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The Art of Communication
- Crafting poetry, essays, novels, beginnings and endings
- Harnessing the broad reach of technology to communicate across the globe
- Standing before ones peers to argue a point, present an idea or read a story
- Mastering a second language and retaining the first
As Woodstock presses into its second sesquicentennial, the art and necessity of excellent communication are at the forefront of the education we offer. Throughout all three schools and in every academic arena, communication skills are developed and nourished, providing our students with the skills they need to thrive in the global environment they are sure to engage with.
As part of the Middle States Association accreditation process , the school has adopted the following as one of its main school improvement goals:
By the year 2009, Woodstock School students will be able to use the English Language to communicate accurately, appropriately, and effectively in speech and in writing and to understand and respond imaginatively to what they hear, read and experience.
In true Woodstock style, we have embraced the opportunity not just to meet the accreditation standard, but rather to excel in the area of communication. Here are described some of the ways in which we are working to fulfil this goal.
East Asia Writing Project
Math teacher, Dana Crider, First Grade teacher Barbara Thomas, High School French teacher Shikha Mehta, Elementary School Hindi teacher Amrita John - these are a few of the Woodstock teachers who have attended the East Asia Writing Project, a ten-week course conducted by Elly Tobin in Thailand. The focus of this project is two-fold: to provide teachers the opportunity to improve their own writing skills and to supply them with techniques and approaches to teaching both native English and second language learners how to write. Through hands on learning, projects and critique, these teachers have honed their skills and learned techniques for incorporating writing into any subject within the curriculum.
Karen Tamminen, Middle School ESL teacher and Barbara Thomas, First Grade teacher both learned how to develop writing portfolios for their students in order to keep a record of each student's development as a writer. Karen also incorporated the use of writing prompts for the students' activity week journals and teaches her ESL students self-evaluation techniques enabling them to critique their own work. Barbara Thomas says, "[I] have been quite pleased with the results produced with emerging writers."
High School French teacher Shikha Mehta used the writing project to develop her class curriculum. She also learned a variety of strategies for teaching writing that she incorporates into her classroom, such as how to teach students ways of crafting good beginnings and endings.
Even in mathematics, Dana Crider incorporates a reading assignment each quarter focusing on subjects related to math, such as articles on famous Indian mathematicians, and has students reflect on their reading.
The approach and strategies used by this project were developed in conjunction with the National Writing Project in the USA (though there is no official affiliation at this time). Teachers who attend may either earn credits towards a graduate degree or earn continuing education units.
Every person who has attended has come away energized and enthusiastic about incorporating new-found approaches into their teacher's bag of tricks. One seasoned English teacher said it was one of the top professional development events she has ever attended.
Model United Nations
From its inception, the Model United Nations program at Woodstock has been a popular student activity. During the spring of 2004, Student Body Co-President Sradda Thapa investigated the concept, recruited teachers to be advisors, and found external conferences for students to attend. The following fall, students and staff chaperones were sent to three conferences: two separate Model UN conferences in Delhi (sponsored by Ryan International Schools and by the British School) and the Harvard Model Congress in Bangkok. The students and staff who attended these conferences returned to school eager to organize the first Woodstock School MUN conference in March 2005.
Last spring our internal conference was opened to neighboring schools. Over 170 people were involved in the two-day event. This March we welcome delegations from AIS Chennai, the Doon School, Vasant Valley School in Delhi, and Mussoorie Public School. A further event is planned for March 2008.
At the end of the WS MUN, student leaders and staff advisors invite the best delegates to participate in external conferences. Woodstock students have participated in conferences sponsored by Harvard University in Bangkok, the Cairo American College in Egypt, the Amman Baccalaureate School in Jordan, the American International School in Chennai and three schools in Delhi. This past fall we sent more than 50 students to five conferences, including conferences in Jordan and Thailand.
