Interview

www.kidsstandard.org
ISSUE 6 | OCTOBER 2015
to Finding the Right
Process
Parent’s
PAGE23
Interview
THE
PAGE 7
Creativity
PAGE5
A MAGAZINE WRITTEN BY KIDS FOR KIDS
Arts
PAGE9
Thom Markham:
Psychologist,
Writer, Speaker
and Founder&
CEO of PBL Global
PEOPLE WHO WE
ADMIRE
PAGE22
Educators
PAGE12
Motivate. Activate. Celebrate.

WELCOME
Index:
Welcome .............................................2
Editorial Calendar .............................3
History .................................................4
Creativity ............................................5
Technology ..........................................6
Interview ............................................7
Poems ..................................................8
Art .........................................................9
Science ................................................12
Arts and Science ...............................13
Educators ...........................................14
Parent’s Corner .................................15
Fun images ........................................16
College Voices ............................ 18-19
Teacher’s Corner .............................20
People we admire ............................22
Parent’s Corner .................................23
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Welcome
How to be an innovator? How to raise an innovator?
What does it take?
In the last few decades, our society has been
rapidly progressing toward a project-based economy.
There is a trend showing a shift from full-time employment
with benefits to part-time employment with projectbased
assignments. This means that today’s youth will
enter the marketplace where people will be changing their
professional identity frequently.
True success in the future will most likely be determined
by originality, creativity, achievement over time,
and personal strengths. Today, more than ever before,
children need opportunities, both at school and at home,
to creatively express themselves, to explore, to experiment
with things, to figure out how they operate, and to apply
what they know.
October 2015 issue of Kids’ Standard Magazine - Creative
Spark of Innovators - is offering practices, perspectives, and
reflections on learning experiences that lead to personal
motivation that inspires innovation. Happy reading!
Arina Bokas
Editor
Kids’ Standard Magazine
Arina Bokas
Contributors:
Darian Razdar, Camron Razdar
www.kidsstandard.org
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EDITORIAL CALENDAR
2015-2016 Editorial Calendar
September 2015
Learning for Life
failure, how can a teacher help to develop a
growth mindset in students; stories about
overcoming failure)
December 2015
Peace on Earth
others, stories about self-discovery, understanding
of others; papers about differences
in people)
April 2016
The Digital Kids
(What does it mean to learn, what learning
experiences matter, what should be taught
in schools; stories of memorable learning
experiences)
October 2015
Creative Spark of Innovators
(What is global citizenship, how can schools
and communities promote ideas of globalization
and understanding of other cultures,
why global awareness is important,
international experiences and learning that
promote peace and acceptance)
January 2016
Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn
(How can technology be used in classrooms
to facilitate learning; why technology is a
priority; how can parents use technology to
engage kids in learning and discovery; coding;
stories involving use of technology or
about technology)
May 2016
Listen to Your Art
(Importance of art, how art can be used to
inspire thinking and learning; stories about
various art genres and their transforming
power)
(What is creativity, how teachers/parents
can promote a creative mindset, projectbased
learning and making; inventing, experimenting,
and solving problems)
November 2015
Growing through Failure
(What value does failure have, how can
failure be used to develop grit and perseverance,
what life lessons could be learned from
(What’s a culture of thinking; how can
schools promote independent thinking;
opinion or position papers, learning through
thinking)
February 2016
Heartfelt Learning
(Ideas for social and emotional learning;
how can schools and parents teach emotional
intelligence to children, stories of love,
kindness, gratitude, a positive mindset)
March 2016
I Want to be Me
(How can children grow understanding of
SELF: how I am smart, how I belong, how I
am different; multiple intelligences, self vs.
June 2016
Learning is Everywhere
(Learning with families, opportunities to
learn outside of school: trips, library visits,
museums)
July-August 2016
Family Dinner
(Stories about relationships
in a family, connections
between kids
and parents, meaningful
experiences involving
families; how can
parents connect with
children amidst of constant competing
priorities; how to find time for important
discussions)
October 2015
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HISTORY
THE BATTLE OF
NEW ORLEANS
which greatly increased their chance of success. General Pakenham decided
to cross the Mississippi river and overwhelm the thin line of defense. Their
plan was simple. They would construct ladders from bundled sticks to
get past the ramparts. There was only one problem however. The British
had forgotten to bring their ladders so an easy task of climbing a ladder
got a whole lot harder. The British had two forces that were to meet up
and overwhelm the Americans but the secondary force on the west side of
the Mississippi was delayed so the main force had to attack without them
to take advantage of the early morning fog. As the British army of more
than 10,000 walked across, the badly out numbered U.S. rag tag army were
crammed behind narrow fortifications prepared to fight.. Even though the
Americans were outnumber 4,000 to 10,000, the British made easy targets
marching across a quarter mile of open ground wearing bright suits, and
marching in perfect rhythm like “civilized” men. When the firing started,
the British army started falling like dominoes. The two most senior British
Generals were killed along with general Pakenham. Before he died he
told his successor not to retreat. The man was obviously not a lunatic like
Pakenham and gave the order to retreat. In the end, the Americans killed
were 8 and 13 wounded; The British on the other hand had well over 2,000
killed or wounded and more than 100 captured.
By: Brian Tamjdi
8 th Grade
The battle of new Orleans was a major victory for the
Americans. Even though it was after the war, the British
thought they could go walking into the United states
and claim what they wanted. The British wanted New Orleans
back, so they decided to go and claim it not long after a treaty
was signed between the United states and Great Britain. When
the people in New Orleans found out about this, they turned
to Andrew Jackson for help. When Jackson arrived in the late
fall of 1814, he brought his own army along to help. He also
recruited freed African American slaves and the militia of New
Orleans to help fight. When the British arrived on December
23rd, two American officers came running to Jackson to give
him the news. That night, Jackson launched a surprise attack on
the British camp. After the attack, the British were so surprised
that they delayed their attack plans giving the American army
time to recreate. Jackson retreated 3 miles to the Chalmette
plantation on the banks of the Rodriguez canal which was
basically a big ditch. Here, Jackson’s men constructed a 3/5 mile
long rampart. It was the perfect position too because they had
the rampart up front, the Mississippi river to the right and the
cypress swamp to their left. As General Pakenham prepared
to attack, the Americans dug trenches and settled into their
surroundings.
