Luke's Way

Soap box Monday.  Just a little background to begin.  You all know how I feel about the rigidity of Common Core and testing. The multitude of worksheets, practice tests, real tests and tests before they've even actually learned the information drives me a little crazy.  Now let me take you to a time and place where education is a joy.  The time is still right now, the place is a private school in Virginia and the subject is freedom to educate.
Our cousin's grandson, (who probably is a 3rd cousin twice removed on paper but holds a special little place in my heart) was given a project by his teacher called Amazing Animals.  They were to research an animal...( or bird) and make a presentation to their class.  Luke's project was the Bald Eagle.  Luke's Grandma and Grandpa live here in Moravia and through Face Book, phone calls, emails and visits, had told him all about two of our local favorites, Millard and Abigail.  While our students are being trained in the correct way to fill in bubbles on a  test sheet, Luke and his classmates are LEARNING by doing... What a novel idea.


What our kids are learning:
Sit quietly in your seats.
Read all questions carefully
Fill in the bubble with the correct answer
Fill in the bubble again...neatly this time (Bailee) as it won't count if it's outside the oval.
Disregard the sunshine pouring in your window
This test doesn't count toward your report card grade but it may determine whether your teacher passes or fails.
Disregard the fact that some of your classmates have "opted out" of their tests while you bucked up and didn't !


What Luke and his classmates are learning:
Research....Internet, library books, visits to the Zoo...etc
Presentation styles.... oral reports, power point, drawn pictures, photos
Public Speaking
Social Skills
Interviewing
Science... classifications, life cycles, food supplies, weather, animal reproduction, hibernation...etc
Organization and planning
Neatness
Social Studies.....where the animals live now and the origin of their species
And more and more and more........All while having fun!


Now I see no need for the skills of a brain surgeon or a rocket scientist to know that anyone would want their child, or grandchild, to learn Luke's way.  This third grader has mastered life skills from just this one project that will stay with him forever. Bailee has learned that bubbles are no longer fun! How very sad :-(