SRS Emphasizes Career and Technical Education Opportunities

Sorenson’s Ranch School emphasizes providing Career and Technical Education opportunities for its students. From ranch work to food service, residents have the opportunity to engage in multiple hands-on vocational activities. CTE classes significantly boost post-secondary success across the country. Students who complete high school CTE pathways are more likely to graduate on time, to enroll in two-year community colleges, to enter high-demand fields like healthcare, and obtain vocational certificates or associate degrees. As a result, community college graduates from CTE programs see substantial earnings bumps. Vocational degrees and certificates yield average returns of 12% to 23%, with the healthcare sector generating the highest economic mobility. Another advantage to CTE curriculum is addressing gaps in equity. Underrepresented and low-income students, particularly Latino and Black students, often see greater relative benefits from CTE courses in terms of high school graduation rates and immediate job market preparedness. Integrating CTE classes with high school and dual-enrollment curriculum accelerates post-secondary credential completion and smooths the transition into the workforce. California has heavily prioritized these pathways to bridge the gap between education and the labor market, where one-third of jobs require postsecondary training but less than a four-year degree. The state subsidizes the Career Technical Education Grant (CTEIG) and the Strong Workforce Program to align local community colleges and high schools with regional industry demands. California is not alone in this effort. Recently, Utah Speaker Mike Schultz has made CTE a top priority. “We are giving more students opportunities to learn in a way that makes sense for them – and help them succeed after graduation.” https://house.utleg.gov/local-food-processing-2/ The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) reports that 99% of students who complete a CTE program graduate high school, as opposed to 89% generally. In 2024, the Utah Legislature acknowledged the success of CTE programs by creating a grant program to provide opportunities across the state. 29 school districts and charter schools are taking advantage of this funding to align students’ natural aptitudes with practical, career-connected pathways built for real world success. Sorenson’s Ranch School continues to implement the CTE curriculum it pioneered in 1951, providing its students with optimized outcomes while leading the way for secondary schools across the state and nation.

Introduction to Business and Financial Literacy

Often Sorenson’s Ranch School (SRS) students complain that business and financial literacy classes are hard and not required in their home state, but taking the classes in high school can give students a competitive advantage in the college admission process. If college is not in the student’s futures, at least business and financial literacy classes give them an understanding of the function of commerce in society and a basis for becoming better employees and citizens of their communities. In Addition to expanding students’ knowledge about business, entrepreneurship, and personal finance, these classes teach students many crucial life skills, including leadership and time management. Using this foundation to build on, SRS students begin to understand how personal financial responsibility will touch all aspects of their lives. Business classes introduce students to what it takes to make it in the business world. We are introducing information students can use to help them decide what they are going to do with their future. With changing regulations in society, children today are not given the opportunity to work and learn with hands on experience as did past generations. Today’s children have been immersed in technology and crave interaction in a different manner than past generations. As our society and business adapts to an ever-changing world, these students will become the new business leaders. Business and finance classes at SRS give students those first steps, and insights about what to do next in life. If students decide continuing education is not for them, SRS can still give them the basics necessary for everyday life, no matter what path they choose to take. High schoolers’ hardly know what direction to go, or what skills to build on when they are getting ready to go to college. If we start teaching them skills in high school, they will have a better understanding of the path they can take for the future. By teaching SRS students solid life skills, we are helping all of our futures.

Safety is an essential part of learning.

Students need to feel safe in their environment in order to learn. If a person is worried about getting beat up - physically or verbally, that person cannot open his or her mind to effectively put things into long term memory. Effective teaching requires that teachers create an atmosphere in the classroom where students are free to ask questions without fear of being made fun of or being made to feel stupid. The tapestry of life is woven from discovery and memory. From the moment of birth, we are exposed to a continuous flow of sensory experience — sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Our remarkable brain takes the images and sounds, the feelings, scents, and tastes of each moment and creates an internal representation of the external world. In the beginning of life, all is new: each experience is a first. Each image, melody, scent, and caress bathes the newborn's brain in data as it attempts to organize and make sense of this world. Over time, we create memories, and we learn. Learning is fun when it is curiosity driven. In the words of one of my former students whom I refer to as “the great philosopher Ned”, “Math only sucks until you get it.” The difference between a student “getting it” or just trying to survive by memorizing enough information to pass the test is whether the learning is curiosity based or fear based. It comes back to safety in the classroom. The fear response is essential to the health of the human brain and body. Under threat of any kind — hunger, thirst, pain, shame, confusion, or too much input coming in too fast — we respond in ways to keep ourselves safe. When the fear response is triggered, our minds will focus only on the information that is, at that moment, important for survival. Fear kills curiosity and inhibits exploration. Hear at SRS, most of my students come into my classes with math anxiety: a fear of math (and the experience of learning math in a group) which requires that they never ask a question which could expose them to an uncomfortable social experience, and a fear that I will find out just how much they don’t know. To combat this self-imposed barrier to effective learning, I tell them about what I call the “basic agreement.” This agreement stipulates that I will do my best to teach them from where they are at any given moment. As a result, they don’t need to pretend to know things they don’t know, and if they ask a question, I will do my best to answer it in a way they can understand without editorializing about when they should have learned it and how many times it has been explained before. Their responsibility is that they will do their best to learn. This means asking questions to help me learn how they learn. Once I know how they learn, I can teach in a way that allows them to understand and remember. All of us can vividly recall a situation (perhaps many) when a teacher reviled a student with words like, “How many times to I have to tell you?” or “You should have learned this in 1st grade.” The anxiety is present in students of all subjects, not just math, and teachers play the dominant role in creating physically and emotionally safe places for students to learn. I find that after the initial “I hate you” phase, students who receive consequences for aggressive behavior toward peers quickly become champions of protecting other students from aggression. Here are some key behaviors I try to use in creating a safe classroom here at SRS: • Maintain a clean, organized classroom. All people feel safer and more comfortable in a clean organized classroom • Be the same teacher yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Follow through on promises. Be consistent in discipline • Be kind, and let students know you care. I chose this profession to make a difference, and I want my students to know that I care about the long term effects of my teaching. I want to my students see higher goals for themselves and help them believe in their abilities by helping them master challenging tasks. • Protect students from misbehavior. Always follow through on discipline for students that threaten others. Demonstrate that you care enough about not to allow bullying, triggering, coercion, or intimidation. These behaviors can help students overcome learning anxieties in any classroom environment, but they work particularly well among our population at SRS

