiest New York City hospitals. And it doesn’t matter what religion we may espouse, or even if
we are atheists. We can still benefit from the silence. We can still commune with ourselves for a brief time, and connect with who we really are. Back to the quotation at the main entrance. I’ll bet most of you, like me, have never actually read it. Here is what it says: Silence is a natural demand born of a need for God, felt by young and old, in all the world’s religions. In silence we may worship together, sharing our search for life, sharing our quest for peace, sharing God’s gift of love. What a wonderful message for us all! And the seeds for this knowledge, this respite from our busy daily life, were, for us, planted at George School.
PHOTO bonnie bodenheimer
The primary use of the George School Meetinghouse (pictured above) is for worship services. There is also a religious studies classroom on the second level. Everyone is always welcome at a Quaker meeting for worship. To find a meetinghouse in your area or when you’re traveling, visit the Quaker Finder website at http://www.quakerfinder.org (a service of Friends General Conference).
december 2006 / 19
PHOTO yoshiaki miura
Kana Ishiguro ’93 (pictured left in traditional Japanese clothing) notes, “I’d like to thank my roommates, Maddy, Amy (she used to laugh at me because I could never pronounce her last name), and Elena; my Korean friend, Won Bin; and my Japanese friend, Keiko, and to send my best regards and most sincere gratitude to all my friends and teachers at GS.”
the language of memory
by kana ishiguro ’ 93
I think most of my classmates remember me as the shy little Japanese girl (only five foot two) who played the piano in assembly a few times. I remember when I first went to the United States alone, two months after I turned sixteen, I didn’t know much about America. Nor could I speak much English. I could barely introduce myself or say, “You can see Mount Fuji from my house in Japan,” let alone carry on a conversation. But I had decided to go purely because I wanted to meet people from a different cultural background and write about them in the future. I’m so grateful to my teachers and friends at George School. They were all so patient with me and my limited English skills. Kristin Seymour, Phyllis Sexton, Carolyn Lyday, John Gleeson, Pacho Gutierrez, Tom English, Dorothy Detwiler, and Laura Taylor Kinnel constantly gave me support and guidance both in and out of class. I also want to thank the late Michael Sherrin; Darryl Harper; and my piano teacher, Betty Winn, who allowed me to speak through my music/piano playing. And of course, I am most grateful for all the love my advisor, Annette Miller, has given me to this very day. I’m grateful to Tom English who would get up early to meet me at eight o’clock one or two mornings a week just to review what we were studying in his American history class. I’d
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always apologize, saying, “Sorry, you could have slept longer if it weren’t for me. You must be exhausted.” And Tom would always say, “No problem, Kana. I’m fine,” downing a can of Diet Coke and looking anything but fine. Then there was Pacho’s biology class and Phyllis’s chemistry class. All apologies to them and to the students who offered to be my lab partners. They must have had a hard time. I really had no idea of what I was supposed to do, and I remember keeping my lab mates endlessly from their lunch as they waited for me. John Gleeson showed me how great American literature is and inspired me to go to an American university to study American literature. This seemed a foolhardy idea at the time, because my English was really quite pathetic, but I loved reading books in English, even if I had to look up every other word in my dictionary. So many thanks to John. After I graduated from George School, I went to Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. I didn’t find the diverse environment there that I enjoyed at George School, so I transferred to Columbia University in New York City the next year. I graduated from Columbia in 1997 with a BA in comparative literature, and came back to Japan after seven years in the States. My homecoming was a tricky one. While I was in the States, I’d always felt very Japanese, so I didn’t think it was going to be a problem coming back to Japan. But precisely because I’d been in the States for so long, Japan turned out to be like a foreign country for me. I entered graduate school in Japan in 1998 for an MA in American literature, so that I could start teaching in Japanese universities. But I found the Japanese education system very old-fashioned and tradition-bound compared to the States. I realized then, for the first time, how much America has influenced me and changed me. I had become Americanized without being aware of it. I thought I could assimilate into Japanese society right away. After all, it was my native country. But it wasn’t the case. This was a shock to me, and as a result I became very depressed. I recovered from the depression and started working in Tokyo. I tried several jobs, but none of them felt right. Then I started working at the Japan Times, an English newspaper based in Tokyo. For the first few years there, I worked both as a reporter and in the Internet department. For my last three years there, I was manager of the electronic media department. It was around this time that I was given an opportunity to write about my experiences in the States for a bilingual weekly newspaper issued by the Japan Times. The column was popular among English learners in Japan, and the Japan Times has decided to collect those articles into a book, along with Japanese translations and a CD recording of the English texts.
