Changing the face of education

For any system to be successful, it has to evolve to better meet the needs of the people involved. Besides governmental systems, this evolution also applies to educational systems better meeting the needs of their students.
The evolution of educational systems has affects rippling through the Evangeline Parish School District with its center being at Ville Platte High School with a specialized program that includes an apartment.
Roxanne West, special education director for the parish, said the program “is in line with our work-based learning project we have been having in place for about two years now.”
Nicole Bordelon and Misti Fontenot are the two Bulldog teachers tasked with providing instruction in the apartment. As Bordelon explained, the program is designed for “kids with significant disabilities to prepare them to function in life after high school on their own and to teach them to be self sufficient.”
West added about the program, “These same students are also being able to access a curriculum that affords them the opportunity to receive a diploma versus a certificate, so we’re trying to make sure they have soft skills or the employability skills they need to go out to businesses like nursing homes, local restaurants, and different grocery stores.”
The program was originally held in the current 7th and 8th grade building. After classrooms shifted at the school, it moved into what were two vacant classrooms in the east annex. These classrooms were renovated at the beginning of this school year and turned into what is known as the apartment. The renovations were completed two weeks before school went out for the Christmas break and were showcased at an open house for parents and school officials Monday afternoon.
The apartment consists of a full kitchen with all modern appliances including a stove, washer and dryer, and a dish washer. It also consists of storage space along with a living room.
Students in the apartment are taught through the state’s Tier 1 curriculum that includes ELA (English Language Arts), math and science. West said the teachers, for example, “take some of the novels they may be reading and specific information about the novels and cross it over to the apartment and tie everything together.”
To that point, Bordelon added, “We may read a novel about people cooking in the kitchen. We would take that and build upon that in the apartment, and we would maybe cook the same thing they are cooking in the novel.”
As Bordelon explained, “the ELA portion (of the curriculum) also comes into effect in the kitchen by reading recipes and directions.”
Along with ELA, Bordelon further explained math and science come into play “when we are cooking with chemical reactions and heat transfers.”
From the kitchen and living areas, the apartment connects with an office conference area. West stated this area provides teaching the students “more employability skills like job interviews, appropriate dress for interviews, and filling out applications.”
“It simulates them walking into an office with an employer sitting behind a desk,” commented Bordelon.
Bordelon then commented about the reactions from her and Fontenot’s students. “They are ecstatic about it,” she gushed. Their attitudes have changed tremendously toward school since we’ve been in there. They just love going in there. They’re more apt to pay attention and get more involved, and it’s hands-on. They like that aspect.”
“It’s teaching what they need to know in a different way to keep the interest there so they will want to continue working toward their diploma and not drop out of school.”
West called the apartment “the changing face of education.” She concluded, “It’s what we need to do to keep our students engaged and interested in coming to school.”