Observations and thoughts from Friday

Taft 
 -Very modern, green considerations such as a living roof, modern heating/cooling system utilizing convection. Could living roofs in our building be used as part of PBL for students?

  -Class size = 24 students ?  Science class capacity - 24 students due to structure of fixed lab tables.  
  -Multiple computer labs in place.

Hughes

 - Building modernized but restructure limited by existing structure.  Seems to reduce ability for students to collaborate.

 - Lack of proper structure might be mitigated by students placement on teams where teachers have authority to manage time and discipline.  One teacher (Alan Frecker) had taken students to the Freedom Center on the day of our visit as part of a continued PBL.  Other students on the team were in class in the school building.
 
- Flex space on 2nd floor (while not utilized during our visit) could be used as an innovation center for STEM learning.
            
Clark
- Living roof and exterior retaining wall outside of cafeteria built with broken concrete from original building - $ saving during construction?  Not a bad look.

-Walls between classes were mobile offering flexible spacing.  They were magnetic and/or could be used as a white board.  Seemed to be resist sound

The schools were specialized where parents had to petition for their children to go to that CPS school.  Does this impact the effort of the students since their parents have a vested interest?  Can/Should Wyoming offer multiple opportunities to increase parent/student choice in teaching approach?

Gym

-3 out of the 5 characteristics that employers are looking for are related directly to scientific inquiry.
-P&G offers flex space with idea that use of flex space requires flex time.

Tech Center

-Technology growing and use could invite students to be engaged into work.  One possible application related to manipulation of aerial view of grocery store that leads to 3D ground level view.  This concept could be adapted so that students could alter drainage patterns with dams and then observe the changes on the ground level.  How would this computer program be created?

Todd