Pathfinder Project Encourages Students To Reach Their Goals

By Larissa Lytwyn

In a few weeks, Reed Intermediate School will pilot the Pathfinder Project, a hot-off-the-presses program created by renowned author and educator Robert J. Marzano, as well as educator Diane E. Paynter and Jane K. Doty.

Reed Assistant Principal Tony Salvatore, a longtime admirer of Mr Marzano’s work, was eager to take part in the project upon learning about it through research.

“Sixth graders will be selected randomly to serve in the experimental group,” he explained. A second class at approximately the same academic level will be a control group.

The program, designed to help students achieve their academic and personal goals, is based on the principle that “everyone has deeply-held desires to accomplish something that is highly meaningful to them and deeply personal.”

When engaged in such pursuits, the authors contend, “individuals bring to bear energy and abilities that are otherwise difficult, if not impossible, to access.”

“Students often surprise themselves with what they can accomplish,” Mr Salvatore noted.

Engaging in such pursuits, according to the authors, also allows individuals to learn more about themselves. Typically, these “deeply-held desires are awakened by an inspirational event.”

The project’s materials consist of a set of inspirational stories and quotes, activities for learning “essential life skills,” such as critical thinking, imagery, and decisionmaking, and provide a framework for a personal project.

The curricular life skills portion of the project include challenging word problems that inspire students to employ their memory and logic skills.

One problem, for example, states, “Judy said ‘There aren’t any wooden chairs in the store.’ Betty asked, ‘Couldn’t you say the same thing another way?’”

The problem asks students to choose from three possible answers Judy can give, “Only metal chairs are in the store,” “No wooden chairs are in the store,” or “Some wooden chairs are not in the store.”

The personal framework consists of identifying a particular goal to pursue, eliciting support from peers and family, gathering information about their goal, discerning discrepancies between their current self and themselves after their accomplishment, creating a plan, moving into action, and later evaluating the effectiveness of their action.

“We hope to have the results of the project by the end of the school year,” said Mr Salvatore.

The project’s materials and application forms were free of charge. The school board formally approved Mr Salvatore’s plan to implement the project during its last meeting March 16.