The Whole Child Web site embraces new technology to reach a worldwide audience and spread the news about ASCD's call to action.
This spring, ASCD released The Learning Compact Redefined: A Call to Action, the official report of its Commission on the Whole Child. The report urges educators, parents, community leaders, and policymakers to work together to help shape successful learners who are knowledgeable, emotionally and physically healthy, civically active, artistically engaged, and prepared for self-sufficiency after formal schooling.
Along with the report, ASCD has launched a Web site (www.wholechildeducation.org) where supporters can learn more about the whole child and sign on to the new learning compact.
Education Update staff writer Rick Allen spoke with Molly McCloskey, an ASCD constituent partnerships director, for answers to some questions readers may have about the site.
Q: Why has ASCD decided to publish an interactive Web site on its whole child initiative?
A: ASCD strongly believes that educating the whole child requires schools and communities to work together. The Whole Child Web site offers resources and tools that facilitate this work. The site is designed to stimulate public engagement—to get people to assess, reflect, and act within their own communities or at the national level.
Q: Who is ASCD trying to reach with its Whole Child Web campaign?
A: The campaign is designed to reach multiple audiences with different strategies. Certainly, ASCD members will be the first to take advantage of information and opportunities to make certain their practice reflects the Whole Child Compact.
However, the Whole Child Web site also seeks to reach out to the general public, including families, businesses, community groups, and concerned citizens. Supporting public schools really is part of our collective civic life and requires all of us to work together so that our children are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.
Significantly, the site can inform policymakers at the local, state, and national levels. That way, schools' and communities' practices and policies are more likely to be aligned to support whole children and provide them with a 21st century education.
Q: Which Web site feature will give readers a good overview of "whole child education," especially if they're not too sure what that approach includes?
A: The best link to a general description is under the About the Whole Child tab. That page includes both a general overview and hyperlinks to definitions of the key elements of the new learning compact.
Q: How does the Web site's Grade Your School Community survey work? Will respondents get advice tailored to help their school?
A: When visitors complete the survey, they receive a grade (A–F) based on their responses. They will also receive some suggested actions to take based on that grade. The suggestions are currently tiered only for "good" scores (A–C) and "bad" scores (D–F), but these will be further refined by grade as the site develops.
Q: Is the site really going to single out "whole child villains," as its Policy Blackboard feature indicates?
A: Obviously, our intent will be to present far more whole child heroes! But we do plan to identify "villains" in clear and obvious situations. We will identify only policymakers solidly in the public eye. We have no intention of singling out principals, teachers, or other private citizens under any circumstances.
Q: What aspects of the general whole child approach do you think will resonate with educators most?
A: The new compact reflects both the thinking of the Commission on the Whole Child—which included both practitioners and leading voices in the field—and the beliefs of ASCD members. ASCD members strongly believe that our communities are losing too many kids and wasting too much talent. They understand that a 21st century education promotes emotional and physical health, creativity, and critical thinking in tandem with academic achievement.
Q: Share Your Story is a great feature on the Web site. How does it work, and how do you see this feature helping the whole child education mission?
A: The Share Your Story section really serves two purposes: (1) it's a reality check in terms of work happening in the field, both positive and negative, and (2) it helps build a sense of community as parents, educators, and community members identify with and learn from one another's situations. Storytelling is critical to public engagement and grassroots advocacy because the stories that are told in dinner conversations, at community meetings, and over the backyard fence influence voting and volunteering. We'd like to get stories from all 50 states and other countries, too.
Q: What's behind the idea of taking the pledge, which is found on the opening page of the site?
A: The pledge is a great way for visitors to let us know they support our work, and it guarantees that those who send us their e-mail addresses will be kept informed about changes to the site, new resources and research, and tools to use in their own communities. We can also show policymakers that we have backing for our vision. The Web site will be updated regularly, so visitors should keep coming back!
Q: How does Spread the Word work?
A: Spread the Word is a quick and convenient way for visitors to share information about the Whole Child Web site with up to 25 friends at a time via e-mail. Users can also add a personal message or just use the prewritten note to alert others to the site.
Q: How will ASCD measure the success of the Whole Child Web site?
A: Because the primary goal of the Web site is to build national awareness of ASCD's whole child education campaign, we hope it will help us build a nationwide grassroots base to deliver the message about the new learning compact to key officials. The Web site will grow over time as more visitors submit their own stories and experiences. The more visitors who engage and use the Whole Child Web site, the stronger and more valuable it will be to the broader community concerned about education.