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Prepared: What Kids Need for a Fulfilled Life
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Diane Tavenner, founder of Summit Public Schools, offers a blueprint for a better way to educate our children, based on the revolutionary lessons, insights and methodology she and her faculty developed over 15 years at their famously successful charter schools in California and Washington, which she is now introducing to public school systems across the country that Summit
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What if you were given the chance to design a new school from scratch? And there was no need to follow the typical education model: a teacher at the front of a classroom lecturing to 25 to 30 seated students. No need to follow an existing curriculum, either. You could completely re-imagine what a good education is all about.
What kind of school would you make?
One person who took that question on—and came up with an intriguing answer—is Diane Tavenner, founder of Summit Public Schools, which opera ...more
What kind of school would you make?
One person who took that question on—and came up with an intriguing answer—is Diane Tavenner, founder of Summit Public Schools, which opera ...more
I’m not sure how it happened, but this book is not at all what it is pitched to be. As a parent, I was excited to read this book because of the title - of course, I want my son to be prepared and fulfilled, sign me up! But then what I proceeded to read though felt like a 250 page brochure for a project-based curriculum at Summit schools which the author founded. And while their work is impressive and deserves praise and attention, that just isn’t what most readers are going to want when they pic
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A textual brochure written by a person with good intentions.
Picked up from Bill Gates' currently-reading shelf. This book is not as deep as the ones he suggests. I should have waited for his review (if he ever writes one for this book).
Update: Gates did write a review of this book recommending it for holiday reading: https://www.gatesnotes.com/About-Bill... ...more
Picked up from Bill Gates' currently-reading shelf. This book is not as deep as the ones he suggests. I should have waited for his review (if he ever writes one for this book).
Update: Gates did write a review of this book recommending it for holiday reading: https://www.gatesnotes.com/About-Bill... ...more
If you’re looking for a book to provide insight and nuance for preparing kids to have a fulfilled life, please go and read Mindset by Carol Dweck. This book is a poorly written pamphlet in comparison. Mindset, on the other hand, is so packed with insight and knowledge, it can hardly be fully absorbed in one reading.
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This book is for anyone asking the question, “What is best for our kids?” and “What should I be doing now for my kids?” Diane Tavenner shows us how to democratize a first-class education - one where all kids are given a real opportunity to succeed in not only going to college or a journeyman-type trade school but also in leading a fulfilled life as an adult beyond college. I didn’t really understand how the ultimate success of some children is coming at the expense of others until I read this bo
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This book is about the program at Summit Schools, a group of secondary Charter Schools started by the author which send all of its graduates successfully out into the world, almost all to college. The book includes a number of stories of successful exchanges between the author or her colleagues with students students having difficulty, and outlines the core programs that the school relies upon: mentoring, real world projects and self-direction. All sound great, and the passion, intelligence and
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Educational
This book discusses the education philosophy and approaches the summit school system was founded on. The author is the founder of the school system. The learning approach advocated by the author include project-based learning, self-directed learning, mentoring, and collaboration. The end educational goals include habits of success, curiosity driven knowledge, and universal skills.
The book is like a handbook for parenting. It catalogs what knowledge and skills a child needs to have to ...more
This book discusses the education philosophy and approaches the summit school system was founded on. The author is the founder of the school system. The learning approach advocated by the author include project-based learning, self-directed learning, mentoring, and collaboration. The end educational goals include habits of success, curiosity driven knowledge, and universal skills.
The book is like a handbook for parenting. It catalogs what knowledge and skills a child needs to have to ...more
Reading this book shows you how a group of gritty people started a new way to ensure real-world, self-directed, reflective and collaborative learning. I love true stories and this was an extremely powerful one!
It is shocking to realize that we got used to the idea that some kids simply hate learning, some are just not talented/interested/... but hey, have we settled?
How did we get used to these absurd ideas? Success in not innate and this beautiful book provides insights into how we can help ki ...more
It is shocking to realize that we got used to the idea that some kids simply hate learning, some are just not talented/interested/... but hey, have we settled?