Mastery Learning at Sorenson’s Ranch School

Sorenson’s Ranch School uses mastery learning which enables students to move forward at their own pace as they master knowledge, skills, and concepts. Effective implementation completely changes how students learn, how teachers teach, and how schools work. Mastery learning transforms how Sorenson’s Ranch School develops curricula and how learning is measured, as well as how teachers are trained. Mastery learning as a concept and even as an instructional practice is not new. It has been around since the 1960s. We use it to better enable our students to be successful on an individual basis. It allows us to individualize classwork for each individual student. Our classes are student paced, teacher guided which has worked very well for us at Sorenson’s Ranch School. Mastery learning entails the concept that all teachers can teach and all students can learn. At our school we believe using this concept, all students can be taught to learn excellently. Each student controls the delivery and flow of their classes and learn independently adapting the curriculum to fit their needs. We believe in a personalized method of instruction to meet all student’s needs. Typically, most students are more successful with this learning model. Students learn at a faster rate and learn more. At SRS, we believe this model is perfect for our students. Students who have not done well with the traditional lecture classroom, often thrive in mastery learning. The motivation for mastery learning comes from trying to reduce achievement gaps for students in average school classrooms. As students may be out for group therapy or discipline, they can successfully come back into the classroom, pick up where they left off, and continue progressing. The mastery learning method divides subject matter into units that have preset objectives or unit expectations. Students, alone or in groups, work through each unit in an organized fashion. Students must demonstrate mastery on unit exams, typically 80%, before moving on to new material. Students who do not achieve mastery receive remediation through tutoring, peer monitoring, small group discussions Additional time for learning is prescribed for those requiring remediation. Students continue the cycle of studying and testing until mastery is met. This gives students the opportunity to be successful. Pier tutoring is an important part of this model of learning. When students help other students, it solidifies the learning for the tutor and teaches the one being tutored. We believe students will feel successful, move quickly, and complete their education. We strongly believe that all students should get the high school diploma. We are committed to push students to achieve this goal. For students who struggle, we adapt curriculum to fit their needs yet still getting credit for them and having them learn. We enjoy working with students and seeing success in all students. We are happy to report that we have a high graduation rate. We are very successful in placing students after completing their education. Teachers, therapists, and case managers use this learning model to get results getting the student to graduate.

