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What is the CTTL, and what does it do?
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The CTTL is the research and development arm of St. Andrew’s. The CTTL disseminates research on educational neuroscience to transform how teachers work with each student and how teachers design curriculum for students in preschool through grade 12.
The CTTL supports the professional growth of St. Andrew’s teachers and the external educational community through professional workshops designed by St. Andrew’s teachers. The CTTL also disseminates current research of best educational practices to teachers and shares ideas about educational neuroscience through its blog written by St. Andrew’s teachers.
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Q
How does the CTTL support the mission of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School?
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The CTTL supports St. Andrew’s mission, “to know and inspire each child in an inclusive community dedicated to exceptional teaching, learning, and service.” Since the school’s founding in 1978, St. Andrew’s has challenged and supported each student to meet his or her potential as a learner. The CTTL advances that commitment by applying research on how students best learn to the already innovative and transformative instructional practices of St. Andrew’s teachers.
The CTTL also serves a strong public purpose. It provides a model of exceptional teaching and learning for educators and students in some of the most challenging learning environments through its partnership with Teach for America.
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Which St. Andrew’s students does the CTTL serve?
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The CTTL serves every student at St. Andrew’s, including our most sophisticated thinkers. Advanced students—many of whom would do “just fine” in less innovative classrooms—learn to work more efficiently in their best subjects and find confidence and success in areas outside their perceived strengths (e.g., a highly skilled math student can learn how to apply her visual-spatial strengths to expository writing, improving her performance in English class). Students who experience difficulty in certain areas of the curriculum often find their confidence and the quality of their work improves greatly when they understand how they best learn.
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What resources and research are informing the work of the CTTL and the professional growth of St. Andrew’s faculty?
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Johns Hopkins University’s School of Education neuro-education initiative and the research of Dr. Mariale Hardiman have been particularly valuable to St. Andrew’s thinking about creating “brain friendly” classrooms. The Neurodevelopmental Learning Framework developed by All Kinds of Minds has informed the training of 100 percent of St. Andrew’s faculty and led the school to be recognized as a “School of Distinction” in 2011. Work out of Harvard University’s Mind, Brain, and Education Program and scholars such as Howard Gardner, Ed Hallowell, Daniel Willingham, David Sousa, Judy Wills and Michael Posner have been integral to early thinking of the CTTL as have connections to the International Mind, Brain, and Education Society (IMBES) and Learning and the Brain Society, which holds an annual conference attended by St. Andrew’s faculty.
The “Resources” page of the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning includes links to some of the leading literature on educational neuroscience and is continually updated.
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How will my child benefit from the work of the CTTL?
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We now know more than ever before how students learn, how the brain works. Since all St. Andrew’s faculty have been trained in a neurodevelopmental learning framework, each child will have teachers who understand the demands of learning on the mind. This understanding is continually informed by new research and innovative teaching strategies that will allow your child to know him or herself better as learner. The work of the CTTL also help to attract and retain great teachers who want to be part of the future of teaching and learning that is already present at St. Andrew’s through the collaboration of educational neuroscience and best classroom practices.
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What are some specific ways St. Andrew’s teaching and learning has been transformed?
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Because of the faculty’s training in a Neurodevelopmental Learning Framework, St. Andrew’s teachers better know how all students learn. Teachers collaborate with students, empowering students to understand their individual learning strengths and challenges through individual conferences.
oAn essential question for every class is to help each student identify, “Who am I as a learner?”
oOne-on-One conversations between teachers and students focus on meta-cognition, knowing one’s self as a learner and demystifying the learning process.
oTeachers design their courses with an understanding of the learning demands on the brain and an appreciation for how each student learns differently.
oThe advisor program educates students about the neurodevelopmental demands of learning focusing on enhancing attention, memory, executive functioning, and time management.
oStudent Learning Profiles are being created that move with each student.
o Teachers use varied forms of assessments so that all kinds of minds have opportunities for success. In certain middle and upper school classes, students have the opportunity to choose what type of year-end assessment would be best for the way they demonstrate cumulative understanding.
oPre and post-assessment reflection is recognized as an essential learning strategy.
oTechnology , such as Kidspiration and Webspiration, are used to help students organize their ideas.
oTime and space to play and move is recognized as a contributor to improved academic performance.
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How does the association with Johns Hopkins University advance the mission of the CTTL?
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By developing workshops and original research projects with Johns Hopkins University, the CTTL and St. Andrew’s teachers gain a deeper understanding of how research into educational neuroscience can inform best teaching practices.
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How can I find out more information about the CTTL and its programs?
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Contact Glenn Whitman, the Director of the CTTL via email (gwhitman@saes.org) or phone (301-983-5200 x322) to sign up to receive updates about the Center’s work.