How did we get used to these absurd ideas? Success in not innate and this beautiful book provides insights into how we can help ki ...more
The title is a bit misleading. Prepared is specific to the Summit school. Informative and interesting read should we ever re design education here.
Really fascinating book on how to describe and measure plus develop the broad skill categories kids need to succeed as adults (communication, critical thinking, problem solving etc) by breaking it down into build able habits (self direction, curiosity driven knowledge, successful habits) and helps give phenomenal parenting advice to make each occasion a learning opportunity and most importantly help your child understand themselves
I did not expect this book to be marketing a school program. I like the title of the book and felt it was more to do with parenting than it was about schooling. But it was an insightful read nonetheless. I liked many of the ideas that the book advocates - self-directed learning, growth mindset, asking open questions and keeping on asking questions till you get to the underlying reason why something happened, project based learning and tutoring instead of teaching.
Praise effort instead of the out ...more
Praise effort instead of the out ...more
I’ve given the book a five star rating for the contents and their vision! If only half of what the book tells you is completely true and reality (my life experience still nags me to find the catch) then I also want to live in such a world ;)!
I can only recommend this to every parent and non parent alike, since it has many parallels to how organizations and teams could and should work.
There are things like collaboration, goal setting or alignment, which are all things that touch us both, in our ...more
I can only recommend this to every parent and non parent alike, since it has many parallels to how organizations and teams could and should work.
There are things like collaboration, goal setting or alignment, which are all things that touch us both, in our ...more
Listened to the audio book from the library - just like with Making of a Manager, this is another book that I want to buy in the future. I initially heard about this book from the Bill Gates blog where he describes the book as an "an amazing guidebook for raising and educating our kids." https://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/Prep...
This book is about how Diane Tavenner started a charter school program in the Bay Area, building it from the ground up. She guarantees that her students will graduate and ...more
This book is about how Diane Tavenner started a charter school program in the Bay Area, building it from the ground up. She guarantees that her students will graduate and ...more
I had always been not a big fan of current schooling and education system. Growing up as part of this education system it was never clear why we were tought certain things and why Is that important to me. Because of the lack of awareness it was not easy to be motivated to explore and learn more.
This book touches up on these areas of what is actually important to be thought in schools. What kids needs. Sort of like this saying "give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish an ...more
This book touches up on these areas of what is actually important to be thought in schools. What kids needs. Sort of like this saying "give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish an ...more
Picked up this book due to Bill Gates' recommendation and found it to be insightful. I like the concept of project-based experience learning, which can develop relevant skills (problem solving, critical thinking, leadership, flexibility, positive mindset and etc) in today's working environment. For many schools, projects are treated as afterthoughts, but as Tavenner aptly put it, "Projects aren’t dessert—they’re the main course."
There were some gold nuggets in the book about handling teenagers. ...more
There were some gold nuggets in the book about handling teenagers. ...more
Can we have different type of schoools, where teaching is not in from of didactic lectures and rote retention with puking of stale matter on paper in no longer an acceptable norm?
SUMMIT schools, with project based learning shows a new hope- Diane Tavenner
A student inclined learning goal is created and defined. Access to information, tools and time is granted to make them explore the principles of self education.
Constant feedback and reflection is bestowed by teachers/ mentors, through TUTORING ...more
SUMMIT schools, with project based learning shows a new hope- Diane Tavenner
A student inclined learning goal is created and defined. Access to information, tools and time is granted to make them explore the principles of self education.
Constant feedback and reflection is bestowed by teachers/ mentors, through TUTORING ...more
Today’s education system focuses on getting into a great college. A great college is either where some of your “successful” acquaintance has studied, its in the top college listing or it has a great campus life. A great college is considered important for an imaginary financial security. But what about happiness? What about life? What about passions?
Today’s schools are missing curiosity driven learning (the most successful form of learning).
This book is about the journey of a teacher and a mot ...more
Today’s schools are missing curiosity driven learning (the most successful form of learning).
