By Dannielle Neral

piration from teachers

An interpretation of ...018). What school could be: Insights and ins
Dintersmith, T. (2 n, NJ: Princeton Universi
ty Press.
across America. Princeto

ts n e e d ed in an
t s a n d mind-se
Essentia ls e sk il l s e tudents
in my
t h S
acquire ir p ee r s.
d ." with the sations,
d e n ts e w o r l manner d conver
"Stu
n
novativ d to be competitive in athprough daily discussion
o sitiv e p o sts a
g ly i n Purpose
r e as in
inc wne are
en c ou r a ge
rk, comm
u n ic ate
"Students attack challenges they
at Westo on their wo
Stu d ents feed b ac k in p rizes.
class giv
e each o
th e r
on passe
s" to w
Students know to be important and make
for "p articipati at W e s towne res
and com
pete graders re
search
earch pro
blems re their world better."
Baltimore the conve levant to th
's inner ha rsion of e eir comm
nergy and unity. The
device." F rbor, end productiv fourth
in
Agency ifth grade
rs are able
g the unit w
to explore
ith creatin
ity of Mr.
g their ow
Trash Wh
eel in
their own n "trash c
their findin re search que oll ecting
"Students own their learning, becoming gs in a scie
nce fair w
ith a comm
stion and
p re sent
unity aud
self-directed, intrinsically motivated ience!

adults." want to learn. In ELA, my

ect s of the cur ricu lum , studen ts are given choice in what they
In all asp osing to use for informational
rth gra der s are cur ren tly res earching a topic of their own cho
fou e access to their own
writing pieces, lyric poetry, and mo
re. All students in the county hav
a bet ter score at any time. Knowledge
nt for
grades and redo any assignme em
gradebook to check up on their , enabling th
arn is deep and retained others."
t students le ak e , to te a ch
"Wha m
to create, to ith their multi-grade level pee
rs
tw of getting
in th e sc h o ol. They mee se e a purpose
en they jo w s them to what
re p ut into "houses" wh m e d act iv ities. This allo op p ort unity to share
Westowne a p rally & th e d gives the m ents!
Students at on th to en gage in a pe f e le m e n tary school an the d iffe re nt aged stud
once a m x years o ith a ll
in the house n th ro ughout the si they know w
eir ed uca ti o
continuing th
t kindergarten
po licem an & now curren
like fo rm er ials to make
e lear ning th ro ugh making! Just gi ve th em th e tools and mater
Mor ents do ,
ipper has his stud rsmith, p. 21)
teacher, Jared Kn rr icu lu m al on g the way (Dinte my school are
cu any students at

WE COULD
an d te ac h them the th em ! M
somet hing t inte re st s should allow
ud en ts to st ay interested in wha th at ar e cu rr en tly "trendy." We
Allow st e games e same
"R ob lo x" and other onlin rest s, ev en if they are not th
in te ith her class

STILL
interest ed nd thei r in
de sig ns to stay themed arou un ca n fro m Al aska, does this w
our lesson teacher, Cindy D
! Second grade rsmith, pg. 22)."
interests as ours given the role

IMPROVE!
s ba se d of f of Minecraft (Dinte in W es t Vi rg in ia, students are
with lesson entary school,
ts in ch arge ! At Dunbar Elem ca re of th e technology at the
Put the stud en ng "being
in charge of taki them a sense of

THOUGH
or" and are to be . 26). This gives
of an "ambassad rds (D in te rsm ith , pg
ung ki d w ho may
ythi ng fro m iP ads to Smartboa r ow n sc ho ol - a big role for a yo
an at thei
ving some power of technology lik
e that at home!
in charge" and ha be in ch arge
e chance to
not even have th