Forum: Meridian continues to evaluate the potential conversion to a New Tech high school

"I can't wait to go to school in the morning!"

"When I graduate, I want to get my education so that I can come back to this school and teach."

"We work with the staff to set the norms and ensure that we all follow them."

"After 5 weeks, my mom says that my attitude has improved and I am engaging better in school."

Are these comments that you hear from your high school students? No? Well, this is what was heard from the students on a recent visit to a New Tech high school in Ft. Wayne, Ind. Meridian teachers, students, parents, administrators and board of education members made the journey to spend a day at a New Tech school. They saw classrooms alive with learning and both students and teachers excitedly engaged.

New Tech is an alternate model for high schools centered around project-based learning with a culture that empowers students and teachers while integrating technology in the classroom. Although, the model has "Tech" in its name, the scope is much broader than the use of technology. One of Meridian's areas of focus will be STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Students have opportunities to engage in real-world problem solving. Instead of learning about nutrition in the abstract, students act as consultants to develop a healthier school cafeteria menu. Rather than learning about the past from a textbook, students become historians as they make a documentary about an event that changed their community.

Meridian Public Schools is working with MITech+ (a local organization that serves to link potential employees with the right education for career opportunities) and the New Tech Network to explore a vision for 21st Century Learning. New Tech Network is a nonprofit organization based in California that works with school districts and communities nationwide to implement innovative public high schools. The approach enables students to gain the knowledge and 21st Century skills (oral and written communication, work ethic, time management, content knowledge, technology skills, critical thinking, collaboration and research skills) they need to succeed in life, college and the careers of tomorrow.