Implementing Common Core State
Standards for Literacy Using
Paideia Instructional Methodology
at Asheville Middle School
ACSF Paideia Fellows Report
Melissa Hedt and Celia Melville
5/30/2012
AMS Paideia Fellows Report
Asheville City Schools Foundation Research Report
Asheville Middle School Paideia Fellows
Melissa Hedt, Amanda Swartzlander, Jeff Dewhirst, Jen Doherty, Nadeen Rolfe,
Betsy Ray, Nick Rogowski, Jesse Pitt, and Celia Melville (WCU)
Table of Contents
Abstract
3
Project Overview, Goals, and Timeline
4-6
AssessmentTeacher Learning and Student Outcomes
7-9
Teacher Learning- Analysis and Reflection
10-12
Student Learning- Analysis and Reflection
12-13
Challenges Encountered
14
Moving Forward
14
Work Products
Assessment Tools
15-16
Student Data Tables
17-18
Instructional Plan, Boccaccio
19-20
Text Excerpt, Boccaccio
Instructional Plan, Hippocrates
Text Excerpt, Hippocrates
21
22-23
24
Writing Samples, Boccaccio Blog (6th Grade)
25-27
Writing Samples, Boccaccio Essay
(6th Grade, First Draft)
28-34
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ABSTRACT
Paideia seminars provide an environment for students to grapple with a challenging text;
critically analyze the text, and to discuss their ideas with their peers. The new Common
Core State Standards (CCSS) require all teachers to address literacy- reading, writing,
speaking , and listening- the exact components of a Paideia seminar cycle. The goals of the
AMS Paideia Fellows project were for an interdisciplinary group of teachers to explore the
new CCSS for Literacy; develop at least four new seminar plans aligned with academic
content, including strong pre and post seminar literacy activities; and improvement of
student literacy and communication skills after participation in multiple Paideia seminar
cycles over the course of the school year.
The AMS Paideia Fellows team of six teachers, a guidance counselor, and a literacy coach
participated professional development days, working with National Paideia Center director
Terry Roberts to understand CCSS for literacy and how these new standards align with the
Paideia seminar cycle. The team read and discussed The Paideia Program by Mortimer
Adler whose work was rooted in the belief that, "The best education for the best [is] the
best education for all." A database of thirteen Paideia seminars was developed for teachers
to draw from. Seminars have been expanded to include grade level content area seminars
(science, math, social studies and language arts) in addition to the school-wide seminars,
with the Fellows team facilitating implementation in all classrooms.
Preliminary results from a range of data sources show a positive impact on student
learning and teacher growth. Teachers have expressed greater knowledge of the new
standards, Paideia methodology, and increased familiarity and confidence with
implementing seminars. Several data sources show a quantifiable increase in students
understanding and making connections of complex texts and high levels of engagement
during the seminar discussion. Through interviews, students have expressed enjoyment
and engagement with Paideia seminars. Student writing samples exhibit a quantifiable
increase in understanding of complexity and nuance of ideas, as well as increased ability to
express their ideas in writing.
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PROJECT OVERVIEW, GOALS, and TIMELINE
A primary project goal was to improve teachers understanding of the new Common Core
State Standards through increased familiarity and use of the Paideia Seminar cycle as an
instructional strategy. Through frequent use of the Paideia Seminar Cycle in content
classes, the team aimed to increase in student literacy and improve speaking, listening,
reading and writing skills. In addition critical thinking skills were targeted.
Goal 1:
Team members learn about the new Common Core State Standards for Literacy, Speaking and
Listening, examining how the Paideia seminar cycle can be used to address multiple standards.
Date
September 23rd
2011 –
September 29th
2011 – CCSS and
NCES
professional
development day
Ongoing
Commencing in
September 2011
and completed by
December 15th
2011
October 27th
2011
November 11th
2011
December 20th
2011
January 11th 2012
March 28th 2012
Activity
ACS Fellows Day
Attend professional development with Terry
Roberts, National Paideia Center director.
Fellows will also participate in district's
professional development with new Common
Core and NC Essential Standards.
Fellows will also participate in district's
professional development with new Common
Core and NC Essential Standards.
Participants
All Paideia Fellows.
All AMS Teaching Staff
Grade level departmental collaborative
meetings twice a month
Book study - Read and discuss The Paideia
Program by Mortimer Adler.
Relevant teachers and
Paideia Fellows
All Paideia Fellows.
Collaborative Planning with grade level science
teachers brainstorming topics and texts for
science seminars
CCSS and NCES professional development day
All science teachers and
Melissa Hedt
Debriefing session
Paideia Fellows.
ACS Fellows Day
Paideia Fellows
Assess progress; revisit CCSS and NCES; plan
seminars.
ACS Fellows Day
Paideia Fellows
All AMS Teaching Staff
Data analysis; Paideia presentation of results
planning
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Goal 2:
The Paideia Fellows team will develop at least four new seminar plans aligned with academic
content, including strong pre and post seminar literacy activities. The team will also facilitate the
sharing of these Paideia plans and implementation grade-level and school-wide.
Date
Activity
Participants
Ongoing –
Grade level departmental collaborative
meetings twice a month
ACSF Fellows Day
Relevant teachers and
Paideia Fellows
Paideia Fellows
September 23rd
2011
Collaborate in work sessions to develop
seminars. Dissemination during grade level and
departmental meetings.
October 6th 2011
October 27th
2011
December 20th
2011
January 11th 2012
March 16th 2012
March 28th 2012
Collaborative Planning- Writing seminar plan
for “Little Red Hen”
Collaborative Planning with grade level science
teachers brainstorming topics and texts for
science seminars
Debriefing session
Jesse Pitt, Nick Rogowski,
Melissa Hedt
All science teachers and
Melissa Hedt
ACS Fellows Day
Paideia Fellows
Assess progress; revisit CCSS and NCES; plan
seminars.
Student writing analysis and rubric evaluation;
development of “Boccaccio” seminar cycle
ACS Fellows Day
Melissa Hedt and Nadeen
Rolfe
Paideia Fellows
Paideia Fellows.