Growth and Change

“A bend in the road is not the end of the road… Unless you fail to make the turn.” This is a quote in the lobby of the school at Sorenson’s Ranch School. The only true “constant” in life is change. Sometimes we willingly choose to change our circumstances, such as when we search out new job opportunities or love interests or go on diets for better health. Sometimes change is thrust upon us because of things beyond our control: natural disasters, accidents, loss of employment, sickness, disease, death, or even through consequences of our actions or the actions of others. Despite the means by which change finds its way into our lives, we have control of our mindset. As our circumstances and opportunities change, whether by our own decisions or by factors beyond our control, it is ultimately an individual choice as to how we will respond to these changes. Most people fear change whether or not the change will bring positive rewards. People are creatures of habit, and it is easy to get “stuck in the bend” rather than moving forward to greater things at the end of the road. This is due to our mindset during these times of change. Even if we are willingly making a change, if our mindset is not 100 percent focused on the end result being positive, we often get de-railed and wonder why we made the decision to make a change in the first place. However, the opposite is also true. If someone is positive and optimistic during times of duress and unanticipated change, things most often turn out for the better. Everything in life starts with mindset (i.e., how people they think about themselves and the world around them, and how they adapt to the constant changes going on in life). Positive mindset is the foundation of success and happiness. Research shows that successful people have a “growth” mindset. This means that they believe that every day can be better than the day before. They know that even little changes can add up to make big changes over time. That realize that if they do make a mistake, it’s okay. They know that direction is more important than speed. It’s natural and healthy to experience a wide range of thoughts and feelings, including less pleasant ones like disappointment, sadness, or guilt. There are no wrong thoughts-some thoughts just don’t serve people as well as others. A person’s brain is a very powerful tool. The human brain has the amazing ability to change and adapt by forming and eliminating connections between cells (neurons). The more a person practices using positive self-talk and having a “growth mindset”, the better he/she will get at it. At Sorenson’s Ranch, students are given the opportunity to embrace every day with a positive, growth mindset. No matter how bad yesterday was, today is a new day. As is common in everyday life, students sometimes get stuck in the bend of the road and fail to make the turn for a while. They fail to recognize the greater adventure that awaits them on a more positive road ahead.. However, with time to practice and support from staff, most successfully navigate the changes that come while attending the ranch Change is the most common, yet most overlooked force in this world. Though it is feared by many, it brings with it great opportunity. No matter the changes that arise in our lives, with a little perspective and a growth mindset every change brought into our lives can ultimately empower, inspire, and direct us on a path that will lead to individual success. Do not fear those bends in your road. They are NOT the end of the road, but an opportunity to learn more, see more, and do more along the journey.

Class Objectives

As faculty members at Sorenson’s Ranch School we are working on revising the written objectives for each course we offer. We start by reviewing the state core standards for each content area and then add what we think is appropriate for our typical students. We know that we work with a unique group of students, and our goal is to provide the best educational experience possible for each one. Our class objectives will be based on state requirements and our experience with students of the past, as well as best practices for students who have or probably should have an IEP for some accommodations in their education. Our class objectives will help us consistently cover important information on each topic, and be flexible enough to meet the needs of our diverse students. We use a variety of instructional strategies and assessments allowing our students to demonstrate proficiency in different ways. One method we use for assessment is portfolios, which allows students to collect samples of proficient work under the direction of their teacher. Class objectives are important because they drive all of the components of the educational process. We teach our students the things we want them to know, we assess what they are learning through both formative and summative strategies, and we evaluate ourselves all based on our objectives. We use the information we gather to plan, modify, and assess future instruction. Deciding what we want our students to remember from all of the information covered helps us to organize our efforts, and it helps our students with retention of the information. Most of our students struggle with retention of information. By organizing and constantly assessing, we are able to help our students with these types of issues. We realize that having objectives is not a guarantee of performance or learning, but as I mentioned before, it serves to organize the process. There are a lot of things covered in every class at Sorenson’s Ranch School, enough to overwhelm the average student. Taking the time to create and organize what we want our students to learn during the time that we get to work with them helps us to better serve their needs.

Technology in Education

Computer Technology is an important part of classroom instruction. It is something that is more and more a part of the workplace that we are preparing our students to enter. However, there is a false assumption in education that more advanced technology in the classroom will somehow equate to better learning outcomes. There is no substitute for a good teacher in the educational process. There are many computer-related skills that can be taught to students to prepare them for the workplace. Among these are basic computer concepts, typing, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations. At Sorenson’s Ranch School, students are taught typing in middle school classes, and the remainder in a high-school computer technology class. This requirement for graduation is not all that students need to know with regard to computer technology, but it gives them most of the basics on what employers will be looking for in a career-track position. (Donaldson) For purposes of the program at Sorenson’s Ranch School, the students are not allowed to access the internet, except to complete online college courses from BYU Independent Study. Each internet address the students are allowed to access must first be approved by the administrator of the computer network. Social networking sites are strictly prohibited from access. In addition, the students are not allowed to use email. Parents of Sorenson’s Ranch School students can email the school which can then be passed on to the students, but students must write letters to their parents if they want to send mail. The computer technology course I teach here at Sorenson’s Ranch School includes a chapter on information technology essentials, in which students learn the basics of computer hardware and software. There is also a section of the course that allows students that have no personal computer experience the opportunity to learn how the Windows 7 operating system works. The remainder of the course teaches students the Microsoft Office Suite of software. This gives the students the experience and skill development in word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations that employers are looking for in their human resources. (Donaldson) The students use each of these programs individually, which is important. Then they are allowed the opportunity to integrate the programs to be able to put objects from Word, or Excel into a Power Point presentation, for example. This integration is a level above what the basic education in the Microsoft Office Suite includes. This should make success in the workplace or at the university level an easy transition for students. Some legislators have proposed introduction of tablets, or other technology into the hands of every student. This is a course that has a high cost, but results are mixed. At Sorenson’s Ranch School, the technology is kept in the classroom, and learning about technology is structured. When students return home, they are able to have parents guide them through emails, internet usage, and social media. The basics are taught at Sorenson’s Ranch School to give students the skills needed to succeed in the workplace when they are finished with their academic studies. Works Cited Donaldson, C. (n.d.). The Top Ten Tech Skills Your Child Needs Now. Retrieved 2 20, 2015, from Education.com: http://www.education.com/magazine/article/The_Top_10_Tech_Skills_Your_Teen/?page=2