illustration elena (ED) decker hose ’93
The book will be primarily for Japanese people who are trying to learn English or who are thinking about studying outside Japan. Some universities will use the texts in the book for their English entrance exams. My knowledge of English is a reflection of the many beautiful friendships I had in the States. The book includes a number of small episodes based on my memories of people who helped me learn English. For instance, one chapter describes how I was talking on the phone from George School to my mother in Japan crying and feeling homesick. Carolyn was working in the room next door and gave me a big hug. She took my Japanese to English dictionary and said, “I will teach you a word that describes you.” She pointed to the word “invincible.” I can hardly believe I am the author of a book that’s in English, considering how poor my English was when I first went to George School. I’m sure you will all take heart at this. Nothing is impossible if Kana Ishiguro can publish something in English!
Elena (ED) Decker Hose ’93 created this illustration of Kana Ishiguro ’93, her George School roommate. ED works in mixed media—pen and ink, and digital color (see http://www.edhose.com).
december 2006 / 21
CAMPUS NEWS AND NOTES
by juliana rosati
in the classroom
on the field
Science Classes Host Guest Speakers
Alumna Returns to GS for Preseason PHOTO Tamara Fobare
In September, two guest speakers from the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) visited Nancy Lemmo’s International Baccalaureate (IB) Environmental Science class, Polly Lodge’s IB Biology class, and Mark Wiley’s Advanced Placement Environmental Science class. AWF works with the people of Africa to conserve African wildlife and land. One of the guest speakers, Pastori Magingi, described his work as an elephant research assistant. He monitors elephant populations that exist in areas outside African national parks and develops plans to mitigate conflicts between human beings and wildlife. The other speaker, Josephine Simon, a community conservation officer, talked about the work she does with women’s groups in the Maasai tribe. She helps the women to establish conservation-related businesses, so that wildlife can become an asset for the tribe. Pastori and Josephine, both Tanzanian, work for AWF in Tanzania. The presentations tied in well with the IB science curriculum. Polly explains, “The IB curriculum emphasizes population studies, human impact on ecosystems, and conservation work in conjunction with local people.” Coincidentally, the Tanzanian elephant population moves through a wildlife corridor into Kenya, where Polly took a sabbatical last year to study wildlife conservation.
In August, George School’s varsity field hockey team played a preseason scrimmage on the George School campus against University Liggett School (ULS), which is located in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan. Ellen Meranze ’84 (pictured above, middle), who teaches French at ULS, was the assistant coach for the ULS team. “Ellen and I touched base and set up this game last spring,” says Nancy Bernardini (pictured above, right), George School’s girls’ athletic director and varsity field hockey coach. “I coached Ellen when she was a student at GS.” While on campus for the scrimmage, Ellen was reunited not only with Nancy, but also with George School teacher Debbie Vernon DiMicco ’72 (pictured above, left), who coaches
George School’s junior varsity field hockey team. Debbie coached Ellen and taught her French when she was a student. “It was most special for me to see both Nancy and Debbie,” Ellen says. “I told the team before we arrived about some of the aspects of my experience at GS that were so special. We talked about what it means to attend a Quaker school. The girls were so excited and curious.” In addition to meeting Nancy and Debbie, Ellen’s team peeked into the meetinghouse, and also went to see the pool where Ellen swam competitively. Ellen adds, “It was so amazing for me to come back and for my students to get such a wonderful taste of what George School is to me and to so many others.”
SAVE THE DATE! Alumni Weekend, May 11, 12, and 13, 2007 22 / georgian / campus news and notes
in the field
arts department update
Environmental Science Class Conducts
Advanced
Fieldwork
Sabrina Fair PHOTO mark wiley
This fall, Mark Wiley’s Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science class conducted a lab about soybeans, studying a crop located across the street from George School at Stone Meadows Farm (which is owned by Josef and Joyce Stone, parents of Jennifer ’00 and Kimberly ’96). “We do at least twenty major labs in this class over the year,” says Mark. For the soybean lab, the students (including Fionna Walters ’08 and Sarah Fosbaugh ’07, pictured left to right above) went into the field and collected a large set of data about the plants. They then applied statistical techniques to study the information. “The soybean lab introduces the students to issues regarding agriculture, local land use, nitrogen cycles, nitrogen fixation, the many wonders of soybeans, and statistics,” Mark says. “What they learn is that in an apparently uniform field of plants, there are large differences and variations among individual plants. By the same token, students also learn what traits appear most commonly, and learn that science can be disarmingly unreliable and unpredictable.”