Data analysis; Paideia presentation of results
planning
Goal 3:
Student literacy and communication skills improve after participation in multiple Paideia seminar
cycles over the course of the school year.
Date
Grade Level/Department
Paideia Seminar Text
October 19th
2011
November
1stNovember
8th 2011
School-Wide Seminar
“Little Red Hen”
7th Grade Science
“Newton’s Laws”
Facilitating
Teacher(s)
All Teachers, All
Grades
Linda Horton, Bryant
Williams, Alfons
Prince, Sandra
Everhart, and Melissa
Hedt
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AMS Paideia Fellows Report
December
7th 2011
6th Grade Science
Hippocrates
“On Medicine”
December
5thDecember
9th 2011
January 18th
2012
8th Grade Science
“Life-Boat Ethics”
7th Grade Social Studies/
Language Arts
“Imperialism”
January 18th
2012
8th Grade Social Studies/
Language Arts
“Child Labor”
February
15th 2012
February
20th –
February
29th 2012
March 15th
2012
School-wide seminar
“Robin Hood”
7th Grade Social Studies/
Language Arts
Boccaccio:
“The Black Plague”
Grade Mathematics
“The Staircase Problem”
March 26th
2012
6th Grade Science
“Galileo”
March 2012
April 26th
2012
6th Grade Mathematics
School-wide seminar
“Secret Numbers”
“Migrant Mother”
Betsy Ray, Nick
Rogowski, Barbara
Zlatkin, Anthony
Turner, and Melissa
Hedt
Jeff Dewhirst and
Donna Marcelo
Jen Doherty, Rebecca
Cobbledick, Chris
Gable, and Jennifer
Kalen
Amanda Swartzlander,
Moira Bradford, and
Greg Lisenbee
All teachers, all grades
Nadeen Rolfe, Rhonda
Hylton, Stephanie
Reagan, and Jennifer
Hartman
Melissa Hedt (in
Michael Holton, Amy
Larrick, Alfons Prince,
and Bill Schmidt’s
classrooms)
Betsy Ray, Nick
Rogowski, Barbara
Zlatkin, and Anthony
Turner
Melissa Hedt
All teachers, all grades
The project stayed on track throughout the semester and the seminars were concluded
timeously. There were four adjustments to the original plan as follow:




The team added an additional 6th grade science seminar because the teacher
involved saw so much benefit to the process.
Student blog writing was also added as an assessment of student writing.
An additional assessment tool was introduced immediately pre and post the
seminar to isolate the effect of the seminar itself.
Melissa Hedt facilitated more of the 8th grade seminars than originally planned due
to teachers’ unfamiliarity with the process.
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ASSESSMENT- TEACHER LEARNING AND STUDENT OUTCOMES
Seminar Maps- These hand-drawn maps of student participation are both a quantitative
and qualitative measure that highlight each time a student contributes to the discussion
and the type of contribution. They also highlight the flow of the discussion enabling the
facilitator to later assess his/her effectiveness. Seminar maps were collected for all
seminars that Paideia Fellows facilitated. With the exception of 2 or 3 students, all students
participated in the seminars that were independently observed.
Seminar Observations- A quantitative record of group size, group dynamic, external
interruptions, and time allowed for discussion, these observations provide information to
help adjust future seminars. With the exception of one school-wide and one math content
seminar, all the Paideia seminars were independently observed at least once with written
notes on the observations. This data shows that optimal group size for a seminar is
approximately between 10 and 15 students. The group dynamic is also affected by
individual students. The effectiveness of a seminar is affected by how many external
interruptions there are (for example, the school intercom) and whether sufficient time has
been scheduled for adequate discussion.
Teachers’ Self-Assessments and Reflections- These are a qualitative assessment of
teachers’ professional growth, their observations of the efficacy and utility of Paideia as an
instructional strategy, and their informal observations of student growth. The data from
these surveys shows that Paideia Fellows feel they have benefited greatly from having the
time to collaborate with colleagues (across both content and grade levels). Teachers feel
they have improved their skills at planning a challenging seminar cycle and at facilitating
seminar discussions.
Teacher Interviews- All teachers on the Paideia Fellows team were interviewed at stages
throughout the project. These interviews formalize teacher’s thoughts on the Paideia
process, their experience and comfort with implementing seminars; the relative
importance of having a formal structure versus allowing experienced teachers more
flexibility in implementing Paideia, and the importance of time to collaborate with
colleagues. This data consists of transcribed interviews with Paideia Fellows and shows
that teachers feel they have improved their skills at facilitating seminars, have an improved
understanding of what constitutes a challenging and engaging seminar cycle, have
improved collaboration and communication with colleagues in terms of integrating
seminars and scheduling time to implement seminars, have an increased understanding of
the difficulties and concerns that other teachers (who are not experienced with Paideia)
are facing, and unanimously agree that administrative support is vital for the continued
success of Paideia.
Teacher Common Core Questionnaire- This is a qualitative assessment of the extent to
which Paideia has informed/clarified teachers knowledge of implementing the new
Common Core standards for literacy. The data from these surveys shows that Paideia
Fellows now have a far greater knowledge of what the new Common Core Standards are
and what they entail in terms of changes in curriculum and implementation in the
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classroom. This data also shows that Paideia Fellows have a far greater understanding of
how the Paideia Seminar Cycle can be used to implement the new Common Core standards.
In addition, deeper study of the Paideia Seminar Cycle has clarified the extent to which the
Paideia Cycle meshes extremely well with the new Common Core standards in terms of
listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, as well as the development of critical
thinking skills.
Students’ Self-Reflections and Self-Assessments- This formative assessment directs
student’s attention to their own thinking and thus forms part of the whole seminar cycle
itself. The data from these surveys, which were completed by 110 students, shows that
approximately 80% of students are thinking about their own thinking, enjoy the seminars,
and prefer the seminars to other forms of instruction. It’s important to note that this
assessment tool is formative rather than summative. Its value lies in the fact that it directs
student’s attention to their own thinking, rather than providing a quantitative assessment
of whether their thinking really has improved. (The writing samples, discussed below,
provide the objective quantitative assessment of improvement in writing skills). A further
benefit of this assessment survey is that it gathers students input concerning the seminars,
hence acting as social validity data.
