One of the great things about coming to a new school this year is an opportunity to meet new people and explore innovative teaching. One of the most impressive things I’ve seen so far is the product of last year’s pilot class, “Geometry in Construction.”

Students who were recruited for the GiC class were not traditionally high-performing math students, but through the combination of relevant, hands-on experiences the students in the GiC class outperformed almost every other class in the building on Colorado’s state assessment (CSAP). The only class that outperformed the GiC class was the pre-IB Geometry class. A strong argument that given the right set of circumstances all students have the capacity to learn.

The teachers have put together a great website that describes the program and how it got started. You’ll also enjoy watching the short movie that they put together with the kids from last year’s class.

Once the cabin was completed, it was put up for auction and purchased by a family who plans to move it to some property in the mountains where it will be a vacation home for them. Not as bad way to sustain your program when you can sell the final product!