��������

Progressive schools are different from traditional schools. Their educational philosophies and teaching methods are different. Because there are so few progressive schools, relatively speaking - only about 75 schools call themselves progressive - most people are surprised when they discover that these schools even exist.

First, here is some of the background on the progressive movement here in the United States. The easiest way to understand how progressivism got started in this country is to realize that educators were also philosophers. For example, the Vermont native John Dewey (1859-1952) who founded the University of Chicago's which many consider the flagship of progressive education, was a distinguished philosopher as well as an educator. In a nutshell, Dewey knew that education was the way to make sweeping changes in society. After he had left the University of Chicago, Dewey founded in New York. The foundation of Dewey's approach to education rests on three lectures he gave back in the 1890s to raise money for his Laboratory School. The School and Social Progress, the School and the Life of the Child, and Waste in Education put forth Dewey's fundamental beliefs that education needs to be an interactive process in which the child discovers the relevance of his lessons to the real world outside.

This video offers an overview of John Dewey and his educational philosophy.

Dewey did not like

This table will help you see at a glance how private schools compare with public schools. Use it to explore issues and help answer questions about private schools. A list of resources with supporting data and information is given at the end of the table.

Editor's Note: When social media first came on the scene, most institutions including private schools tended to dismiss it as something kids did. But Facebook and Twitter gained enormous traction once schools figured out how to use them effectively. With that in mind I asked Jeff Kirchick, a Roxbury Latin alum, to tell us about SCVNGR, one of the newest social media tools. He was kind enough to answer my questions. ~ Robert Kennedy.

1. SCVNGR is the newest social media tool on the scene. Tell us a bit about it, how it works and how it came into being?

Founded by CEO and “Chief Ninja” Seth Priebatsch, started as a project at Princeton University. Noticing his friends’ fingers glued to their phones, Priebatsch wanted to come up with a way to leverage mobile technology as an engagement tool. SCVNGR started focusing on universities, museums, and other institutions but has now expanded to a business with more than 1000 partners and 65 employees.

Used as a recruitment and retention tool at over 350 Universities, SCVNGR is part game and part game platform. Playing is simple and students go places on campus, do challenges, and earn points. Students can play custom challenges and treks on SCVNGR’s iPhone/Android app or via SMS.

As a proud Roxbury Latin alum, Jeff Kirchick decided to introduce SCVNGR to independent high schools over the summer. Since July, Exeter, Andover, and Roxbury Latin have all signed on. In regards to the

The �������� School Survival Guide for Teachers

Thinking about teaching in a private school? Just started teaching in a private school? Been there. Don that! That's why I'm writing this article as one educator to another.

• If you are coming from a public school, you will find several differences between teaching in a public school and teaching in a private school.
• The differences are even more pronounced if you take a teaching position in a boarding school.
• If you have never taught at all, then the following article wil raise points and issues for you to consider.

Students who want to be there

Teachers want to teach. We love our subject. We want to share it with our students.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to teach when you are more concerned about maintaining order in your classroom than you are with actually teaching. When you have a large class of, say, 30 or 40 students, maintaining order is an ever-present issue. On the other hand teaching a small class of, say 12-15 students, allows you to engage your students more or less constantly. It is very difficult for students not to be engaged when the size of the class is small.

This video illustrates teaching using Harkness tables.

Students attend private school because their parents want them to get a first rate education. The admissions process