Note: When this data was analyzed, it was analyzed by class and by gender. An interesting
result (although possibly not relevant for this study) is that in the gender analysis, in the
mixed gender classes girls rate themselves lower than boys rate themselves in every category
that was assessed except the category “how well I pay attention”. This difference was not
statistically significant. However, in the single gender class (which is a pilot project at AMS)
girls rate themselves significantly higher in every category than the boys rate themselves.
Student Interviews- From these qualitative assessments we learn how students feel about
seminars. This information enabled us to adjust seminars as needed and also produced
some startling information at times, for example, the fact that some students really enjoyed
the math seminars, that most students were surprised by the different thoughts that other
students have, that some students who have difficulty expressing themselves in a
traditional classroom setting feel much more comfortable expressing themselves in a
seminar, and that most students are less scared to express uncertainty about their ideas in
a seminar than in other settings. This social validity data was invaluable. Approximately 28
students, from three different classes, were interviewed individually and the interviews
transcribed. This data shows that students like the seminars, were surprised by the
different thoughts that other students have, surprised by who speaks; less scared to
express uncertainty and ask questions in seminars than in other settings.
Student Writing Samples- These are a quantitative and qualitative assessment of
student’s abilities to connect complex ideas from a challenging text, to assess these ideas
critically and to present their ideas in a clear written language. This assessment was
longitudinal; in some seminars students produced writing samples from several stages
throughout the Paideia Seminar Cycle, including student blog writing. Student writing
samples were collected from most of the seminars and spanned all the different grade
levels. This writing often shows up student thoughts and connections that were not
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obvious during the seminar; many of the samples show rich, literate writing; also for
students who were performing below grade. Approximately 300 writing samples were
collected from different students and different seminars. These samples are both
longitudinal and across content areas; samples were collected from one each of the
different content area seminars (including one of the math seminars) and also collected
across all three grade levels. This writing often includes student thoughts and connections
that were not obvious during the seminar; many of the samples show rich, literate writing.
Short Pre and Post Seminar Questions – This is a short quantitative assessment intended
to isolate the effect of the seminar itself. Many teachers use multiple teaching strategies in
their classrooms and it can sometimes be difficult to isolate whether student gains are due
to the Paideia Seminar Cycle or due to some other instructional strategy. This assessment
consisted of a short question about the topic that was posed to students both immediately
before the seminar discussion and again immediately post the seminar discussion.
Obviously, the specific question that was posed varied from seminar to seminar. The
intention was to isolate the effect of the seminar itself. Data from three seminars was
analyzed in detail and showed quite startling gains in student understanding and critical
thinking. In particular, 95% of those students who exhibited little understanding of the
topic prior to the seminar discussion exhibited greatly improved understanding post the
seminar discussion.
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TEACHER LEARNING- ANALYSIS AND REFLECTION
Impact on Students
Several teachers noted that in their experience the most concrete gauge of whether Paideia
has been successful is whether students have developed the ability to have a civil discourse
with each other. All the teachers are unanimous in their opinion that the Paideia process is
effective at developing student’s skills at engaging in civil discourse.
Several Paideia Fellows mentioned that the Paideia process enabled them to see that
students often have much better ideas and connections than we see in other more
traditional assessments. In this respect, Paideia definitely fosters more responsive
assessment on the part of teachers than regular classroom instruction does.
Most Paideia Fellows expressed the idea that involvement with this project had
necessitated that they re-examine the way they incorporate reading and writing into their
instruction. Many of the Paideia Fellows expressed surprise at the high level of writing
produced by students in the post-seminar phase of the Paideia Cycle.
Paideia Process
Several Fellows teachers expressed the opinion that having a formalized Paideia structure
made them more comfortable with implementing the Paideia seminar cycle. It was also
mentioned that for non Fellows teachers, having a structured process to follow (and having
a data base of seminars to use) increased their comfort with implementing Paideia. In
addition, it was observed that some non-Fellows teachers engaged significantly with the
more visual (and less text-oriented) Paideia activities.
Several teachers mentioned that in the course of this project they have realized that
specific Paideia tools (such as specific language/phrases to use when conducting a
seminar) greatly increase the effectiveness of the Paideia Seminar Cycle.
Every Paideia Fellow mentioned that the effectiveness of Paideia is dependent on the
Paideia Seminar Cycle being an ongoing process. Students do not develop sophisticated
discourse skills and critical thinking abilities overnight. This also impacts assessment of the
effectiveness of Paideia; it’s difficult to assess at any given point in time.
Several teachers mentioned that it is almost impossible to assess any individual student
during an actual seminar discussion. When a teacher is facilitating a discussion, their role is
to ask guiding questions, keep track of who is talking so as to ensure that everyone gets an
opportunity, keep the dialogue on topic and ask probing questions as the dialogue deepens
in complexity, maintain order, remind students about acceptable protocols as necessary,
and keep a record of how often each student has made a meaningful contribution. Given
that the seminars usually comprise about 20 adolescents, simultaneously trying to assess
the individual growth of any particular student in a seminar is almost impossible.
However the pre and post assessment does show a quantitative improvement in students
thinking skills tied to specific seminars. Furthermore, the writing produced at the end of a
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seminar cycle is generally of a higher quality than that produced after more traditional
instructional strategies.
Some Paideia Fellows expressed concern over the traditional requirement that teachers
produce a “grade” to demonstrate the effectiveness of Paideia. Within the broader school
context there is pressure to produce a grade to demonstrate growth for individual students
at the end of the process. Whilst Paideia focuses heavily on improving written skills, some
students do experience considerable growth in their critical thinking, and listening and
speaking skills, yet still lag behind in their written skills. It’s important to acknowledge the
considerable growth such students have made.
Some Paideia Fellows mentioned that having to document their use of Paideia as a teaching
strategy in their own classrooms was surprisingly beneficial to them. It provided a record
for them to go back and assess their own teaching as well as a record to demonstrate the
effectiveness of Paideia to those unfamiliar with the process.
