ALBANY - An ad hoc group of parents, teachers and community members in Albany are eyeing a major transformation in their schools, which will open the doors, literally, for students to enter the community and local landscapes for real-life learning environments.
The changeover is technically to become a charter school but to take the concepts to a much higher, broader level. The school received a $225,000 DPI grant to explore and investigate similar innovative educational practices currently in place at other schools. Middle and High School Principal Traci Davis said the goal is "full conversion," starting with the middle school, grades 5-8.
The reality and richness of a robust community is supposed to become the ultimate learning experience, according to proponents.
"This community provides a lot of opportunities. We have the river; that's a big benefit. Then there's the bike trail, and Green County - all of Green County, there's enormous learning opportunities: Our cheese industry, agriculture..." she said. "And it's not just the places, it's the people - IT, military, professional."
Even the building is expected to undergo a transformation, as classrooms and hallways are furnished and decorated to facilitate students' numerous and varying learning styles.
"Warmer, cozy, more like home," Davis explained.
The overhaul, focusing on place-based learning but keeping the core educational standards, may appear as a dramatic re-invention compared to the current schooling approach. But this broad pathway to developing curriculum has been emerging since the 1990s, according to James Lewicki of Lewicki Education Consulting LLC, who is working with the group.
Schools involved with changing to place-based learning are all different and unique, said District Administrator Dr. Stephen Guenther.
"They all have a different flavor, because the community plays a big part in what's available, what the parents want and the (students') individual projects," he said.
Classrooms with white walls, tiled floors and students sitting in rows of one-size-fits-all desks are about to become a thing of the past. Stuffed couches, rugs and swivel stools surrounded by warm peach or refreshing green walls could replace them.
"Nobody ever sits in a desk to read a book after they leave school," Guenther said. In fact, many books will be replaced with computers, laptops or iPads.
The curriculum changes are intended to be slow, methodical, and tested before fully implemented. Because most teachers have middle school and high school classes, Davis expects an eventual, smooth expansion into the high school.
"We're going to make some changes, but it's whether it's going to take 10 years or a couple years," Guenther added.
As the group anticipates approaching the school board Jan. 14 for approval to proceed with a charter, it is planning two more meetings, Dec. 10 and Jan. 7.
Parents and community input is important, said Jeff Campbell, teaching social studies in middle and high school. "We want community members at the meetings," he said.
Campbell is already preparing his homeroom students for a schooling change with a student learning plan. The advisory portion of the curriculum change is essential, he said.
During the first 15 minutes of the day, Campbell's students participate in team-building games, which he said "builds a sense of community and a sense of belonging." They are also writing out yearly, school and life goals, taking behavioral assessments and inventorying their learning styles.
"Ideally, they will take this portfolio with them as they advance through school," Campbell said.
The new curriculum designs with seminars, workshops, modules, symposiums, and field studies will dovetail classes and integrate new technology in various ways to implement a cultural change to learning for students.
"We know how kids learn; we're so much further ahead than we were a hundred years ago," Guenther said. "Now, it's time to teach the kids how to learn."
The changeover is technically to become a charter school but to take the concepts to a much higher, broader level. The school received a $225,000 DPI grant to explore and investigate similar innovative educational practices currently in place at other schools. Middle and High School Principal Traci Davis said the goal is "full conversion," starting with the middle school, grades 5-8.
The reality and richness of a robust community is supposed to become the ultimate learning experience, according to proponents.
"This community provides a lot of opportunities. We have the river; that's a big benefit. Then there's the bike trail, and Green County - all of Green County, there's enormous learning opportunities: Our cheese industry, agriculture..." she said. "And it's not just the places, it's the people - IT, military, professional."
Even the building is expected to undergo a transformation, as classrooms and hallways are furnished and decorated to facilitate students' numerous and varying learning styles.
"Warmer, cozy, more like home," Davis explained.
The overhaul, focusing on place-based learning but keeping the core educational standards, may appear as a dramatic re-invention compared to the current schooling approach. But this broad pathway to developing curriculum has been emerging since the 1990s, according to James Lewicki of Lewicki Education Consulting LLC, who is working with the group.
Schools involved with changing to place-based learning are all different and unique, said District Administrator Dr. Stephen Guenther.
"They all have a different flavor, because the community plays a big part in what's available, what the parents want and the (students') individual projects," he said.
Classrooms with white walls, tiled floors and students sitting in rows of one-size-fits-all desks are about to become a thing of the past. Stuffed couches, rugs and swivel stools surrounded by warm peach or refreshing green walls could replace them.
"Nobody ever sits in a desk to read a book after they leave school," Guenther said. In fact, many books will be replaced with computers, laptops or iPads.
The curriculum changes are intended to be slow, methodical, and tested before fully implemented. Because most teachers have middle school and high school classes, Davis expects an eventual, smooth expansion into the high school.
"We're going to make some changes, but it's whether it's going to take 10 years or a couple years," Guenther added.
As the group anticipates approaching the school board Jan. 14 for approval to proceed with a charter, it is planning two more meetings, Dec. 10 and Jan. 7.
Parents and community input is important, said Jeff Campbell, teaching social studies in middle and high school. "We want community members at the meetings," he said.
Campbell is already preparing his homeroom students for a schooling change with a student learning plan. The advisory portion of the curriculum change is essential, he said.
During the first 15 minutes of the day, Campbell's students participate in team-building games, which he said "builds a sense of community and a sense of belonging." They are also writing out yearly, school and life goals, taking behavioral assessments and inventorying their learning styles.
"Ideally, they will take this portfolio with them as they advance through school," Campbell said.
The new curriculum designs with seminars, workshops, modules, symposiums, and field studies will dovetail classes and integrate new technology in various ways to implement a cultural change to learning for students.
"We know how kids learn; we're so much further ahead than we were a hundred years ago," Guenther said. "Now, it's time to teach the kids how to learn."