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Innovative School Program Highlights PBL

by Tammy Quinn
 | Nov 22, 2014

Glendale High School in Springfield, MO, is taking a different approach to learning. Quest@GHS is the first program in the state to partner with New Tech Network, a nonprofit based in California that works with local business leaders to prepare students for a 21st century workforce with more than 130 schools in the U.S. and Australia. The program within the school addresses critical thinking, public speaking, collaboration and the use of technology with a focus on project-based learning. Our perspective is that learning has evolved and our approach to teaching and learning has got to change as well. Students should have a say in how they learn—ownership is very important when it comes to taking responsibility for one’s own future. Quest@GHS provides students with a voice and a choice in how they learn.

Quest@GHS students take pride in their accomplishments. They are responsible for learning, researching, presenting, coaching, directing, and completing projects from beginning to end. They take different roles on different projects. They may direct the group, they may assign the tasks, they may research, create, build, program, or direct their presentation. These presentations are for authentic audiences and designed to have a real world connection to the students.

Some schools have a ‘sit and get’ format. Students listen to lecture, answer questions from the back of the chapter, memorize facts, then spit it back out for the test. That model creates memorizers not lifelong learners. When a person is actively engaged in the process of learning they cannot help but be more invested in the outcome. PBL encourages students to take ownership in what they are learning. It gives them opportunities for hands on learning and encourages them to refine skills they will need for the future.

Our Quest, pardon the pun, began five years ago. It grew from conversations about “dream schools.”  What would we do if we could do anything? Matt Pearce, former principal at Glendale High School, spent time researching and searching for a model that would meet the needs of our students, address their needs in the future, he looked for a model that had some reliable research, and discovered New Tech. He built a team and began visiting different schools, and conversations began. Pearce left the district and Natalie Cauldwell replaced him in 2013. She, too, visited sites and with the support of our district leadership, eventually a team of eight teachers, one counselor, one building director and one district director came together.

Students who are enrolled in Quest@GHS have one combined class (2 subjects, 2 teachers) and then they have a standalone Quest class. Freshmen are enrolled in American Studies, (a combination class of English I and American History), some will be in Problem Based Algebra I, and PBL Physics First. Sophomore learners enjoy BioLit, (a combination of Biology and English II), and PBL World History.  They take the rest of their classes in the main part of the high school with the students who are not in Quest. Quest@GHS student are involved in athletics, fine arts, clubs, and academic teams as are all Glendale students.

Our vision includes an environment of Trust, Respect, and Responsibility. We ask students to use a collaborative approach and take different roles when working on a team. These students may take the role of researcher, speaker, presentation creator, or project manager. They practice critical thinking skills and are able to not only capitalize on their strengths, but are also able to improve areas of weakness by practicing and receiving feedback from peers and adults.

Our students develop norms for their teams and hold one another accountable for their work product. Students are honing their critical thinking and public speaking skills with every project they create. Learners in the Quest@GHS program are asked to share their knowledge with an authentic audience. So their culminating activity could be a presentation to a local business owner, the director of a museum or another relevant community connection. They have an audience comprised of adults including Facilitators, administrators, local experts and community members.

We have 168 highly motivated freshmen and sophomores participating in our program. When it was launched, students of all stripes were invited to join us if they wanted to learn differently than a traditional school setting. They now range from Honors students to those with IEPs and 504 plans. We were fortunate that we had plenty of room for everyone who applied in the first two classes. Next year, as we add approximately 100 freshmen, we anticipate implementing a lottery system to accommodate the flood of applicants we expected as a result of this year’s buzz.

We only have two caveats in order to be accepted: 1) If you accept the appointment, you must agree to stay in the program for one year and 2) Transportation is not provided for students not in our attendance area. We have seven students transfer into the program from schools other than Glendale and about a 50/50 split of males and females in the program and a wide range of diversity amongst our learners.

The facilitators of our combined classes are very deliberate when creating their projects so that students can see the correlation between the two subjects. The facilitators have completed numerous hours in professional development, learning to create authentic projects that have a real world connection so learners are able to make connections between their own lives and their projects. Our facilitation team, comprised of seven teachers and 63 years of combined experience, volunteered for this program. Some of our experienced teachers have likened the change in approach to repeating their first year in the classroom. They relish the opportunity to collaborate with their colleagues and create projects that are relevant and topical.

Our learners have had a bit of an adjustment period as well, particularly when it comes to how grades are earned. They earn grades in many categories: knowledge, collaboration, presentation, and agency (were they on task, did they meet their part of the contract, did they assist or hinder the team progression, how did their team members grade them). They were not used to so many different areas of grades—homework tests and participation are usually about it.

They were used to a traditional approach, and now they are driving and directing their learning. Our learners approached the facilitators and asked permission to create a program emphasizing the culture of the program and reinforcing the expectations of participants. They’ve already developed a deep sense of pride in their involvement and realize they are setting standards, expectations and traditions.

Our advisory board, made up of students, meets twice a month or as needed with the facilitators and the director to air concerns, share ideas, and assist in shaping the school for the future. Our learners and facilitators are on a quest to set the standard for implementation of the New Tech model in the state of Missouri. I believe we have set the bar high!

Tammy Quinn is assistant principal at Glendale High School and the director of the Quest@GHS program in Springfield, MO.

 
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