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Philosophy of the Logan School
The mission
of the Logan School for Creative Learning is to provide an experience-based educational
opportunity for gifted children of all backgrounds that allows each child to develop
individually to his or her full potential.
Five basic values serve as the foundation for this environment:
 | Empowering Children |
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| Opening Doors |
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| Fostering Responsibility |
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| Fostering Independence |
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| Fostering Care and Concern for Others |
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Empowering children is the
process of helping all children see that they have power, control and responsibility over
themselves in their lives. In addition, this process helps children see that they
are part of a diverse world and can cause change to happen.
The Logan School supports the child's ability to experience
as many ideas, learning processes, perspectives and opportunities as possible.
In teaching responsible decision making, we encourage the
children to look at situations from a variety of directions, set a goal, evaluate each |
option in terms of the goal,
take action for the goal to come to fruition, and assume responsibility for the
consequences of that decision.
The Logan School provides an environment where children are
encouraged to look at themselves honestly, to evaluate their own needs clearly, to make
decisions responsibly, and to think for themselves.
At The Logan School, the feelings, needs, and ideas of each
person are respected. We emphasize cooperation rather than competition. We
strive to create and maintain an inclusive environment. |
The philosophy
of the Logan School for Creative Learning is to provide a unique learning
environment for gifted children which stimulates academic accomplishment, critical
thinking, and creativity while fostering peer interaction and personal growth.
In addition to the traditional "3
R's," we stress 3 additional R's:
Research (searching out information)
Reasoning (processing information)
Recording (creating a way to save and/or
share information)
In today's world, the body of knowledge is so
large and the pace of acquisition is so rapid that it is impossible to teach enough
information to serve the student as an adult. Therefore, The Logan School emphasizes
the higher levels of critical thinking as outlined in Bloom's Taxonomy:
| Analysis: The ability to break down
material into its component parts so its structure can be understood
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| Synthesis: The ability to put parts
together to form a new whole
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| Evaluation: The ability to judge the
value of material for a given purpose
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Because our school is process
oriented, we encourage inventive thinking, imaginative and intuitive insight, and
exploration and discovery of the world.
The Logan School follows a holistic approach to teaching
gifted children and therefore, enhances classroom curricula by offering a varied
"exploration" schedule. The children have opportunities to investigate
foreign languages, art, physical education, music, drama, dance, environmental studies and
community trips.
Our staff develops a highly individualized curriculum for
each child's unique readiness level, learning style, and personal interests. In
addition, small group and whole class learning activities are |
designed to provide group
problem solving and interaction, as well as peer evaluation. We believe that there
is merit to all learning approaches; we choose the approach that best suits the
individual. In each area, we strive to help the child move from his/her current
level up to the next level of mastery. At The Logan School for Creative Learning,
there are no ceilings.
An integral part of The Logan School's philosophy is our
commitment to experiential learning. Through this involved style of learning,
students have the opportunity to integrate, better retain, and manipulate information in
their world. Experiential learning is inherent in our individualized units,
classroom activities, community trips, and the availability of hands-on learning
equipment. |
Statement on
Diversity
At The Logan School, we work to create an inclusive and equitable teaching
and learning environment for all members of our community -- staff, parents and children.
This approach is a comprehensive framework for everything we do.
Education which embraces
diversity focuses on both attitude and process. We promote a climate which
celebrates diversity and rejects racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination.
We also accept and affirm the pluralism of our world, as well as the challenges and common
experiences which unite us. At The Logan School diversity encompasses ethnicity,
national background, religions, race, language, gender, economic background, sexual
orientation, family structure, and disability when reasonable accommodations can be made,
among other characteristics. In our classrooms and our hallways, we foster the
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sharing of our histories and
experiences in order to learn from each other and develop respect for different learning
styles. We acknowledge one another's strengths and weaknesses and strive to
understand our differences and commonalities.
We believe parents, students and staff benefit from an
inclusive approach to teaching and learning. Through honest dialogue, we support our
children's efforts to truly appreciate what we share and respect the ways in which we are
different. As a result, our children will be best prepared to succeed, to
participate, and to promote unity in our increasingly diverse society. |
last updated by jb 7/9/08
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