Zoo School

More than once I have heard (and may have said) "my classroom is a zoo". For high school students at the School for Environmental Studies, their classroom is actually the local zoo. Located outside of Minneapolis, SES is a high school of choice for 400 eleventh and twelfth graders. This project based and service learning high school takes students outside and immerses them in pond life (11th grade) and zoo life (12th grade).

If you have an extra ten minutes check out the video. This school is a great example of an innovative school model, especially for those students who score high in Gardner's 8th intellegence~naturalist intelligence. I particularly like the idea that their data collection, technical writing, reports, etc... are assessed and used by the local community. These students understand their work has a signficant impact on their community. What could be more motivating?
www.edutopia.org/school-environmental-studies

no-box thinkers in the 21st Century

Just when I thought my head was going to explode, overwhelmed with the depth of the reasons why we are stuck in our 19th century education framework, Jacobs offers a practical and reasonable place to begin reform...assessments. The five steps for upgrading assessments she suggests in Chapter 2, seem very reasonable and easy to implement. Inviting teachers to make at least one assessment replacement per semester makes the change less daunting. Taking it one step further, differentiation of the assessments could occur naturally in this model by having more than one required assessment type.

Even though we all know the only constant is change, we have all struggled with some aspect of change. I love the idea of looking at reform as a "growth model" because growth is "positive and deep."

I was educated in a 19th century style of teaching. I learned to be a teacher in a 19th century style of teaching. Now I need to step out of the box and become a 21st century thinker and teacher. Growth I can embrace, but where do I put the box?

Stating the Obvious

In my family I am known for stating the obvious. Most times it goes over just fine ( other times...well you can imagine). I feel compelled to state the obvious here in my blog. Project-based inquiry learning works. In my own learning experience this week, I jumped from moderate interest in our comparative studies assignment to full engagement once I received an email from the contact I made in New Zealand.

My third grade resource room students have also been hit with the same passion. Last week we began a Help for Haiti project. Together we came up with an idea to make and sell bracelets, giving the profits to the Red Cross. We have integrated many subjects into the project. For me the best "assessment" has been the comments in their journals such as "we are just kids and we can help" or "I feel happy to help but I am still sad that Haiti had an earthquake."

I write this in my blog, because I am wondering if anyone would like to join our project. We could use Skype as a tool to exchange information. My school email is dcollins@sad22.us.