Climate of Possibility

Last year I posted a blog about transforming MS. (Transforming the Middle Level Experience) We were and continue to be focused on breaking away from the traditional factory model of education with each content area in a separate silo. The idea of Math only occurring 4^th period and reading & writing only rearing its’ head during 8^th period English in a student’s schedule is an antiquated philosophy. In the real world the lines between disciplines are blurred and everything is interconnected. Knowing that we are preparing today’s students for an economy and future that looks nothing like it does today, we have to provide students with a different school experience than what most of us had.

With great foresight and vision the district has made an investment for teachers to receive Project Based Learning training; we have implemented a plan to re-invent the middle school schedule by re-working some existing courses and we also started a three-year rollout to bring some High School courses to the middle level. With that foundation and a staff with incredible creativity and willingness to grow, we are creating a climate of possibility: a building culture in which creativity and trying new things is celebrated and encouraged, with a belief that even in failure our students and staff learn and grow in the process.  The results have been outstanding. We have started to see some significant shifts in instructional practices and growth in student achievement just in the last year and a half.

Every civilization needs a gov't...

6th grade students have been involved with several Project Based Learning experiences this year which had students engaged in ways that we haven’t seen before. Most kids are not going to remember the names of the pharaohs from the Old Kingdom in Egypt or explain the rock cycle in detail, but the experience of working as a team to research and develop a civilization to stand the test of time or research and work to solve real-world energy issues will stay with them and endure. 

...and an economy

Students need opportunities to be creative & to think big!

Hands-on engineering

For the second year in a row, we had a group of 6^th grade students involved with an underwater robotics competition called SeaPerch. The SeaPerch Program provides students with the opportunity to learn about robotics, engineering, science, and mathematics (STEM) while building an underwater ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) as part of a science and engineering technology curriculum. Throughout the project, students learn engineering concepts, problem solving, teamwork, and technical applications. The looks on their faces say it all; excitement, engagement, enthusiasm, and wonder. This is an experience that we need to continue to provide and hopefully bring to scale with our entire middle school population.

Underwater ROV

Throughout the building the walls that separated our different content areas for years are starting to crumble. Teachers are working and planning together around the most essential skills and concepts in order to provide students higher-level, real-world experiences. We are starting to let go of some of the long held practices that many of us experienced as students; looking up answers in a book, regurgitating facts stored in short term memory and filling in packets - those are not skills that our students need to thrive in their future.

The world continues to move on. Our economy continues to evolve. Technological progress and global integration continue to increase the rate of change of everything around us. The transformation of our schools needs to mirror that level of change or at the very least make an effort to stay relevant. The obstacles of the schedules, contracts, the school calendar, certifications, budgets, the mindset ‘but we’ve always done it that way’ and the over-involved hands of State and Federal government are considerable, but not insurmountable. Our kids deserve a climate of possibility.

As a district and a building we need to maintain our focus and investment, both financially and philosophically to give our students what they need for their future. Complaining about obstacles is useless and a waste of time. Finding creative solutions is leadership.

Please remember to get out and vote today and support your school budget wherever you live. For those of you living in the West Genesee district, thank you for your continued support of our students and staff as we strive to create a climate of possibility.

Continued Success,

Steve Dunham

Email: sdunham@westgenesee.org

Twitter: @Sdunhamwgms