We have all read stories about famous people who did not do well in school and grew up to be very successful. Peter Jennings and Herman Melville, for example, were high school dropouts.
Recent education theory sheds light on these seeming contradictions by acknowledging that many people’s talents do not fall within traditional academic boundaries.
Fremont School in Mundelein is putting that theory to the test this year by introducing an Independent Study Project for 6th through 8th grades that sets students loose to do an in-depth project on just about anything they choose, be it science or water-skiing.
“The academic field tends to reinforce two areas: language and math,” explained Principal Jon Mink. “The school is using the project to help all students discover their areas of strength.”
Students will research their topic for three months and make a presentation during a special evening devoted to the project. They are given an hour to an hour and a half of school time per week to work on the project. Subjects run the gamut of what interests children aged 10 through 14, Mink said.
“Everyone is different, so we are trying to look for strengths in every student,” Mink said. “People who excel in sports have kinesthetic intelligence. Some people have great interpersonal relationships. Schools shouldn’t just be limited to math and language.”