The Model UN program has become an intrinsic part of the Woodstock School experience. The conferences give students the motivation to study practical aspects of politics and government that they usually experience only in theory, and also exposure to a simulation of the political process -- meeting, negotiating, and mediating. They are expected to prepare and present public speeches, both formal and informal, and learn the importance and relevance of formal meeting protocol. They are encouraged to craft written documents that reflect not only their own positions on issues, but also incorporate the ideas of others. Thus they discover first-hand the importance of fluency in both spoken and written language, and the necessity for careful preparation and clear thinking.
The MUN program provides Woodstock students with an opportunity to live out the beliefs and values that bring us together. It fosters awareness of and sensitivity to the needs and ideas of others; it promotes peaceful discussion of world problems and cooperation in resolving them. It provides exciting contexts in which students use critical thinking and communication skills that are taught in the classroom. It has also inspired some to investigate international relations as a career choice.
Cassinath
Cassinath is nothing new at Woodstock and currently, under the guidance of English teacher Tara Thirtyacre, is thriving. This is a voluntary after school writers' club with a solid attendance of at least 20 and up to 35 students each week. The intent is for students to present their writings to the others for feedback and critique. Many bring poetry, stories and vignettes to the group. One 10th grade student, Tom Swanson, is in the midst of writing a novel which he presents section by section to his peers. As a student-led group, they decide how they will use their time together. While the focus is often reading aloud from their own writings, they have used various exercises as well to sharpen their skills as writers. One exercise in particular is great fun and yields a most creative result: the group story, wherein one person writes the first page of a story then passes it on to the next person and so on.
The culmination of Cassinath is the presentation at the end of the year of several awards in the areas of writing, drama and art, awarded in memory of Jimmy Cassinath, a student at Woodstock in the 1950s and a creative writer himself.
English as a second language
A large portion of students who come to Woodstock have English as a second (or third) language. Many entering Middle-School students have limited English proficiency and must quickly learn or risk falling behind academically. Woodstock provides substantial support to this end and it is a matter of considerable pride that, through the work of our excellent ESL instructors and the follow-through of the entire faculty, most of these students graduate from Woodstock with excellent English skills, both in spoken and written language. Many are proficient enough to attend Universities in the US and the UK after graduating from Woodstock.
Oral presentations
In all three schools, at every age students are required in various ways to stand up in front of their peers to make presentations. These take many forms from presenting a project they have done to their class to acting in a play for the whole school. Teachers help their students learn presentation techniques, self-confidence, vocal control and other methods that help them succeed. The significance of these experiences cannot be overstated. As future leaders and people of influence in this world, the ability our students have to stand up before others and speak articulately will serve them well.
Technology
In this increasingly technological world, our students must be prepared to communicate through technical media. Starting in the Quad Elementary School, computer teacher Raveen Vasudeva teaches students how to use computers to do research and then craft what they wish to communicate. Students become proficient at finding the information they need and then presenting it coherently through media such as PowerPoint. Also, not incidentally, Mr. Vasudeva is a stickler about computer safety, teaching children how to reduce their risk of being victims of cyber-stalkers.
Creative Writing
In May of 2007, six grade 6 students were honored by an Indian educational website who published their stories about the first Indian war for Independence 150 years ago. From the very youngest Woodstock student to the seniors in high school, students are given many opportunities to stretch their imaginations through the act of writing. In fact, one of Woodstock's favorite visitors is renowned local author Ruskin Bond who writes for both the young and old. Students enjoy plying him with questions about where he finds inspiration, how he gets a story started and what it's like to live as a writer. During the most recent Activity Week, fourth graders read various of his stories and used them as a jumping off place for their own stories and art pieces.
While it may be easy to "write off" these activities as standard fare for any good school, the extent to which Woodstock pursues excellence in communication is noteworthy. This is a small taste of what occurs everyday in our school. Walk into any classroom; at some point in that day they will have heads down writing; one of their classmates will be giving an oral presentation; they will be working diligently on a PowerPoint using information they have gathered from diverse sources. It is all part of developing well-educated people who can think for themselves and engage with the world.