1. Up to Date: Designing High Schools for the Age of Instant
Keynote:
Up to Date: Designing High Schools for the Age of Instant
Sr. Carol Cimino, SSJ, Ed.D. National Consultant, William H. Sadlier, Inc.; New York, NY & Professor, Manhattan College; Riverdale, NY Sponsored by William H. Sadlier, Inc.

2. De La Salle Secondary Schools:
Being Faithful to Tradition in the Age of Instants

3. What We Will Cover: The vision of De La Salle
Whom are we teaching today?
A look at high school education today
What are the signs of the times saying?
How do we maintain tradition while steering change?
Re-examining the De La Salle high school

4. The Mission:
Provide a human and Christian education to the young, especially the poor, according to the ministry entrusted to them by the church.
Touch hearts; teach minds
Prepare students as mature members of society and the church.

5. The Vision of the Founder
A spirituality that:
Has the school as its setting
The teacher and student as its focus
The salvific potential of education as its inspiration

6. A Whole New Group of Young People:

7. Why now? This generation is a “break” from other generations:
How do we define generations?
Culture
History
Values
Life outlook
Ethics

8. CCS N-C CS CPP Total Creed Lit/Sac Moral 64% 68% Prayer 58% ACRE II
82%
76%
71%
Lit/Sac
73%
65%
60%
70%
Moral
64%
68%
Prayer
58%
ACRE II
56%
72%
61%
69%
79%
67%
74%

9. Church Attendance and Generations of Catholics
Pre-Vatican II (born pre-1941) 60%
Vatican II (born ) 35%
Post-Vatican II (Gen X: born ) 26%
Post-Post-Vatican II (GenY: born after 1980) 15%

10. Do Catholic Schools Make a Difference?

11. Do Catholic Schools Make a Difference?

12. Do Catholic Schools Make a Difference?

13. Do Catholic Schools Make a Difference?

14. New Standards for Students
Creativity and Innovation
Communication and collaboration
Research and information fluency
Critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making
Digital citizenship
Technology operations and concepts
International Society for Technology in Education 2010

15. Creativity and Innovation
Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, processes
Create original works as a means of personal or group expression
Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues
Identify trends and forecast possibilities

16. Communication & Collaboration
Interact, collaborate with peers
Communicate to multiple audiences using multiple media
Develop global awareness
Use originality to solve problems

17. Research & Information Fluency
Plan strategies to guide inquiry
Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources
Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on appropriateness to specific tasks
Process data and report results

18. Critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making
Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation
Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project
Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions
Use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions

19. Digital citizenship
Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology
Exhibit and positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning and productivity
Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning
Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship

20. Technology Operations and Concepts
Understand and use technology systems
Select and use applications effectively and productively
Trouble shoot systems and applications
Transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies

21. What other skills? Knowledge of the world
Knowledge of the economy, politics, cultures
Ability to speak a foreign language
Ability to work with other people
Media literacy
Entrepreneurship

22. So, how to build a 21st century student?
Students should be able to think across disciplines
Students should know how to think critically about information
Students should be able to apply facts to opinion
Students should understand how the rest of the world thinks
Students should have “portable skills”
Critical thinking
Making connections between ideas
Knowing how to learn
Depth over width

23. What else? For graduates of Catholic schools:
A set of ethics consistent with Gospel values
A moral lifestyle
The ability to make good choices
The ability to take personal responsibility
A sense of stewardship
A responsibility to other people
A desire for community

24. Back to the vision of De La Salle:
The school is the setting (infrastructure)
The teacher and the student are its focus (infrastructure)
The salvific potential of education is its inspiration (ectostructure)

25. What should be the setting of the school?
One that has:
Hospitality
Safety
Culture that is:
Frugal
Simple
Gentle
Small

26. How about the focus?
Teachers who understand concepts of mission and ministry
Students who “opt in” for the mission, the values, the culture
Students who are known and cared for as individuals

27. What about inspiration?
Education as having a salvific potential (whatever that means)
Understanding of the role of the Holy Spirit
Curriculum that is:
Developmental
Integrated
Religious
Global

28. How to Start: Pray for discernment
Discuss the need for taking the school to the next level
Clarify “points of pride”
Agree on “portrait of the graduate”

29. Look at Infrastructure:
Use of space
Corporate structure: lines of accountability
Curriculum: integration of values
Delivery of religious services
Staff who are committed
Parents/students
Culture: honorees, target of funds, acceptance of differences
Schedule, calendar

30. Look at Ectostructure Relationships of the school: Christian Brothers
Alumni
Benefactors
Board
Parishes, Diocese, Church

31. Some other Considerations:
Don’t decree it
Look back; don’t stare
Don’t get stuck on a few individuals
Make sure the board takes the lead in the process
Have a strategic plan in place
Check for mission, core values, non-negotiables
Keep lines of communication open

32. Finally…. “God who guides all things With wisdom and serenity
And whose way it is not to
Force the inclinations of persons,
Willed to commit me to the development of the
Schools. He did this in an imperceptible manner and
Over a long period of time, so that one commitment
Led to another in a way that I did not foresee in
The beginning.”
Memoir of De La Salle

33. Think: What happens to “we’ve always done it this way”?
What aspects do we need to examine?
What do we need to keep?
What do we need to jettison?
How will we answer these questions in light of fidelity to mission?

34. Back to the mandates:

35. 1. Education for formation in Faith
Integration of the school’s core values and the teachings of the Catholic Church
Knowledge of the tenets of the Catholic church
Understanding of personal responsibility
Example of faculty/staff of adult Christianity

36. 2. Provide an integral, quality education
Connect the dots
Maintain non-negotiables
Provide education for this generation of students, not the last
Give direction on the need for lifelong learning
Make sure it’s applicable

37. 3. Educate in a family spirit
This is a generation in search of community
Look at a Newman model of Church
Know as we are known
Involve family; understand the wants and needs of parents
Make all welcome

38. 4. Education for Service, Justice, Peace, and the Integrity of Creation
Communication of the purpose of education
What is just vs. What is fair
We are born to serve
Understanding of stewardship

39. 5. Education for adaptation and change
Understanding the power and inevitability of change
Look back, but don’t stare
Take bold steps
Honor vision, but respect plans

40. Consider: Do we acknowledge:
Social constructs
Communication platforms
The need to connect learning?
Employers and colleges do not look for proficiency in a traditional curriculum (e.g. The Apprentice)

41. Consider: How should we study post-graduation success?
How will we inform their opinions?
How much do our students know about the economy, globalism, the impact of emerging economies, tribalism, etc.?
How has the content of our curriculum changed?
How will we engage our students in the Church? In social justice?

42. Consider Further…. What kinds of leadership will we need?
Do our students understand:
The global economy?
Personal finances?
Politics?
The way the government works?
Social issues

43. Consider even further…
What is the first thing we need to do?
What is the second thing we need to do?
What is the third thing we need to do?
How will we do these things?
How will we bring others along?

44. Use the Gifts of the Magi:
We don’t know who, how many
Read the signs of the times
Actually began the journey
Assumed Jesus wanted to be found
Showed up
Went back a different way.