On December 28th, the British tried to break through the
American defenses but were turned back with the help of a
ship called the Louisiana stationed to the right of the troops.
Four days later, the British tried to bombard the Americans
with their artillery but once again were turned back. On
January 4th , 1815, the British received a fresh supply of troops
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CREATIVITY
By: Olivia Sanders,
9 years old, Clarkston
Creative!
Chances to be creative are everywhere.
And we can be creative in how we learn.
Learning at home has been a great and
happy experience for me because we learn in
many new ways.
Of course, we learn new subjects every day,
like French, Music, Geography, History, Coding,
greater reading, but we also go to the internet
to look something up, when we need to. This
wakes my brain up and makes me want to learn
more on my own. And we learn all the time - at
home, in the car, at the table eating a meal, at
the supermarket and at museums. This makes
my brain to work much harder and see things
differently.
I also do many other things, like ballet, play
the piano, swim, ski, ride my bike, play in the
garden, play make believe with my sister and
our toys. I feel that this makes me a better and
more creative person. We learn to do other
things, like helping with the chores and running
the household. This makes me feel responsible
and independent.
Learning in all these ways is a lot of fun, exciting,
and interesting, too. It makes me happy,
bubbly and alive inside. And it shows me what I
can do and how.
What is Learning?
By: Creative Look At Learning
4th graders,
Bailey Lake Elementary,
Clarkston
“Whenever you make a mistake, whenever
anything happens, new knowledge
is added to your brain. You can never
truly stop learning.”
“An experience of a subject that helps
you get smarter in life.”
“Is finding out about stuff in the world.”
“Learning is a fun way to experience
life tools while taking the tools in.”
“Learning is when you see or do different
things; then you learn what you see,
hear, or do.”
“A moment when you figure out something
new and you know that it is finding
a way into your brain.”
“Learning is an amazing thing that helps
you strive in life. Learning is everything!”
“Is the knowledge you put into everyday
life.”
“Is when you are taught something
valuable that you actually can use.”
“Getting to know what things mean.”
“Learning is like eating. You are feeding
your brain.”
“To me, learning is a fun brain teaser
that you take something away from.”
“When you add things to your mind.”
“Learning is thinking and listening.”
“Learning is pushing your brain to try
hard things or solve hard problems. It is
when you don’t copy someone and do it
on your own.”
October 2015
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TECHNOLOGY
Can Smartphones
Help Innovative Learning?
By: Justin Osborn
9th grade, Clarkston Schools
As I look around my class and see
students engaged with their
smartphones, I wonder how this
technology has affected the classroom. Has
it helped learning or taken away from it by
causing distraction? How will it affect the
classroom in the future?
With technology becoming regular in class,
the line of distraction and utility has become
increasingly blurred in recent years. From
serving as a dictionary in foreign language
classes, to accessing textbooks in Science,
phones have become very useful. But on
the other hand, phones can and do distract
in classes, when students ignore teachers
during History or text instead of writing in
Language Arts. The question then lies in how
we should use phones in school.
Some teachers have creatively embraced
the phones, having students use them to
download apps to study or participate in
class. Language teachers experiment with
making social media posts in languages other
than English. Others will give easy access to
textbooks on phones to save the backpacks of
their students.
There are also teachers who have resorted
to taking all phones from students when they
enter the classroom, or taking away a phone
when it ventures out of its owner’s pocket.
While extreme, this allows teachers to make
sure their students learn effectively.
I believe that teachers should learn how
to incorporate these technologies into their
lessons to promote innovative learning. By
doing so, students will be in the center of
what happens in the classroom, which will
lead them to better learning habits. Only then
a teacher can fully connect with his or her
students. To raise innovators, teachers must
innovate with new technology.
The google
artist
By: Sonne Kimbad
12 th grade
International School, Bloomfield Hills
Every Stanford dorm seems to have that
creative, go-to person. The felt-pen
artist who enhances the hallway white
board, the annoyingly smart kid who cuts
class to make posters for Big Game and still
aces the midterm . . . the only one you’d trust
to design the T-shirt.
Dennis Hwang was that guy. He graduated
with a degree in art and a minor in
computer science. Hwang is still that guy.
Webmaster manager for the search engine
powerhouse Google, Hwang is the “Google
doodler”—the cartoonist who embellishes
the firm’s wide-eyed typographic logo. With
tens of millions of people viewing Google’s
home page daily, the guy who used to design
Burbank and Cardenal’s dorm shirts is, in
CNN ’s words, “the most famous unknown
artist in the world.”
Hwang, 28, manages a team of 23 people
charged with keeping Google’s heavily visited
pages technically fit, fast and sleek, but
he also has charge of the creative drawings
that decorate the Google logo on holiday,
special occasions such as the Olympics, and
offbeat little commemorations such as artist
Edvard Munch’s birthdate. Hwang is modest
about his celebrity, but admits he gets
hundreds of fan e-mails every time a new
doodle posts; sometimes thousands, if he’s
done something “particularly surprising,”
he say
His family moved back to Knoxville when
he was in middle school. Hwang found himself
speaking no English, trying to follow
what was going on. It didn’t take long for
him to catch up academically. When it was
time for college, he thought he wanted a pure
art school, “but when I visited them, none felt
like home,” he recalls. “The first place I went
at Stanford was the art department and it
just clicked. It’s a very free environment. The
professors are almost like classmates.”
Hwang immersed himself in fine art as
well as some programming classes. He also
was captivated by Professor Marc Levoy’s
freshman seminar Science of Art. Levoy recalls
two aspects of Hwang that still ring
true: “He smiled a lot and he has a childlike
exuberance. In the summer after his junior
year, Hwang’s former resident adviser in
Cardenal, an early Google employee, convinced
Hwang to take an internship as an assistant
webmaster. His life has barely slowed
since. He devoted his senior year to Google,
working 40 hours a week.