TABE Adaptive Testing at Sorenson's Ranch School

One of the principal aims of the accreditation process is identifying with some clarity the strengths and weaknesses of the school being evaluated for accreditation. Areas of strength are identified as “powerful practices” and commended in the final report. Areas needing improvement are also identified so that efforts toward school improvement can be focused and effective. Corrective measures aimed at improvement in those areas must be addressed in a report to the accreditation commission via AdvancED twenty four months after the date of the school evaluation. The primary area of focus for Sorenson’s Ranch School during this accreditation cycle is the establishment of a comprehensive assessment system which will allow us to quantify, to a much greater degree than we ever have, the progress that students make academically while they are with us. As one component of this goal, we have instituted semi-annual testing of the entire student body using TABE Adaptive. TABE stands for Test of Adult Basic Education. For years TABE has been a very reliable and widely used instrument for assessing academic achievement in adult education programs across the nation. Due to increased demand for a reliable test that could be used for students aged twelve to eighteen, the developers of TABE, McGraw-Hill, normed a version of the test for use with this younger population. In addition, the test was formatted for administration on-line, and TABE Adaptive was born. The word “adaptive” in the title indicates that the on-line test adjusts future questions based on the responses given by the student. For example, if a student misses two questions in a row, the testing software will make next question easier. If a student continues to get correct answers, the software will increase the difficulty of the ensuing questions until the student answers incorrectly. Through this process of making the questions harder or easier based on student performance, the grade level equivalent of the test subject can be more accurately determined than was ever possible with a paper-and-pencil test. TABE Adaptive results are given as a scaled score and as a grade equivalent (GE) score. Scaled scores are useful for comparison to previous and subsequent test administrations, but do not mean much in isolation. GE scores are also useful for comparison, but because they indicate a grade level, they are also instructive when used alone. For example, a student may earn a GE score of 9.2 which indicates that the student’s performance is equal to what would be expected from an average student in the second month of the ninth grade. Students are tested on reading, language usage, mathematics computation, and applied mathematics. A score is computed for each subtest, and a composite score is computed for total math and the entire battery. The bottom line for SRS is that we now have a highly accurate way to determine the academic performance of our students when they arrive and at sixth month intervals while they attend our school. New arrivals are given TABE Adaptive within about a month of their arrival and are then tested with the rest of the students every March and September until they discharge from our facility. We will use the data generated from testing to adjust our curriculum and teaching practices to better serve our students’ needs.

Developing Critical Thinking Skills

As students prepare to leave Sorenson's Ranch School, they will enter a world of complexity and change. Some students will go on to enroll in higher education and some students will be on their own, lacking outside support. These students will most likely work in several different career areas and hold many different jobs. Some of our many goals at Sorenson's Ranch are to help the student to develop a base of knowledge and to acquire the skills they need to solve complex problems and make difficult decisions. We try to help instill in them critical thinking skills. Critical thinking means that the student is progressing beyond memorizing or temporarily recalling information. It requires them to apply what they know about the subject matter for a particular problem. It also requires them to use common sense and experience during the process. Creative thinking is required during problem solving to discover all the reasonable choices, consequences and supporting arguments. During this process, out of the ordinary ideas and views outside the obvious are sough out. As we teach critical thinking in the classroom, it can be accomplished with basic activities. Some of these activities such as debating group discussions have been very useful and a great way to engage students in thinking critically when making decisions that will affect their futures. It is our goal at Sorenson's Ranch School to develop as many skills as possible to enable our students in making positive decisions and helping them to experience success.

What Messages Are You Sending?