Common Core
All of the Paideia Fellows team members indicated the work done with this project has
helped them develop a much clearer understanding of how to implement the new Common
Core State Standards for literacy. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being “Very Little” and 10
being “A Great Deal,” the average rating of the extent to which the involvement with the
Paideia Fellows initiative has enhanced your understanding of ways to teach the CCSS for
Literacy was 7.8
Teachers specifically mentioned feeling more confident in selecting the kinds of
challenging, complex text suggested in the CCSS and in their ability to develop quality
seminar questions. Through their conversations about reading strategies and activities
used with students prior to seminars with these texts, the Paideia Fellows team expressed
a deeper understand of content-area reading and scaffolding for struggling readers. After
using the Speaking and Listening Skills self-assessments with students and goal-setting and
reflection related to those skills during each Seminar cycle, teachers feel assured about
implementing those standards full-scale next year.
During their analysis of student writing from the Paideia Seminar cycles, it was evident to
the Fellows teachers that the quality of writing is significantly stronger after a seminar
discussion than without it. The work with student writing in this project helped teachers
develop ideas about how to craft text-based writing tasks in their content areas. Paideia
Fellows teachers feel much more comfortable with incorporating writing instruction in
their classes than other teachers which will be highly beneficial with the heavy emphasis
on writing in the CCSS,
Professional Development
Every Paideia Fellow was highly appreciative of the professional development time that
they had to work on planning, collaboration with colleagues, and to learn about Paideia.
Almost all the teachers, including those who were previously familiar with Paideia, stated
that having this time helped develop their own professional skills. Several teachers also
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mentioned that being involved with this project had pushed them personally to think about
their own teaching skills and strategies; Paideia pushed them to “do more than just book
work and power presentations” with students.
Professional Community
Every Paideia Fellow expressed the opinion that having the opportunity to collaborate with
colleagues (across both content and grade level) helped foster a professional community
that together works towards improving student achievement.
STUDENT LEARNING- ANALYSIS AND REFLECTION
Student Engagement
Student learning hinges on student engagement. Without engagement learning will not
occur. Approximately 90% of students express far greater engagement in a Paideia seminar
than in other types of instructional settings. With respect to the topics chosen, although
different students obviously have different preferences for topics, 90% of students express
great enjoyment of most of the seminar topics covered thus far. In addition, the
approximately 10% of students who did not enjoy the school-wide or Social Studies
seminars, did express a great deal of engagement with, and enjoyment of, the Mathematics
seminars in particular. With respect to the seminar process, most students far prefer the
opportunity to express their own ideas in a collaborative context rather than a purely
receptive traditional learning setting.
We can conclude that, whilst, no single seminar topic will appeal to every student, most of
the topics chosen appeal to the majority of the students and the process involved engages
most of the students, including students who have previously been marginalized by more
traditional learning contexts.
Student Self-Efficacy Beliefs
Research shows that students with high self-efficacy beliefs achieve at higher levels than
students with low self-efficacy beliefs. 90% of the students surveyed expressed an
increased belief in their own abilities to understand complex text, to draw out connections
between ideas and to express those ideas cogently (either verbally or in writing). In
addition, parts of the seminar cycle required students to engage in their learning in
multiple ways (notably the film that students produced to highlight what Paideia is about).
Students who were involved in the production of this film expressed appreciation of the
validation that it gave them to be listened to by adults and others in the community.
Student Willingness to Persevere with a Complex Text
70% of students expressed a willingness to continue reading and grappling with a difficult
text because they found it interesting and also because they were part of a group engaged
in attempting to understand a difficult text together.
Development of a Learning Community
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Almost 100% of the students expressed a greater appreciation and understanding of the
fact that their fellow students often have useful, unique and interesting contributions to
make to the discussion. Almost 100% of students (including students from both low socioeconomic status backgrounds as well as students from more privileged backgrounds)
expressed a greater appreciation of their fellow students. It’s possible that the Paideia
Seminar Cycle has additional benefits in terms of fostering student understanding of each
other and decreasing the inevitable tensions that occur in any diverse group of adolescents.
Improvement in Students’ Abilities to Draw Connections between Complex Ideas and
to Assess These Ideas Critically
The short pre and post seminar assessment showed significant gains in students
understanding of complex ideas and abilities to draw connections between complex ideas.
In addition, because this assessment tool was designed to specifically isolate the effect of
the seminar discussion itself, we can conclude that the seminar itself does result in student
gains in critical thinking skills. Obviously, other instructional strategies that teachers use in
their classrooms may also be effective in producing such gains; however we can definitely
conclude that gains in students’ critical thinking that appear to be the result of the Paideia
Seminar Cycle, are in fact due to the Paideia Seminar Cycle.
Improvement in Students’ Abilities to Express their Ideas in Writing
The quantitative assessment of student writing shows that across all performance levels
(below, at, or above grade level) 80% of students produced written work that showed
understanding of complex ideas, connections between ideas and critical analysis of those
ideas.
Writing samples from students who typically perform below grade level also shows
significant improvement from the writing such students produce from more typical
instructional strategies. With the exception of a small handful of students (about 4 or 5),
every student who participated in an observed seminar, turned in a piece of written work
that showed thought about the topic and an attempt to connect complex ideas; including
students who typically are not engaged with their learning. With respect to students who
typically perform above grade level, most of them turned in work that was well above
grade level in quality. The Paideia Seminar Cycle is clearly beneficial to students of all
ability and achievement levels.
In addition, the writing samples from the science seminars and the math seminars show an
improvement in students’ abilities to conceptualize and express more technical ideas and
concepts. Given that the new Common Core standards include a focus on improving literacy
and conceptual thinking in all areas, not just language arts and social studies, the results
from this Paideia project are promising. The science and math seminars are new to
Asheville Middle School (having just been introduced this year) and more data and writing
samples are needed to be conclusive, but the results so far are promising.
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CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED





The lack of familiarity with the Paideia process on the part of non-Fellows teachers
resulted in Melissa Hedt, Literacy Coach, facilitating far more seminars than was
originally planned.
Size of seminar groups was sometimes too large. Groups larger than 20 students
became problematic for teachers.
