Project Zero was founded at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1967 by the philosopher Nelson Goodman to study and improve education in the arts. Goodman believed that arts learning should be studied as a serious cognitive activity, but that :zero: had been firmly established about the field; hence the project was given its name. David Perkins and Howard Gardner became the co-directors of Project Zero in 1972. Over the years, Project Zero has maintained a strong research commitment in the arts while gradually expanding its concerns to include education across all disciplines not just for the individual but for whole classrooms, schools, and other educational and cultural organizations as well. Much of its work takes place in American public school, particularly those that serve disadvantaged populations.
Check out the new website about Visible Thinking. Developed by David Perkins, Ron Ritchhart, Patricia Palmer, and Shari Tishman, it provides many resources for making students’ thinking visible to themselves and one another.
To read more about the extensive Project Zero research, please use this link
Click here for online courses about Project Zero’s work.
Find Project Zero handouts and graphics available on the BATDC Publication page.
The mission of Relearning by Design is to help make schooling, teaching, and learning more effective, engaging, and professional. We work to help teachers, administrators, and policy-makers put the learner’s interests first, and to develop practices that make schools more coherent and faculties more innovative and responsive to results. As a not-for-profit organization we are dedicated to providing the most helpful service at the most reasonable prices. Relearning by Design is headed by Grant Wiggins and is based in Pennington, New Jersey.
The mission of the Klingenstein Center is to improve the quality of independent school education by developing and strengthening leadership among teachers and administrators who work in and with independents schools. The Center aims to attract educators who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishment of potential for excellence. The aim is to equip these educators with the knowledge, skills and values necessary for informed practice using the resources of Columbia University and drawing upon a wide range of experts in education.
Coro offers participants the hands-on training they need to make meaningful contributions to society. Coro’s leadership programs are designed to expose participants to the myriad of individuals and institutions that play essential roles in creating and shaping public policy; develop participants’ analytic, communication and problem solving skills and strengthen the quality and creativity of decision-making in the field of public affairs.
The New Teacher Institute at the Athenian School: This program is offered each summer on the Athenian campus in Danville Please contact Cheryl Peterson, Director of Special Programs at Sheryl.Peterson@athenian.org or (925) 837-5375
Teachers’ Association for Outdoor and Adventure Education (TAO):
This non-profit organization’s mission is to increase youth access to the outdoors through a variety of trips and activities. Derek Larson, President, is a former independent school teacher with many years of experience leading and organizing outdoor learning experiences for students of all ages.
Bay Area People of Color in Independent Schools (POCIS): POCIS, a committee of the National Association of Independent Schools, is an organization that supports increasing diversity in independent schools at all levels.
Bay Are Teacher Training Institute (BATTI): BATTI is an alternative credential program for elementary school teachers formed and supported by a coalition of Bay Area independent schools.
Bay Area Teachers Center (BATC): BATC is designed to help new teachers and teaching interns from both public and private learn how to improve their craft with the eventual goal of becoming master teachers. The BATC offers a one year Single Subject Credential program.
Alfie Kohn writes and speaks widely on human behavior, education, and parenting. His nine books include Punished by Rewards (1993), No Contest: The Case against Competition (1986), The Schools Our Children Deserve (1999), The Case Against Standardized Testing (2000), and, most recently, What Does it Mean to be Well Educated? And More Essays on Standards, Grading, and Other Follies (2004). He spoke to BATDC members on How Not To get Into College in January 2005.
For interactive assistance in creating effective rubrics, be sure to check out:
http://www.thinkinggear.com/tools/learn.cfm?_id=1