From the beginning, Google had a sense
of humor. A little stick figure illustrative
of the event on the Google logo is a clue to
where they were. Users loved it, and soon the
company hired an outside graphic artist to
come up with other simple cartoons to mark
special events.
Hwang’s original job involved straightforward
programming chores, but soon after
his modification of a Fourth of July doodle
caught the founders’ attention, word of
Hwang’s art experience and his talent got
around. Pretty soon, Hwang became the official
doodler, completing about 50 doodles
a year.
Hwang creates the images, using an electronic
tablet and stylus for his sketches. The
doodles are fun, usually whimsical—and
sometimes baffling. Know about Gaston Julia,
for example? Visitors to Google on February
3, 2004, saw the Google logo with a hurricane-shaped
“o” against a backdrop of equations
to celebrate the French mathematician.
Although he has little free time, Hwang
tries to “keep up with the latest tools” in
computer animation. His most difficult doodling
tasks, he says quietly, involve honoring
artists whose styles he has studied and
admired for years, such as Claude Monet.
Amid an almost infinite supply of people and
events to doodle, “artists’ birthdays are the
most precious to me,” Hwang says. “I’ve always
studied art history and trying to imitate
their style is the most pressure.”
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INTERVIEW
What made you decide to join
Optimist Club?
Andrea Schroder I was really involved
with other things in the community like
the PTA, the school district, and I did a
lot of volunteering for all sorts of different
causes. So I encouraged my husband to
also give back to the community. He got
involved with The Optimist Club and really
enjoyed it, so I became a member as well,
and I’ve been involved for 7 years now. It’s
a great group.
Don Brose I didn’t know much about it,
but I decided to join because I like working
with the community. I have been here for
23 years.
Tom Middleton I enjoy the speakers.
Every week there is a speaker at
Optimist Club. Often, these are not speakers
that I would’ve necessarily chosen for
myself, but I learn about different subjects
and broaden knowledge. I also enjoy the
friendship and the camaraderie that develop
there.
What is the best part of the Optimist
Club?
Andrea Schroder The friendship, and
the fellowship, and the people you meet
- service-oriented, community-oriented
good people that do a lot of different
things. A bunch of people are in the Farm
Garden club, for example; I can’t grow
anything, but I know people who can and
how to get a hold of them. There’s a professional
network also, especially when
it comes to other community events and
services. It’s a great network.
Interview with Clarkston
Optimist Club
Don Brose Working with kids in schools
with the Optimist Youth Clubs. We have
seven different youth clubs in Clarkston
right now.
Tom Middleton We laugh every
Wednesday morning. People ask, “why in
the world would you want to get up at 7:30
in the morning?” But we laugh; we have a lot
of subtle jokes amongst the forty members
that regularly attend the meetings, and we
always have a great time.
With your professional work and
family, how do you manage to have
time for volunteer work?
Andrea Schroder When it comes down
to a choice between having a clean, tidy
and neat house and doing the things in the
community that are important to us,
we’re going to choose the community.
Every one of us has an obligation
to society to do what we can to give
back; we take that seriously and we
enjoy it, too. So you have to be willing
to make the time.
Q
A
Andrea Schroder
Business Consultant; married,
three children
Don Brose I make it a priority. It’s
like a hobby. If you like what you’re
doing, it’s not an effort.
Tom Middleton You have to try and fit the
volunteer work into your schedule, and that
is easy to do if you really enjoy it.
Don Brose
Lighting Showroom
Owner and Manager,
married
Tom Middleton
County Commissioner,
Farmer; married, three
children, four grandchildren
Who do you think should join
Optimist Club and why?
Andrea Schroder I think anyone who
has an interest in improving the quality of
life in our community and improving opportunities
for kids should join. It’s a very
social group, and you can be either very or
minimally involved. It is always fun; we are
always laughing. If anybody feels life is too
busy or something is missing, the Optimist
Club is a great organization to join.
Don Brose Everybody should! It’s for anyone
that wants to be around good people
and stay connected with the community.
Tom Middleton People that are about
forty, with kids in school, would get a lot out
of the club. We learn a lot about what’s going
on, especially with Clarkston Schools. There
are teachers and principals that are members
of the Optimist Club. We have kids who
are honored for being good citizens in their
school. It’s really refreshing to see the good
things kids do. We also see the leadership
that Optimist Club teaches to the kids in the
Octagon Clubs. So even our kids and their
friends can capitalize on the things that the
Optimist Club does.
October 2015
7
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POEMS
Creativity
Tell me my name
I am everywhere you look
I am inside of your mind
I need to be used, not be abused
I am new, unique to your mind, one of a kind
I am a breath of fresh air if you know what I mean
I make you sing
I make you play
I make you think
I make you solve------- problems as you see
You use me every time you make something
People use me when they build something
Light me up, watch what happens. Turn me on. I am yours
whenever you need me. Turn it on
Turn me on turn them on-n-ON-n-ON-n- ON
I AM CREATIVITY..SPARK IT!
By: Rochelle Debuis
6TH grade
Waterford Schools
Remix of
watermelon day
It’s National Lazy Day.
Nothin’ left to do but soak up the TV.
Feel the numbness go up and down your spine, stiff and
crackling after that long nap.
Laze around and dream of a soft and fuzzy couch to lay on.
Relaxing Gatorade down your throat and nice cool air
conditioning.
Lie in a chair and play effortless games like Happy Soccer.
Imagine a bunch of servants doing your work for you.
Think about catching your favorite reality show tonight.
Listen to the lazy silence.
Watch as a relaxing day passes you.
And love the brownies before your Dad gets them.
By: Cale Herzenstiel
8TH grade
Clarkston Schools
2015
Clarkston News
Reader’s Choice
Place
Come see what we’re all about!