Non-essential distractions, such as the school-wide intercom interrupting for
announcements during instructional time, disrupted the flow of seminar
discussions.
The Fellows team experienced some difficulty in scheduling time to conduct Paideia
seminars.
The relative importance of allowing flexibility in the process for experienced Paideia
teachers versus having a structured outline for teachers inexperienced with Paideia.
MOVING FORWARD
What is the investment in resources that needs to be made in order for the Paideia
instructional methodology to be integrated and structurally entrenched at AMS?










Administrative support to prioritize seminars and staff training in Paideia
Meeting with teachers to show the data we have and to create “buy-in” to the
concept
Professional development time for teachers- to familiarize themselves with the
process, to select texts, to integrate units across content areas and grade levels, to
align with common core
A point person at each grade level, and possibly in each content area with time for
planning
The development of a Paideia Folder with information about the process for all
teachers who are new to the concept (This information already exists online, but
the online format is sometimes less accessible than a “short and sweet” paper copy.)
A data base of seminars for teachers who are unfamiliar with Paideia to draw from,
so they are not overwhelmed
Support facilitating seminars for teachers who are unfamiliar with the process
Increasing integration between Paideia seminars and the work teachers do with
content literacy standards
Scheduling of Cougar Time or other time periods that supports school-wide
seminars
Smaller seminar group sizes to ensure group size is not too large
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WORK PRODUCTS
Assessment Tool: Student Interviews
Those students who were interviewed were asked the same initial questions, which are included
below. However, as individual students gave answers that were atypical, these answers were
explored with further individualized, questions.
Questions:
Did you enjoy the seminar?
Describe what you did to prepare for the seminar.
In your own words, what was the seminar about? What was the main idea/s?
What connections did you see between the ideas in the different texts you read?
Did you find the texts difficult to understand?
(If so, what did you do to help you understand them better?)
Was there anything you changed your mind about during or after the seminar?
Did anything any of your classmates say surprise you?
Did you learn (or find out) anything about any of your classmates that you didn’t know before?
What did you learn about yourself from the seminar?
Have you got any suggestions about Paideia that you would like to give to us, to help us improve
them?
28 students from 3 different classes were interviewed.
Assessment tool: Teacher Interviews
Teachers were all asked the following questions:
1: What new practices are you implementing in your classroom this year?
2: How do these practices reflect your goals and values as a teacher?
3: Tell me a little bit about how you got started in teaching?
4: What have been your biggest joys and challenges over the years?
5: Please give me an update of your plans for the Paideia project.
6: How are you planning to document student learning? Can you share some examples?
7: Tell me more about your collaboration with colleagues related to this project.
8: What are your plans for the next three months related to this project?
9: How is your participation in this project affecting your views of yourself as a teacher?
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10: Sometimes in the process of changing the way we teach, we come across “aha!” moments,
where something really clicks in an unexpected way, or where we gain a clear awareness of
some aspect of our teaching. Have you had any “Aha!” moments? And if so, can you explain
them?
11: What experiences have been the most helpful to you in learning what you have learned?
12: Is there anything else about your work with this project that you’d like to add?
In addition, once the data from the pre and post assessment were gathered, the two teachers
involved were interviewed again to analyze and discuss the results. The results from those
assessments were promising and the teachers were asked for their input as to why the actual
seminar itself should be so beneficial for students. These interviews are also transcribed if
anyone wishes to read the full transcript.
Short Pre and Post Assessment Tool
The specific question that students were asked to answer depended on the seminar they were
participated in. The intention was to evaluate whether they had gained in understanding as a
result of the seminar itself; to isolate the effect of the seminar discussion as opposed to the
preparatory work that had been done prior to the seminar discussion.
This assessment was conducted for three seminars; two on Imperialism and one on Child Labor.
For the Imperialism seminar, students were asked to answer the following question, both
immediately before and after the seminar: “Describe any connections you can see between the
various quotes you have read”.
For the Imperialism seminar, students were asked to write down, both immediately before and
after the seminar, what they thought about child labor.
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Student Data Tables
Student Interviews
Measure:
Enjoyment of seminars
Able to draw connections
between ideas.
Perseverance at
understanding challenging
text.
Did student change their
opinion?
Did student view
classmates in a different
light?
Did student learn
something about
themselves?
Does student feel less
scared to express an
opinion in a seminar than
in a traditional class
setting?
Expressed opinion about
how to improve Paideia
Yes
24
20
No
4
2
Uncertain
2
6
22
0
6
20
8
20
2
4
26
2
0
27
0
1
28
1
0
See note below
See note below
All of the students who stated that they did not enjoy the “regular” Paideia seminars, did
however express a great deal of enjoyment of the Mathematics Paideia Seminar.
All of the students who expressed an opinion about how to improve Paideia, expressed the
opinion that the topics should be relevant to them; having relevant topics would engage them
more. For example, most students preferred the Child Labor seminar to the Little Red Hen
seminar.
28 students from 3 different classes were interviewed formally. Many other students were spoken
to informally.
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Student: Short Pre and Post Assessment
Student growth
in points on a
scale of 1 to 5
0 points
1 point
2 points
3 points
4 points
Number of
students
Student growth
in points on a
scale of 0 to 5
0 points
1 point
2 points
3 points
4 points
Number of
students
Student growth
in points on a
scale of 0 to 5
0 points
1 point
2 points
3 points
4 points
Number of
students
0
5
3
4
0
5
11
3
3
0
2
6
1
2
Seminar on “Child Labor” 8th grade
12 students participated.
All students made gains in understanding and ability to draw connections
between complex ideas. In some cases these gains were considerable. Four
students scored a 3 point gain, moving from relatively little understanding to
considerable understanding.
All students were able to express this is writing.
Seminar on “Imperialism” 7 th grade Block 1
22 students participated.
17 students made gains in understanding and ability to draw connections
between complex ideas. In some cases these gains were considerable. Three
students scored a 3 point gain, moving from relatively little understanding to
considerable understanding.
All students were able to express this is writing.
Seminar on “Imperialism” 7 th grade Block 2
11 students participated.
