Portland Maine Problem Solvers

"Portland Maine Problem Solvers" is a great example of how the right kind of teaching can produce the right kind of learning. Every year teachers get their classroom plans together in hopes of fulfilling school curriculum guidelines. However, each year is a different group of students with varying styles of learning. These guidelines seem like they have good intentions, but how successful can a classroom be if a teacher does not have the freedom to decide what curriculum would best fit her class this year. It seems to me that each year a teacher's freedom and a students' creativity is stifled, all in the pursuit of passing state exams.

But state exams should not be the end all be all of deciding how a school is run or how a student learns. The future is what matters, the end all be all is what students do with their knowledge to better society. It is clear from the student interviews at Portland Maine Middle School, that straying away from the standard curriculum was an inspiring idea. Expeditionary learning asked kids to get out of their comfort zone and ask teachers to enter uncharted territories in learning. Even though the students were reluctant at first to build robots and study wind turbines, they soon became invested in learning as much as they could to make the best inventions they could. The tasks given to them not only provided an interesting way to learn about engineering and inform them about the problems society is facing, but it is showing them that they can make a difference.

These students were shown how rewarding it could be to enter a job in the engineering field. They also gained practice with collaborating with team members and improving ideas, which ultimately prepared them for the real world. They know now not to give up and to keep communicating to improve their ideas. If expeditionary learning spreads across America, our future generations could be the ones to figure out ways to save resources, purify water in low income countries, and bring new eco-friendly power supplies to the world.

The first step is getting the kids interested at a young age. Portland Maine Middle School student are on the right track to become influential members to society.
Website used: http://vimeo.com/68323188