News Release
April 7, 2005
Lake Middle School Community Meeting April 11 Introduces Future School Program Possibilities For 2006-2007
The staff and Collaborative School Committee at Lake Middle School will host a community meeting from 6 to 7 p.m. Monday, April 11 in the school's auditorium to present two future school program possibilities to begin in the 2006-2007 school year.
"We're narrowing down what we want our future to look like," said principal Dave Debus. "We recognize that Lake Middle School has really been on the move and making great progress in many areas, but we expect to move to even great levels of performance for all students. We want to proactively give our community more choices and get thoughtful perspectives and input."
Dr. Nanci Morse, the International Baccalaureate Coordinator for Summit County School District, will speak about the International Baccalaureate Program Middle Years Programme and Dr. Candy Stocker, Educational Technology Specialist, will speak about project-based schooling, both of which could be options for Lake Middle School.
The International Baccalaureate Organization aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the IBO works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.
Project-based learning with extensive technology is a learning model in which students plan, implement and evaluate projects that have real-world applications. Students are using their learning to solve problems. Learning projects are interdisciplinary (they include all content areas), long-term and student-centered. Students develop 21st century lifelong learning skills (e.g., ability to collaborate, direct one's own learning, solve problems, communicate clearly, and think flexibly and critically).
Projects can look very different but all have these defining features:
- Student-centered, student-directed
- A definite beginning, middle and end
- Content meaningful to students, directly observable in their environment