In an innovative educational endeavor, students from Patuxent High School, under the guidance of the Teacher's Academy of Maryland (TAM) program, took on a challenging project that transcends traditional classroom boundaries. Tasked with creating play space designs tailored for the local community's younger children, these high schoolers presented their ideas to an eager audience of fifth graders at Patuxent Appeal Campus.
Eric Heisler, the inspiring force behind this project and a TAM educator, derived his motivation from television competitions and a desire to create assignments with real-world relevance. "The product that you make or write or create must appeal to a particular audience for a specific purpose," Heisler remarked, underscoring the project's emphasis on practical application and community impact. His initiative, fueled by insights from Hanna Rosin's article "The Overprotected Kid," challenged students to design play spaces within a tight two-week deadline.
This year marked a significant evolution of the project, focusing for the first time on addressing specific needs within the local community. Students were required to envision play areas on the Patuxent Appeal Campus, considering factors like safety, environmental harmony, and promoting children's intellectual, social, psychological, and emotional development. The assignment pushed students to adopt the roles of teachers, counselors, and administrators in their planning.
Spanning across approximately 12.5 wooded acres, the designs proposed by the twelve participating sophomores, juniors, and seniors showcased a blend of creativity and practicality. Teams, including Team Wild (Damien Allen, Sam Hough, Theo Santos), Team Seasons (Lydia Hart), Team Imagination Land (Lilly Cornett, Lily Noll, Cece Pyrah, Caydence Stone), Team Wonderland (Hailey Bisonette, Summer Collins), and Team Harmony Park (AJ Henrichsen, McKayla Moreno), each brought forward unique concepts aimed at enriching the campus.
Heisler expressed immense pride in his students' accomplishments and enthusiasm to positively impact the younger students. "Their excitement to share their ideas with the elementary students shows just how much good there is in the world," he noted, reflecting on the presentations' success in sparking wonder among the fifth graders.
The TAM program, a joint effort between the Maryland State Department of Education and Towson University, emphasizes real-world teaching experiences. This play space design challenge provided Patuxent High School students with a platform to apply their knowledge creatively and highlighted the program's commitment to community engagement and student development.
For more information about the TAM program and its initiatives at Calvert County Public Schools, interested parties are encouraged to visit calvertnet.k12.md.us/CTE.
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