“ TBI will keep Saint David ’ s at the cutting-edge in educating boys , positioning the school as a leader in boys ’ education in New York City and beyond . It will seamlessly and permanently embed best practices ( informed by research ) into our professional development framework .”
that not only accessed the Wiki , but also contributed to it . Sam Woolford ’ s research examined the Impact of a Free-Choice (“ Genius Time ”) Inquiry Project on Student Skill-Building , Agency , and Motivation and was published in i . e .: inquiry in education , Volume 14 , Issue 2 , by the Center for Inquiry in Education of the National College of Education at National Louis University .
Spanish Teacher Flor Berman investigated how technology can be used to motivate young learners to use their target language when she incorporated drones in a new unit planned around the theme of ideal neighborhoods . Flor found that the novelty of using drones captured boys ’ attention , that motor activity reduced reticence and encouraged risk taking with language , and that collaboration with each other enabled the boys to generate more ideas and language than they would have alone .
Humanities Teacher Catherine Milligan investigated the value in providing video feedback on student work to see if it would bolster eighth grade boys ’ personal engagement in art history analysis . The boys found the video feedback more detailed , personal , convenient and helpful . Cited among the benefits of this form of feedback was the boys ’ agency in choosing the timing for watching the video feedback and also their ability to replay it as often as they wanted to . Ms . Berman and Ms . Milligan were part of the IBSC Action Research cohort for 2021-22 .
Grade Eight Homeroom Teacher Saybel Pipitone was selected by IBSC for the 2022- 23 Action Research cohort to investigate how boys could develop communicative capacity at school and beyond . Through research of existing studies on emotional and social well-being , Ms . Pipitone discovered that men who can identify and name their feelings and needs are better able to resolve conflict . Utilizing the methodology of Nonviolent Communications developed by Marshall Rosenberg of the
What distinguishes Saint David ’ s is that we are equally committed to the spiritual — to the development of the character of our boys — one that is informed by faith , shaped by practice , and celebrated by community .
Center for Nonviolent Communication , which is in line with Saint David ’ s mission and values , eighth-grade boys created projects that they shared with Lower School students , providing the tools and language for resolving conflict in healthy ways .
Lower School Math Coordinator Bridget Gallagher investigated how assessment of boys ’ math skills informed teacher planning . She focused on how using the data would ensure that lesson design closely targeted needs and built upon strengths .
Ms . Berman and Dr . Gilbert have been published in the trade journal The Language Educator . One of Tori ’ s units “ Sana , Sana ” has also been featured in Designing World Language Curriculum for International Communicative Competence - a book on exemplar curricula . Flor ’ s article , “ The Joys of Early Language Learning at Saint David ’ s ,” isn ’ t directly related to her research project , but describes Saint David ’ s thematically designed instructional approach to teaching language and the use of kinesthetic learning .
Last summer , Catherine and Flor were invited to Texas to present their research to the International Boys ’ Schools Coalition ’ s Annual Conference and , this summer , Tori and Saybel were invited to present in New Zealand . Ms . Pipitone presented her Action Research on nonviolent communications . Dr . Gilbert presented her Action Research investigating perspectives and approaches from Saint David ’ s master relational teachers in pre-k through eighth grade , through which she discovered a limitless capacity to assess situations and select relational gestures that foster the supportive relationships needed for successful learning .
As part of TBI , we have also created new Pathways for Professional Learning , streamlining our programs and providing our faculty new options for more research , learning and growth . Some of the new courses include Relationship Management , Practitioner Research 101 , and Reflective
Summer 2023 • 13