Anyone can sit behind a desk and read from a textbook about the inner workings of static electricity. But when you see the effects of positively charged electrons make your best friend's mom’s hair stand on end and laugh until it hurts, that’s learning you’ll never forget.
Seventeen children participated in an out-of-the-box educational experience, called Project Education Learning Lab, or PELL, for two months during the summer of 2003. Children and their parents, primarily from the Seventh-day Adventist church in Stevensville, Michigan, took part in a hands-on summer school, directed by Randy Siebold, assistant professor of teaching and learning at Andrews University, as an extension of his doctoral dissertation. Andrea Baldwin, graduate student, acted as assistant director.
This process-based approach to Adventist education is rooted in concepts found in Ellen G. White’s book, Education. The project received funding from the K–16 Collaboration Council at Andrews University, with additional assistance from the Lake Union, the Michigan Conference, and the Stevensville Seventh-day Adventist Church.
In February of 2003, a group of parents, educators, a pastor, and students met with Randy to form the design team. They were given the task of crafting a summer school curriculum based on Education for participating students in the Stevensville Church. The team was led through the design process by using the Mission-Infinity model, simply combining the "thinking" and "doing" stages of any idea with the mission of the concept at its core. The group studied Education as well as other pertinent articles and handouts before beginning to construct the curriculum.
The team chose Joel Bennett, recent Andrews graduate, to facilitate the summer program with the help of Rachael Barrera, Andrews Academy senior. The learning lab began June 10, 2003, with the first week consisting of interviews with the students and their parents to better understand their needs and to help tailor group activities. Four main "classes" were taught during the six weeks of summer school: Flight in Nature (experiencing and observing natural flight), Web Site Design (sharing knowledge through the Internet), Aerodynamics (exploring and experimenting with the physics of flight), and The Ultimate Flight (a drama on the second coming of Christ).
"Classes were meant to be experience- or theme-based," Randy said, "not subject-based. Students learned physics, math, and reading in one class instead of three separate courses." Students and their parents could choose to attend during the mornings or afternoons of two- or four-day weeks. This schedule allowed for more parent participation because of the flexibility it provided.
Some older peers who are Stevensville Church members and experienced birders, led the group on a nature walk around the Andrews University campus, pointing out this or that species for the Flight in Nature class. The group also traveled to nearby Warren Dunes State Park on Lake Michigan to explore other types of flight, such as flying squirrels. For the Aerodynamics class, the kids made paper airplanes and kites. They also saw the equal effects of gravity on water balloons of different weights. Students timed each water balloon’s fall from several feet in the air, discovering that, regardless of the weight, both balloons hit the pavement at the same time. "We talked about concepts only after the kids had seen and experienced them in reality," Randy said.
Because the learning experiences were child-centered, students had the opportunity to work on various projects at their own pace with the help and encouragement of their peers, PELL staff, and, most importantly, their parents. During the closing ceremony day, each student presented a project they had completed during the summer course to an audience of proud parents, fellow students, and educators. Each student was also given a certificate of completion.
The future of the PELL program is being considered, while Andrea Baldwin is using her involvement in this experience as the theme of her dissertation. Randy and Andrea found that involving the local church leadership in the course design process helped to provide continuity for the students’ learning experiences. Stan Hickerson, Stevensville Church pastor, was able to integrate themes from the school into his Sabbath sermons and to promote the school’s concepts to his parishioners. PELL has also proved that home, school, and church can collaborate for organized learning—enabling students to develop physically, mentally, and spiritually as God intended.
Randy Siebold is an Andrews University assistant professor of teaching and learning, Andrea Baldwin is a graduate student, and Katie Shaw is a university relations news writer.