9 students made gains in understanding and ability to draw connections
between complex ideas. In some cases these gains were considerable. Two
students scored a 3 point gain, moving from relatively little understanding to
considerable understanding.
All students were able to express this is writing.
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ASHEVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL
SEMINAR PLAN: Boccaccio
Ideas and Values:
Middle Ages, Bubonic Plague, The Human Response to the Unexplainable/Unknowable, Symbols
PRE-SEMINAR:
The pre-seminar activities will take a minimum of two days to complete.
Content – (Present relevant background information. Prepare participants to discuss selected text.):




Have students analyze and answer questions on the “Analyzing Primary Document/Lithograph”
sheet in response to the Lithograph.
Teachers should guide the reading and interpretation of the primary document, “Boccaccio.”
Following each paragraph, have students write their own summaries on the lines beside the
paragraph. For the purpose of differentiation, you may want your AIG students working in
groups and doing their own reading and interpreting. When students complete their summaries,
have groups take turns sharing their summaries and interpretations.
Have students number the paragraphs in the text.
After the reading and summaries are completed, hand-out “Boccaccio: The Decameron.”
Students should complete the questions for homework.
Process – Prepare participants to participate in seminar discussion: Review seminar guidelines and
define roles for facilitator and participant. Using appropriate checklist or rubric, have each student set a
process goal for this seminar. In addition, have students discuss what group goal they should work on in
order to have a successful seminar.
Students should come prepared with:



Boccaccio text
Completed homework questions
“Analyzing Primary Document/Lithograph” sheet
Teachers should provide:


Lithograph
Hand-out lithograph at the beginning of the seminar.
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SEMINAR
Opening – (Identify main ideas from the text.):
Opening Questions:

What do you find most interesting about the Lithograph? (Round Robin) Why?
(Spontaneous)

Which paragraph from the “Boccaccio” do you find most interesting? (Round Robin)
Why?
Core – (Focus/analyze textual details.):





Using information from the lithograph and the text who/what is the skeleton?
Does the mood of the lithograph reflect what is written in the text? What passages in
the text, support your answer?
Which items in the lithograph are represented in the text?(Figuratively or literally)
How does the overall theme of the lithograph compare to the theme of the text?
*According to the texts, how do the people of the Middles Ages respond when faced
with the unexplainable/unknowable? (This is the question that blends the core with the
closing. Therefore, it needs to be discussed before moving on to the closing.)
Closing – (Personalize and apply the textual ideas.):

How would you predict we as people would respond today when faced with the
unexplainable/unknowable?
POST-SEMINAR
Process – (Assess individual and group participation in seminar discussion. Refer to recent past as well
as future seminar discussion.):

Review the seminar discussion with the students. Discuss to what extent they achieved
their individual and group goals.
Content – (Extend application of textual and discussion ideas; continuation of pre-seminar.):
Add, or change information to your “Analyzing Primary Document/Lithograph” sheet.
Writing PromptImagine a plague afflicting America today. Would people behave in a similar manner or would they
behave differently? Take into consideration modern science, the diverse faiths, and the
responsibility/role government.
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Boccaccio Text Excerpt- (Page One of Five)
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Asheville Middle School
SEMINAR PLAN: On Medicine by Hippocrates
Ideas and Values:
Evolution, diet, Human, animal, medicine
Pre-Seminar:
Content-Present Relevant background information:
 Have students read this text individually, beginning a few days before
seminar.
 Direct students to number each sentence in the text.
 After reading at least once, have students work in pairs to divide the text
into sections and discuss the main points of each. Have each pair write 4-6
summary statements.
 Share with students that this text was written by Hippocrates, born in
Greece in 460 B.C., referred to as the Father of Medicine.
 Have students Read the article on Medicinal plants
 Students should highlight points of interest in article
 Have students read the USDA food pyramid article
 Students should make notes on the food pyramid summarizing their
findings from the graphic
 Just before the seminar, invite students to share a few of their summary
statements
Process- Prepare participants to participate in seminar discussion:
Review seminar guidelines and define roles for facilitator and participant. Using
appropriate checklist or rubric, have each student set a process goal for this seminar.
In addition, have students discuss what group goal they should work on in order to have
a successful seminar.
Seminar
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Opening Question—Identify main ideas from the text:
 What might you title this paragraph from Hippocrates’ On Medicine? (Allow
students to talk in pairs, then respond via spokesperson round-robin.) What title
mentioned makes most sense to you? Why?
Core – Focus/ Analyze textual details:
 According to the text, what is the relationship between diet and
disease?
 What is the relationship between plants and medicine?
 What is medicine according to Hippocrates? What is medicine
according to Amazon Rainforest Shamen? Do you agree with either
or both views? Why or why not?
 How would you compare this text on diet to the U.S.D.A. food
pyramid?
Closing Question—personalize and apply the textual ideas:
 How can we apply Hippocrates’ position on diet to our daily lives?
Post-Seminar Process:
Process - Assess individual and group participation in seminar discussion:
Review the seminar discussion with the students. Discuss to what extent they achieved their
individual and group goals.
Content – Based on your reading of this text as well as our discussion, write or draw a modern
definition of medicine.
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from On Medicine
By Hippocrates
I hold that the diet and food which people in health now use would not have been
discovered, provided it had suited with man to eat and drink in like manner as the
ox, the horse, and all other animals, except man, do of the productions of the
earth, such as fruits, weeks, and grass; for from such things these animals grow,
live free of disease, and require no other kind of food. And, at first, I am of
opinion that man used the same sort of food, and the present articles of diet had
been discovered and invented only after a long lapse of time, for when they
suffered much and severely from strong and brutish diet, swallowing things which
were raw, unmixed, and possessing great strength, they became exposed to
strong pains and diseases, and to early deaths.
