“Empowering the students is the key”— Ask Mr. Raymon Spottsville, Principal of Design Lab Early College High School.
If students at a school decided to do a project on rockets throughout a semester, most educators would feel concerned, but at Design Lab Early College High School students are encouraged to think outside the box. Last semester students took on a rocket project which was integrated into every class. Mr. Spottsville, the Principal of Design Lab Early College High School in Cleveland, Ohio explained this concept to me, “During a project on rockets, the topic is covered in every class. In History, students learn about the impact of Rockets in the Modern world, Engineering covers the design of the rockets, and in English the students would learn how to design and write a technical manual on rockets.”
When I met with Mr. Spottsville for the interview, he was taking rounds to decide where capital investments should be used to create an interactive, and group work -oriented educational environment. The compassion Mr. Spottsville has in this model can be heard in his voice when he speaks about Design Lab Early College School. Mr. Spottsville believes that the Design Process model “encourages analytical reasoning and critical thinking which encourages the students to look for solutions to the problems they encounter during group projects.”
As a principal, Mr. Spottsville is extremely passionate about education and urban development. He has full confidence in the design process model and explains how it looks at a methodology, analyzes it and then searches for ways to modify and make the methodology better. According to Mr. Spottsville the education program at Design Lab “creates an environment which empowers students.” The program offers the students the needed skills and opportunities to succeed in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Although the design model encourages group-work, it equally favors individuality and gives each student a learning environment to think differently and bring their own knowledge and experience to a project. That’s what makes the design process unique and effective- it encourages and motivates group-effort and individuality simultaneously.
The main theme in Design Lab Early College High School is that students work on different themes of a specific project in every subject, but, the essence of each subject theme is interrelated and helps the student gain mastery in a specific topic. As shown by the rocket project example, the theory and application are both incorporated in the learning experience, which makes education rich and rigorous. The curriculum also offers both the teachers and the students a certain level of flexibility- they can make the project to be whatever interests them the most. Openness to new ideas, flexibility, fluidity in the execution of the curriculum and healthy, collaborative competition—everyone has an equal voice and role in the class projects, everyone is a teacher and everyone is also a student.
Mr. Spottsville explains, “The main goal of the Design Lab Early College High School is to create an interactive, engaging learning environment where everyone has significance, and something to offer to the program.” Another interesting feature of the Design Lab Early College High School is its dedication to the goal of providing students with exposure to colleges in High school. Students are offered an opportunity to take college classes while in high school for dual credit. It helps to develop a concrete plan, where students have exposure to college life and are given the right tools and stimulation to achieve their respective educational and professional goals. As a part of their program, Design Lab Early College High School also provides each student with experience in the professional world by offering summer internships. It gives the students the chance to put their learned skills to practice and also develop professional experience.
For sure, Mr. Spottsville is a passionate, driven and confident educator who believes in his students and has full faith in both the present accomplishments and the future endeavors of Design Lab Early College High School. We wish him all the best.