Students designing what and how they'd like to learn about issues of the day? Yesterday, we met with teachers and 16 students at Challenge Early College High School. If you haven't heard of this school, you will. Last year Challenge made its debut at #8 on Children At Risk's list of Houston's top high schools.
They're one of our partner schools for Song of Houston's Mexico 2010 project, and as we've been working with a few of their lead teachers to develop curriculum-based lessons and projects, it became clear that we needed to work in a new way.
So the teachers invited students to a meeting to discuss the project, its goals, and what kind of work they'd like to do. In our meeting yesterday with everyone, we heard a poignant personal essay by one student about his father's love and journey to live in the US. We heard what kinds of things the students think of, when they think of "home." And we talked about those objects or materials in our lives that we can't live without.
It was a real brainstorming session of the best kind. So the students and teachers are now thinking a bit more about ways in which to structure projects within the themes of our Mexico 2010 curriculum (exploration of home; how journeys, traditions and stories connect generations; and the impact of transformation and migration on our lives).
I invite any students, teachers, parents to comment about ways in which they might explore these themes. Onward!
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