An interesting question was once posed to a group of mathematics and science teachers at a conference that I was attending. “What do your students think is important to you?” This became the topic of much discussion and reflective thinking as teachers pondered what they truly communicated to their students by their words and actions in the classroom. Some teachers thought about the time they spent making sure that students work is organized, written legibly, and turned in to the correct location. Others admitted that neatness was not as important as correct answers and that they were not as concerned about student work being well organized. Many different thoughts were shared within the group, but the central theme of the discussion was that students’ attitudes reflect the attitudes modeled by teachers and parents. Parents and teachers are the most significant figures in a child’s education. We pass on many of our attitudes, intentionally or not, to children in our care. These may be good or bad attitudes and we may not even realize how these attitudes are being transmitted. Consider what your response is when your child seeks help with a math problem. Do you take a quick glance and tell your child that you have been out of school too long and don’t remember how to solve the problem? Do you tell him/her that you don’t know because you didn’t have to do that math in school? Do you sit down with your student(s) to search the textbook or other resources and persist until you both understand the concept? What is your attitude toward homework? What is your attitude about your student’s grades? Do they understand that you feel it important that they do well? Do you feel that it is important to be on time? When confronted with situations such as those name above, our actions transmit, and in turn transfer, our attitudes toward various subjects. If you aren’t willing to try to solve a problem that your child is being asked to solve, you may be communicating that you do not feel it is important to persist until you understand the concept. The look on your face may show that you feel that the task is painful or unimportant. In an interesting study, researchers found that college students preparing to become elementary school teachers had the highest levels of mathematics anxiety in comparison to all other college majors. Most of these students will soon become teachers who spend the minimum amount of time required on mathematics content and do so without enthusiasm. This attitude is communicated to their students and, coupled with less-than-enthusiastic attitudes displayed by parents, may become detrimental to mathematics skills development. Another attitude that seems to be more and more prevalent in American schools is that all school work should be easy. In a recent study that compared Japanese, German, and American students researchers found that while Japanese and German students expect math and science classes to be difficult and to require a significant amount of time and effort to gain proficiency, American students felt that these courses should be simple and take no more than a short time to complete. If the class wasn’t “fun,” or if the students didn’t “get” the concept immediately, it was perceived to be the fault of the teacher. These attitudes work against many of the principles driving education. Persistence in solving problems, employing a variety of strategies, and other educational goals are undermined by this attitude. One of the biggest challenges that we face at Sorenson’s Ranch School is overcoming this tendency for students to want everything to be “fun” and “easy.” Our competency-based advancement requires initiative and persistence on the part of our students. Many struggle with these aspects as they begin their stay with us. Over time, particularly as they get closer to graduation, initiative and persistence become more a part of our students’ daily endeavors. Without exception, those students who become better at self-motivation and persistance, do better as they re-integrate into their families, schools, and jobs post-SRS.

Professional Learning Communities

Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) have been a hot topic in education for at least the last decade. Everyone seems to have an opinion about what they are, how they are supposed to function, and what they are supposed to accomplish. Here at Sorenson’s Ranch School, we have realized that even though our best efforts have always been exerted toward helping our students learn academic curricula as well as more appropriate strategies for living, without a formal structure and dedicated time to focus on specified goals, the real purposes of PLC’s are not accomplished. In short, effective PLC’s don’t just happen. They must be planned and monitored for success to follow. What exactly is a PLC? A PLC is a group of individuals who want to learn to be better at what they do. Any type of business can benefit from the formation of PLC’s, but because of the isolated nature of what teachers do (we almost never teach in front of our colleagues), PLC’s can be particularly effective in education. Simply put, PLC’s provide a venue for teachers to talk about the nuts and bolts of educating. Research has shown that when teachers get together and talk about the craft of teaching – what works and what doesn’t in various classroom environments – teaching improves. How is a PLC supposed to function? A PLC meeting is not a time to discuss disruptive student behaviors, plan faculty parties, or work out the details of scheduling conflicts. All of these issues are valid and appropriate topics for discussion at the proper time and place, but PLC meetings must focus on a narrower set of topics. We must ask and answer the right questions in order to have our PLC meeting time be as productive as possible. What is it, exactly, that we want our students to learn? Can we coordinate our teaching such that concepts learned in one class are reinforced in another class? What, precisely, are we going to do if we begin to see evidence that our students are not learning the things we have agreed upon as critical? Questions such as these tend to focus educators’ attention and concentrate their efforts on actions that directly benefit students. What should we expect to accomplish through the formation and use of a PLC? The answer to this question will vary depending on the environment in which the PLC is formed. In education, the effects of a properly functioning PLC should be observed in measurable ways such as increases in student test scores, increases in graduation rates, and increases in the number of students pursuing education beyond high school. By using data to track student performance, teachers are able to see if their efforts in PLC meetings are yielding the results they want. Because of the nature of our student body, Sorenson’s Ranch School teachers have a specialized set of challenges. Our PLC meetings help us to focus our efforts on those teaching strategies that will allow us to optimize the learning of our students while they attend our school despite whatever unique circumstances may have hampered their progress in the past.

