CANDO School
CANDO Character Education Model
CANDO School is the Creative Center of the CANDO virtual classrooms which inspire and build higher-level cognitive thinking skills and positive character traits and values through the CANDO Curriculum Connection, a mechanism that connects like-minded educators and curriculums and ideas to achieve this.
This new kind of approach features content, questioning and answering strategies, and participation, that light up the learning center of your brain by using FUN, engaging more of the senses, and creating enhanced focus via imagery, positive characters, products, songs, and other multimedia learning vehicles, offering unparalleled interest, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, motivation, and adventure, to the learning landscape.
This awakens our innate natural desire to continue our quest for expansion accessing a joyful process that motivates and inspires progression.
When we inspire the love to learn, our children take this out into the world with an inquisitive mind- seeking higher knowledge and discovery on their own- the best contribution to humanity and our future.
Remember, this is a story we are all writing together!
Character Education through Positive Music!
Music and song is one of the most powerful ways of imprinting upon the frontal lobe.
The CANDO Curriculum for Grade Levels K-12, is a curriculum enhancer and a strategy for developing higher level thinking skills, instilling positive character traits, and strengthening oral and written communication skills, utilizing songs and music from the CANDO Character Education Model as the stimulus.
Where does it work?
In school settings, by enhancing – not displacing – mandated school curricula with specific songs that target subject areas important to youth.
How does it work?
Age-appropriate songs are the stimulus for Discussion Strategies (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy Educational Objectives) and open “Circle” group setting discussion about critical youth issues including self-esteem, respect, empowerment, life choices, integrity, family values, substance abuse, crime, and violence, and more. The CANDO Curriculum, integrated into the formalized school system, provides educators with a powerful tool to develop higher achievement and communication/interaction skills.
Students can physically sit in a circle, or mentally “Circle up!” for the session.
Song lyrics are distributed to students.
The teacher/facilitator plays the song related to the subject area. Rich lyrical song content communicates valuable information to students about topical issues.
Questioning & Discussion Strategies (to elicit response and open discussion) follow.
The teacher/facilitator uses Oral Response Tracking record to tabulate individual student responses; Summary and Evaluation Form for clustered sessions.
The Integrated Lesson Planner provides After-Circle activity and project suggestions.
The Talking stick is a tool available to students who choose to make a closing statement toward the Circle session closure..(have fun making your own!). The Talking Stick is passed from student-to-student around the Circle, and is used to ensure that there will be no interruption of the student choosing to speak. The Talking Stick may be held or placed near the student who “has the floor”. This creative tool enhances mutual respect, “bonds” the Circle and keeps the subject matter on track
“CANDO’s inspiration to deliver character education through music is both appealing and clever, given students’ natural affinity for music and the need for quality character education programs in the classroom. After noting the significant number of endorsements your program has received from state and national organizations, it is clear that others agree.”
“The rationale is clear, the production qualities are impressive. The concepts are compatible with the classroom environment in school and (they) will reinforce a questioning environment. The implementation of this program is likely to be motivating. I have known/met excellent teachers who would/could use these materials effectively. The lyrical content and quality of the music is fresh and catchy. Kids should accept, relate, enjoy!”
“I am impressed with the scholarship level of professionalism, and the excellent technical production of the resource materials. Unless things have changed in my time, The Curriculum Connection fills a void left by the major production houses to produce values and mental health-oriented curriculum resources of public schools. Now, more than ever, our schools must help fill the needs of families – dysfunctional or not – to teach values and the principles of mental health.”
