Learning in the Dark

Last week, our entire city had a power outage.  Streetlights were out, projectors in classrooms were dead, the internet was down, and hallways were dark.  Yet, in Shane Knapp’s room, very few kids even looked up from their iPads.  The students were tasked with creating a number line of positive and negative integers in Keynote and then adding an illustrated story in Keynote.  

Learning in the Dark

As the rest of the community went dark, the kids in this room were so engrossed in their creative outlets that they didn’t even look up to see teachers in the hallways guiding students to the bathroom with flashlights.  When the principal broadcast over the phones that the city was working feverishly to restore power, kids barely flinched.  Instead, they took to adding more illustrations, animations, and audio to their slides.

The best classrooms create a safe space for students - a place to create, to think, to keep the dangers of the world at arm’s length, and to find a warm smile from a caring adult.  We know a lesson is a success when the challenge offered to students is so engrossing that kids don’t care that there is no power.  Last week, as the rest of our community ground to a halt, the students in at least one classroom kept their academic lights on. 

#jamestown

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