Drama
class
Walton Center Gallery Performs
The Advanced Drama class performed Samuel Taylor’s romantic comedy Sabrina Fair on Friday and Saturday, November 3 and 4, in Walton Center Auditorium. Drama teacher Maureen West, the director of the production, says that she chose the play for her students primarily because the characters embody a wide range of personalities. “I think it’s an interesting piece for acting students because there’s a variety of character rhythms to explore,” she says. In order to prompt the class to do this exploration, Maureen assigned each student specific goals related to character, posture, and mannerisms. “I was really looking at giving them acting tasks,” she says. Maureen notes that she has structured the 2006-2007 dramatic productions in order to allow each student to play one larger role and one smaller role. In the May production of Euripedes’ Medea, the students who have small roles in Sabrina Fair will have larger roles, and vice versa. “I think that there’s value, from the perspective of learning to act, in any size role,” Maureen says. As with all mainstage productions at George School, costumes were by Liz Lukac, and sets were designed by Scott Hoskins and built by his Stagecraft classes.
During the month of September, Walton Center Gallery housed an exhibition of ceramics, photography, woodworking, paintings, and drawings by current George School arts faculty. During the month of October, the gallery showcased paintings by Holicong, Pennsylvania, artist Glenn Harren. Glenn uses oil paints on linen to create portraits and landscapes that depict everyday life in Bucks County. An exhibition of Hopewell, New Jersey, ceramics artist and George School parent Rebecca Jaffe’s work was displayed in November, including ceramic tiles depicting Homer’s Odyssey.
Performing Arts Calendar
Wind Symphony of Southern New Jersey Dr. Robert J. Streckfuss, Conductor Also featuring the George School Orchestra January 22, 2007 7:30 p.m. Musical Theater Production Guys and Dolls February 23 and 24, 2007 8:00 p.m. both shows
Walton Center Gallery Calendar
Tom King Exhibit (paintings) December 4, 2006, to January 31, 2007 Phyllis Trout ’76 Exhibit (monotypes) February 2 to February 28, 2007 International Baccalaureate Exhibit (student work) April 2 to May 14, 2007
december 2006 / 23
recent assemblies Opening Assembly
Head of School Nancy Starmer opened the September 4 assembly with the following reading from Man’s Search for Meaning, a book by Holocaust survivor Viktor E. Frankl: “We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—[the freedom] to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” Nancy urged students to reflect on the attitudes they will choose as they embark on the new school year, and she encouraged the seniors to be aware of their potential to serve as role models of behavior that is respectful and appreciative of others.
“Katie is someone whom everyone at George School knows, and Katie knows everyone’s name—we’re all named ‘Hon.’ Because of her big heart and her loving nature, Katie has the ability to brighten the day of anyone on campus.” The audience stood and applauded, and Nancy presented Katie with a gift, along with a tiara and a corsage. September 11 commemoration
In commemoration of the fifth anniversary of September 11, 2001, a group of students and faculty led by George School vocal music director Jackie Coren sang the “Universal Prayer for Peace.” The prayer was adapted by Satish Kumar from the Upanishads, a sacred text of Hinduism. The prayer was set to music composed by Donald Swann and was followed by a moment of silence. Also in commemoration of September 11, George School brass instructor Steven Heitzer performed an arrangement of “Amazing Grace” on the trumpet.
The life of Harriet Tubman
On September 22, Louise Davis of the African American Historical and Cultural Society of Bucks County performed a monologue in the persona of Harriet Tubman (c. 1820–1913), to whom she is distantly related. Born a slave in Maryland, Harriet became one of the most famous leaders of the Underground Railroad, a secret system of houses in which slaves could hide as they fled to the northern states to escape slavery. Louise recounted major events in Harriet’s life, including the punishments she suffered as a young child working in her master’s house, and the severe head injury she received in her early teens from a white overseer while she was working in the fields. After gaining her own freedom in 1849, Harriet made nineteen trips to the South over a period of ten years in order to lead more than 300 slaves to freedom. alum returns for poetry recitation
honoring Katie Lumpkin PHOTO mark wiley
Dark as a Dungeon
For the past twenty-five years, food service worker Katie Lumpkin (pictured above) has been a beloved fixture in George School’s dining room. At the September 8 assembly, Head of School Nancy Starmer recognized Katie for her service to George School, noting that Katie’s first day at George School began exactly twenty-five years ago from the date of the assembly. Nancy said,
24 / georgian / campus news and notes
On September 18, Rick Wilson, project director of the American Friends Service Committee West Virginia Economic Justice Project (WVEJ), described the objectives that WVEJ pursues as it works with low-income and working families in West Virginia, where the coal mining industry is a leading provider of jobs. He explained that WVEJ helps people to get the best deal possible under the current economic system in West Virginia, engages in specific campaigns to expand or protect the rights of workers and lowincome families, and builds alliances and coalitions to support economic justice for all people. Beth Spence, development assistant for WVEJ, encouraged students to remember that the use of electricity is made possible by coal miners risking their lives. She stated that the use of coal as an energy source is a moral issue that the students’ generation will have to address.
