Recently, Upshur County proposed a bond for a new high school and a redesigned middle school. In response to the upcoming bond, 7th grade students at Buckhannon-Upshur Middle School were challenged to identify the career pathways they would be most interested in studying in high school and design the ideal classroom for that pathway. Olivia Blonn reflects below on this, her first major project effort as an Empowerment Academy student.
Our School of the Future Project
By Olivia Blonn, 7th grade student at Buckhannon-Upshur Middle School
The beginning of this project was confusing for many people because our classes changed, and we did not know exactly what we were doing. We chose career paths that we were interested in and might want to pursue in the future, and from that we were put in PBL groups. The groups were selected by our career interest, so you were surrounded by people that prized the same things as you.
You’re probably bewildered about what the PBL project is all about, right? Well, I’m here to tell you! PBL is an abbreviation for Project-Based Learning. In Project-Based Learning, kids are learning in a way in which they ask questions and find the answer. It’s a student-centered type of instruction where kids solve real-world questions and problems. B-UMS wanted to use this method of teaching in 2021-2022 and in the future.
Recently, there was a chance that they might build a new Buckhannon-Upshur High School, and the middle school would move to the high school. Because of that, the 7th graders were given a great opportunity to participate in constructing fresh new classrooms for the new B-UHS. For weeks we worked in our group to research and construct a PowerPoint on our classroom design. If you were in the chef group, you designed the culinary classrooms, and it was the same with nursing, mechanics, etc.
One of the first things we did to gain information about our careers was a short field trip! I was a part of the chef team, and my group was my friend Bryer and I. We went to A.F. Wendlings Food Service. The people there were very nice, and they even gave us goodies after the tour. I learned the different jobs in the business and what qualifications you needed. Also, I learned about what they do there and how to operate certain machinery. We even got to go inside these huge freezers. I had a really good time there and know more now than I did when I walked inside.
In each class period, we researched different, important things about how to make the classroom realistic and sustainable. For sustainability, we chose multiple ethical and virtuous things like replacing chalkboards with whiteboards to enhance healthier air in the classroom. We also created digital blueprints and drew what we would want our classrooms to look like.
In the end, the group work and presenting were my favorite things. I had a fun time working with my friend and creating the PowerPoint. We presented all of our research, reasonings, and blueprints from one PowerPoint. Overall, it was a really great learning experience. It really helped make me think beyond just the chairs and tables in classrooms, like what about outlets and vents?
If you could design a classroom for the future, what would your classroom look like?
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