7121 Dixie Hwy.
Clarkston, MI 48346
248-625-6460
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ART
On top of creating Advertising, Kids Standard
can also help you design Birthday, Graduation &
Celebration Announcements! Contact
advertising@kidsstandard.org for more information!
Logan Robinson, 1ST Grade, and Clarkston School
Regan Hakala, 5th Grade, Clarkston School
Ellie Britt, 5th grade, Lake Orion
You don’t need any experience, just send us some work you are proud of.
This is your Magazine! Submit your work via email to kids@kidsstandard.org
October 2015
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SCIENCE
Antibiotics: One Innovation that
CHANGED THE WORLD!
By: Brianna Gangjii
7th grade
Lake Orion Schools
Some innovations have definitely been a
breakthrough in the medical industry.
Perhaps a giant step in the field of
medicine, antibiotics saved millions of lives
by killing and preventing the growth of
harmful bacteria. Scientists like Louis Pasteur
and Joseph Lister were the first to recognize
and attempt to combat bacteria, but it was
Alexander Fleming who made the first
jump in antibiotics, when he accidentally
discovered the bacteria-inhibiting mold,
known as penicillin, in 1928.
Antibiotics proved to be a major improvement
in antiseptics—which killed human
cells along with bacteria—and their use
spread rapidly throughout the 20th century.
Nowhere was their effect more obvious than
on the battlefield: While nearly 20 percent
of soldiers who contracted bacterial pneumonia
died in World War I, with antibiotics
that number dropped to only 1 percent
during World War II. Antibiotics have gone
on to fight nearly every known form of
infection, including simple ear infection,
influenza, malaria, meningitis, tuberculosis,
and most transmitted diseases.
After a lot of use, however, many people
have been developing immunity toward
antibiotics, which means the antibiotic is not
effective any longer. Now there are more research
and discoveries at work to make sure
scientists can still be able to have a catalyst
to stop deadly diseases.
The Clarkston
Haunted House
Design Challenge
By Kylie Kalinowski, 10th Grade
Clarkston Schools
In a small section of Sashabaw Middle
School’s hallways, utilizing Science,
Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM),
students from sixth to twelfth grades will
use their imagination and creative thinking
to design a haunted house. At the final
public showing of the hallways, students
will perform as actors, completely outfitted
in frightening costumes, to show off their
talents in haunted house magic, full with
realistic props, scary sound effects, and
much more!
There will be many notorious giants of
the haunted world helping out with the
project, including the infamous Edward
Terebus - the man who co-created the
world renowned haunted house Erebus.
Also attending are members of professional
makeup companies and of the
Society of Women Engineers, who are
helping create animated props. There is a
lot of learning that comes from hands-on
experience while creating many elements
of an incredible haunted house: the engineering
behind drop panels, the scientific
research behind the creation of realistic
monster makeup, and the chemistry that
goes into rolling fog machines.
To acquire the skills, students will be
learning from professionals after school
one day a week, in seminars with handson
projects. This is an incredible opportunity
to learn the essence of teamwork,
to discover a whole new world of STEM,
and to apply science and technology to an
exciting common goal.
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ARTS AND SCIENCE
Power of
Classical
Music
By: Zoe Patterson
9th grade
Rochester Schools
Music is part of my life! It’s
not because I will choose
music for my future studies
or career. It’s because music is part of
who I am.
Music has many benefits. It has
been known to increase creativity.
Children, who had more than 3 years
of training with classical musical
instruments, often have high selfesteem
and perform well in
innovative activities.
Playing an instrument teaches how
to coordinate with others. Many times
you have to adjust the high or loud
sound, especially in a group.
Discipline is another benefit of playing
an instrument. Being good at anything
requires practice, but to become
great at it, we need more and more
practice. That is when we also learn
about priorities and making right
choices: to watch TV or tweet or to
practice to be great at cello.
Sometimes I think I am slow to
become great at things. It takes me a
long time to get good at a lot of activities
while many of my peers catch on
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October 2015
13
Publication INC.

EDUCATORS
Should Innovation
Be a Standard?
By: Thom Markham
Several years ago, at the height of the
testing mania, I heard a comment that
still resonates with me. In response to
a call to reinvent learning and make
it more creative, a tall teacher
stood up and shook his head.
“There’s no way to do that,” he
said in a resigned tone, “It’s a
standards-based world.”
Among all the commentary
about standards, this statement
always stands out to me as the
least true. The world appears to
be a dynamic scene of constantly shifting
problems, creative response, idea generation,
and haphazard events that yield a million different
opinions on how to proceed. The new
standard is no standard.
The underlying question is more challenging:
What do we do about standards in
a world where, increasingly, people live a
highly personalized existence built on lifestyle
preferences and a set of information
sources tailored to their needs? And when the
chief skills center on the ability to adapt, collaborate,
solve, be flexible and resilient, and
move on successfully? What standards unify
us in that world?
The standardized test, in short answer or
multiple choice formats, will not survive
the 21st century. The new standards need
to be about process, not content. Most core
content can be downloaded these days; it’s
the how that is crucial. So it will be necessary
to design standards for thinking, feeling, and
invention. And think about grit, perseverance,
and resiliency. How would you assess
them?
Let’s start by naming the process. I’ll use
the term innovation, and suggest that innovation
be instituted as the new standard for
education. That means what it says: no one
graduates unless they can demonstrate basic
proficiency in innovation. So how might we
begin to hold innovation in our minds?
Innovation is not about tech. This is a necessary
first step. Innovation refers to thinking
and seeing the world differently in the global
age, not more gadgets and apps. It’s about
reinventing deep assumptions about national
borders, equality, opportunity,
religious division, and the host
of issues that need resolution.
Innovation can’t be the exclusive
domain of STEM programs.
Innovation implies creativity and
knowledge. Creativity is the topic
du jour, mostly because it is a healthy
and natural response to the stifling orderliness
of the educational landscape, which
looks like a formal English garden set in the
middle of the Amazon. But a deeper vision of
creativity is necessary that values knowledge
as well as artistic impulse. Personalized paths
Innovation should be
instituted as the new
standard for education.
