Living And Learning

Living And Learning

CBI Students Work in New Learning Lab

     While he waits to drop in the dry noodles, the sauce boiling on the stove signals that it is ready. As one student stirs the sauce, another gets the plates ready.  As the food is carefully prepared, students in the community-based instruction program smile from a job well-done in the newly-created living lab.

     A mock household ‘living lab’ was completed this fall after school began. It allows life skill students to learn different techniques for day-to-day living that will help them in the future.

     “I really feel like I have the best room to run in the entire school,” Community Based Instructor Caleb Mclelland said. “We learn all facets of living essentially.”

     The plan during the creation of the lab was to see better data collection from students and teach them skills that will allow them to be independent in the future.

     “Our goal for the students was for them to be able to live on their own one day and to have the skills to do so,” educational diagnostician Casey Wynne said. “This lab simulates independent living.”

     To start the lab, a grant had to be approved for funding, and Wynne and Melissa Dukes brought their own belongings from home. They began the project in June and  finished it in September.

     “This is a true life skills room and that is the whole idea behind it,” Mclelland said. “They are learning what they can do to help at home.”

     The living lab is a fully functional mock class setup. There is a kitchen with an oven, stove, sink, oven, and refrigerator along with a dining table, washing and drying machines, and a living area.

     “I love the living lab because it is never boring in here. There is always something to do,” sophomore Haiden Holly said. “My favorite part of the living lab is shredding paper. It is fun and satisfying to watch.”

     The students learn to complete tasks that they would do at home. Some of these tasks include putting together socks, folding clothes, setting the dining table, and washing and drying clothes.

     “To some people, that may seem very very basic, but not everybody knows and that’s okay,” Mclelland said. “This is a great starting point for them to learn.”

 

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