Educating Extraordinary Experts

The idea that every child is capable of becoming an expert is empowering and fosters a type of motivation and personal responsibility for learning that is often overlooked in classrooms full of "canned" teaching programs. I teach second grade in a rural community that has a high percentage of economically disadvantaged families who often feel, due to lack of education and financial resources, like they have little say in the educational process. I hope this project will begin to alleviate those feelings and bring about a level of personal pride and accountability for learning to our community.

When students begin to take ownership of their own learning and do so with enthusiasm, the battle of "the haves" and "the have-nots" will begin to diminish. This project is an opportunity to overcome this type of barrier to learning in low socio-economic communities. My second graders have all excitedly chosen their topics that they wish to become an expert in. These topics range from the Old West to hummingbirds to bees and wasps. Each student has already begun to look for any sources of information that they can find. I have enlisted the help of all the other grown-ups in our building and several different community leaders to serve as mentors for each student. Now we just need a few resources and some organizational tools to be on our way to becoming "extraordinary experts"!

In order to provide students with non-fiction reading material that is in appropriate reading ranges for second graders, I am asking for each child to receive their own subscription to Time for Kids and to Weekly Reader. These magazines will provide many opportunities for the students to read up-to-date information about their topics of interest. I am also asking for each child to receive a clear overlay, 3-ring binder in which to keep their magazines and organize their individual research. The clear overlays will allow them to personalize their binders as our first "expert" project. They will be able to design covers for their research binders that they will then share with their classmates as a way to introduce and spotlight their topic to their peers.

When we teach children, at a young age, that they can have a personal connection to their own learning, we are starting them on the path of becoming lifelong learners. This is especially important in children who may not have these sorts of experiences at home. Your support of this project can be the beginning of a lifetime of interest and research for many young people. Please take the time to support our young experts in hopes that one day their second grade expertise may be able to alter our world in positive and beneficial ways.