Students at Monument High School are participating in a unique activity called the Independent Project. The program is an “alternative” school that’s completely run by students—no teachers, parents, or adults are allowed—and they’re in charge of deciding their entire courses. What these teens study in the classroom and their homework are all entirely up to them.
Students aren’t taking this lightly—instead of reacting irresponsibly to the freedom to design their own studies, they’re eagerly grasping their own interests by writing poetry collections, learning instruments and taking flight lessons.
“I think the more choices we have in our schools, the more students we will help develop into the kind of citizens that we need,” Principal Marianne Young explains. “And that it’s okay for you to need a little bit of a different approach from mine.”
The only structure to the program is this: On Mondays students come up with questions that interest them about one of their school subjects, and then they spend the rest of the week researching and coming up with potential conclusions to these inquiries. On Fridays, they present this information to their classmates.
Teens express their satisfaction with the program because it accommodates different kinds of learners, even those who don’t always succeed in a traditional academic sense.
“I have dyslexia(阅读障碍), so it’s very hard for me to read, write and do those sorts of things. School has always been a big problem for me,” one student named Sergio explains. “If not for this program, I don’t know if I’d be graduating—I don’t know where I’d be right now. I think this has really been my savior and got me through the last two years of high school.”
【小题1】What can we know about the Independent Project?| A．Normal school courses are a must. | B．There’re no teachers involved in it. |
| C．It aims to help students with math. | D．Students must study courses at home. |
| A．more course choices will benefit top students |
| B．teachers play a key role in students’ education |
| C．different learning styles should be encouraged |
| D．knowledge can be better gained by discussions |
| A．Approving. | B．Cautious. | C．Doubtful. | D．Critical. |
| A．The structure of a learning program. | B．The benefits of interactive learning. |
| C．An unusual educational program. | D．The differences in individual learning. |
