IdeaPaint Goes to Brooks School
Tucked away in North Andover, surrounded by picturesque New England landscapes, you'll find the Brooks School. Home to 370 students, the majority of whom board, the Brooks Schools is an independent co-ed, college prep school for students grades 9-12. Last month, we paid a visit to check out the latest addition to their impressive facility.
Our first stop was Doug Burbank's classroom where the marquee wall (21' x 11') is freshly covered in IdeaPaint. After seeing IdeaPaint in the Google offices while visiting a former student this past summer, Mr. Burbank decided it was something he needed. He believed, in fact, that it could be a transformative educational tool when it came to teaching math. Within minutes of being in his classroom, it was clear to us that he was right. On his floor to ceiling ladder, Mr. Burbank reminds the casual observer of a character from Harry Potter as he zips along, scribbling functions as he goes. His students have bought into math if not just as something manageable, but magical.
Also on board with Mr. Burbank's plan to make math more accessible was Kihak Nam, Burbank's fellow math department colleague (and former advisee). Instead of painting the walls, however, he painted his desks. The day we visited, his students raced to answer questions in hopes of earning coveted points for an upcoming test.
Admittedly, math is not the frontrunner for favorite subject at most schools, but the duo of Burbank and Nam have amassed a following of converts. Students from both classes expressed the ease with which the IdeaPaint surfaces have been incorporated into everyday lessons. For visual learners, it makes understanding the steps of any given problem easier. For those with creative instincts, it makes math more fun - which is just what Burbank was hoping for. Whether they choose to demonstrate their interest in math in the classroom, in the Math Hallway, as a member of the Math Team or in a visit to Mr. Nam's home study (where there is also IdeaPaint), students have made meaningful connections to a subject that is often passed over in high school and forgotten about in higher education.
Guided by Brooks' mission of providing the most meaningful education in a student's life, Burbank and Nam have started with math. We hear rumors that the English department wants to implement similar measures. Soon, hallways at Brooks will have sonnets and poems to accompany graphs and functions. Sounds like the perfect solution to us.
Many thanks to Emily Young for making this happen and for walking us through all the unfamiliar hallways!
Feeling inspired? Call us at 617.714.1050 to discuss your ideas, or email awesomeness@ideapaint.com.
