Elizabeth Rohatyn Prize for Schools Where Teaching Matters

Elizabeth Rohatyn Prize
Image: teachingmatters.org

New York-based principal Erica Zigelman has worked to improve education in the city for decades. Principal Erica Zigelman was recently honored as a semi-finalist in the Elizabeth Rohatyn Prize for Schools Where Teaching Matters, an award for innovative and successful educators.

Each year, Teaching Matters presents the Elizabeth Rohatyn Prize for Schools Where Teaching Matters, an award recognizing schools that provide the best support for their teachers. Instead of recognizing specific achievement goals, test scores, or fiscal accomplishments, this award honors schools that attract and support truly great teachers. Applicants submit overviews of the groundbreaking work going on in their schools and evidence of the ways they are furthering effective teaching.

These submissions are evaluated based on how well they support student learning, facilitate effective teaching, and promote growth and leadership. Winners are selected by a prize committee in conjunction with a vote by the public at large. A $25,000 award is given to the winning public school.

Resources from the New York Academy of Public Education

New York Academy of Public Education
Image: nyape.org

Erica Zigelman is the principal of Middle School 322 with the New York City Department of Education. In addition to her work as a principal, Erica Zigelman is a member of the Lower Hudson Council of Administrative Women in Education and the New York Academy of Public Education (NYAPE).

Founded in 1912, NYAPE is a nonprofit organization that focuses on the improvement of urban public and private education. Since its inception, NYAPE has expanded its efforts to provide resources for professionals in the education field.

In addition to a journal and newsletter, NYAPE maintains a list of resources intended to assist principals with their job responsibilities. The organization also posts grant opportunities and resources on its website. Additionally, NYAPE provides links to access school progress reports and professional development via the New York City Department of Education. These resources combine to assist in furthering the organization’s goal of increasing the quality of public education.

Essential Allies Challenge and iZone Seek to Transform Education

Essential Allies Challenge
Image: izonenyc.org

Erica Zigelman, a principal within the New York Department of Education, recently saw her school MS322 included as a semifinalist of the Essential Allies Challenge, which is part of iZone, an office that helps school communities create personalized classrooms to further college and career preparedness in students. Principal Erica Zigelman and her institution earned a grant of $10,000 to continue developing the school’s future state design.

The goal of the Essential Allies Challenge is to help students become more engaged in their learning, which is important to their lifelong success. To make this possible, programs under iZone create new learning models complete with tools and practical application approaches for daily life in and out of the classroom. The organization also allows teachers and students to gain access to improved tools, which network developers and educators in useful collaborations.

One of these programs is called Blended Learning, an educational method that unites teachers and their instruction with technology. This program is used in more than 250 schools in the United States to help students think critically about the new opportunities and new challenges that come with technology. It is important for students to learn how technology is able to support interactions with meaningful data. The purpose is to welcome critical consumers in the technology market, developing their innovation and problem-solving skills.

Shenzhen Educators Visit The Renaissance Leadership Academy (MS 322)

Source: Shenzhen Educators Visit The Renaissance Leadership Academy (MS 322)

Shenzhen Educators Visit The Renaissance Leadership Academy (MS 322)

On October 20th, the College of Mount Saint Vincent’s Center for International Teacher Training brought twenty-five educators from Shenzhen, China, to visit The Renaissance Leadership Academy (MS 322).

The Center for International Teacher Training program immerses educators in American culture and education through graduate level coursework, professional development experiences as well as school visits throughout the New York metropolitan area. MS 322 was pleased to take part.

 

After a brief orientation hosted by a team made up of administrators, student ambassadors and our Children’s Aid Society partners, MS 322 took the visitors on a tour of classrooms and facilities.

 

MS 322 was pleased to hear praise of its well-behaved students and caring educators. The visitors also noted many intriguing differences between schools in Shenzhen and the things they saw in New York’s MS 322. They were impressed by comparatively small class sizes (mentioning numbers as high as 60 in their own experience) as well as the resources available to New York students. They remarked on seeing process charts and student work on display and were impressed by the fact that students supported each other by helping the teacher explain difficult concepts. They also singled out the school’s online gradebook, Jupiter Ed, for its transparency. Administrators also answered many questions about Advance, the new teacher evaluation in New York City.

 

MS 322 was the first New York City school that the group visited. It was great fun for everyone. MS 322 looks forward to cultivating a long and successful relationship with the College of Mount Saint Vincent.

Shenzhen Educators Visit The Renaissance Leadership Academy (MS 322)

 

On October 20th, the College of Mount Saint Vincent’s Center for International Teacher Training brought twenty-five educators from Shenzhen, China, to visit The Renaissance Leadership Academy (MS 322).

The Center for International Teacher Training program immerses educators in American culture and education through graduate level coursework, professional development experiences as well as school visits throughout the New York metropolitan area. MS 322 was pleased to take part.

 

After a brief orientation hosted by a team made up of administrators, student ambassadors and our Children’s Aid Society partners, MS 322 took the visitors on a tour of classrooms and facilities.

 

MS 322 was pleased to hear praise of its well-behaved students and caring educators. The visitors also noted many intriguing differences between schools in Shenzhen and the things they saw in New York’s MS 322. They were impressed by comparatively small class sizes (mentioning numbers as high as 60 in their own experience) as well as the resources available to New York students. They remarked on seeing process charts and student work on display and were impressed by the fact that students supported each other by helping the teacher explain difficult concepts. They also singled out the school’s online gradebook, Jupiter Ed, for its transparency. Administrators also answered many questions about Advance, the new teacher evaluation in New York City.

 

MS 322 was the first New York City school that the group visited. It was great fun for everyone. MS 322 looks forward to cultivating a long and successful relationship with the College of Mount Saint Vincent.

 

 

Keio University

Comes to…

Middle School 322

East Meets West

On Monday November 3^rd, 2014, Middle School 322’s Global Partners Junior program hosted a group of visitors from Keio University in Tokyo, Japan. The group of visitors came to present information about their Japanese culture, and in turn learns more about the culture of our school and our program. Our visitors started off by giving a wonderful presentation about where they came from and what they were doing visiting our school. The presenter’s talked about what their goals were in visiting the school and learning more about our program. After they gave the presentation the presenters, along with the students worked on creating origami. MS 322 students also had the opportunity to taste Japanese chocolate treats.  The students were excited to learn how to make origami. After the students finished working with the visitors to create origami, the visitors stayed to watch a session of the Global Partner’s Junior. The students worked on creating flyers to spread environmental awareness.

After viewing a video from Japan produced by our visitors, our students were asked to speak on video about their schooling in the United States which will be shown in reciprocity to students in Japan who our visitors work with.  Our students spoke clearly and from the heart about their education at Middle School 322.

Global Partners Junior is the global awareness program which was founded and conceived by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg.  The program mission is to connect New York City youth to their peers around the world on the internet. Students communicate online using an original curriculum that guides their conversations and activities throughout the school year. Located in the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs, NYC Global Partners is a not-for-profit organization.  Schools across the globe have connected with students across the five New York City Boroughs.