Get me to the basement

This last week has been interesting.  It seems like every day papers are picking up on the positive learning projects during non-school hours and putting up big pictures on front pages.  Today it was a cooking competition where students work in teams to produce a three course meal (minus the Chef's swearing, I assume)   Makes for a good photo shot with them white hats and all.

And in another paper, over the weekend the First Robotics competition in Northfield took place. Burlington's own Edmunds Middle School team took first place.  By chance, I happened to view this program last Thursday.

"What's going on?" I asked one of the adults in the room.
"We are panicking," he responded. " Our competition is coming up."
His eyes darted around.

I don't know why he was nervous.

The space that used to be a woodshop was now brightly lit.  There still was a faint whiff of sawdust but it was more of a whiff than a choke.  I know what I'm talking about; my dad is a woodworker and I worked bandsaws at a young age; fancying myself an apprentice circa 1971.

In one corner of this retooled space was a small 3-D printer.  Closer to the entrance was a laser cutter. Computers were scattered about.  A large robotic obstacle course, with various Lego contraptions were laid out on a course. The feeling was more lab than shop.  Kids huddled in twos and threes oblivious to everything except their robots and code.  Teachers weren't 'teaching,' they were assisting. In another corner, as part of a Real Design challenge, solutions to education were being created.  One group had determined it was the lack of family time together,  They were creating an App to help promote more 15 minute family time moments. What?!

I felt dumb.  Old.   A dinosaur.  I hardly recognized this room and school and activity. I really had no idea what they were doing.  It was all student centered, set around problem solving, designing solutions, challenge, and trial and error. With Pressure. With energy and concentration.  Totally excellent.

What made this doubly interesting was a bit later in the dark I went across the street to the  Burlington Generator.  Here there is a bigger laser cutter and a bigger 3D printer and a bigger studio space for entrepreneurs to turn ideas into businesses.  Kitty corner at 300 feet to the basement room I was just in across the street.  In one basement kids were creating.  On the other adults were doing the same. Different basement.  One guy working on drones.  Another artist  making earrings out of bike tubes.  One for 'school'  The other for 'work."  Two generations,  All generating.