The Manor Model: Part II in a series

MANOR, TEXAS -- The Bogalusa City School System was already sold on, and committed to, trying out the New Technology Foundation program for some of its high school students and to extrapolating the program for some of its middle school population.

The research was done, and representatives had visited NTF schools, including the original in Napa Valley, Calif.

But when a team of 11 educators and business partners, got to witness the model in action and see a student body similar to that of Bogalusa High School that had, by all accounts, been transformed in less than two years, the enthusiasm seemed to take a quantum leap.

The travel team was undeniably excited.

“We don’t need to build new schools,” said Brent Nobles of business partner Nobles and Associates. “We don’t need additional funds. We just need a new system, another way of doing things. If ever there was something to be done, this is it. It will just take support.

“They were as bad as Bogalusa. This is a way to get Bogalusa back. And you can see immediate results. It’s exciting. It makes you want to be involved.”

The educators agreed. April Nobles will be the principal of the new Northside Technology Middle School.

“I cannot see doing it any other way,” she said.

The New Tech program encourages active education. Students don’t sit, listen and memorize, they explore, research and learn.

And they do that as independent members of small teams. Like in real life or on television shows such as CSI, students take part in cooperative investigations stemming from real world problems presented in captivating style, such as through videos or live performances by the interdisciplinary team of teachers that will oversee their progress through its culmination when the students present their projects.

Most classes are taught by two teachers from different fields, such as literature and world history or math and science. The problems might involve pirates and a lost treasure or an unknown world contagion.

The teachers develop the problems, provide the basic information and remain available for questions. They also stay flexible. Mary Mobley, a teacher at Manor New Tech High, which the Bogalusa contingent just visited, said she taught in a traditional setting for six years and would “never go back.” She said she has learned herself as projects unfold.

In researching J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, Mobley found something written by the author’s daughter.

“She said the trilogy was about his experience in World War I and that he was Frodo in the trenches,” said Mobley. “So who were the Orcs and elves�-? It gave me chills.”

The students were also fascinated. Mobley purchased several copies of the trilogy and made them available so everyone could pursue the new mystery.

That’s how learning happens in real life, she said.

For every project, the state standards that must be met and the criteria for various learning levels are posted on the wall. And everything is posted online so parents can know what their children are doing and keep track of their progress.

There are no set pathways to conclusions. Students are free to use their creativity and to determine their own ways of addressing the problems.

They are graded for their individual contributions and for team participation. And if a team member is found slacking, there is a set protocol for addressing the matter. Personal responsibility might well be added to the school’s touted three R’s, which are relationship, relevance and rigor.

Students have five classes a day. That means they work on five projects simultaneously, although the duration of the projects vary.

And although the challenging, project-based learning requires a lot from both students and teachers, after its first year (Manor is only now in its second year) the school retained 100 percent of its teachers and lost only four students, three because their families moved out of the area.

The Manor administration invited the Bogalusa visitors to enter any classroom and to talk to any teacher or student. In room after room, teachers and young people were fully engaged and involved. And one after another easily and confidently answered questions. All spoke in favor of the program.

“You don’t have to just sit and take notes,” said Haley Vanhorn, a freshman. “That’s boring. Here learning is much more fun. It’s hands-on. It’s kinesthetic. And if I have fun, if I like to learn, I remember.”

The Bogalusa system has some work to do before it opens its own tech high and middle schools, based on the NTF model, this fall. There are projects to decide and develop, and a training trip is planned.

But the faculties are excited and ready to take on the challenge for the students and the community as a whole.

The NTF program has been called an economic development tool. Not only does it offer students training and experience in relevant, real-world fashion, if it improves the education system, it could attract businesses that have been wary to locate in Bogalusa.

The program has proven successful with similar populations, and the Bogalusa City School System is eager to replicate that success.

Part I of this series appeared in Sunday’s edition of The Daily News. Part III will appear Friday.