Ken Burns' new documentary, "The Address"

[hsmom]

If you watch PBS, you may have seen previews for Ken Burns' new documentary "The Address." It follows the boys at The Greenwood School in Putney, VT after they are charged by their Headmaster to learn, memorize, and recite the Gettysburg Address. This happens each year and these boys with complex learning differences meet the challenge with help from their teachers, speech therapist, and OT. I was privileged to have been at the premiere of the film last week and came away very moved. Ken Burns' crew not only caught the boys facing and overcoming their various learning differences, but also their extraordinary courage and resilience in doing something that is very difficult for them.

www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/ken-burns-documents-a-vermont-schools-gettysburg-address-project/Content?oid=2344603

Before the premiere, Greenwood also hosted 21 students from 13 different LD schools from around the country for the first Learn the Address National Competition. 

The Address is worth seeing. My hope is that it will shed light on what it is like for all students who have learning differences and what they are capable of with the understanding of caring teachers who treat them as individuals who each learn in their own way.

It will air on PBS nationwide on Tuesday, April 15th. 

www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-address/home/

[healthy11]

It's wonderful that your son was able to be a part of this!

[michellea]

This sounds wonderful - I am sure I will cry when I see it!!

BTW - one of my clients may be considering the Greenwood School. I will be sure to have her watch the documentary.

[hsmom]

Michellea,

Definitely need some tissue.

If your client wants to know more about Greenwood, I'd be happy to talk to her. I've sent you a message.  

[hsmom]

"The Address" airs tonight nationwide on PBS at 9 pm. Do see it if you have the chance.


There's been many articles and reviews of the documentary, but The New York Times had one which I consider one of more thoughtful:


www.nytimes.com/2014/04/15/arts/television/ken-burns-follows-schoolboys-learning-gettysburg-address.html?hpw&rref=television&_r=0

[kewpie]

Yep I needed tissue.

[dihicks6]

I watched and the most interesting part for me was that this school doesn't treat them differently -- they must qualify first before being allowed to compete, however, the support they receive to qualify is amazing. I was also interested in some of the ways they teach. The use of playing cards to practice math (i.e., 'difference') is something I'm going to use with Sir Ray. They also broke up the sentences, and had the boys reconstruct them correctly. Very useful ideas!

[hsmom]

Dihicks,

The most amazing part of this school is the teachers - most bring a lot of skills with them, but they are also all (math teachers, science teacher, social studies teacher) taught how to work with students with language-based learning differences. And, all genuinely want to help the boys.

Use of playing cards come from the fact that many of the boys need a visual cue for numbers. How many is 6? 5? And, playing cards do this. They can be used for differences and for sums, subtraction and addition. (You may have seen a boy in that scene counting on his fingers.)

And, because the Gettysburg has been taught for so many years, teachers have developed different tools to teach and reinforce the address. 

[glopop11]

I watched The Address a second time with D while she home for Easter weekend. This time we both cried! D saw quite a few boys in the movie that she knows from her internship! She told me the kids want to make tshirts with Greenwood School on the front and "Math all day" on the back.lol!