ALIVE
A unique freshmen course offered at Metropolitan Business Academy (MBA) called Animating Learning by Integrating and Validating Experience (A.L.I.V.E) asks students to make connections between their life stories, the issues they care about, and current and historical social events. In the ALIVE classroom, a teacher and a drama therapist use interactive, relationship-building exercises and new technologies to foster self-awareness, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and a sense of community amongst students transitioning into high school. This foundation acts as a springboard from which to create an innovative and compelling learning environment. We want to know what is most ‘ALIVE’ to students and to use that natural curiosity to fuel learning, civic engagement, and social responsibility.
Here are two videos created by students in the ALIVE class for one class project: