On November 26, at 9pm, ELHS alum, Peter Gray will be competing on TLC's "Next Great Baker" show. He will be competing against 13 contestants for a $100,000 prize and the opportunity to work in a nationally recognized bakery. You can read more about Peter by visiting: http://www.masslive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2012/11/east_longmeadows_peter_gray_tr.html.
While I did not know Peter, it filled me with great pride nonetheless to learn that one of our graduates was truly following their dream- in Peter's case, culinary arts. From what I have learned about Peter, he was always very gregarious, so his former culinary arts teacher, Ms. McMahon, was not surprised to learn about Peter's success. Ms. McMahon still communicates with Peter so there is no doubt that Peter received some strong encouragement and support while a student here at ELHS.
There is a lot of buzz in the education world right now to really focus on making our students "college and career ready." It's a great goal, but it seems to me that this has always been the goal of education. This should not be anything new. What is new, is the emphasis in the classroom and the tools used to motivate students. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is pushing schools around the country to really focus on critical thinking, problem solving, media literacy and global awareness in addition to the core subjects.
When I was in high school, the teacher was the center of the classroom. All knowledge and information came from him or her. We, students, sat and listened intently until we were given the cue to discuss or answer questions. Some of my classmates did this dutifully, and some, we never heard a peep out of.
The classroom landscape is quickly changing. In order to be "college and career ready" and to acquire "21st Century Learning Skills," teachers are now being asked to facilitate the learning rather than be the sole source for learning. In other words, make the students the center of the classroom. Teachers are being asked to design lessons where students are doing more inquiry to find information and solve problems- all while collaborating and discussing with their classmates. The classroom should no longer be completely silent. Desks should no longer be primarily in rows. It should be a place where the student voice is heard and the teacher is guiding the learning process along using all kinds of great technology and resources. It's pretty exciting. Knowing Ms. McMahon like I do, I bet, Peter had daily opportunities in his culinary arts class to be creative, figure out new recipes and work together with his classmates. Way to go Peter Gray!
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