If you have ever wondered what really goes on behind the walls of Indi-ED, here is a sample of one week in only one of our cohorts.
We completed our own clay totem poles (art/social studies), practiced our writing skills with a game of “Would you rather?” and by sharing stories with the whole school that we wrote about ocean zones (writing, reading, science, public speaking), hosted several shadow students (leadership/collaboration), went to Clam Bayou’s Educational center for a hands on experience for our unit on marine science (science/math/responsibility), shared the plastic hearts we made out of ingredients found in your grocery store while practicing the scientific method (science, math, collaboration, responsibility), played math games to practice the skills we learned this week (math, collaboration), and participated in an after school STEM club (math, science).
Now for the second half of our day, when we focus on our inquiry projects.
This is one of our students’ favorite parts of the day. We chose the overarching theme, this unit is responsibility, and they chose the topic they are most interested in to learn more about responsibility, gather information, schedule experiences to learn more from experts in their field of interest, then have to synthesize what they’ve learned to create something that communicates their new ideas and what they’ve learned.
This week we completed six inquiry experiences: from a scientist (specifically a Plant Physiologist), an air traffic control manager, an artist, non-profit business owner, and Karen Davis-Pritchett, Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Empath Health, who is also a published author of two books. Rowan, who interviewed her, was nice enough to invite her expert into our cohort after she had completed her interview because she knew that we have aspiring authors (one who is focusing on this for inquiry and writing a book) and another whose inquiry is black female leaders.
The impromptu conversation that went on for close to an hour was inspiring, not only for all of us (teachers included), but it always is for those who come into our space and engage with our kids. Our kids ask good questions because we practice those skills during our morning and end of the day meetings, socratic discussions, regular experiences (we are interviewing the author of the book we just read next week), guest speakers, and of course in class where we encourage questions and do not stifle our kids’ curiosity.
Our guests are never really prepared for the level of maturity that our kids carry themselves with or the thought that our kids put into their questions. They are all of these things because we provide them the safe space for them to practice these real world skills daily. We recognize them when they use these skills and challenge them to take them to the next level.
That is just one small snapshot of how Indi-ED is nurturing your future leaders, innovators, engineers, scientist, journalist, entrepreneurs, educators, mathematicians, aeronautical engineers, veterinarians, authors, computer programmers, film director, leaders, and overall well rounded, empathic humans who will always have a love of learning and a focus on growth and being active in their community, making this world a better place…in one week.
