INNOVATION CLASS VISIT RECAP

I joined the class at the end of a Friday the week before Christmas break. The excitement in the room bubbled over like hot chocolate cooked on a stovetop. Not because they were about to get out for two weeks, but because it was Innovation class time.

Student engagement was off the charts - busy brains, voices effervescing, teamwork. The enthusiastic focus was palpable. It was like you could see all the kiddos’ synapses firing. Mrs. Welborn connected with every single child and encouraged them to think through the steps of the day’s project which was a pretty complex escape room computer program. Very impressive!

Mrs. Welborn explains, “The premise of the gingerbread escape room is that students are locked in the bakery by a gingerbread man in retaliation for being chased and attacked by a fox in the past. To find the exit, students are required to follow directions, round to the hundreds and tens place, multiply and divide, and reason deductively. It was a joy to watch the students and listen to their conversations as they moved through the various challenges. As a teacher, setting up a learning situation and allowing the students to 'discover' the solution is always the most rewarding.”

As the class came to a close, Mrs. Welborn gave high fives to all the students. Positive energy and an air of accomplishment blanketed the room.