Mastery Learning at Sorenson's Ranch

​At Sorenson’s Ranch School we use Mastery learning, which is a process where students are allowed to use a personalized process for learning. Students are encouraged to reflect on elements of the curriculum as they are exposed to them and then integrate these things, enhancing what they already know. Mastery learning tends to be a more effective option for moderate to lower functioning students who struggle to keep up in a traditional class setting. Students are allowed to complete assigned work over a period of time, while often having to maintain minimal benchmarks of completion. ​Mastery learning is also generally more versatile in a students’ ability to demonstrate mastery of a topic or concept. Instructional concepts as well as assessments are usually varied so that students can “display” their knowledge in a variety of ways. Portfolios, drawings, papers, posters and other projects are examples of alternative assessments. Master learning affords the student the ability to, often by requirement, rework assignments and assessments until they demonstrate satisfactory levels of comprehension and can therefore move on to additional concepts and/or material. Mastery learning is the preferred method of academic instruction in non-traditional, or special purpose schools. This type of instruction is more accommodating for institutions with an open-entry, open-exit type of enrollment. ​One of the challenges we face with the use of mastery learning is motivation. The concept and premise of mastery learning seems noble enough, but students are obviously more effective if they are motivated to take advantage of what can often be a slower process of learning. Students’ who are moderate to lower functioning academically, can quickly become lazy about learning and use the slower process as an excuse for why they “can’t learn”. This is usually due to the student putting off assignments that need to be completed until they do not have sufficient time, and/or desire to finish. It can come from the student lacking the necessary desire to complete the assigned work. It can stem from past academic failures or old habits that the student feels may get them out of some of the required work. It also however, can come from an honest inability to understand concepts or the ability to attach new learning to information that was previously learned. ​I think it is safe to say that that mastery learning could also be termed “patient learning” as it allows for a more personal process for learning. There are of course, both problems and benefits of this type of learning. When not properly utilized students can actually fall farther behind their peers in academic instruction with mastery learning in a given time period. When applied properly mastery learning provides a viable option for many students who find it hard to keep up with the normal academic flow or time table of a traditional school setting. Mastery learning can boost the confidence of some students who have historically demonstrated difficulties in learning, further motivating them to want to learn. ​At Sorenson’s Ranch School we have learned that Mastery learning is a good fit for the students we enroll in our program. We feel that this type of learning is adaptable by our teachers to meet the various academic needs of our diverse student body. We are most often able to help students catch up to appropriate grade level instruction and experience general academic success, which many of our students have not had in the past.

Language Arts At Sorenson's Ranch School

The Language Arts classes at Sorenson’s Ranch School are continuing to follow the Common Core curriculum as they learn how to become better writers through use of the writing process and the Six Traits of Writing. By understanding the efficacy of each step of the writing process, students continue to strengthen their ability to plan, write, revise, and publish content-rich, thoughtful essays. During this process, students focus on the Six Traits of writing so that their writing becomes more focused to a specific purpose and provides excellent reasoning backed by research. The Common Core is addressed as students: 1. Learn to develop good writing habits through frequent reading and writing. 2. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. 3. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. 4. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. 5. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences. 6. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking; demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Mind Mapping for Research and Notes

There are several different methods for taking notes. In college, this author used the Harvard method almost exclusively. This author hadn’t learned any other methods for taking notes, and it seemed to work okay. Usually when taking notes, people end up with pages of detail on each specific sub-topic. However, there is not any overall picture of how these bits of information fit together in the main topic or with each other. This article will discuss a method for taking notes that will overcome this shortcoming of traditional note taking. This form of taking notes is called Mind Mapping, Concept Mapping, Spray Diagrams, or Spider Diagrams. Note: “Mind Map” is a trademark of the Buzan Organization (www.buzan.com). There is no association between Sorenson’s Ranch School and Buzan. Mind Maps were developed by Tony Buzan. They are useful for brainstorming, summarizing, consolidating, studying, memorizing, and thinking through information. Drawing a mind map is simple. Write the main topic in the center of a page, and circle it. Then, draw lines out from the main topic and write sub-topics on the lines. More detail can be added to the sub-topics by drawing further lines out from the primary sub-topics. Effective mind maps can be drawn by using single words/simple phrases, printing words, using colors to differentiate separate ideas from one another, and linking sub-topics with lines to show relationships between them. Working as a teacher in a high school/middle school environment such as Sorenson’s Ranch School makes Mind Mapping especially useful to help students who don’t organize information well. This method of note taking makes a huge improvement in retention of information and reduces frustration with learning about subjects in classes, in this author’s experience. Mind maps generally take up one side of one page, and are meant to make associations, as well as generate new ideas. Students can also add to a mind map once new information is discovered on the topic. So, start with a new subject you are interested in researching, and start mind mapping.

Common Core Based Curriculum at Sorenson's Ranch School

A new teacher, new books, and a new Common Core-based curriculum have been welcomed to the Language Arts department at Sorenson’s Ranch School. While school is year round at Sorenson’s Ranch and a new school year comes more often than once a year (because students work through classes at their own pace), the current changes at Sorenson’s have been notable for students and staff. Christy Parrish, recently of Monument Valley High School on the Navajo Reservation, has relocated to Koosharem, Utah to fill the post of Language Arts Teacher here at Sorenson’s Ranch. She trained to become a teacher at BYU in Provo, Utah. During her training, she took specialty classes in ESL which prepared her to scaffold her lessons based on students’ understanding and unique needs. She also studied languages extensively and is thrilled to be able to share her love of language and love of reading with all students she comes into contact with. Additionally, Christy has completed the coursework for a Reading Specialist. Understanding how students develop in their reading as they progress through school has helped her to carefully select and recommend engaging and interesting reading assignments for her students. She is becoming an integral part of both Sorenson’s Ranch School and the Koosharem community. Christy is currently writing new Common Core-based curriculum for the Language Arts classes. While it is no easy feat to concurrently teach and prepare courses for 6th through 12th grade, she is thrilled to have 2012 WriteSource books as a guide to her preparation of writing projects, reading assignments and formative assessments that align with the Utah Common Core. Christy is using the Utah Core to guide all aspects of the Language Arts courses and will continue to create lessons and activities that will meet the unique needs of Sorenson’s Ranch students. As students study the writing process and learn to revise and edit their own work, their own problem-solving and cognitive processes will be strengthened. As students use the Six Traits of writing (ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency and conventions) to tailor their writing for specific audiences, they will be prepared to write for many real-life occasions. Sorenson’s Ranch School graduates may choose to apply for college, prepare for a technical school or present themselves as the best possible candidate for employment. In all of these potential futures they have to choose from, the burgeoning curriculum at this school gives students the skills and information needed for them to succeed in their future learning or employment opportunities.