Poets Hannah Poston ’03 and Caitlin Doyle presented the assembly on September 29. As the first two Thomas Wolfe Scholars selected by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Hannah and Caitlin each received a full four-year scholarship to the university on the basis of their ability and promise in creative writing. They each read some of their own work, and they recited wellknown poems from memory. Stating that genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood, Hannah and Caitlin encouraged the assembly audience to enjoy the poems they presented in an immediate way.
former
faculty
member
addresses
spirituality, Social Justice, and two great moral challenges
On October 9, former George School history teacher Douglas Tsoi provided a historical perspective on the state of the world today and the role that religious belief can play in fostering progress and social action. Citing statistics about living conditions in the United States and the rest of the world, he began his speech by explaining why he believes that we live in the healthiest, safest, best-educated, and most free era in human history. Douglas then addressed reasons why it
can be difficult to be thankful for this fact. Proposing that we would be happier if we could remember to be grateful for what we have, he encouraged students to avoid blurring the distinction between things they want and things they actually need, and to consider saying a prayer of thanks before each meal. He stated that belief in a benevolent God can help one to feel a sense of grace, or an awareness of having been blessed. Pointing to the lives of Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela as illustrations, Douglas also stated that believing there is God in everyone can lead one to a spiritual sense of interconnectedness with the
global community, which can in turn lead to peaceful social action. Douglas concluded his speech by identifying two great moral challenges that the students’ generation will have to face— stopping global warming and eradicating extreme poverty. As a history teacher at George School, where he worked for four years, Douglas primarily taught Global Interdependence—a required freshman history class that examines the creation and development of the modern interdependent world from the nineteenth century to the present.
DID YOU GRADUATE FROM GEORGE SCHOOL BEFORE 1954? If so, new legislation may make it possible for you to take advantage of a simple way to make a gift to George School from your IRA without increasing your taxes! An IRA (individual retirement account) is the most heavily taxed asset that you own because it is subject to both income taxes and estate taxes. The Pension Protection Act of 2006 authorized charitable gifts from IRAs. Now you can make a generous gift to George School from your IRA without paying taxes.
Please contact Dave Crawford, director of planned giving, at 215-579-6571 or dave_crawford@georgeschool.org for more information about this special incentive to donors with IRAs.
december 2006 / 25
collaborative learning plays essential role IN EDUCATION continued from page 05 Quakerism and Collaboration
The theory and practice of collaborative learning sit particularly well at George School, whose Quaker values commit us to resolving differences, building consensus, and discerning the “sense” of the group. Quakers put enormous trust and power in the group and the truth that emerges from it. Why wouldn’t we do so in our classrooms? Collaborative assignments often confront students with conflicting perspectives and provide students with the opportunity for discerning a sense of the group that honors all voices. There are teachers who explicitly teach Quaker decision-making practices and expect their students to utilize these tools to resolve any intra- and intergroup conflicts that arise. Students may disagree, for example, on who will roleplay which character on a team or take which position in a debate. In addition, the debate itself might get heated. George School students do a great job resolving these issues, and expand their circle of relationships in the process. They know how to keep emotions out of the equation, stick to the facts, and challenge one another’s ideas while treating those that hold them with the respect due to every
26 / georgian / perspectives
human being. They often find themselves listening and relating in the small groups in ways they were not capable of in the midst of the whole class. As the research has demonstrated, “students are more positive about each other when they learn cooperatively than when they learn alone, competitively, or individualistically.” 7 Looking deeper, some might observe that our collaborative work in the classroom is testimony to the Quaker belief that each person has access to truth through direct experiences of the Light within as experienced in a group setting, as is the case during meeting for worship. Parker Palmer, as the dean of studies at Pendle Hill, referred to the classroom as a “Meeting for Learning.”8 As in meeting, each student has the opportunity to make knowledge one’s own experience. At George School, teachers would readily admit that they are not the only ones with access to the truth, and that everyone has the obligation to bear witness to the truths they experience. Yet the teacher is always there, as is the “weighty Friend,” to provide the example or guidance of one who is more experienced or wise. Collaborative learning thus provides opportunities not only for deepening understanding and developing critical thinking skills, but also for teaching, practicing, and experiencing Quaker processes, values, and beliefs.
