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Pilot program to offer students non-traditional courses

6 mins read
At left, teacher Dan Ryder with students, present their proposal to the school board. Students, left to right (standing) are: Tavia Robshaw, Hanna Hopkins-Goodwin, Megan Gaboury, Sara Hopkins-Goodwin, and J.T. Williams.

FARMINGTON – While the state Legislature debates standards-based education and the school board holds nightly discussions about mass customized learning, a group of students and teachers intend to put theory into practice as soon as the next school year.

The participants are proposing a student-led initiative that would encompass four disciplines: math, science, social studies and English. Working with four teachers, the 15 students would develop the program and establish goals that would allow them to meet the required standards for sophomore high school students. The program would take place over the course of approximately half the school day, and would feature hands-on projects, non-traditional lesson plans and learning outside of the Mt. Blue campus.

The Mt. Blue Regional School District board has set aside portions of each board meeting to discuss a book, Inevitable: Mass Customized Learning, which details the creation of a standards-based education system. Under such a system, students would be able to learn in different ways and at different speeds, using subjects and means that would allow them to more effectively meet the educational standards.

The concept has been embraced by the Department of Education and DOE Commissioner Stephen Bowen, and the Legislature has reviewed bills which would require school districts to switch to graduating students based on their proficiency, rather than numbers of credits and time.

Teacher Dan Ryder at Mt. Blue High School was showing the students in one of his freshman English classes a video about a program in Massachusetts where students help their teachers develop a non-traditional class. The video was designed to spark a discussion about education, but one student immediately offered an opinion: “That would never happen here.”

“Why not?” Ryder recalled asking. “No one had a good reason.”

The students asked Ryder to talk to MBHS Principal Monique Poulin. Three and a half months of discussion, brainstorming and research, including sections of Inevitable, five students accompanied Ryder to make a presentation to district administrators and, a few days later, the school board.

“It’s a pilot, we’re going to see how it goes,” Ryder said.

Three other teachers, James Burrell, Doug Hodum and Matthew Allen, with Ryder will work with the 15 students, in addition to their other classes. They would help guide the students in developing and practicing their lesson plans as well as provide some brief, traditional classroom lectures if necessary.

Students would sit down at the beginning of their sophomore year with those teachers and look at the standards for subjects that second-year high school students are expected to master: geometry, biology, English and social studies. The teachers and students will develop lesson plans, systems to assess progress and rubrics to score that progress. Like every other student, they would be required to meet standards and would receive grades.

“They’ll be doing the work, being evaluated and getting grades,” Ryder noted. Along the way, students and teachers intend to collect data on what worked, how well, what didn’t, and why.

Students Megan Gaboury, Hanna Hopkins-Goodwin, Sara Hopkins-Goodwin, Tavia Robshaw and J.T. Williams presented their proposal with Ryder to the school board. They stressed the student-led program would include all of the rigor of the regular classroom, but would allow for a greater flexibility in how students learn subject matter.

“I think it’d be a good idea to learn how we want to learn,” Hanna Hopkins-Goodwin told the board, “but still cover the curriculum.”

One student noted she liked to learn at her own pace, with lots of review. Others supported putting down the books for a time and getting their hands dirty. Students were excited about the possibility of visiting greenhouses to learn about biology, visiting a bank to learn about economics. Ryder gave an example of students studying a tree boring, writing lab reports and essays on their findings, then tying the science and English into a historical lesson involving timber harvesting in the medieval ages to cover social study standards.

“It’s putting all four [subjects] together and getting more out of it,” Hanna Hopkins-Goodwin said.

Directors, now have been discussing shifts in the way students are taught in Mt. Blue school for months, were enthusiastic for the pilot program. One of the major sticking points in implementing a mass customized learning system as discussed by the board has been its implementation. Directors suggested a pilot program, what the paper accompanying the students’ presentation called a “school-within-a-school,” might provide significant insight into what a non-traditional education could look like.

“I think it’ll produce more engaged learning,” Director Monique Claverie of Farmington, said. “I think it’ll be good.”

“Really, it’s a mass customized concept,” Poulin said. “But it’s not exactly what you see in the book.”

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13 Comments

  1. Sounds good. Anything that will keep the students interest and encourage their leaning is a step in the right direction. I can remember being bored to death by some subjects, but if there had been an interesting way to teach it or if a more interesting subject could have been combined with it…..who knows what the outcome might have been. Hopefully this project will work well for the students and teachers.

  2. This is awesome! Would love to see the progress of the students published in the Bulldog!

  3. Can’t wait to see how this whole project develops! Very proud of all the sudents involved, they have put a lot of time and energy into this project and it will be nice to see them reap the benefits! I am sure their efforts will help pave the way for other students to take advantage of this type of program in the years to come. Great job students and staff!!!

  4. Wonderful idea… Hope to hear more about it.. Letting students learn in a different way is a good concept.
    Wish it was available when my son was in high school. I sure he would of done much better than with standard subjects… I like the concept using one subject to cover 4 classes and a topic u like. Does not get any better than that for a student..

  5. Sure great idea. Don’t ever pressure our tender children into thinking hard work and discipline will get them anywhere. Don’t worry, be happy!

  6. It’s refreshing to see Mt. Blue embracing creative, forward-thinking students and teachers. It makes me proud to be an alumni! Great job!

  7. As a teacher and MBHS alumus, I want to extend my well wishes to those teachers and students who are working to innovate and expand the curriculum. I’m excited to see how it all turns out. Best of luck.

  8. A question

    How will a relaxed learning situation, prepare a student for higher education?

    Higher education and the workplace, require rigid standards, which I do not believe a relaxed learning will provide, for what real life is all about.

    Relaxed learning will only lead to heartbreak when hard decisions need to be made.

    Stress is needed in education, to prepare a person for the stress of life.

  9. A review of the article states the students are willing to take on and contribute to innovative approaches to learning, while meeting existing standards. I commend them for their commitment to the effort required to innovate, and meet existing standards.
    This sounds like a group of students ready to put forth more effort in order to learn in a way that is more interesting to them.

    Win win stuation…………….everyone will learn from this approach, students, teachers and administrators alike.

    Go for it!

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