Minnesota Learning Academy

Minnesota Learning Academy Proposal Overview:
Paul Dunkirk

Part 1) The Idea: a cutting-edge, hands-on K-12 school based on real-world Projects and Partnerships, and where student Empowerment is key.

Projects:
• Performances, publications, broadcasts, marketing of inventions, hosting science, math, and tech fairs, debates, student government, think-tanks, etc. (see Project-based Departments below).
• Innovative, cutting-edge, entrepreneurial spirit, real-world applications, hands-on experience, field-trips, travel, on and off-campus projects.

Partnerships:
• Parents, outside experts, community members, businesses, non-profits, government agencies, and various organizations.
• Internships, field trips, off-campus projects, guest-teaching, consulting, mentoring, advising, involvement, student to student mentoring, inter-departmental cooperation.

Empowerment:
• Projects of the highest quality provide focus, motivation, relevance, meaning, and deep, experiential knowledge, awareness, and understanding.
• Small class size and student to instructor ratio.
• Student-centered: student management of school finances, bank, clinic, counseling center, health center, projects, courses, facilities, clubs, fairs, conventions, performances, publications, etc.
• Inclusive instruction differentiated for multiple intelligences and learning modalities. Rigorous, standards-based academic excellence, higher-level thinking skills, test and college prep, real-world experience, skills, and contacts.

Class Organization: Project-Based Departments:
• Departments are interactive and interrelated.
• All students are involved in all departments.
• Earlier years are more traditional. Students begin to specialize as
they progress to higher levels of responsibility and leadership
within the various projects and departments.

Project-Based Departments:

World Community Department
(Social Studies Curriculum and Standards and beyond)
• Students run law club, think tanks, committees, school charity and legal aid, hold elections, run school government, host debates and panel discussions, act as liaisons to community and business partnerships, coordinate travel and exchange.
• Students study law, politics, speech and debate, history, geography, sociology, psychology, anthropology, urban planning, environmental sciences, foreign languages and cultures.

Economic Entrepreneurial Department
(Math Curriculum and Standards and beyond)
• Students help manage budgets for other departments and the entire school and run a school bank/ investment office.
• Students advertise and market the projects and inventions of the other departments.
• Students study economics, business, finance, marketing, advertising, investing.

Visual Arts, Design, and Production Department
(Visual Arts and Industrial Arts Curriculum and Standards and beyond)
• Students oversee the design graphics and layout for all departments such as school newspaper, magazine, online news, ads, fliers, pamphlets, presentations, reports, studies, etc.
• Students manage school gallery; learn painting, sculpture, pottery, glasswork, computer-generated art, design, layout, animation, etc.
• Students learn the trades by creating, building, repairing structures, systems, and products as needed.

Journalism, and Creative Writing Dept
(Reading, Writing, Communication Standards and beyond)
• Students study a broad range of literature and other aspects and forms of communication; they learn to express themselves through writing articles, plays, musicals, poems, stories, speeches, presentations, research, reports.
• Students create content for newspapers, magazines, blogs, advertisements, marketing reports, news shows, etc.

Music and Performing Arts Department
(Music and Performing Arts Curriculum and Standards and beyond)
• Students manage, write, direct, produce, and perform plays, musicals, recitals, talent and variety shows: choir, orchestra, band, drama

Health, and Fitness Department
(Health, Science, and Physical Education Curriculum and Standards and beyond)
• Students manage cafeteria, counseling center, school clinic, fitness center, and athletics programs.
• Students study biology, chemistry, anatomy, psychology; diet, health, nutrition; dance, aerobics, yoga, and various sports and recreational activities.

Inventors and Engineers Department
(Math and Science Curriculum and Standards and beyond)
• Students host a semi-annual science and math fair to showcase their latest inventions, insights and ideas.
• Students address real-world applications and gain hands-on familiarity with the latest equipment and technology.
• Students work with other departments to develop and market inventions and promote the science and math fair.

Technology and Multi-Media Dept
(Technology Curriculum and Standards and beyond)
• Students produce and manage technology integration, film, TV, radio, podcast, blog, websites, email accounts, and tech support.
• Students use cutting-edge technology to manage, program, and support highly-integrated computer-based school and support other departments in their respective projects and goals.


Part 2: Making the Dream a Reality

Research:
• Determine the pros and cons of the various existing school models: traditional public, private, charter, magnet, online, and home schools as well as tutoring organizations.
• Examine Standards, curriculum, pedagogy, underlying assumptions, student participation, motivation, empowerment issues, etc.

Feedback:
• Find out what others would consider a perfect or ideal school and use this info to modify current model.
• Attempt to elicit insights and ideas from as many interested parties as possible.
• Set up online surveys, a web page, a blog, etc. to elicit specific as well as open-ended responses.
• Information gathered online would be used to develop print surveys and interview questions which would be used to develop strategies for focus groups.
• Questions would be constructed with the goal of obtaining candid ideas as to participants’ concepts of “the perfect school” and of the Minnesota Learning Academy working model.

Proposals: Finding the Right Partners:
• Using material based on insights of focus groups and other feedback methods, final proposals would be presented to community, business, and educational leaders; and the feedback loop continues.