I recently had the opportunity to visit Westwood Middle School and check in on the status of their Empowerment Academy efforts. This was my first visit to Westwood this year so there were some changes that I needed to figure out; new rooms for 6th and 8th grade team members, new PLC team meeting times, etc. etc.. I heard about Suha Beck’s Cell Campaign PBL before I even ventured towards the classrooms but was able to find her new room quickly by the artifacts hanging on the wall. I stopped and talked with two of her classes about their project and was met with excited students eager to share their campaign slogans and understanding of cell structures. The goal of the project was for students to better understand the various functions of cell components and convince others why their organelle should be the new “leader” of the cell. I personally love this project and the students are always invested in the project. (Feel free to elaborate Mrs. Beck!!) The cell membrane won the election in the first class I visited and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) won in the second class. The students not only researched their cell organelle and compared their functions, they also researched various presidential slogans used in the past to promote their campaign. Picture of student work is below.
I took the following picture from Mr. Mullin’s classroom because it speaks to me and the culture that I try to build in my own classes, especially math classes. Students are reluctant to try and work hard when they feel the pressure of needing to be “right ” all the time. Also, brain research is showing that more brain growth is achieved when we make mistakes. Making mistakes is a common human trait that needs to be celebrated to promote student voice, which also encourages student participation. Thanks Harry!!
In the realm of culture building, I took the following picture of a set of posters highlighting Empowerment Academy Learning Outcomes in Holli Chapman’s room. As a frequent observer in the Empowerment Academy Schools, it is one of my goals this year to look for indicators of a culture reflecting high quality PBL and student ownership throughout the school environment.
Finally, I wanted to share that the Student Leadership Team at Westwood is expanding to include 7th grade students this year. Around 15-20 students are preparing their applications and will soon learn whether they have been accepted into this leadership group. This group of leaders will study topics like conflict mediation and time management through representatives from the WVU Leadership Studies Department. These selected students will use their newly learned skills throughout the year in various situations like resolving conflicts among their peers that arise in PBL group work. This is an excellent example of empowering students to own their environment and be of service to their classmates. I look forward to watching the development of this group of students.