That means what it says:
no one graduates unless
they can demonstrate
basic proficiency in
innovation.
to learning, with varied outcomes depending
on personal goals and inclinations, are
inevitable. But not having to read 12 plays of
Shakespeare or take Algebra 2 will result in
knowledge gaps, so eventually a necessary
body of knowledge, appropriate for the 21st
century, will need to be identified.
Innovation begins with openness. ‘Openness
to experience’ is one of the big five personality
traits. Openness is associated with
creativity, curiosity, humility, empathy, and
collaborative skills. An open mind friendly to
divergent thinking is a prerequisite for innovation.
In practical terms, that means asking
questions, failure, and persistence become
key traits to be nurtured in early grades and
rewarded in upper grades. That implies a
radical realignment of elementary outcomes,
Thom Markham, founder and CEO of
PBL Global, is a speaker, writer, psychologist,
and internationally respected consultant
in the critical areas of inquiry based
education, 21st century skills, project
based learning, and innovation. He is the
author of the best-selling Project Based
Learning Design and Coaching Guide:
Expert tools for innovation and inquiry
for K-12 educators and the forthcoming
Redefining Smart: Awakening Student’s
Power to Reimagine Their World.
away from stringent requirements for testbased
knowledge and far more emphasis on
developing healthy psyches.
Innovation becomes visible through design
thinking. Inquiry-based classrooms and project
based learning have suddenly established
themselves in mainstream education. These
are extremely promising trends. Given the
times, there is absolutely no reason, other
than lack of will or imagination, that every
student should not have been engaged in
deep, reflective, extended problem solving
many times during his or her school career.
But there is not yet a system for teaching
and honoring innovation as a core outcome.
That outcome is captured by the term design
thinking, in which students engage in creative
problem solving through design challenges,
whether the challenges are technical,
scientific, or social policy issues. Through the
process of design, every student can learn the
new basics: How to brainstorm ideas, create
and prototype solutions, share ideas, take and
offer constructive feedback, and critique and
reflect. Again, this need not be confined, as
it now is, to engineering and science. Design
thinking is a way of reinventing the world
and making visible the results of a very deep
process of creation.
14 www.KidsStandard.org
Publication INC.

PARENT’S CORNER
CREATE AN INNOVATOR:
EDUCATION WITH PURPOSE
By: Tom Neal
iTEAM Instructor,
Technical Campus - NW
Oakland Schools
It is both a complex and exciting time in
education. As a parent and educator,
I understand that it is easy to get confused
by all the learning opportunities that
exist for kids today: traditional schooling,
online courses, hybrid learning, specialized
programs, dual enrollment and early
college.
Is this really necessary?
The truth is that there is an entirely new
level of demands placed on education. No
longer can a student work through the
traditional process, choose one path - either
of industry or post-secondary learning
- and then find success. Demands from
industry are rigorous, and the costs of
post-secondary schooling are higher than
ever. Combine all of these factors with our
kids - a generation of Millennials - who
learn, function and react differently than
we do, and we end up with a complex set
of challenges.
I believe in education with purpose and
that experience is everything, especially
for our children’s generation. Fortunately,
teens in Oakland County have great opportunities
to experience education with
purpose. There has been a substantial investment
in Career and Technical education
(CTE) through the four Oakland County
Technical Campuses, and through 27 of
the county’s 28 districts that directly offer
CTE programs. Students who attend
the multi-million dollar campuses are
thoroughly trained using high-quality,
industry-standard equipment with the
latest technology. Each program at the
campus is taught by professional instructors
who have years of industry experience
and extensive knowledge in their
profession.
Why consider CTE? Kids are different;
many of them often don’t know which
direction to take. Career and Technical
education is designed to help them explore
and experience a variety of different paths,
as well as excel in the real world after
graduation. CTE programs greatly expand
their opportunities, preparing them for
additional training, college, and a career.
Programs include Engineering and Health/
Medical to BioScience, Visual Imaging,
Culinary, Construction Technology,
Automotive and Business/Marketing/
Information Technology. There is something
for everyone.
Another reason to consider CTE is related
to something near and dear to all
of us, finances! The campuses offer high
school and college credit for free, helping
students get a great head start on
foundational college classes while developing
their professional skills to give them the
edge. The campuses also offer challenging
student leadership opportunities, numerous
national industry certifications, paid
internships, and scholarships, all through
a no cost/convenient block schedule with
district-provided transportation.
At this point, I would like to take a minute
to highlight my program. I teach in iTEAM -
Information Technology, Entrepreneurship,
Advanced Marketing. When students join
iTEAM , they are transformed into professional
employees. This program is managed
as a business, where students are
recruited by their instructors (the CEO and
CIO), develop resumes, and interview for
a VP, Management or Associate position.
Students work in one of four departments
based on their interests (Tech Support,
Sales & Marketing, Web/Multimedia, or
Employee Relations) completing projects
for real industry clients. This is an incredible
opportunity to learn in a business setting,
immediately apply knowledge to real
projects, and earn national certifications,
college credit, and meet academic credit/
graduation requirements for Senior Math,
Algebra I & II, ELA 12, Economics, and
Civics.
Does CTE work? Statistics show that
nationwide, 9 out of 10 high school students
enrolled in a CTE program graduated
on time (compared to 7 of 10 non-
CTE students). According to a study by
the research group MDRC, students who
graduated from career academies are
earning, on average, 16% more than their
traditional high school peers eight years
out of high school. If we want our kids to
be innovators, we have to give them an
experience!
October 2015
15
Publication INC.

FUN IMAGES
1
Can you spot the three identical shapes?
3
Trace the lines connecting the circles
to find out what the second word is.
2 Can you guess the word written on the
folded paper?
CASTLE
4 Which kite is the hand holding? 5 Can you see which picture exactly matches the silhouette?
A B C
D
E
6 Rearrange the scrambled letters to form a word.
answers: 1-circle 2- caste, 3- shaped, 4-c, 5- B, 6- permanent & practical.
