Alexander Martin ‘01 – Article as it appears in Canoe & Kayak magazine, November 2, 2011:

Just over a year ago, the 25-year-old NOLS instructor from Kensington, Connecticut completed the first, modern-day canoe expedition across America—a 4,300-mile solo journey from Portland to Portland, Oregon to Maine, that is. 2011 presents a new year for “Zand” and with it, a new continent to paddle across. Martin explains: “The Trans-Europa Canoe Expedition will follow the waterways of history across Europe; the route will take us west to east from the Atlantic Coast of France at Nantes, up the Loire River, through French canals to the Rhine River, over the mountains of the Black Forest to the source of the Danube River, and down the Danube to the Black Sea. The route, from Nantes to Istanbul, is more than 4,000 kilometers long and will take place between September and December, totally roughly 100 days.”

Making a beeline for Budapest, hoping to make it before the harsh eastern European winter sets in, Martin sent in this correspondence giving us the lowdown through Kilometer 1100, Donau (Danube) River, Tuttlingen, Germany. Stay tuned to Canoekayak.com, where Martin will be recounting the epic journey in a series of exclusive En Route dispatches. CLICK HERE to see No. 1.

Headmaster’s Welcome to Grandparents & Grandfriends

Teaching Competency:

From 350 BCE to the Present

There has been much discussion over the millennia about what skills are necessary for success in the world. Of course, given the century in which one was born, necessary skills varied greatly; however, the search for solid foundations upon which to build essential skills has been around since the dawn of civilization.

Ancient/Classical World

In Athens in the mid 4th century BCE, the academy emphasized specific skills to develop the mind while societal prerogatives did the same for the body. In the academy and through private tutors, students were taught Rhetoric, Oratory, Philosophy and its close cousin at the time, Science. Occasionally the arts were taught, Music. Athletics were eventually incorporated, but were first the purview of each city-state community: wrestling, foot racing, javelin and stone throwing – all military in their origins. The result of all this for a well-rounded individual was to form certain skills, competencies:

1. Creativity

2. Critical Thinking abilities

3. Character strength

4. Communication skills

Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century

With the development of the one-room school house model in America, a new push came along to make sure that each child had the essential skills for success in the greater world. It was pithily summed up in the “Three Rs: Reading, Writing, ‘Rithmatic.” What were the overarching goals?

1. Effective Communication skills

2. Critical Thinking skills

3. Collaboration – think older students helping younger ones to read, write, and add.

Late Twentieth Century – 1960s -1980s

The turbulent decade of the Sixties had a ripple effect upon academia. Rote learning was challenged, students were asked to think critical and analyze information and to not believe everything they read in the papers. This all led to a new set of competencies, I remember being introduced to by former Headmaster Jack Thompson in faculty meetings:

1. Critical Thinking skills

2. Problem Solving

3. Effective Communications skills

4. And teaching students to work cooperatively

2010 to the Present:

In the last few years, we have been introduced to the current skill set and competencies our students should acquire. Any guesses? The National Association of Independent Schools, in collaboration with colleges and universities have been promoting the “5Cs of 21st Century Learning”

1. Critical Thinking;

2. Creativity;

3. Communication (writing, public speaking, and facility with technology);

4. Collaboration (and leadership); and

5. Character.

If it sounds familiar, it is. These core competencies have not changed because what we are expected to do with them has not changed in over 2,500 years.

How do we teach to these competencies perhaps differently than in the past? We do so not in isolation. It seems that more and more, what we do in one discipline crosses over into another. What we learn in Latin class becomes integral to what is being learned in English, math, and science. But more importantly, we do not only teach, we live it each day.

We are glad you are here not only to observe, but also to participate in this process. So, don’t be shy, roll up your sleeves, get involved, ask questions, answer questions, collaborate, problem solve, think critically and take part in what your grandchildren and special young friends do every day.

Welcome to Mooreland Hill.

Letter to the Editor

RE: “Latin Vanishes From Some Schools”, The Hartford Courant, Sunday September 25, 2011

Thank you for the article on the study of Latin in our schools, though I would have liked another title for the piece. I could have suggested a few like, “Latin Thriving in Some Schools,” or “Latin Survives the Test of Time,” or “Students Find Learning Latin Practical (and Fun).” Also, I would have suggested taking a slightly different tack, perhaps writing about why some schools have maintained the integrity of their Latin programs in the face of so many budget cuts and perceived lack of interest in the language.

The fact that the study of Latin waxes and wanes in school systems is not new, but the article does point out quite clearly that the offering of Latin in our schools is largely driven by strong personalities with strong beliefs about Latin’s relevance in today’s world. In the school systems where it does thrive, success of the program can be traced directly to dynamic teachers and administrators.

I know for a fact that at one of the schools mentioned, the program comes alive through the tireless, passionate, exuberant teaching of a former colleague who inspires students with her love of Latin. Her teaching is infectious and rewarding for students lucky enough to have her for Latin. She teaches in a school where the administrators know the explicit and implicit benefits of the study of the language. So, to simply attribute the decline of Latin in some school systems to a lack of interest or the inability to find someone qualified to teach it is too simplistic.

In our small independent school, Latin is introduced in the seventh grade in addition to Spanish and French. Most of our students study a modern language along with Latin. And we know that studying Latin makes learning a Romance language that much easier. We believe that studying how other peoples use language to communicate gives us a glimpse into how others see their world and view relationships, and the study of Latin offers students a great platform to begin this understanding.

The benefits of studying Latin are manifold. More than 65% of English words are derived from Latin roots. Understanding the Latin roots strengthens the understanding of English vocabulary and diction. The study of the systematic structure of the language helps us to understand our own grammar and improve our ability to communicate exactly what we intend.

Then, there is the study of Roman culture and history that is inextricably linked to the study of the language. Roman civilization, customs, and laws have heavily influenced our culture including science, technological innovations, city planning, architecture, leisure activities, and more. In short, it is the quintessential liberal arts course and encompasses the skills needed for twenty-first century learning: critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration (and leadership), and character. How ironic that our forebears have provided this blueprint for 21st century learning by perpetuating the study of a language spoken more than two thousand years ago.

The study of Latin has been a cornerstone of our curriculum since the founding of the school in 1930. We have had no difficulty finding Latin teachers. We have two faculty members with Classics degrees on our staff. We teach Latin to seventh, eighth, and ninth graders. Many of our students have gone on to study Latin at the secondary and collegiate levels. We have easily perpetuated the culture of the Classics and have not experienced the ennui prevalent in other schools.

*****
Michael Dooman is the Headmaster of Mooreland Hill School in Kensington, CT, and a Latin teacher. www.mooreland.org

Ms. Whitman’s 6^th grade class will be going on a canoe trip down the Mattabasset River, a tributary of the Connecticut River, on Friday, September 16^th.  This is done in conjunction with the Berlin Police Department.  The class will be studying the features of the drainage system, water erosion, and the flora and fauna of this nearby waterway.

Mooreland Hill School photos from the 2010-11 academic year may be viewed here!