math that are applicable. One of the most prevalent complaints from students today is that there are too many tests. They agree that over-testing has taken the joy out of learning and caused them to be incredibly stressed about school. UCA has chosen to de-emphasize testing by relying on project-based learning and assessments. This scenario allows students to show what they know rather than tell what they know on a test. According to the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy, “creation” is the highest form of thinking, so project-based learning supports the need for students to translate what they’ve learned in the classroom into a product that reflects mastery of the
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asheboro magazine
targeted skill or lesson with a realworld connection. Project-based learning also gives students the opportunity to work together, exposing them to a variety of personalities and approaches to solving problems. At UCA, projectbased learning will be the primary method of assessment in all classes. In 2005, writer Richard Louv wrote a book entitled Last Child in the Woods, in which he asserts that, due to the growth of technology, today’s children have become disconnected from nature, a phenomenon he labeled as “naturedeficit disorder.” The book concludes that children need to be connected to nature for their overall health and well-being. O u r