It is likely, indeed, that from habit they would suffer less from these things then
than we would now, but still they would suffer severely even then; and it is likely
that the greater number, and those who had weaker constitutions, would all
perish; whereas the stronger would holdout for a longer time, as even nowadays
some, in consequence of using strong articles of food, get off with little trouble,
but others with much pain and suffering. From this necessity it appears to me
that they would search out the food befitting their nature, and thus discover that
which we now use: and that from wheat, by macerating it, stripping it of its hull,
grinding it all down, sifting, toasting, and baking it, they formed bread; and from
barley they formed cake (maza), performing many operations in regard to it; they
boiled, they roasted, they mixed, they diluted those things which are strong and
of intense qualities with weaker things, fashioning them to the nature and powers
of man, and considering that the stronger things Nature would not be able to
manage if administered, and that from such things pains, diseases, and death
would arise, but such as Nature could manage, that from them food, growth, and
health, would arise. To such a discovery and investigation what more suitable
name could one give than that of Medicine? Since it was discovered for the health
of man, for his nourishment and safety, as a substitute for that kind of diet by
which pains, diseases, and deaths were occasioned.
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Sample of Student Blog Writing
These are a few extracts from the blog writing students did on the Boccaccio seminar. Between them the students
produced over 24 pages of writing and discussion on the topic. These are just a few selections from that, taken from
a range of students (those performing below grade level as well as those performing at or above grade level).
Grammar and spelling errors have been left uncorrected; this blog writing was intended to be a medium for students
to discuss their ideas on the topic, prior to producing a final polished piece of work.
The part of the text that really seemed to summarize the Black Death for me was paragraph three. Reading about the
Extremists, Minimalists, Preservationists, and Liberalists really seemed to show how desperate people were. How
terrified would you have to be to abandon your home and your family and run away? The people in the Middle Ages
were experts on warfare, but the Bubonic Plague was one enemy they couldn't fight.
The second most informative paragraph I found was the first one, which by modern standards was rather disgusting.
It described in great detail the morbid and disturbing symptoms of the plague, including the gavaciolli. The
Bubonic Plague also fits into the three Ds of the Middle Ages: despair, death, and darkness. And on that happy note,
I conclude.
I believe the lithograph illustrates the text fairly well. There are parts that don't have much to do with the text like
the bats, they really didn't signal anything in my mind. The weapons didn't really make sense either and for both of
these you had too mix creativity and really hard thinking which are two opposite things that don't mix very well. I
could see how the drugs, opium, arsenic, mercury, and compounds fit in the text. The phony doctors probably tried
all of these and/or combined them to try and cure people. The skeleton dude really represented the Black Death,
because he was sitting on the globe which symbolized that it was everywhere. The hourglass made me think about
all the time that they had left. The End.
I think paragraph 1 was helpful information to have because it gave a basic overview of the plague, it's symptoms,
about when it struck and it's origins. I found the simile "like fire through dry grass or oil it would rush upon the
healthy" really helped me in vision how fast the plague would move from person to person. I liked the bit of
information that said "all died 3 days after the appearance of the first outward signs (of the disease)" I found it very
interesting. It was a very informative text overall.
I really liked reading this out loud with the class and breaking it down. I understood it more. The paragraph that
really helped me understand the bubonicplague more was paragraph #3, because it told you the different ways
people would react to the plage. There were 4 different ways, different people would react.
I believe the lithogragh illustrates the Boccaccio text becuase the text shows a skeleton that I think repersents death
sitting on top of a globe repersenting the world and around him swords, guns, axes and spears showing that you can
not fight the plague with weapons. On the top of the picture it shows musical istrument hanging by a cloth I think
repersenting the joy and laughter destroyed in the time peroid. Baccaccio clearly states how horrifing and dreadful it
was living in the plague time and how it was so contagois and if you got it you died. There was simply no cure for
the plague and the picture illstrates all of that. so that is why I think it was a illstratating the bobanic plague and it's
effects.
Paragragh 3 helped me understand the Bubonic plague becuase it tells you how the people reacted. Some people
ran, some locked themselves in their houses and ate/drank very little. Others just drank and ate a lot, then partied
all night and all day. Most houses let people into their houses to get drunk and party, they did this because they
knew they were going to die and wanted to have fun before they were going to die. The rest live life with flowers
and spices held up to their nostrils to block out the smell. Everyone had a different thought about what to do when
the Bubonic plague came.
Reading this primary document by Boccaccio was mind-blowing.
The first paragraph itself was very informative. It told the reader what year (1348) the bubonic plague struck, and
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the location (Florence, Italy). The text explains how the Black Death traveled west from Asia to Europe. It also
explains the symptoms of the plague and how they behaved differently than they did in Asia.
In the second paragraph, the quote:
"But what gave this pestilence paticulary severe force was that whenever the disease mixed with healthy people, like
a fire through dry grass or oil it would rush upon the healthy."
This quote helped me imagine just how horribly severe this plague was. It shows how horribly contagious this
sickness was. Even by touch, the plague was spread quickly.
Paragraph three explained the ways people reacted to the death and dying in the plague. There were four main ways.
Paragraph four, five and six told the reader how the plague overcame people and made them fall into the pit of
hopelessness and despair. All regular customs and laws were abandoned.
Both cities and towns fell apart and people believed each day was their last.
This is a truly horrible and interesting time of history written in eleven paragraphs.
I think the lithograph illustrates the Boccaccio primary document nicely. The overall mood of the text is dark and
gloomy. The lithograph with the skeleton on top of the world also displays this mood. In the lithograph, there are
many tiny details that connect with the text, such as that the world that the skeleton is sitting on is moving counterclockwise, and therefore it is moving from east to west. In the Boccaccio text, it explains how the bubonic plague
spread (from east to west). Also, the ashes and fire rising up from the ground in the lithograph illustrate the dead
being burned during the bubonic plague. I think that the text and the illustration complement each other very well.
The Black Death roared through England in the late Middle Ages, wiping out half of the population. The
flea that carried the disease was carried by rats to humans. Gravediggers trolled the streets with carts
full of dead bodies, shouting "Bring out your dead". They tossed the dead in large pits with hundreds of
other dead bodies. Fear reigned supreme. The rich had all sorts of supposed "cures" including killing and
incinerating the bodies of the town's animals, sitting in a sewer, and so on. The infected swelled up and
their tongues became black. They died very quickly.
