Enrichment and Challenge Support
What is Enrichment and Challenge Support (ECS)?
iThe Brookline Public Schools has a commitment to enable all children to reach their full potential. The mission of Enrichment and Challenge Support is to assist and support classroom teachers in providing for those students who show a capacity for high levels of academic, intellectual and/or creative achievement. Additionally, Enrichment and Challenge Support provides Critical and Creative Thinking skills, and Habits of Mind support to all teachers and learners. These skills, are critically important to all of our learners as we move through the 21st century.
Lydia Shrier (a parent at Driscoll, and an ECS PAC co-chair) says it well: "Contrary to popular belief and persistent misrepresentation by the media, ECS is not a "gifted and talented program" that serves only selected students, but rather a district-wide system that supports teachers in meeting the academic challenge needs of our increasingly diverse student body. ECS provides enrichment and challenge not only to high achieving students, but to all students, whether they do better with manual activities, writing or speaking. ECS is unique offering exciting opportunities to think more deeply across the learning spectrum".
What does ECS support look like? It is seen in a multitude of ways. One familiar, perhaps traditional way is for the ECS Resource Teacher to pull a small group of kids to work on a project in a certain academic area. This is a wonderful model that allows the Resource Teacher direct time with the student. However, there are difficulties with this model. Because the Resource Teacher's time is limited and our schools are filled to capacity, these groups typically only meet once a week for a month or two. The question is how to provide enrichment for these children during the time when the Resource Teacher is not available to them (all ECS teachers are part-time). It may seem counterintuitive, but spending more time consulting with classroom teachers, and less time with students can be a very powerful way to meet students' needs. When ECS resource teachers consult with classroom teachers they provide help with differentiation, curriculum development, and resources which will help all of the students in her/his classroom every day of the week, all year long. Supporting the Classroom Teacher allows her/him to enable each and every student to learn and use thinking skills, and to be challenged at the "just right" level through out the school year.
See the Public Schools of Brookline Enrichment and Challenge Support page.
Lydia Shrier (a parent at Driscoll, and an ECS PAC co-chair) says it well: "Contrary to popular belief and persistent misrepresentation by the media, ECS is not a "gifted and talented program" that serves only selected students, but rather a district-wide system that supports teachers in meeting the academic challenge needs of our increasingly diverse student body. ECS provides enrichment and challenge not only to high achieving students, but to all students, whether they do better with manual activities, writing or speaking. ECS is unique offering exciting opportunities to think more deeply across the learning spectrum".
What does ECS support look like? It is seen in a multitude of ways. One familiar, perhaps traditional way is for the ECS Resource Teacher to pull a small group of kids to work on a project in a certain academic area. This is a wonderful model that allows the Resource Teacher direct time with the student. However, there are difficulties with this model. Because the Resource Teacher's time is limited and our schools are filled to capacity, these groups typically only meet once a week for a month or two. The question is how to provide enrichment for these children during the time when the Resource Teacher is not available to them (all ECS teachers are part-time). It may seem counterintuitive, but spending more time consulting with classroom teachers, and less time with students can be a very powerful way to meet students' needs. When ECS resource teachers consult with classroom teachers they provide help with differentiation, curriculum development, and resources which will help all of the students in her/his classroom every day of the week, all year long. Supporting the Classroom Teacher allows her/him to enable each and every student to learn and use thinking skills, and to be challenged at the "just right" level through out the school year.
See the Public Schools of Brookline Enrichment and Challenge Support page.
Enrichment and Challenge and the Connection to Technology
Technology is changing at an ever increasing rate. Most of our learners use computers, tablets, and smart phones everyday. They have access to vast sets of knowledge which grows and changes regularly. Our children need to have the skills to understand, organize, utilize, and contribute to this huge amount of information. Skills which are inherent in Critical and Creative Thinking and The Habits of Mind will be essential for our students to be successful citizens of the 21st century. Enrichment and Challenge Support in Brookline has always been an integral part of helping teachers and students learn and be able to use these skills. This support is more important than ever in light of the increased opportunities for learning and contributing that technologies provides. Please see the Technology and Learning page for more ideas about this subject.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has a document called Massachusetts Technology Literacy Standards and Expectations. It's worth a look. In it is listed three standards. The first is about proficiency with computers and applications, the second is about ethics and safety. The third is, and I quote: "Demonstrate the ability to use technology for research, critical thinking, problem solving, decision making, communication, collaboration, creativity, and innovation."! This is really a nice marriage of our enrichment and challenge goals and technology.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has a document called Massachusetts Technology Literacy Standards and Expectations. It's worth a look. In it is listed three standards. The first is about proficiency with computers and applications, the second is about ethics and safety. The third is, and I quote: "Demonstrate the ability to use technology for research, critical thinking, problem solving, decision making, communication, collaboration, creativity, and innovation."! This is really a nice marriage of our enrichment and challenge goals and technology.