California Medical Facility (CMF) Mountain Oaks Adult Education Center takes an innovative approach to increasing interest in education.
Principal Bowman and Vice Principal Vann encourage staff and students to create an environment filled with learning, laughter, and curiosity. This created an environment where students felt safe to make mistakes, ask questions, and speak up.
To further this approach, CMF has created monthly educational stations. Stations help engage students and connect teachers with potential students, while creating a sense of community throughout the institution.
Educational stations attract students' interest
(See video by TV specialist Richard Tan. Story continues below.)
The school invites staff from all education and education institutions to contribute their expertise and unique skills. Using this method means that teaching stations provide enriching opportunities for all students.
Stations offer engaging activities such as writing, reading, history, art, math, brain games, music, and world traditions.
As you walk through CMF's educational sites, you'll see teachers and students laughing, learning, and working together. In this environment, other people are interested in what's going on.
Adult Basic Education III teacher Patricia Ash is working on “The Beat Within.” The organization sends out writing topics for her students every two weeks.
At her station, Ash provides a topic, allows students to discuss, and then students write. Once the allotted writing time is complete, students share their work.
Once the writing part is complete, create art based on the topic.
With so many ways to learn, students say they enjoy collaboration.
One student said: “I've been in prison for 21 years and I've never seen anything like this in any education department.” “It made me more open-minded and able to generate my own ideas. They talked about us as students. I felt like a student and , I don’t feel like I’m incarcerated.”
Students said they are looking forward to the teaching stations because they offer something different.
Stations offer something different for students as well as teachers.
Giving back through education
“We're giving back. It's not about us, it's about serving our community,” said law librarian C. Roy.
Organizers say students are more likely to collaborate with others and enjoy attending school when they see teachers working together.
Story written by teacher Dawn Epps
Submitted by Lieutenant Priscilla Gonzalez
California medical facilities
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