<A link to Kyle's reflection on the evening added at the end of the post>
Last night was a big night for my husband. Each year since he started a new project
based learning program at his high school they have a big expo in the spring. It’s a chance for the studio students to show
off their projects and practice their presentation skills in front of their families,
friends, teachers, and people from the community. I have been to several and continue to be
impressed by what students are capable of doing when you let them explore their
skills and interests. For example some
of the projects I saw last night included a safe driving application for smart
phones, an academic social media site (built from scratch by 15 year olds,
amazing), team building programs including interactive modules, a novella piggy
backing off Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, short film tutorials for
advance placement world history topics, and an LED programmable bumper
sticker. These kids are learning and
applying market research, product design, coding/development, website
design/maintenance, script development, film editing, and presentation skills. They were honest about the challenges of
overcoming the obstacles they encountered and they were passionate about their
projects. Even though they were graded
last night on their projects several plan to continue to pursue and advance what
they created. Some of the presentations
I saw are products and services I would be willing to purchase especially if
they were refined and moved out of beta stages.
At the end of the night the students had a closing
ceremony. They had several current
students and soon to be studio graduates speak briefly about what the program
has meant to them. The recurring theme
was that through the program they had surprised themselves with how much they
are capable of and that they were inspired to keep growing their confidence and
skill sets. This was more than just a
class. It was a safe place to push the
boundaries of their capabilities with teachers who helped guide them but didn’t
get in their way. It was a safe place to
fail and try again. It was a place where
they learned the frustration and the potential of working with others. The lessons learned about working in teams will
serve them well throughout college and their careers.
As they spoke they thanked my husband and his team teacher for dedicating the last 4 years of their careers to the program. Their words brought tears to my eyes. It is not often you get to see the people you
love through someone else’s eyes. I got
a chance to do that last night and I saw what a huge impact he has made in the
lives in those kids and it made me incredibly proud. They made them each a card and I cherished
getting to read their words to him. Some
were silly but some were incredibly sincere and great reminders of the lasting
impact of the program on the lives of the students.
Last night was also a big night because next year my husband
will be moving to a new school to pursue an exciting and challenging
opportunity. I know it was a bitter
sweet night for him. He is excited about
what is to come but sad to leave behind something he built with such passion
and pride. It takes a great deal of
courage to walk away from something good in pursuit of something even better. To push yourself outside of your comfort zone
for the greater good of yourself and your field. This is where Kyle inspires me the most. He knows when to play it safe and when to
take a risk. I truly believe that what
he built in the studio is just the beginning of the amazing things he will do
throughout his career to enrich the education and lives of his students.
Here is Kyle's reflection on the expo: http://theartofforgetting.com/2014/05/09/my-final-studio-expo-a-reflection/