What helped me understand the Plague most was paragraph 3: the one where Boccaccio described the reactions of
the population of Florence: the minimalists, who "were of the opinion that they should live moderately and guard
against all excess... lived separately from everyone else... locked themselves in... ate small amounts of food and
drank the most delicate wines... refraining from speech with outsiders... diverting themselves with music or
whatever else was pleasant", the extremists: "Others, who disagreed with this, affirmed that drinking beer, enjoying
oneself, and going around singing and ruckus-raising and satisfying one's appetites whenever possible and laughing
at the whole bloody thing was the best medicine... going from tavern to tavern drinking up a storm... any stranger
passing by could enter and use the house as if he was its master", the liberalists who "neither restricted their diet nor
indulging so liberally in drinking and other forms of dissolution... walked about freely, holding in their hands a
posy", and finally the preservationists: "to avoid and run away from the sick and all their things... no better medicine
against the disease than to run away from it... huge numbers of men and women abandoned their rightful city, their
rightful homes, their relatives and their parents and their things... brother abandoned brother, and the uncle
abandoned his nephew and the sister her brother, and many times wives abandoned husbands, and, what is even
more incredible and cruel, mothers and fathers abandoned their children and refused to visit them". Yet, the plague
took minimalists, extremists, liberalists and preservationists in equal measure:"many from each camp fell ill in all
places". These words help me understand not only how people responded to the plague, but indeed the plague itself,
for I feel that we can learn more about the plague by watching how people responded to it, and entirely its victims,
than looking at the plague itself.
My first question is: Was the lithograph even supposed to represent the Black Death (or, alternatively, the
introduction to The Decameron? The lithograph almost seems to me as if it represented something else (or was
symbolic of nothing) and we twisted it into something that fit our preconceptions- knowing that it was supposed to
be about the Bubonic Plague we decided that it was certainly so, and therefore found evidence that it was, in the
stead of evidence that it was not. A skeleton sitting on a globe could represent any number of things... war, disease,
starvation, death itself. The instruments supposedly forming a noose... well, that seems a bit strange, doesn't it? Is it
possible that they were something else, and we decided they were something that fit our preconceptions, or that we
misinterpreted the symbolism? And then the drugs, poisons et cetera... who would use arsenic to try and cure a
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plague? Would people desperately pretending that it was all in their heads (or not necessarily, preservationists and
minimalists simply ran away from it all) try a substance that they knew would make them accepting of their fate?
And we know that they used herbs and medicinal plants to try and cure this affliction, so would they really have
tried things like arsenic, mercury and opium as a cure... and would they have tried to kill themselves with said
substances? They knew arsenic was a poison, opium was a drug, and mercury I know civilizations such as the
Ancient Egyptians believed was a cure (although it caused disfiguration and lumps, so why would they be grouped
together (as my esteemed classmates have theorized that those three, along with a few others, were things that
people tried themselves (or were otherwise used in a similar manner). I can understand using a poison (although I
find it hard to believe they would have wanted to die if they knew it was possible they would survive, after all it
only wiped out about half the population on average), a drug, and a potential cure, respectively, but using all of these
things for the same purpose? Seems rather farfetched to me. And then, among the poisons, drugs, and "cures" are
several weapons, including swords, daggers and guns. Did they even have the kind of weapon depicted in the
illustration back then? Weapons, violence did not cause death, the plague did, and nowhere in the introduction is any
mention of weapons or violence. The closest is the flagellants, and they used metal-studded whips. This seems to
back up my theory that the lithograph is supposed to represent something else, like war. Think about it! War
conquers the world, everybody gets involved in it, no one wins, lots of people die, and the cause of death is
weapons.
So, I suppose my answer is that I don't think the lithograph made a whole lot of sense. Maybe 1/3 lot of sense.
The Bubonic Plague was carried by rats. Whenever a flea bit a rat, toxins from the rat's blood remained on the
flea's mouthparts. When the flea bit a human, the toxins were transmitted to the human's bloodstream. There
were many variations on the Bubonic Plague, such as bleeding sores, high fevers, and dementia. The nursery
rhyme 'Ring Around the Rosy' was about a strain of plague in which the victim developed sores with red rings
round them.
I think the lithograph was an excellent depiction of Boccaccio's Decameron. The lithograph was depressing, dark,
and rather imposing in a morbid kind of way. TheDecameron was depressing, dark, and slightly nauseating. It's like
the person who made the lithograph based it on Boccaccio's description of the Bubonic Plague. Of course,
Boccaccio made no mention of the Dance of Death and that is the title of the lithograph. I can't help but wonder if
there are any other texts such as Boccaccio's describing the Bubonic Plague. If there are any more, Boccaccio's
primary document would probably be one of the most descriptive (and long winded, but that was just how they
wrote in the Middle Ages. Maybe they didn't want to waste ink on punctuation?)
While reading this primary document by Boccaccio, my eyes were really opened to the power of one single
sickness. I found the first paragraph very informational because it gave you the history of the plague, and the
horrible symptoms as witnessed in person by Boccaccio. I could feel my spine tingling as a read about the
"Gavaccioli," and how painful this must have been to the poor victims.
In the third paragraph, the information on how there were different groups of people that each responded to the
Black Death in a different way was very interesting because it showed how paranoid everyone was about catching it.
Also, as stated in paragraph seven, people living in the city were more at risk then those in the country because the
cities were more densely populated, and the homes were very close together which made the spreading of the
disease faster.
I believe that the lithograph we studied does illustrate the Boccaccio text well because the overall mood of the text
was despair and darkness, which is exactly how Boccaccio seemed so see the plague. I also think that the text helped
give me a better understanding of what the lithograph depicted because Boccaccio described how the wealthy would
die along with everyone else, and so nobody was left to inherit their belongings. This goes along with the lithograph
because the skeleton depicted is wearing a crown, and he seems very depressed so he could possibly be royalty with
no family left. Also, I think a big part of the plague that Boccaccio wrote about was that there was no real cure,
which might explain why there are various drugs found along the bottom of the lithograph, maybe meaning that
people tried those things as cures to no avail.
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