16 www.KidsStandard.org
Publication INC.

We have activities for all ages, skill levels and interests.
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SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE!
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Dance (Ages 2.5-16)
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Preschool
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Birthday Parties
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At Stars & Stripes we understand how important it is to stimulate a child’s
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Preschool registration for the 2015-2016 school year
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COLLEGE VOICES
COLLEGE
VOICES
By: Matt Pasco
College of Engineering
Michigan State University
Class of 2014, Clarkston Schools
Iam majoring in
Computer Science. My
hope is to become
a software developer,
solving problems through
technology. Thus, I
believe that creativity is
a must in schools. It allows
students to really enjoy what
they are learning and to think outside of
the box.
Personally, I have been taught a lot about
innovative thinking through after school
programs, such as Team RUSH, Business
Professionals of America, or CSMTech
trip to Cumberland Falls. Clarkston teachers
have taught me skills that cannot be
taught in the classroom. In fact, I think
that the most important factor that made
me successful in college was joining FIRST
Robotics. From time management, to
leadership, and to technical skills, FIRST
Robotics was the most impactful learning
opportunity that I have had.
Academically, I was also well-prepared
for college courses. I was able to transfer
21 college credit from high school. The
workload in college is demanding, but
completing it has never been too difficult
for me. Still, I believe, it is not only
the academic skills that are worth
learning. There are also the social
skills to develop. Students must
learn how to work in teams and
collaborate with students for
whom they may not particularly
care. This is vital in college
and, later, in a workplace.
When I look back at my k-12
years, I remembers experiences that
taught me something about myself or
others. In the fourth grade, I did not do
very well in a section of social studies. My
teacher, Mr. Gifford, gave me the opportunity
to try again and resubmit a packet.
I now realize that he cared more about my
learning than about me getting the grade.
In secondary school, I remember a computer
science exam, where one question
asked me to figure out what the code
would do if a line had a trick piece of
code. The four resulting answers were
‘none of the above.’ I thought there would
be no way that four answers in a row
were ‘none of the above.’ When I received
my exam back, however, I saw that I had
aced it! You really have to “trust your gut
reaction.”
I really enjoyed learning German for 5
years, but it is so much easier to learn a
foreign language at a younger age. I wish
There should also be
more focus on
hands-on learning,
not just the theory, in
schools. Projects are a
much better approach to
learning, retaining, and
applying the material.
that I could have started learning it earlier.
I think classes where the exam is worth
~50% of the grade are not worth taking.
I do not think that one exam is a fair representation
of a student’s knowledge. Big
exams lead to unneeded stress. Projects
are a much better approach to learning,
retaining, and applying the material.
18 www.KidsStandard.org
Publication INC.

COLLEGE VOICES
Interview of
Kids’ Standard
Magazine’s Student
Mentors
with Kids’ Standard, I asked my fellow student
mentors to share their perspectives on
this publication as well..
What affect do you think Kids’ Standard had
on the students writing for the magazine?
Natasha Oldford
By: Natasha Oldford
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH
Student Mentors, Class of 2015, Clarkston
Schools
Camron Razdar
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Jay Wright
Michigan State University, East Lansing
Susan Arnold
Northern Michigan University, Marquette
Matt Dargay
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Elizabeth Starnes
Oakland University, Rochester Hills
Now children of all ages have a place
to express their ideas and interests.
Kids’ Standard keeps the students
engaged in their learning by allowing them
to pursue information and research on their
area of choice. It helps students improve
their literacy and writing skills outside of the
classroom. It unites the community because
of the wide range of authors and topics. It
highlights what students find important. In
short, this magazine is a fun and exciting
way to encourage students to spend time on
academics.
Even though I have thoroughly enjoyed
my time and experiences from working
Matt Dargay
I think it greatly improved their ability
to express themselves in writing, which, in
turn, will make them more confident in stating
their beliefs.
Jay Wright
Kids’ Standard has offered children an
outlet to explore their passions and utilize
that youthful creativity in subjects they
enjoy. It also makes students more aware of
the outside world and more attuned to what
is happening in the small sphere of their
elementary school.
Elizabeth Starnes
I saw kids achieve their goals and succeed
at a very young age.
Do you think that Kids’ Standard does a
good job in motivating, activating, and celebrating
students?
Susan Arnold
Yes, I really do! It is a fantastic organization
that has been able to inspire so
many students. When mentoring the students,
I saw how motivated they were to
write about their favorite things and
how they were activating their minds by
studying their topics before writing began.
It was nice to give the students prizes
for their hard work and to celebrate their
achievements!
Jay Wright
If I had this opportunity as a child, I
would’ve definitely written an article for
Kids’ Standard. It would probably have
been about the positive and negative
effects of video games on kids, as video
games were a large part of my
childhood. I find it important to represent
a medium and industry that receives a
lot of flak for being a negative influence
on young children. This motivates and
activates.
Kids Standard is an
excellent way to engage
students, and I see it as a
powerful tool that can be
expanded to more schools.”
— Camron Razdar
How did working with the Kids’ Standard
affect your life?
Matt Dargay
It helped me realize the importance of
confidence and competence when it comes
to gathering information and forming beliefs
from them.
Elizabeth Starnes
It was really beneficial to me to know that
my hard work and the students’ hard work
paid off in the end. Students received prizes
and awards. They were supported by the
mentors, Ms. Razdar, and their teachers. It
was also nice to see that if they didn’t make
it in the paper one month, they could always
try again next month. Being a mentor for
the Kids’ Standard was very rewarding, and
it made me think about what else I can do
in college to make my community a better
place.
Susan Arnold
I loved being able to work with all of the
different kids and seeing all of their diverse
ideas. It was also really cool to see how my
volunteering for the Kids’ Standard helped
the kids’ writing become a little better and
how they began to enjoy writing as much
as I do!”
October 2015
19
Publication INC.

