The
New Village Academy continually researches best educational practices
and consults with the top educational thinkers of the day so that our
program is the best, the most current, the most educationally sound and
the most foundationally relevant for our preschool and elementary
school children in this day and age. It is our philosophy that students
need to understand why they are learning and what they are learning.
What is the relevance of algebra, phonics or recycling to everyday
life? How will these concepts be used and why are they important? What
is the purpose and application of this knowledge? We make sure that
children are given the opportunity to make connections, opening minds
to using their full intelligences to make ever widening, “spiraling”
connections to the complex world.
What students learn and how
they act has an impact on their classmates, their school, and as they
get older, on the world. We stress that NVA students act as leaders and
realize how their choices affect others around them. We make
connections as to how small purposeful actions can have great effects.
For example, we recycle plastic bottles at ten cents per bottle. Once
we have $100 dollars (1,000 bottles) we have enough money to buy a goat
for a village in Africa, which can ensure the survival of this village.
We strive to make associations such as this throughout the day knowing
that our children are the ones who will need the mindset and
intelligence to solve ever-expanding global problems while not losing
sight of the local problems that need urgent attention as well.
The
New Village Academy takes a unique approach to educating the total
child. For example, we require 100% mastery of the core subjects at
each level and give students the tools to attain this in terms of
individualized programs, low student-teacher ratio and remediated or
accelerated programs. There are several ways we make sure children
fully understand concepts and thus move them to complete mastery of
them. First, we make sure that the way we teach is with the most
concrete, hands-on experiences possible. For example, if a student is
learning how to make a robot, he or she needs to see or touch the
materials and computer right in front of him or her rather than just
imagining how to make it.
Secondly, teachers are taught to teach
sequentially, checking for prior understanding. When a student is
required to perform a sequence of steps and he comes to a point where
he doesn’t understand, the learning curve is too steep. If a teacher is
showing a student how to make the robot and the student suddenly is
confused, the teacher makes sure to go back to the place the student
stopped understanding and re-teach that point. We teach older students
to do this on their own – when studying learn to go back
with no prompting to restudy their prior steps and the concepts they
may not have grasped the first time around.
In addition, NVA
teachers make sure children understand the meanings of all of the words
related to each lesson whether in math or in music, or as in the robot
example – all of the words related to making the robot. What do the
words, electro-mechanic, gears, and system mean? Often students (and
adults as well) lose interest and stop paying attention when they get
lost in explanations filled with words they do not understand. So many
students think they are terrible in math; has the teacher ever defined
words such as factor, geometry or exponent? Teachers therefore are
trained to make sure they monitor the children for lack of
understanding. Similarly, if the student is learning how to program the
robot and comes across a word that he is unfamiliar with, the student
must look it up in the dictionary or have the word explained by a
teacher. Once the student understands the words related to a concept,
there is greater understanding of the entire subject.
At the
New Village Academy we look at each student as a unique individual with
his or her own set of strengths, talents, skills, intelligences,
challenges, likes and dislikes. For this reason, students each have an
individualized learning program in core curricular areas that are
tailored to their learning abilities. Students learn at their own pace
and ability level in language arts and mathematics, and if a preschool
or pre-kindergarten student is reading at age three or four, they are
not “held back.” Students are encouraged to learn about and research
their areas of interest. Inquiry-based and project-based learning is
used in Science and Social Studies, and in our technology and arts
programs. Creativity, questioning and debate are encouraged throughout
the day.
Because of our small class sizes and
interdisciplinary approach, NVA children have unlimited opportunities
to discover their innate “genius” – some are wonderful public speakers
and leaders, others have a passion for literature; some are artists,
actors, singers, dancers, chess players, scientists or athletes. Some
are really exceptional at playing! All are encouraged to shine through
their own creativity and self-expression, while encouraged to remain
focused and self-determined in all academic areas.
NVA
students move upward, outward, continue to add prior knowledge, reach
for the sky, grow, explore, discover. In other words, NVA students….
spiral up!
SPIRAL UP, NVA!
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