Why do we study mathematics?

On a daily basis, I get the question about why we study math. The truth of the matter is that most of us will never have to write the equation of a circle or use the quadratic formula once we get through high school. So why do we have to do it during high school? Mathematics is about problem solving methods. Every math problem that gets discussed and assigned forces us to use many, if not all, of the detailed methods of problem solving. Each individual problem becomes a small but important lesson for solving problems in general. Math is traditionally learned by first doing many simple problems. Then the simple problem solving methods are put together to solve complex problems. For instance, in order to solve algebraic equations, being knowledgeable about addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division is a must. Ordering the steps to be carried out, evaluating expressions, and learning how and when equations are used must be mastered as well. Knowing this, we then ask the question. What do all problems, mathematical or not, have in common? Successful problem solvers understand what is expected in the problems they face. In other words, they know all of the details surrounding the problem at hand, which is the most important step to solving problems. It requires attention to detail and therefore, patience. After examining the details, intelligent choices need to be made regarding the beginning steps of developing a strategy. The plan must be carried out in an order that makes sense. Careful planning, possibly using justifiable experimentation, must take place. Once an actual solution is obtained, it must be tested to determine whether or not it is reasonable. These components of problem solving are basic to everyday situations. In my math courses, the goal is to learn to be problem solvers and independent thinkers. I often allow students to arrive at an incorrect solution. This allows us to discuss their solution and the process the student used to arrive at the solution. We can discuss ways to improve the solution and many times students can see where they went wrong as they explain their reasoning. It is also a goal to help students understand the usefulness of their solution. I often relate math problems to buying a car. In the process of buying a car, we study what it is we want/need, what we can afford, and what cars are available. We narrow down our choices and make a final decision. After the final decision, it is a good idea to take a look at our choice and run through the process again to make sure the car makes sense and suits our needs. For most of us, mathematics is basic training in problem solving. For those who learn to enjoy math and it’s specific brand of mental stimulation, there are plenty of careers that make a lot of money involving mathematics. As a math teacher, I encourage students to work hard in mathematics and try to be positive about math. Who knows where they may go with it?

Learning About Nutrition

Over the past few years there has been a lot of controversy on whether or not classes in the family and consumer education area (formerly known as home economics) are important in high school.
Classes such as foods and nutrition are becoming more and more important. The steady rise in obesity in the Nation’s youth population has come to the forefront of our awareness. Obesity in youth has become a top priority for health professionals in the U.S.
A big percentage of obesity in childhood and adolescence can be related to poor eating habits. One effective way to manage obesity is to change eating habits. Making students more aware of dietary needs helps them learn what goes into foods, and the best ways of cooking healthy recipes to benefit them in their later years. Besides being a basic life skill, cooking can instill a feeling of accomplishment and pleasure.
Learning to cook their own meals can help students make more nutritious choice rather than always defaulting to fast food or junk food. High school students are at a stage where it is crucial to learn about the importance of proper nutrition. Teens often do not follow recommended dietary guidelines; they consume many of their calories from sweets and fats.
Nutrition should be an important part of a high school curriculum to teach students eating habits that will benefit their health. Teaching nutrition as part of standard curriculum can help students understand how to make good choices.
In our foods and nutrition class, we teach a balanced mix of nutrition and basic cooking skills that will come in handy later in life. The students aren’t always thrilled about the nutrition portion of the course, but definitely like the cooking labs!!
Teaching students to make good nutrition choices and how to cook are skills that will improve health, save time and money at the grocery store, and promote good health for the rest of their lives.

Sorenson's Ranch School Teacher Answers: "What is taking so long"

