Students at two Metro High Schools met with scholars from the Smithsonian Institute yesterday as part of a hands-on learning program.
STUDENT: “Uhhuhh. That ain’t going to work.”
After hearing a short lecture on recent inventions from a Smithsonian Scholar, this class of 10th and 11th graders at Antioch High School received several scenarios in need of creative thinking. Irvin Sweat and his table were told to build a vehicle to transport crops from a farm that’s several miles from market to get there safely and efficiently. The supplies came in a paper bag.
SWEAT: “Some spin tops, rubber bands, plastic knives, cup, what’s it called…popsicle sticks.”
The end product was less-than a perfect prototype, but Donna Gilley, who heads up career and technical education in Metro Schools says it at least engages every student.
GILLEY: “Reading a chapter, doing activities, taking a test on Friday – in their minds, that’s what traditional education was, but this is more where you’re solving real-world problems.”
Gilley says she’s targeting these kinds of special activities toward the early high school years where students lose interest in school and often begin down the road toward dropping out.
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