Suzanne Horan and her 5th grade class of gifted and talented students were recently showcased on our district website for an outstanding project they did this year. They each planned, researched, and developed products that could make a positive difference in the world. From a 3-d printed model of a staircase that collapses into a ramp for those who are wheelchair bound, to improved fitting for a prosthetic leg, these imaginative and empathetic students created an array of marketable products that could truly be practical and helpful.
The students dressed up for presentation day because they knew their work would be evaluated by an objective panel of judges who would score them based on, among other things, their research, passion for their topic, uniqueness of their product, and its usefulness. For the next stage, Mrs. Horan has invited a patent lawyer to speak to the class about the steps to take to market their products.
This is exactly the type of project that students need to be doing. It is relevant, based on student interests, and incorporates a multitude of thinking skills. I would like to bet these 5th graders will never forget this experience, and that it will inform many of their later important decisions in life.
To read more about the fabulous inventors in Mrs. Horan’s class, you can visit our district website, or their class blog for some great pictures from the presentation day!
We do a GT Expo for each grade level every year where the students present something based on a unit the class is doing. We have been talking about revamping it to make it more “real-world” applicable. Thank you for sharing this-I’m forwarding it to my principal because I think it’s exactly the direction she’s looking to go.
That is fabulous! I just finished doing research for an article on project-based learning, and that is my big goal for next year, too!
Agree 100%! This type of learning should be the norm now, not the exception. Imagine if every class made kids look at the outside world and figure out a reason to use and leverage the knowledge they need to learn.
Exactly. It would be motivating and relevant, and help the students to build on their strengths.