University News
"August to June" Screening and Discussion March 8
February 29, 2012
MACOMB, IL -- Teachers and parents interested in watching and discussing a highly-praised film about "one year in an unconventional public school classroom" are invited to the free screening of "August to June" at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 8 in the Western Illinois University Union Sandburg Lounge.
The March 8 screening of "August to June" is sponsored by the Western Illinois University Department of Educational and Interdisciplinary Studies (EIS) and the College of Education and Human Services and is open free to the public.
According to the website about the film, "August to June" follows the 2006 academic year in the classroom of Amy Valens, set in the San Geronimo, Marin County, California, school district. The film shows the communication and relationships among students, parents and the teacher, and asks viewers to think about the changes classrooms make for higher standardized test scores.
The Washington Post education writer Valerie Strauss posted a July 11, 2011, piece about the film in her blog, which was written by Mark Phillips, professor emeritus of secondary education at San Francisco State University. In it, he wrote about music being an integral part of the classroom, Valens' skillful conflict resolution and teaching students to resolve differences in a safe environment.
"I was also struck by how much parents are an integral part of this school, especially as volunteers and as visiting experts in math, science, and the arts," he added.
"...Whatever the focus on the children's emotional and social development, academics are still the center of this classroom. Children are continually reading and writing, producing a newspaper, sharing poetry. Project-based math and science are seen throughout the film. The focus on academics is intense in the best possible way and wedded perfectly with nurturing creativity," Phillips wrote.
Valens will be at the screening of the 88-minute film to discuss and answer questions about the film.
For more information about the screening, contact Jim La Prad, EIS associate professor, at (309) 298-1436 or JG-LaPrad@wiu.edu.
Posted By: Sarah Tomkinson (WIUNews@wiu.edu)
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