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Scholarly Training at Nipomo Elementary School: Teacher Vanessa Folks Pushes Her Fourth-Grade Students to Look Beyond Traditional Academics

Posted on: Tuesday, 17 January 2006, 09:00 CST

By AnnMarie Cornejo, The Tribune, San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Jan. 17--Vanessa Folks' fourth-grade students aren't just students -- they're scholars.

The Dana Elementary class in Nipomo is being pushed to look beyond traditional lesson plans and develop academic characteristics that will help them learn throughout life.

Folks, who is certified in gifted education, started the Scholarly Attributes program at Dana Elementary a couple of years ago from her training with the California Association for the Gifted.

The nine attributes center on fundamental values in classroom studies and the behavior needed to succeed.

In the program, scholars are expected to:

-- come to school prepared;

-- set goals;

-- ask questions

-- take time to think before answering questions;

-- have academic humility;

-- use varied resources;

-- save information for future use;

-- consider multiple points of view; and

-- exercise their intellect by sharing their knowledge and experience.

The guidelines are a way for Folks to encourage her students to succeed.

The fourth-grade class has a cluster of students who have advanced test scores, others who perform at grade level and some who fall below the standards.

"I have students that range in reading levels from third grade to eighth grade," said Folks. "I use the scholarly attributes in my lessons as a way of challenging the more advanced students and allowing all of the students to reach beyond the basics."

One assignment asked students to connect the attributes to people they recognize.

They made a scholarly quilt by identifying a scholar, listing his or her qualifying attributes, and giving a brief biography.

The students wrote all that on separate paper squares, patched them together and laminated them to hang in the classroom as day-to-day reminders of the attributes.

Many students chose historical icons such as Paul Revere, Alexander Graham Bell and Betsy Ross, but others chose modern-day stars, including Brett Favre, quarterback of the NFL's Green Bay Packers.

Nine-year-old Patti Kimmel's description of Favre served as a simple reminder that the scholarly attributes can be part of everyone's life.

In Kimmel's mind, Favre displays academic humility because "not once did he brag about his terrific team," said Kimmel. "He always goes to practice, and also, he never brags about himself."

It is the daily use of the academic attributes that Folks hopes her students will leave with at the end of the year.

"I talk about it and look for it in their behavior and lessons daily," said Folks, who hopes that other schools in the district will find interest in the program. "I want my students to behave and work like scholars and take responsibility for their learning."

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Tribune, San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, Calif.)

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