ActionResearchIntroduction YearsagoinmyAmericanLiteratureclass,wewerereadingHenryDavidThoreausWalden [Link] studentwasgoingtogiveuponepieceoftechnologyforanentireweekandthen document/[Link],afamiliarhand [Link]?astudentasked. Whatwouldyouratherdo?Iresponded. Takeatest,heanswered. Surprisedbyhisanswer,Iasked,Why? Togetagoodgrade Whydoyouwantagoodgrade? TogetanAinthisclass WhydoyouwantanAinthisclass? Togetintoagoodcollege Whydoyouwanttogotoagoodcollege?
Togetagoodjob Whatdoyouwanttodo? Idontknow,thestudentreluctantlyansweredashedeflatedintohisseat. [Link], [Link] andadulthood,butyet,[Link] [Link],death,andeverythinginbetween,butyet [Link] academicroutines,theyneverreallydidanything. Myclassesdangledtheusualcarrotsinfrontofthestudents,asIpushedthemalongtotheir [Link],Inevertruelychallengedthemandultimatelyfailedtoempowerthemin
[Link],theywere neverchargedtoreallymakeordoanything,letaloneauthenticallyconnecttheirworkand [Link],theirworkandconsequentlymyclassoftensheltered themfromtherealworld,holdingitoffuntilaftertheypassedandgraduated. FastforwardtwoyearsIleftmyschooltorebuildhousesinNewOrleans,abuddingdreamthat [Link],Ireceivedvolunteersofallages, backgrounds,[Link],myfavoritegroups(totheappreciationofmycoworkers) [Link] thetools,afraidtotalk,afraidtolookuncoolwearingthesafetygear,andespeciallyafraidto [Link],theywereusuallythemostinfluencedand [Link],therebuildingeffort,and [Link],puttinginalltheeffortandenergy [Link],nevercominginwith anyrealskillorexperience,butmostleftoftentransformed. Unlikethevoiceofmyoldliteraturestudent,theirvoiceswerecompletelypresentandinvestedin [Link],doing,[Link],theirworktied themdirectly,evenifonlytemporarily,[Link] justasenseofaccomplishmentorpurpose,butitgavethemaplaceand,forthatweek,another [Link],the [Link],duringtheirweekinNew Orleans,theydiscoveredapersonalpassionforcommunitybuildingandanewunderstanding forthemanyauthenticconnectionsthattheworkprovides. Attheendofeveryweek,wewouldallgatheraroundtotalkaboutourcollectiveexperience. Duringthisdiscussion,Ialwayspresentedthevolunteerswithtwonextstepstotakeafterthey [Link] therebuildingeffortaliveandtoremindfolksbackintheirhometownthattherewasmoreworkto do,evensixyearsafterthestorm. Thesecondnextstep,however,alwaysmeantthemosttome,althoughithadnothingtodo [Link] potentialforgoodworkandtorealizetheneedforthissameworkwhereevertheycamefrom.I toldthem,YoudonotneedtoflydowntoNewOrleanstohelprebuildortodogoodorfind [Link],make,anddoexistineverycorneroftheworld.I challengedthemtothinkabouttheirowncorner,andtoactivelyquestionwhathouseitneeds built. Indoingso,theywouldnotonlycontinuetoexercisethatpositivepowerrealizedinNOLA,but theywouldbecometheleadersthateverycommunity,regardlessofgeographicallocationor socioeconomicstatus,needs.
[Link],I [Link] hiswork?Howdidheevenconnecttothepeopleandplacearoundhim?Wherewashissense ofcommunity?Wherewashispassiontobeanactivepartofit?Thesequestionsmademe [Link] remodeledwithfreshpaintandnewroofs,butinstead,itneededadeepersenseofcommunal identity. ActionResearch Withthosequestions,IcametoHighTechHightomergethesetwoworldstheclassroomand [Link] [Link], teachersandstudentswereengaginginbigandcreativeprojectsthatprovidedasenseof [Link] greenenergytinyhousetorollercoastersinspiredbyToKillAMockingbird,theteachersat [Link] creativeprocessthatempoweredstudentstopourouttheirownpassionsandthenexhibited thoseproductstothepublic. However,asmuchasIlearnedaboutthosestructuresandhavebeenimpressedbythe products,Istillamfascinatedbythislinkbetweenourschools,studentwork,andthe [Link],allschools,evenHTH,struggle tomakethatlearningexperienceasconnectedtooursurroundingcommunityaspossible. Ourstudentworkisbeautifulandourschoolhallwaysserveasthesemuseumsthatexhibitboth [Link],that [Link] connectandservethenthatpotentialforsocialchangeandastrongercommunityis,again,that muchmorepossible. Manyeducatorswouldclassifythisasservicelearning,butIwanttotakethatpedagogyone [Link] needororganization,howcanwesupportstudentsinusingourschoolasanenginefor communitybuilding? Studentledworkshopsforadultswheretheydiscovertheacademicjoyofmakingsomething. Communitydinnersforeachgradelevelsothatparents,students,andteacherscanmeet, socialize,[Link] school,[Link] [Link] focusedefforttobringcommunityorganizationstoourcampusesandintoourprojectdesigns. Althoughnotendless,thepossibilitiesarevast.
Themostimportantelementofthequestionisthatourstudentsneedtobetheagentsofthat [Link] conversations,createtheprograms,facilitatetheworkshops,andbringinthosevaluableoutside [Link] willbeabout. Byusingboththelessons,structures,practiceandspaceofHTHasbothinspirationanda guide,ourstudentscouldactivelybeandserveasthelinkbetweenourschoolsandthereal [Link],theireducationwouldbemuchmorethanacreativejourneyofpersonal [Link],notjustfuture,communityleaders.