This book is about the journey of a teacher and a mot ...more
4.5 stars
This was an easy read that I sped through in a day and it was excellent. As someone who has worked in a corporate business environment, I can say the skills outlined in this book are imperative for kids to know to be successful in the workplace. The title was misleading in my opinion: the book is about the skills needed to prepare kids for college and work.
The key to thriving after college is project based learning and it’s so important to give students opportunities for real life proj ...more
This was an easy read that I sped through in a day and it was excellent. As someone who has worked in a corporate business environment, I can say the skills outlined in this book are imperative for kids to know to be successful in the workplace. The title was misleading in my opinion: the book is about the skills needed to prepare kids for college and work.
The key to thriving after college is project based learning and it’s so important to give students opportunities for real life proj ...more
A description of how a great school can work through a personaly tailored engaging real projects based curriculum to better prepare students for college and the job market..the mission of this school came from a vision of diane tavenner to leave no student behind and that every kid carry within the potential for success and living a fulfilled life.this book should be read by educators all through our countries to be inspired and by parents too who came to" settle not seeing any other way" for th
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This book was captivating and I think any educator and parent should read it. I could see in other comments the book being downgraded because it supports a certain project. What is wrong with that? If you really are reading to learn there are meaningful lessons in here and things we can do to improve education. Isn’t that what it is all about?
I’ve recently been questioning what we can do with the education system which mandates that some win and some lose. Why can’t everyone be a winner? I was so glad to find this book and to hear that there are systems being built to educate children in this manner and reminded me that change is one long, hard process but we cannot stop fighting for it. It gives hope and is an inspiring place to start thinking more about how we can empower not just our own children, but all children.
My master’s degree summarized in one book. I would love the opportunity to teach at a PBL & SDL school, I love the approach of teachers tutoring individuals over traditional instructional models. Prepared really highlights the value of innovation in education and the importance of student-centred learning.
Diane Tavenner is the school master of California's Summit school. The motto of the school is that every student will go to college, 100%. She told the story of how the school was conceived, designed, birthed and grows. Good read for teachers and headmasters. Not so much for parents. Parents need more hand-holding. Will recommend "How to raise successful people" instead.
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very very intersting and full of valuable thoughts ..highly recommended
3.5 - I believe in most everything she says, I just didn’t like her tone.
Our current K-12 education system needs an overhaul and this book has some wonderful ideas that have been put into practice with great success. It is quite an accomplishment for their High Schools to have 100% college ready graduates and even more more important than that, life ready.
Nice to know that a lot of B.C. curriculum coincides with the skill based pedagogy encouraged in this book! I particularly liked the section about successful and meaningful group assignments.
In the 1950s, the top skills employers wanted were:
1) the ability to work rapidly and for long periods of time,
2) memory for details and directions,
3) arithmetic computation.
But according to Forbes, the employees of 2020 need:
1) complex problem solving,
2) critical thinking,
3) creativity,
4) people management,
5) coordinating with others,
6) emotional intelligence.
The book is tell how Summit school can help students to prepare those skill.
1) the ability to work rapidly and for long periods of time,
2) memory for details and directions,
3) arithmetic computation.
But according to Forbes, the employees of 2020 need:
1) complex problem solving,
2) critical thinking,
3) creativity,
4) people management,
5) coordinating with others,
6) emotional intelligence.
The book is tell how Summit school can help students to prepare those skill.
Mainly about author and her new ideas for schools.
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Tech pioneer, cofounder of Microsoft, cochair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and author Bill Gates is an avid reader who has...
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“We had really stretched to buy our house in a neighborhood with “good schools.” As I started to ask around and dig a little deeper, I learned that to get into the preschool I drove past every day I was going to have to camp out overnight and hope to secure a coveted spot. And the moms in the neighborhood told me if I wanted to make sure my child got the good teachers in elementary school I would need to start volunteering now for the fundraising committee so I would have influence with the principal. There were tips and tricks about getting into the right playgroups and music classes. Everything was whispered and shared secret club–style because there were only so many spots and everyone was vying for them.”
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“Simply put, mastery is when you become good at something, autonomy is when you have some measure of control, and purpose is when you’re doing something for a reason that is authentic to you.”
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