Shy Guys and Community High

Allow me to first apologize for the belated post. I won't make excuses; I'll just try to make up for it with a super response here.

A lot of what we talked about in class last Friday caused me to reflect on my own high school experience. I went to a high school in Ann Arbor called Community High, which is unique in a variety of ways. For one, it is very small. About 400 students, all of whom have to get in via an open lottery. It is still public, but not everybody is able to attend.

The philosophy behind Community High is one I think John Dewey would have approved of. Community emphasizes, above all else, individual education. Students are given much more freedom than in other public high schools, which can result in one of two outcomes. Some students succumb to the temptation of the open campus, loose attendance policies, and laid back atmosphere. Others capitalize on the innovative curriculums, community interaction opportunities, and creative opportunities.

Perhaps the most unique feature of Community's philosophy is the Community Resource (CR) program. CR's allow students to get credit for... just about anything. If a student has an idea for a CR, they draft a proposal and submit it to the CR office. If it is approved, they are allowed to participate in whatever activity they have outlined, periodically updating the school on their progress. In the end, they receive normal high school credit in the field most related to their activity.

As an example, I received Physical Education credit for creating, coaching, and captaining our school's Ultimate (frisbee) team. In addition to getting to play Ultimate twice a week, I also learned a lot about organizing and managing a group of students. Although my team consisted of a variety of hippies, stoners, goth kids, and other un-athletic stereotypes, we actually developed into a powerhouse of Ultimate skills. In fact, we never lost a game in the state of Michigan, and even represented at tournaments throughout the region.

Although the potential is there for students to abuse the CR program, it still offers a tremendous opportunity for a more progressive, and dare I say, effective, type of learning. Students are not only free to establish CR's in areas they are genuinely interested in, but they also learn valuable skills about responsibility and organization as they develop their proposals and update them throughout the year. In drafting said proposals, students must consider the ways that their outside experiences are related to their education, and thus they must engage with their subjects in unique and interesting ways.

I personally believe that CR type programs offer huge potential for education throughout the country. In our educational consensus activity for Education 649, our group could only agree on one thing: schools should provide opportunities for students to learn outside of the classroom, and in their communities. If more schools consider the opportunities afforded by community-orientated educational programs, huge progress could be made towards the goals of many educational reformers and politicians throughout the country.