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Setting Up the GEMS Formative Education Process at Your School

Defining Your School/District's Educational Environment
A Dynamic Framework

School environment has strong impact on the life of a child. The school community working to common goals and seeing itself as an extension of the family creates an environment that is conducive to a child's best development. To create a climate, an ethos that nurtures a child's full potential, and to build consensus across the school community, CGE proposes a dynamic framework for organizing education and its goals. We refer to this as the Formative Education Process. In the FEP framework, a ten-step process is recommended which can be modified for individual school / district use. This dynamic framework ensures that education is seen not as a product but a process, and in which there is flexibility and openness to new ideas and creative thinking. Through Panel 2010, individuals and institutions commit themselves to the four goals of sharing, learning, continuous improvement and creative thinking.

CGE suggests that all stakeholders, such as the administration, teaching and non-teaching staff, parents, students and community members should be involved in creating this dynamic framework for your school or district.

Defining Possibilities. Define human potential and its growth needs. Define what education could/should be, and your vision of education and its goals.

Taking Stock. Taking stock of where you are in relation to what's possible - through your own baseline survey, or use CGE's baseline survey as a guide in creating your own.

Defining Vision. Setting vision / motto for your own school / district to guide education's reemphasis. What is ideal and what is feasible. What changes are required to improve education in your current setting.

Setting Goals. What goals, processes and operational targets you can set to the year 2010 to support these changes.

Developing Strategies. Defining strategies such as processes, projects, attitudes and skills that will be needed to implement the goals.

Making Resolutions. Will-do statements and seeking commitments from all stakeholders to make your vision a living vision and not a wall hanging.

Setting Mileposts. What will be the mileposts, actions to be accomplished by a certain date, processes or other specific operational targets (against which progress can be measured).

Determining Progress. What assessments will be used to evaluate progress.

Re-commitment. A review of goals and progress each year, and commitment to continuous improvement and creative thinking (not to take a blue print approach but be open and flexible to changes in all aspects and to rebuild commitment from new school community members).

Sharing. Commitment to sharing your dynamic process and its outcome with others so that learning is enhanced for all Panel 2010 members.

An Example

Vision
To inspire every child become both good and smart, to acquire both inner and outer perfections, and to become an exemplary citizen of the world.

Goals
To prepare teachers to address total potential of the child and to provide them with the values, attitudes and skills necessary to accomplish this vision.

Objectives
To provide the inspiration and training necessary and equip teachers -

To become example of these values, attitudes and skills

To be the upholders of high standards at all times

To be an inspiration and mentors to their students, parents and the community at large

Values
The four building blocks as defined by the Council for Global Education, for example.

Universal Values: Nurture the character traits and universal values of respect and responsibility, honesty, kindness, openness, truthfulness, patience, courtesy, trustworthiness, courage, loyalty among others.

Global Understanding: understanding, helpfulness, coexistence and co-operation, ability to appreciate diversity as an asset.

Excellence in All Things: to compete against oneself and not simply others, to believe in the potential of every child to become a light of this world, a potential Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King or an Abraham Lincoln, and to not limit a child by our expectations.

Service to Humanity: to instill in every child a sense of his unique opportunities and future responsibilities, purposefulness, generosity, and compassion, so that they can view the process of learning as preparation not for a job but for a life of service through any profession or trade, to work in a spirit of service to humanity.

Attitudes
Such as a spirit of service, appreciation, love of beauty, sense of humor, detachment, openness, freedom from prejudice, love of diversity, positive demeanor, desire for harmony and unity, empathy, humility, seeing the end in the beginning and abilities of the mind and heart to take a task from concept to reality, perseverance, an attitude of search for solutions, positive attitudes towards life and learning, optimism, preferring others above self or simply treating others as equals, ability to listen to other peoples views with full attention and to appreciate views different than one's own, concern with the downtrodden, search for knowing and reflecting truth, commitment, and the like.

Skills
Such as to consult, to be able to interpret and understand divergent views, ability to mentor and coach others, to work in teams effectively, to express one's ideas clearly and eloquently, to be able to solve problems when they arise, to be able to mediate, to be culturally sensitive, to be able to work with peers, to be able to stand up to one's principles against odds and peer pressure, to be able to make wise and moral choices, to have self-discipline, to be able to conceptualize and take concepts to reality, realizing ones potential in all aspects, self-actualization, to be able to create peace, to be able to work in a spirit of service to the workplace, community and the world, to do community service, to be an effective member of a family, community and the world, and the like.

Methods and Strategies
Those knowledge, values and virtues, attitudes and skills that are needed to realize one's vision. Considering both the content of what is taught and what is inspired through example and action. Creating and adapting of the tools, such as curriculum, as well as creating the climate for change, such as through the collective setting of mottoes, and vision statements for the classroom and the school community. Setting your own standards, targets and mileposts based on questions you will ask such as what is conducive to human nobility and greatness through the classroom. Building in self-assessments. Focus on continuous improvement and creative endeavors, learning from the experiences of others, continuous learning and sharing.

For example, the vision may be to create a joyful school environment. What are those methods and strategies that would include programs and processes that can be put into action to create a joyful school community. For example, how will the parents, teachers, management and the students work with cooperation, consultation, love and unity to make this vision possible.