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I chose Avalon School from the list of potential service learning sites because it sounded much different than any school I had ever attended or worked in. And after my experiences I can say that it truly is a unique place for students to grow and learn. I liked the idea of a project-based school and was intrigued to see it in action. However, I'm still slightly uneasy with the idea of having a system purely based on learning at your own pace and projects. My main issue with it is that the world doesn't quite work that way. There will be definitive deadlines to meet and may be busy work to complete. While eliminating these for students can improve learning, the students may be lacking certain skills that they can use in real world scenarios later on. On the other hand, I love the idea of senior projects that students are required to complete, as well as the idea of a strong support system. I think combining the idea of creating projects allows students to get more involved in their learning, but I believe they should be combined with other types of learning strategies as well to reach a wider range of student interest.

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Something I appreciated about the art teacher's manner of connecting to his students was through his use of exit questions. Before the students were allowed to leave the classroom at the end of the day, they were asked to answer a relatively silly or fun question. The questions range from what they liked about a certain class to how they like their spaghetti sauce. While these questions are a small simple task, it really creates a personal connection between the students and the teacher.

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I had the privilege of being able to sit in on a senior project proposal by a student in the art class room and advisory I spent the majority of my time in. This particular student was intrigued by the idea of both art therapy and the power of performance art. They had the responsibility of finding a mentor from the Twin Cities community, a student who was a junior, and talking with both their parents or guardians, as well as their advisor. At the initial meeting, the student ran the discussion which revolved around a plan they put together regarding research and a final project that could be presented to fellow students, faculty, and families at the end of the academic year. I think this format is an interesting way to both engage students and strengthen their skills of discovery, presentation, work ethic, and time management. What I love most about the senior projects is the distinct support system that is created for each student. The most important adults in the child's life are all on board in what the student is aiming to accomplish and how to best assist them to meet their goals. It is so important that the support system extends beyond the classroom, and even the household into the greater community. Transferring this concept into traditional public schools could be a great way to reduce the achievement gap by engaging students in ways they are usually not and providing them with a real life context.

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What Do You Do With an Idea? by Kobi Yamada

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What Do You Do With an Idea? by Kobi Yamada

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Teaching at Avalon reminds me of a children's book my grandma once showed me. The premise of the story is about a little boy who develops an idea, but fights with an internal struggle of confidence as to what others might think of his idea. His idea, as represented as an egg, grows as he grows in confidence, eventually bringing his idea into the world. Avalon is a charter high school in St. Paul developed to engage the curious mind of a human. Their education model is based on a project-based ideology that allows students to think of an idea that can cross between multiple subjects and pursue it to satisfy school learning standards.

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Alfie Kohn's article, Encouraging Courage, spoke about the steps teachers can take to change the education system for the better. I think Avalon does a few things that Kohn specifically mentions, including allowing students to decorate "the classroom by themselves" and allowing teachers "to run the faculty meetings". Avalon has based their school on the power of teachers and the abilities of their students. I think the biggest take away from the article, that I also witnessed at Avalon, was Kohn's statement, "accepting some unpredictability and messiness but also giving up some control" is the way to create a learning environment that is truly beneficial to students, and their teachers.

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Avalon Charter School | Empowering Students, Exploring Passions.

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Students create their own projects as a way to complete state requirements and pursue their passions. Added benefit? Through projects, students learn time management and collaborative skills necessary to succeed in the 21st century.