TEACHER’S CORNER
STARTING
THE SPARK
By: Nicholas Provenzano
High School English Teacher
Lake Orion Schools
I
believe that creativity has a place in our
classrooms because self expression is one
of those things that makes us who we are.
In my early years of teaching High School
English, all of my projects for students were
highly structured. I would outline every part
of the project and I would receive multiple
versions of it that were all the same. It was not
very fun for me to grade and for the students
to watch the same project presentation over
and over again. One year, a student came to
me and asked if the group could do a slightly
different project. Something that still hit the
assignment requirements, but allowed them
to apply what they knew in a different way.
It was then that I realized that I could give
students the freedom to show what they
learned in a way that suited their skills. When
I backed away from controlling all aspects
of the project, students took control over it.
Nick Provenzano
I believe that creativity
has a place in our
classrooms because
self expression is one of
those things that makes
us who we are.
Now, Free Choice Projects is one of my best
ways to spark creativity in students.
I establish the rough guidelines for the
students to follow for each project and
they come to me with a project proposal.
For example, for The Great Gatsby, I ask
students to demonstrate understanding of
two themes and two symbols visually. Once
I’ve approved the project, they get to work.
Moving to Free Choice Projects creates an
inviting environment for my students to try
new things and to take risks. I tell students
they have to choose a different medium of
expression for each project to encourage
them to explore different ideas. This allows
them to stretch their creative muscles and
still explore the literary concepts discussed
in class. The deeper students want to go
with their projects, the deeper they reach
into the content.
The first time I tried it, I received some of
the best projects in my career -- movies, art
work, poetry, a puppet show, and so much
more. The kids were excited and the presentations
were amazing! They loved showing
their work to class and seeing what other
students had done.
Students crave ways to express their
creativity in class. It is our job as teachers
to give all of them the opportunity to shine.
We need to cultivate that in students. If we
don’t, who will? These projects are not just
a fun distriction to keep students busy; they
are educational tools that get the most out of
kids. Free Choice Projects is just one way I
use to get my students going. Think of your
own way and start this spark in yours!
Enjoy The Ride: Mini-Society
of Student-Led Learning
By: Blagica Taseski and Bethany Rocho
4th Grade Teachers
Clarkston Community Schools
Education seems to spin
like a revolving door.
Studies in developmental
psychology have shown that the
superior learning and motivation
in children come from playful, rather
than instructional, approaches to
learning. As teachers are continually
modifying their methodology to keep
students engaged, in many classrooms today,
Bethany Rocho
instruction has shifted from ‘teacher-driven’ to
‘student-led.’ It is not uncommon for students
to take a lead in meaningful
conversations while
teachers guide
their thinking,
clear up any
misconceptions,
and celebrate
discovery.
When last spring a fellow
fourth grade teacher dug
out of the closet the idea of having our students
become entrepreneurs while studying
Blagica Taseski
an Economics unit called Mini- Society, we
got excited. For years, curriculum demands
pushed economics concepts on the back
shelves of our practice, and this idea
allowed us to bring them back to
life. Together, we agreed that the
best way for kids to understand
entrepreneurship, economics, and
consumer issues was through this
self-organizing, experience-based approach
to learning.
For several weeks, we were introducing
students to the basics of business
Continued on p21
20 www.KidsStandard.org
Publication INC.

Continued from P20
operations. They were expected
to consider business partners,
decide on what to produce
(goods or services), apply for a
business license (based on their
product review) and a Bulldog
Bucks loan, produce their product,
and to keep track of an
expense report. Along the way,
students also advertised their
products and created business
cards. .
These Shark Tank entrepreneurs
quickly realized that
building a business requires
imagination, hard work, creativity,
responsibility, and even
team work. By operating their
own businesses, students were
"living" the terminology and
concepts, rather than “memorizing”
ideas for a routine quiz
or test. They spent most of their
time discovering and processing
the learning through trial
and error. The selling day was
definitely our grand finale.
That day kids saw their true
learning outcomes not in a letter
on paper, but in their ability
to repay their loan and acquire
profits.
So what was wrong with the
way we used to do it? Well, in a
world full of LOL’s, IKR’s, and
SYL’s, we have to engage kids
in rich dialogue and cooperative
group work in order to prepare
them for job interviews,
face-to-face conversations, and
real-life situations.
Prompting students to do
their own thinking, rather than
thinking for them, is not a new
idea, but at times, it is forgotten
in the midst of rigorous
curriculum. We need to slow
down to foster an environment
that makes the thinking happen.
We need to take the time
to listen to students, to notice
things with them, and to guide
them wherever their imagination
takes them. Enjoy the ride!
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PEOPLE WE ADMIRE
Most people would probably credit
the success of Edison to his hard
work and inventive ideas, but I
would disagree. A person’s success is not
based solely on his or her abilities; it is also
a result of influence of other people.
School is an important place for everyone
(even though some students might not want
to be there ;) it’s a place where we learn
about the world around us. I am a freshman
in Clarkston, with short four years ahead of
me until I will venture out in the ‘real
world.’ I want to thank all of the
amazing teachers I have had;
every one of them has a special
place in my heart for making
me a good student and helping
me become my own individual.
Still, there are some
teachers whose influence I can
feel within my soul.
Mrs. Cleland:
Mrs. Cleland was my 8th grade ALA
teacher and the one to show me the reality
of the world. When on the first assignment
in her class I was marked down
a point, I walked up to her desk, frantically
worried about my grade, to
ask how I could make it
up. She looked at me
with the expression
I will never forget,
and then spoke the
words that are still
drilled into my
head, “Evan, NO!
You won’t be
able to get
extra credit
in life. Besides,
a grade will never define you
as a person.”
From there on, her classroom
was not so much a place
to get a good grade, but rather
to spend time on what I found to
be important in my life. I was able
to write about things I hate (*cough*
Standardized Testing *cough*) and about
CLASSROOM INNOVATORS
the best memories of my life. The best moment
I took away from her class was the
day my Grandma Jackie came in and spoke
to the class about traveling around the
world and about staying yourself no matter
where you go. Mrs. Cleland is able to provide
a creative and thoughtful environment
for her students. Rather than feeling pressured
to succeed, she wants her students to
feel that they are individuals.
