By DAVID PHELPS
Guest Columnist
We tend to oversimplify school as a place to just learn the facts. We break it down into subjects like reading and writing and math and allot specific amounts of time to learn about each one.
We then assess teachers as being the purveyor of knowledge and data on those subjects, transferring knowledge to their students. This oversimplification leads to the idea that every school is essentially the same.
But school is so much more than that. Beyond the test scores and school ratings lies a world of opportunities for students to explore, create and experience.
Teachers are present to guide, encourage and inspire students to learn more than what their textbook (or digital lesson) could ever teach them.
I was once told by one of my professors at Rose-Hulman that the difference between the engineering students that he taught that were from the U.S. and those from other countries was not their knowledge. The math is the same. The physics are the same. The real difference was in their creative thinking and ability to apply that knowledge in unconventional or unique ways. That aptitude was more pervasive among his American students.
This creativity and critical thinking is what Brown County Schools strives to teach each and every day.
From the very youngest learner to those on the precipice of graduation (and even those coming back for a little more training), BCS has been developing programs to reach every student in a multitude of ways.
From art to music to theater, students are given the opportunity to find ways to express their creativity.
From student-run businesses to cybersecurity to biomedical engineering, students are provided real-world experiences that will easily translate into their next phase of life.
These things are not unique to Brown County Schools, but what is most unique about BCS is that all of it is offered by a school system this size.
I hear it often from visitors that the student technology repair program that we run is different from what they are used to seeing. Most schools have a typical classroom-style setup taught by a computer teacher and have students learn about and perform repairs.
We run a full-day operation with different students each class period with jobs ranging from repair to quality control and inventory management. This year, that program will reach around 25 students.
The same is true for Eagle Manufacturing. Other schools (typically larger ones) may have something similar but they don’t do it the same way.
Eagle Manufacturing moves beyond just teaching students machining and manufacturing. It engages students in specific roles encompassing invoicing, marketing, production management, and design. They learn how to interact with customers and operate in a work environment.
From 22 students currently, this will expand to reach over 60 by next year at the high school level. The middle school program, Eaglet Manufacturing, engages another 15 to 20 students.
Programs like Medical Detectives at the middle school and Biomedical Science at the high school reach 50 students and 70 students, respectively. Computer science and business classes continue to see increased numbers at both schools. Construction classes have expanded to fill a gap left by the former building trades program.
Eagle Brewing at the high school reaches a special population of students and helps them practice interpersonal skills that will aid them in their adult lives.
Elementary students repeatedly name science as their favorite class (after lunch and recess of course) because we dedicate teachers to teach it, awarding them more development of impactful lessons. These are all unique or imaginative ways to approach education.
To foster this teaching even more, Brown County Schools has implemented embedded professional development. It goes beyond just knowledge and information and focuses on method.
This approach allows teachers to try new ways of engaging students, experiment with lessons, and have people to bounce ideas off of while still holding to an academic standard.
It is about making lessons relevant and more memorable while inserting transferable skills for students to use throughout their education.
Through all of those numbers and offerings, there is something special about it coming from a small school. Throw athletics and other extracurriculars into the mix and the difference becomes even more apparent.
In larger schools, these programs can become highly competitive to where swaths of students would be excluded from participation. If you are not the best, then you may just have to find something else.
Within Brown County Schools, however, students are not limited before they even get started. They are not just awarded the opportunity to be involved with one of these programs, but many.
Our small school environment allows students to be in sports, theater, choir, art, and engineering all simultaneously. They get to find something that might fit their passion, interests, or even just their learning style.
They get to experience more, learn more, and explore more. This is what a small school can do. What an exciting time to be at Brown County Schools!
David Phelps is the director of technology for Brown County School Corporation.
