RE Log Fall 2016

FALL 2016 Ransom Everglades LOG 15 Bob DuBard Science Department BS University of Missouri There’s a movement afoot now called project-based learning. I’m really excited about it. Students gravitate toward real-world stuff. If something is authentic, if it’s actual, if they can get their hands on it, it makes a big difference. That experience of coming up with an idea and trying to solve a problem, really making something, actually crafting a project – instead of everything being on paper and very academic – offers a rich educational experience. It’s something students crave. Frequently, students express a preference for this over the virtual reality that so much of their lives have become. Having authentic experiences gives them real-world skills that help them when they start tackling real-world jobs. Of course, we have this back- ground, all the way back to Paul Ransom, of experiential learning, of learning by do- ing. And having a STEM building, a building where there are dedicated spaces that encourage students to build, create, make – would extend that experiential-learning tradition. This is something we talk about in the department all the time: how won- derful would it be if we had sufficient dedicated space to pursue genuine innovation or pursue original research in our labs, in our classrooms, in our work spaces. We’ve done very well – I don’t want to create the impression that our parents, our benefac- tors, our leadership or the school in any way have slighted the science department over the years. Recent improvements to the campus in other areas such as the pool, those things needed to be done. They’ve made the school a better place. But the sci- ence and math departments together represent the logical next step for equipping our students for the future. We’re kind of scattered right now, tucked in corners; but we’ve got some excellent equipment, extraordinary teachers, and excited students. It would be wonderful if we could boost those things with a space in which vision was built into the whole experience. Imagine the power of spaces for collaboration, spaces for innovation, and spaces for experimentation above and beyond what we currently have. That would catapult us to a new level of education. Imagine the power of spaces for collaboration, spaces for innovation, and spaces for experimentation above and beyond what we currently have. That would catapult us to a new level of education.