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The Soundings Program is an educational curriculum approach developed for American middle school students that allows the students themselves to define a curriculum based on a theme that they themselves choose, and using metrics that they themselves devise.[1]
Description
Springer describes the program as "an integrative and democratic curriculum", referring to its cross-disciplinary approach to topics, and its student-selected themes and metrics. A visitor to the classroom in 2007, Professor Mike Muir, says that "Rarely, had (he) worked with students who were so articulate, involved with their learning, and so clear about what they were learning! It was amazing."[2]
Development
The program was developed by middle school educator Mark Springer at his school in Radnor, Pennsylvania beginning in 1998.[3] In 2006, he published a text on the program,[4] and in 2010, he retired from teaching to pursue full-time development and promotion of the program.[3] The program is currently being taught by Dave Mercurio and Danielle Bajus.
Results
In reviewing various integrated curriculum approaches, the National Middle School Association's Susan Drake noted that Soundings students show no marked difference in standardized test scores,[5] but "Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the program, and high school teachers report that Soundings graduates appear to discuss topics at a more sophisticated level than students who have not been in the program."[5] In addition, students who have gone through the Soundings Program have gotten a higher GPA than non-Soundings students.
References
- ^ "Welcome to Soundings". Radnor Middle School. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
- ^ "A Visitor's View of Soundings". Radnor Middle School. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ a b "ASCD Presenter Bio: Mark Springer". ASCD. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
- ^ Springer, Mark (2006). Soundings: A Democratic, Student-Centered Education. National Middle School Association. ISBN 9781560902003.
- ^ a b Drake, Susan M; Burns, Rebecca C. (2004). Meeting Standards through Integrated Curriculum. National Middle School Association. p. 15. ISBN 9780871208408.