references cited 1. Anuradha A. Gokhale, “Collaborative Learning Enhances Critical Thinking,” Journal of Technology Education 7, no. 1 (Fall 1995), in introduction, http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v7n1/ gokhale.jte-v7n1.html. 2. Roger T. Johnson and David W. Johnson, “Action Research: Cooperative Learning in the Science Classroom,” Science and Children, no. 24 (1986): 31–32. 3. S. Totten, T. Sills, A. Digby, and P. Russ, Cooperative Learning: A Guide to Research (New York: Garland, 1991). 4. Gokhale, “Collaborative Learning,” under “Implications for Instruction.” 5. Roger T. Johnson and David W. Johnson, “Cooperative Learning: Two Heads Learn Better than One,” in “Transforming Education,” special issue, In Context, no. 18 (Winter 1988), under “The Research Suggests,” http://www.context.org/ICLIB/ IC18/Johnson.htm. 6. Robert E. Slavin, “Synthesis of Research on Cooperative Learning,” Educational Leadership 48, no. 5 (February 1991): 73. 7. Johnson and Johnson, “Two Heads,” under “The Research Suggests.” 8. Parker J. Palmer, Meeting for Learning: Education in a Quaker Context (Wallingford, PA: Pendle Hill, 1976; repr., Philadelphia: Friends Council on Education, 2000).
PHOTO mark wiley
George School teacher Paul Machemer ’65 (pictured left) stands tall in expectation of winning the newly established Machemer Cup Competition between George School and Westtown School. Not pictured but crucial to this story is Westtown alumna Pam Rea Machemer ’64.
Paul and Pam Test Alumni Loyalty This fall, George School teacher Paul Machemer ’65 sent this letter to alumni in the Classes of 1987 through 2006. Dear Friend, I hate to lose. I do. I hate to lose. You name it: soccer, tennis, golf, baseball. I hate to lose. I try to be a good sport, but I really hate to lose. And I especially hate to lose to Westtown. So you can imagine my feelings when my wife Pam, an alumna of Westtown, casually remarked last summer that her alma mater Westtown had had a good year in annual giving. I calmly retorted, “So did George School! I bet ours was better!” PAM: “Why would you say that?” PAUL: “Because our alumni are loyal to George School.” PAM: “Well, let’s check it out.” We did. And that was my mistake. We compared numbers and Westtown’s were better on a percentage basis. More of their alumni in almost every class had given to their school’s annual fund. Yikes! At which point, Pam and I agreed to a Friendly wager along the lines of the Patterson Cup with its Moose Points—the Machemer Cup with Loyalty Points. We have given the Machemer Cup to be awarded to George School or Westtown on an annual basis. The winner will be the school that has the larger percentage of donors in each class for the last twenty years plus the senior class (21 classes in all). Every gift is important. If you’re feeling destitute, send a check for $1, although obviously we would like a larger donation. And no, a class cannot claim 100 percent participation because one generous donor wants to give credit to all of his or her classmates. We need a check from every individual. Help GS beat Westtown with your gift to the 2006-2007 Annual Fund. We’re counting on you.
Sincerely,
Paul Machemer ’65
DECEMBER 2006 / 27
NOTE : P a g e s r e m o v e d f r o m t h i s d o c u m e n t to pr o t e c t t h e p r i v a c y o f G S a l u m n i . Alum n i m a y l o g i n t o t h e a l u m n i c o m m u n i t y at htt p : / / a l u m n i . g eo r g e s c h o o l . o r g t o v i e w the fu l l v e r s i o n o f t h i s i s s u e .
GEORGIAN Volume 78 / Number 03 / December 06
GEORGIAN EDITOR Bonnie Bodenheimer georgian@georgeschool.org 215-579-6567
GEORGIAN STAFF Peggy Berger
Alice Maxfield
Kim Colando ’83 Juliana Rosati Debbie Chong
David Satterthwaite ’65
Odie LeFever
Note: If you have received multiple copies of this issue of the Georgian at your address, please contact us with updated address information by phone at 215-579-6564 or by email at advancement@georgeschool.org. Printed on recycled paper with environmentally friendly ink. Georgian redesign by Rutka Weadock Design Georgian layout by Bonnie Bodenheimer © 2006 George School
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