Mr. Paddock
Mr.Paddock is the teacher
who isn’t afraid to do
the craziest things in the
world. His classroom is a
true place of science and
a wonderful example of
how teachers can
make their classroom
feel like
home.
In the first week
of school, Mr.Paddock
mentioned one of the most innovative
and creative idea that
I have ever heard from a teacher:
learning what you want. This meant
that we would spend one day of each
week exploring a realm of science that we
desire, creating experiments and research
projects to go along with it. This is his first
year trying this idea, but regardless of the
outcome, he is happy that students are
able to control their own learning in the
classroom.
Ms. Shaw
My 9th grade ALA teacher,
Ms.Shaw, is a gem. She has
a very straight forward
personality, meaning she
is always looking ahead
in herself and in her students.
On the first week
of school, we had a fullfledged
conversation about
a topic I can’t even remember,
but it’s good to know that teachers
are becoming more of life coaches than
lecture givers.
In her class I am allowed to ask questions,
listen to music, write only awesome essays,
and have inside jokes about the weirdest of
things -I don’t know how to change it back
to English, it’s stuck in German.
Mrs. Rogers
Mrs. Rogers is a history teacher at the
Junior High, but to me, she is like my first
college professor. Most of us can probably
agree that US History is a bit neglected
course, but Mrs. Rogers feels very differently
about that. Her classroom is a powerful
example of teacher creativity. When I
go into her classroom, I know I will learn
something each day; in part because we
have to explain our thinking.
One might think it comes
naturally to students, but
in reality, it takes a lot
of sweat and tears in
order to perfect it.
Mrs.Rogers pushes
her students to understand
the history of
the past to better understand
the world around
them today. And the “history”
repeated itself for me. On the
13th day of school, I broke down in tears in
front of Mrs. Rogers because I had received
a bad grade. She gave me the same look as
Mrs. Cleland did and repeated a similar line
that I had heard just a year earlier. History
teaches.
Creativity in the classroom. Thoughtful
ideas from students. Invitations from outstanding
teachers. With the world changing
every second, people that are coming to
face it need good preparation in order to
succeed. My teachers inspire me to be who
I am and are the life coaches that prepare
me for the future. They are the ones whom
I admire.
By: Evan Hall
9th grade
Clarkston Schools
22 www.KidsStandard.org
Publication INC.

PARENT’S CORNER
THE LAST WORD:
INNOVATION IS ALL AROUND US
Maggie
Razdar
Publisher/
Founder
Innovation. We hear about it all the
time in the news. Innovations are
happening every day in technology,
education, politics, science and
math. Yet, even though it seems to be
the “in thing” these days, the definition
of innovation is not as clear.
What exactly is innovation? And who
is considered an innovator?
In the simplest terms, innovators
are people who create new ideas,
processes or products. But innovations
are more than inventions; they
are revolutionary. Innovations bring
about positive change. They make
life easier, address new needs and
improve upon existing methods. The
iPhone, for example, was one of the
biggest innovations of our lifetimes. It
vastly improved upon the cellphone
of the time and solved a problem we
didn’t know existed.
So how can we recognize innovation?
And can people become
innovators?
To support our “inner innovators,”
we must first learn to recognize the
characteristics that innovators share.
Who knows, after reviewing these
ideas, you might recognize you have
an inner innovator in you just waiting
to break out! Here are a few things all
innovators share:
1. Passion: Innovation requires starting
each day with an enthusiastic mindset.
Innovators recognize their work
is more than a job or chore. There is
purpose behind what they do.
2. Curiosity: Innovation is sparked
by recognizing opportunities for
change. Yet, to see these opportunities,
innovators must be
curious about their surroundings
and willing to draw connections that
no one has noticed before. They do
this by asking questions: How can
this be improved, and what how can
I contribute
to that improvement? Opportunities
for innovation are all around you;
you just have to look at things
differently.
3. Creativity: Innovators see problems
as opportunities that require creative
solutions. When a challenge arises,
innovators don’t complain; they ask
questions. And from these questions,
they can begin to think about
outside-the-box solutions. Creativity
in innovation is all about looking at
things from new angles.
4. Bravery: Innovation doesn’t happen
in isolation. It requires a connection
with the world around. Innovators
are brave; they like to meet new
people, make contacts and try new
ways of doing things. And they’re
ready to stand behind and defend
their ideas.
5. Resilience: One of America’s great
innovators Henry Ford once said,
“Failure is simply the opportunity to
begin again, this time more intelligently.”
Innovators are determined.
They try and fail. But they don’t stop
when something doesn’t work out.
They try again and keep going.
The truth is we have an inner innovator
in us, and with practice, we
can all learn to become more innovative.
The key is embracing the innovator
mindset. Stay passionate, curious,
creativity, brave and resilient. Then,
you can start making innovations big
and small in your life.
October 2015
23
Publication INC.

OPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL
Optimist International
is a worldwide
volunteer organization
made up of more
than 2,500 local Clubs
whose Members work
each day to make the
future brighter by
bringing out the best
in children, in their
communities.
DID YOU KNOW?
For Every member of an Optimist Club,
33 young people are impacted positively
per year? That’s 2.6 million internationally,
317,000 in Michigan, and 3800 in the
Clarkston/Lake Orion Area alone!
TO CONTACT CLARKSTON OPTIMIST CALL
ROBIN BROSE 248-909-9289
TO CONTACT LAKE ORION OPTIMIST CALL
DONALD BROSE 248-736-8833
Learn about Nature from Nature
Clarkston - 248.625.6473
WINT
NATURE
CENTER
Madison Heights
248.585.0100
Year-Round Programs
∙ Family Nature Programs
∙ Scout Badge Days
∙ “Wild” Birthday Parties
∙ Starlab (portable planetarium)
∙ Field Trips for all ages—including pre-school!
DestinationOakland. com