Question: How will your school support and enable students to form positive identities as continuous learners, build complex skills, and contribute as members of their communities? Develop profiles of 2-3 representative students and describe their growth and development through high school.
Imagine the typical day in the life of two students at Idea Tree.
Dani, a sophomore at Idea Tree, sits in the auditorium as community members and business partners present their unique challenge to the sophomore class. She jots down questions and comments as each challenge gets pitched to her and her colleagues. After much deliberation and conferring with her advisor, Dani accepts the challenge of designing a 3D-printed hand for a disabled veteran in conjunction with Eva Wolf, co-owner of Airwolf3D, a local 3D-printer manufacturer. With her team and her advisor, Dani maps out a ten week plan to address the Common Core, Next Generation Science, and elective standards that this challenge helps students master. She also builds time to meet with Mrs. Wolf and her design team at Airwolf3D to ensure her final product will be ready by the end of the quarter.
Misael is in his junior year at Idea Tree and is nearing the completion of this quarter’s challenge which he and his team have accepted. Over the past eight weeks, Misael has emerged as the leader of a team who has agreed to find ways to improve the efficiency of an airplane. Working with airport executives and aerospace engineers, Misael has yet to ask when his learning will ever be relevant. In fact, he is using the content in context nearly every day. It is time for his team to demonstrate true mastery as the end of the quarter is quickly approaching. Misael and his team decide to perform a Shakespeare-themed skit to pitch their idea to the executives, engineers, and Idea Tree instructors, knowing that they will be graded on a rigorous rubric.
Most importantly, Dani, Misael, and their classmates all feel like their voices — and education — finally matter.
Imagine the typical day in the life of two students at Idea Tree.
Dani, a sophomore at Idea Tree, sits in the auditorium as community members and business partners present their unique challenge to the sophomore class. She jots down questions and comments as each challenge gets pitched to her and her colleagues. After much deliberation and conferring with her advisor, Dani accepts the challenge of designing a 3D-printed hand for a disabled veteran in conjunction with Eva Wolf, co-owner of Airwolf3D, a local 3D-printer manufacturer. With her team and her advisor, Dani maps out a ten week plan to address the Common Core, Next Generation Science, and elective standards that this challenge helps students master. She also builds time to meet with Mrs. Wolf and her design team at Airwolf3D to ensure her final product will be ready by the end of the quarter.
Misael is in his junior year at Idea Tree and is nearing the completion of this quarter’s challenge which he and his team have accepted. Over the past eight weeks, Misael has emerged as the leader of a team who has agreed to find ways to improve the efficiency of an airplane. Working with airport executives and aerospace engineers, Misael has yet to ask when his learning will ever be relevant. In fact, he is using the content in context nearly every day. It is time for his team to demonstrate true mastery as the end of the quarter is quickly approaching. Misael and his team decide to perform a Shakespeare-themed skit to pitch their idea to the executives, engineers, and Idea Tree instructors, knowing that they will be graded on a rigorous rubric.
Most importantly, Dani, Misael, and their classmates all feel like their voices — and education — finally matter.
Google Science Fair. (2014, February 11). Google Science Fair: Meet Ann Makosinski. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrnNmzSSn0w.