During the years that I have been teaching mathematics, I have noticed that many students complain about the number of problems in an assignment or the amount of time it takes to complete an assignment. I decided to look at the situation and see if the assignments I give are too long. I started by doing all of the assignments myself. I found that the average time it takes me to do the assignments is about 10 minutes. I worked every problem out completely, read all of the instructions, and checked my answers for correctness. I thought that if I could do an assignment in 10 minutes, then the students should be able to do it in 50 minutes. I decided that the assignments were not too long and should not require much time to complete.
I still needed to figure out what was taking so long for the assignments to be completed. While I was presenting to a class a few days later I asked the students what eight multiplied by seven is. I waited for a response, none came. I turned and looked at the students to see that they were all entering 8 x 7 into calculators. After a while the students started to give me the answer I was looking for. I thought that answers to questions like what is eight multiplied by seven should be automatic at the high school level. Having to use calculators was costing students time and making assignments seem longer. I decided to observe how often students use calculators on a problem and try to get a feel for the extra time spent entering things into them that they should already know. I had students work a multi-step problem on the whiteboard as I watched. I found that students seemed to know what to do, but used the calculator to perform all calculations. I observed that using the calculator to do simple calculations cost students from one to two minutes on every problem. If each assignment has around 25 problems, this is taking students an extra 25 to 50 minutes to complete an assignment.
I saw that students were using calculators to do simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Due to the time that this was taking my students to complete assignments, I decided to implement a “mathematics daily basics” program. Each day, students are given five minutes to answer the questions on the whiteboard. These exercises are designed help students understand the basic rules for each of the four basic operations and learn to do simple operations quickly. I have noticed students completing work faster, and seem more confident in their answers. I feel that understanding the basics of mathematics, or any subject, is vital to understanding more advanced concepts. When students understand, their attitude changes toward mathematics, and they begin to enjoy it.
I’m not saying that calculators have no place in the classroom. Calculators open the door to solve more advanced problems and can enrich student learning. The goal of technology is to make life more efficient, not to make problems take longer. The debate on when it is appropriate to use calculators in a classroom is still going on, but professionals on both sides agree that students need to be able to perform basic operations without a calculator.
Bradley Shaw
Sorenson’s Ranch School
Mathematics

The Truth about Tobacco Assembly at Sorenson’s Ranch School

Adam Bromwell, who is employed by The Truth, an anti-Tobacco organization which is funded through money that was received in a law suit against tobacco companies, visited Sorenson’s Ranch School on Thursday, February 3rd, and gave a presentation entitled, “The Truth about Tobacco”. All of Sorenson’s students attended this dynamic presentation and were given the opportunity to ask questions and interact with Adam as he talked about the dangers of tobacco products and the marketing that the tobacco companies use to target the younger generations.
Adam shared many interesting facts with the Sorenson’s Ranch School staff and students about tobacco, some of which I will share with you. One out of three people who smoke will die of a tobacco related disease. Twelve hundred smokers die per day worldwide from tobacco diseases, which is five million per year. Tobacco kills more people then AIDS, car accidents, suicides, and homicides combined. There are 500 chemicals in each cigarette and 43 of those are known to cause cancer. Cigarettes are as addictive as marijuana and cocaine, and they change the way a teenager’s brain looks and works. Chewing tobacco has 28 cancer causing chemicals and has serious health consequences as well.
Adam focused on how tobacco companies target the younger generations in their marketing campaigns. Tobacco can be purchased that is flavored to taste a lot like candy, and some of the packing resembles the packing of candy. This is disturbing that a product that is manufactured for adults is being made to appeal to our children, to get them addicted, which in turn puts money in the pockets of the CEO’s of these tobacco companies. There is 12.4 billion dollars per year being spent on tobacco advertising. These ads are being seen by minors and are appealing to them as well. Four thousand kids a day try their first cigarette worldwide.
Adam’s message was strong and well received by the students. The students asked many questions, became involved in this presentation, and thanked him for sharing his message. As you talk to your teenager, ask them about this presentation and find out what interesting things they learned.

Sorenson's Ranch School Equine Program Director Dianna Lovelady

Utahn through and through, Dianna has enjoyed the beauty that Utah holds via horse, mule, snowshoes, skis, 4-wheelers and a foot. Always accompanied by at least one 4-legged friend, she shares her world with many who are in envy. At Sorenson’s Ranch School, Dianna loves her job where she teaches young people more than just to ride a horse, she teaches them how to ride life. Bringing her dog to work daily, taking care of the ‘The Hen House’, working on leather projects and doing many outside activities with the students is all part of it. A famous quote that lives true in her world, “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man” (Winston Churchill). To expand on this quote, Dianna believes that things with life and energy, whether it’s a horse, dog, chicken, tree, flower, mountain, or sky, are good for the inside of a man, a woman, and a child. She is honored to share her love for life with all here at Sorenson’s Ranch School.
Dianna has ridden 30+ years in northern, southern, eastern and western Utah deserts, valleys and mountains. She enjoyed competing with an all ladies equestrian precision drill team for eight years because it was something to do with her horse. Living two years on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, she guided mule trips in and out of an amazing place lost in time. She managed a working cattle/dude ranch for seven years, hosting foreign guests, family groups, and large youth groups(up to 300 kids). Dianna worked for 15 years in the restaurant industry for a company that employs mostly teenagers and young adults,. She was in management, and for four years she taught all their training classes and ran their Human Resource Department.
Dianna lives 30 miles to the south of Sorenson’s Ranch in the tiny town of Antimony, where she owns and operates a Bed & Breakfast, another avenue where she shares her world. To live in a small town is a choice that she has chosen. She is a city kid that ran to the country and decided to stay.