Extending the Classroom

This week’s entry comes from Brandon Cloud, a guidance counselor at Fishers High School.  Outside of school, he is also an EMT/Fire Fighter in Tipton County.  In this role, he developed a relationship with the Tipton County Corner, which grew into an opportunity for his students at FHS.  Warning: If you are squeamish, you may want to avoid this entry!

Real life experience can help
students make future choices.

From Brandon: Building Experiences Beyond the Classroom

One of the goals we have at Fishers High School is to expand the classroom beyond the walls of the school.  In fact, we use this saying as a mission statement for our internship program.  We do this in lots of ways, but one of the most intense and memorable experiences for our students is a visit to the Medical Academic Center Cadaver Lab.

A student tries the arthroscope.

Some background may be helpful. Often, when students think about medical careers, they think about being a nurse or doctor.  You may not be aware of this, but we have many courses that prepare students going on to become a nurse or doctor, but also can prepare them for a wide variety of careers in the medical field. There are many other options, and the sooner students are exposed to these options, the better choices they can make about high school and college classes.

Education outside the walls
of the classroom....

For example, our students can take a Ball State University course in Anatomy and Physiology, they can become Certified Nursing Assistants through a course taught in our high schools, they can take Project Lead the Way Biomedical courses, or students can participate in a medical internship.  We are also adding opportunities for students to train to become an EMT or a Pharmacy Technician.

Few high school students in
the world have an opportunity
like this one.

This is our second year of visiting the Medical Academic Center.  FHS teachers Elizabeth Good and Stacey Young joined FHS guidance counselors to take about 160 students from our medical courses and internships on this experience outside of the classroom.  At the Medical Academic Center, the dissection lab was divided into four stations: Heart/Lung organ dissection, full lower extremity (with hip) dissection, knee arthroscope video manipulation of a leg, and full torso dissection. 

Each student was able to physically participate at each station.  As you might guess, most medical students do not have a human cadaver experience until they are in graduate school, but our high school students had a chance to experience what could be in store for them if they go into the field of medicine.  Students came away from the experience knowing much more than theory, and they are in much better position to make decisions about future career options.

In education, we often talk about real-world experiences.  It doesn’t get much more real than this!

Brandon with his students
at the lab.

Respond to Brandon at bcloud@hse.k12.in.us

We hope your week is a good one, and that you find ways to expand the walls of your classroom.  Keep it real, HSE!

On a related note, take a few minutes to watch how a few words at the right time can change the life of our student forever.  You never know what will come of providing opportunities for your students and encouraging them to pursue their goals.

Click Here: A Teacher Appreciation Story

Your HSE Teaching and Learning Team

• Jan Combs, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning
• Stephanie Loane, Director of Elementary Education
• Tom Bell, Director of Special Education
• Jeff Harrison, Director of Educational Technology
• Phil Lederach, Director of Secondary Education