Lake Center students get learning boost with activity week
HARTVILLE – Students at Lake Center Christian School recently spent a week applying skills they’re learning in the classroom to real-life experiences.
Upper elementary students used lessons from such classes as science and math during Future Ready Learning Week, from March 13-17.
Elementary Principal Mrs. Dannon Stock said students rotated through “maker” stations, “cultivating creativity, communication, collaboration and critical thinking,” preparing them for college and the workforce.
“Learning should be exciting, enjoyable, applicable, and that is what is being displayed during our Future Ready Learning Week,” said Susan Hulse, a fifth-grade teacher who is part of Lake Center’s future ready initiative. “As teachers, we are able to take something we are interested in and let it come alive. When you observe the students, their excitement becomes contagious and we see how valuable this hands-on learning is. Through the activities this week, they are learning valuable life skills.”
Project-based, student-centered experiences
During the exercise, fourth-graders traveled to a different station each morning for project-focused education. The activities included creative art, bridge building, flight/aerospace and furniture building. Students were guided through the design process as they partnered together to complete a task, Stock said.
“Our fifth- and sixth-grade students were able to choose areas to focus on for the week based on their interests. They spent afternoons concentrating on designing, problem solving and building,’ she said.
Areas for the fifth- and sixth-graders included fine arts, creative writing, cooking, sewing and stop motion with a green screen. These activities took place in eight different locations in the elementary, including the makerspace, which includes a 3D printer, green screen, sewing machines and technology so children imagine, use their hands to create, and further develop into lifelong learners, Stock said.
In the school kitchen, Hulse guided students as they followed a recipe, replacing unhealthy ingredients with nutritional ones.
“I love that students are able to experiment with different activities they may not dare to try on their own,” fifth-grade teacher Courtney Williams said. “The students work with students in another grade level, adults with diverse expertise and problem solve in a safe and encouraging space.”
Future Ready Learning elevates students’ interests
Students said the initiative allowed them to take an initial concept, brainstorm and follow steps to completion. After crafting a story board and using stop motion to create a short film, Gabriel Hersman, a fifth-grader who wants to enter the technology field, said the project left him dreaming big.
“I was able to mesh Lego-building with technology and learned a lot in the process. I now could make a longer movie one day,” he said.
Sixth-grader Evelyn Greetham enjoyed creating a bookmark, small pillow and pillowcase after selecting her favorite fabrics and learning how to operate a sewing machine.
“I really like being creative so this station was a good fit for me. I know I will use these skills as an adult,” she said.
The development of the whole student is at the heart of student-focused learning. It is designed to equip the next generation with the life skills needed to continue to learn beyond graduation and succeed into adulthood.
Director of Curriculum and Instruction Gretchen Shaffer said the project helps Lake Center students advance in academic excellence while using their God-given abilities.
This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Lake Center Christian School gives students learning boost with activity week
