As the year progressed so did our “dot-to-dot” connections: every class enjoyed an Open-Minds experience that encouraged associations across and within disciplines and promoted a connected and caring community of learners. The school classrooms and hallways, learning commons, sharing evenings and celebratory assemblies became a sort of travelogue—an illustrated and documented “ living journal” about the places visited and the experiences encountered throughout our school’s community’s travels—connecting the dots of our amazing year through technology, literature, art, drama, unique personal journals and more.
This year’s experiences convinced me of the seemingly never-ending possibilities for students and teachers to connect valuable ideas—people and cultures; stability and change; past, present, and future times; critical and creative thinking and so much more—all spurred forth from a single dot!
Jeannette Jackson, Music Teacher/Learning Leader, West Dover School