Media release from Georgia Highlands College:
Georgia Highlands College (GHC) has unveiled a new Education Lab at the Cartersville site designed to give future teachers an immersive, hands-on experience in a classroom environment before they enter the workforce.
The new lab was developed to resemble a real K-5 classroom, providing GHC education students with a space to practice teaching strategies, develop lesson plans and gain confidence in front of a classroom.
The project was nearly two years in the making, with Jennifer Carpenter, Division Chair for the School of Business and Professional Studies, providing the vision for the lab and Instructor of Education Deb Stephens helping bring that vision to life.
The lab will also become an important part of GHC’s coursework. Stephens recently developed a new Foundations of Reading course in which students will build a lesson plan throughout the semester and ultimately deliver a teaching demonstration in the new classroom.
“They will feel like real classroom teachers,” Stephens said.
Carpenter said the Education Lab represents an important investment in the college’s future educators and the communities they will eventually serve.
“This newly redesigned classroom was intentionally created to model the kind of engaging, student-centered learning environments our future educators will lead one day,” Carpenter said. “From flexible seating and collaborative spaces to interactive teaching tools, every element was chosen to help our education students experience firsthand how thoughtful classroom design can inspire learning, creativity and student success.”
She continued, “This space gives our students the opportunity to take what they’re learning and put it into practice in an environment that feels like an actual elementary classroom,” Carpenter said. “We wanted to create a space where they could learn, experiment and grow as educators before stepping into their own classrooms.”
Dean of the School of Business and Professional Studies Joy Hambrick, who helped celebrate the completion of the project, recognized the work of Carpenter and Stephens, as well as GHC’s Facilities team and community partners who helped make the lab possible.
“Without Jenny’s vision, this couldn’t have happened,” Hambrick said. “She has worked so hard to make this happen. And Deb came over the summer and put in a lot of unpaid time this summer to put this all together. The Education Lab gives our education students the opportunity to move beyond learning about teaching and begin experiencing what it feels like to be a teacher. They can practice, collaborate, experiment with new ideas, and build confidence in a space designed to reflect the classrooms where they will ultimately serve.”
She continued, “At Georgia Highlands College, we want our graduates to leave us not only with a degree but prepared to make an immediate difference in their schools and communities.”
Hambrick also highlighted the growth of GHC’s education programs. The college currently has approximately 225 students in its education program and expects that number to grow with the addition of a new bachelor’s degree in special education.
“We hope to see this program grow and see even more around our campuses,” Hambrick said.
The Education Lab provides another experiential learning opportunity for GHC students while strengthening the college’s commitment to preparing highly qualified educators for Northwest Georgia and beyond.
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