Maintaining the work ethic and flow of the lab depends on help from parent volunteers called "Room Guides." As a communications tool, the Think Tank serves as an in-service center for parents. Parents attend orientations and learn about the lab's teaching methodologies and theory-driven directions which run throughout Kent Gardens. Having Room Guides in the Think Tank reinforces parent-teacher communications. The room guide component of the Think Tank also helps parents relate to their child's overall learning experience at Kent Gardens Elementary School.

Besides connecting with children in the lab, Room Guides are learning about big educational ideas like Multiple Intelligences, divergent thinking skills, throughlines, and Thinking Dispositions and discussing them with their families. Parents often report that their children pursue Think Tank ideas further at home. We feel this has a lot to do with parents being visibly active with the program and supporting its objectives by establishing learning connections between home and school.

"She's making a discovery room in our basement!"
A parent comments on how their child has connected Think Tank ideas between home and school.

Read about Jean Knodt, Director of the Think Tank ...

© Jean Sausele Knodt, Kent Gardens Elementary School, Fairfax County Public Schools, Area III Administrative District, 1998.

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