News
GPS Faculty and Admin Present at National Conference
Five from GPS led three workshops at the National Coalition of Girls Schools' annual conference in Washington, D.C.
Five teachers and administrators from Girls Preparatory School presented skills for the 21st century – empathy, flexibility, risk-taking, and reflection – at the National Coalition of Girls Schools’ annual conference in Washington, D.C. in June. Not content to offer their expertise to others, they also attended sessions that offered professional development and ideas to bring back to their colleagues.
Trish King, history and social science teacher, and Kipton Tugman, science teacher, offered a workshop on “Investigation, Reflection, and Cooperation,” words they use to describe a project-based learning adventure that fused their separate science and social studies courses this past year. Using the medium of interdisciplinary experiences, they shared the progress and achievements they experienced using visible thinking, project-based learning, inquiry, and Human-Centered Design – while meeting departmental and grade level skills and content goals. Their presentation included protocols and essential questions for teacher planning as well as classroom activities for learners. They also shared an activity that brought all the stakeholders at Girls Preparatory School together to introduce their students to the history and culture of their school.
Dr. Ralph Covino, Class Dean and history teacher, presented “Girl-Centered Innovation: A Latin Story.” Responding to directives to innovate, to renew, and to refresh curricula in light of new research findings or technology, faculty are often asked to make lessons more meaningful, more relevant, and -- especially in the all-girl environment -- to make them more girl-centered. But what if there is little to nothing in the literature to act as guide? Dr. Covino’s session examined his departure from approaches to teaching and learning rooted in the most masculine of pedagogical traditions (Latin!) through to the adoption of a more girl-centered style whose methodology is more firmly planted in the literature about how girls learn today.
