Timothy Hagen

8 March 2013
ENG 102 ARCH/CE
Journal Article Summary
Communities of Real Learning

In his book, An Ethic of Excellence: Building a Culture of Craftsmanship with

Students (2003), Ron Berger describes his research and experience of project-based
learning with elementary and middle school students in a small public school in
Massachusetts. He describes his school in a small town that still has town meetings
to decide community issues as a school in which the teachers design their own
curriculum and have a say in new faculty and principal hirings. The school has no
grading system, but requires all students to work towards mastery on subjects and
requires sixth-graders to present a portfolio of their work as a prerequisite for
graduation. Berger and his colleagues use thematic learning units such as one on
Water to integrate learning. In the Water unit, they study language arts by
reading novels and scientific reports on water and writing their own novels and
scientific reports. They practice math and science by analyzing local surface and
groundwater, studying and writing a report on their findings, and sending letters to
local residents on the quality of their well water. The students practice artistic skills
in creating aesthetic publications and presentations of their work. The classes
emphasize hands-on learning, real-world work, close involvement with the
community, and many revisions. Berger stresses the need to revise work multiple
times to achieve good quality and foster an ethic of excellence. To increase the
importance of the work, Berger uses peer and expert critique sessions for the
various drafts of work and then insists on final presentation of the work before a
meaningful audience. Berger recognizes that his style does not lend itself to easy
standardized testing assessment, but believes that the students learn to do good
work and they are people he now trusts as adults to do good work in his community.
This book is a valuable resource for those hoping to design better curricula. It shows
that more regulations on curricula or more testing may not be the best policy
rather expecting teachers to design interesting projects and giving them the
freedom and responsibility to do so may be a more effective approach. If both
students and teachers are given the freedom, responsibility, and caring community
that expects beautiful work that is ready for critical audiences, then education
may be much better. One shortcoming of the book is the back coverobviously
written by someone other than Berger. The back cover promises that Berger will
explain exactly how this can be done, from the blackboard to the blacktop to the
school boardroom. Yet in the book, Berger himself promises no magic solutions, but

rather some tools and long-term, consistent work on fostering a culture of

excellence. If we could really implement these suggestions, perhaps we would have
classrooms with students who produce and care about producing high-quality,
meaningful work rather than the learning factories that so often characterize
schools today.

Questions for discussion:

1. How well might Bergers proposals be implemented in our classrooms today?
2. Do you agree that less is more when it comes to educationthat is,
studying a few topics in depth is better than many topics briefly?
3. What do you think is necessary to develop a culture or ethic of excellence in
classrooms and among students and teachers today?
Reference
Berger, Ron. 2003. An Ethic of Excellence: Building a Culture of Craftsmanship with
Students. Heinemann.