Parent Perspective - Mrs. Misty Armstrong |
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Testimonials from Current Jasper Parents
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“One year ago, our son, Jacob, came home and told us about the opportunity for him to participate in the Jasper program when he got to Emmaus. It was the first time that we had seen him excited about school. For years, Jacob has regularly expressed his frustration with the traditional approach to education. He finds it irrelevant, not intellectually stimulating, and monotonous. And frankly, we were concerned about his success at the high school level given his negative sentiments. As soon as he learned about Jasper, we saw the same spark in his eyes that he gets whenever sharing new insights he's gleaned from his own research on any given topic. And we have not been disappointed! Collaborative education and project-based learning, hallmarks of the Jasper program, are empowering students for whom the traditional pedagogy is lacking. Jacob has applied creative approaches that he has learned in his Jasper classes to his non-Jasper classes. This program is especially critical for those students who require a more engaging educational experience. It's only been a year, but we are eagerly anticipating the myriad ways the Jasper program will grow, meet and exceed the needs of students like Jacob, and continue to strengthen the Emmaus community.”
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"As a parent of a current tenth grader at Emmaus High School who has been in Jasper since its inception, I wanted to provide a little perspective from my point of view. When Jasper was first announced in early 2020, I immediately started researching the concept and its application to the three core courses (science, social studies, and English). Project-based learning (PBL) has been a part of my education since I was in middle school. While I never participated in science fairs or History Day projects (both are PBL but typically restricted to only a few students), I was fortunate enough to have a teacher who taught American History in a completely project-based format. I learned more that year than in any other history class since then. I was thrilled to see EHS was willing to address the antiquated educational methods that schools have used for decades.
PBL has given my son a chance to explore applications and research topics that are well beyond what the students typically have access to in a regular classroom. He has been able to add a creative touch to topics being covered in class, which ultimately serves to keep him engaged. He can demonstrate his mastery of the topics by utilizing an application or platform that he also enjoys. For instance, some students can write amazing essays, others can sing/perform, or design websites/applications. Reading, memorizing, and completing multiple choice tests is not the best way for all students to learn. Additionally, PBL is designed to help students learn to work with the community to help solve real world problems or develop a product to improve the world around them. The students are given the opportunity to design/develop something, receive feedback and revise the submission. This could be an opportunity to fix something that did not work as expected or it can be a chance to make something even better. This feedback loop has been a wonderful process for our student as it removes the concept "failure" from the equation. The feedback is based on learning and growth and is not designed to be a binary pass/fail model. This allows our son to push the boundaries of what he is capable of without the risk of failure. Nelson Mandela said "I never lose. I either win or learn." For us, this is what learning should look like and it has greatly improved the relationships in the house as the arguments over homework/studying have stopped." |
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"I think what has made the biggest difference is the manner in which the curriculum is taught. I think we have all been so conditioned by the manner in which we were taught and how we saw our children taught for years, that we don't take the time to truly question if rote learning is truly the best technique for all subjects. The project-based work has made a difference in how Hailey both learns the material as well as experiences success in school. In a traditional course, where a subject is learned and there are some notes along the way, many times the student is asked to memorize things for a test on a given day. Once that test is taken, out goes that acquired knowledge to make room for the next.
The difference with Jasper is that the project can truly drive home the facts and concepts that stays with them. Even better, I feel it gives them a tool kit to apply to other topics and makes them much more cognizant of how they learn individually. For example, Hailey has no interest in the gilded age. However the project she did last year of actually building a small replica of a factory along with its facts, caused that knowledge to soak in. She can still rattle off some facts a year later which I know would never have happened with the traditional "test on Friday" model. How the work has actually affected Hailey is that with so much project based learning, it has adjusted her mindset so that research and investigation are a normal part of her process now. In my opinion this is so much more in alignment with both real world examples (PowerPoints, research papers) since I do not know a single contact that takes "tests on Fridays" as part of their occupation. I think it is also a considerable help in preparation for post secondary education. Children know how to take tests, and the number of standardized tests only seems to grow. However in upper class years at college, so much of the work is project and research based. To know that my child has been working on those types of things since her freshman year in high school just gives me greater peace of mind. I didn't even touch on the fact that if a child has gifts in areas that are typically not valued in a traditional classroom setting, that is to say they are very musically inclined, or very tech oriented, or artistic, etc. , that they will find the ability to tap into their interests for these projects. On a social note, I have found that the students in Hailey's classes, while diverse in interests, do largely share a high level of conscientiousness about their schoolwork which I think cannot be said with a blanket statement about her non-Jasper courses. The only downside to Jasper is that parents and students will undoubtedly find themselves comparing the non-Jasper classes to the Jasper ones and noticing so many of the shortcomings of the traditional model. It is one of those experiences in life when once you see it, your mind has expanded and now the differences are too great to not notice." |
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“Following a year and a half of hybrid and virtual learning, Jasper has been the breath of fresh air my daughter needed to jump start her passion for learning. This program was also extremely helpful in the transition from Middle School to High School learning. I am thrilled that she is in an environment where her teachers can get a chance to know her as in individual in such a large school. I will never forget the day the students were making their candles for their project, and she said to me, "Mom, I can't believe I am saying this, but I am actually really excited to go school today!"
"The traditional format of lectures followed by tests has always been difficult for my son. He learns much better when he can complete projects and has active engagement of the subject. In this way, the Jasper program has been a perfect fit for him."
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