Visiting the Original High Tech High Learning Village; Winter Residency 2009
Animas High School is based upon a highly successful model, High Tech High (HTH) in San Diego. HTH opened in 2000 and the school’s overwhelming success led to a greater demand for this type of education. Recognizing that small school size is an important factor in creating a positive learning environment, HTH began replicating itself instead of increasing the school’s size. Currently on High Tech High’s San Diego campus, there are three high schools, two middle schools and one elementary school.
The first week of February 2009, AHS Head of School Michael Ackerman attended the Winter Residency program at the HTH San Diego campus. The overall goal for this residency was to learn as much as possible about the HTH principles and practices through complete immersion in the life of the school. The Animas High School design team and members of the board of directors have also visited HTH many times over the past three years. Whether through our participation in Summer Institute, Winter Residency or Spring Exhibitions, AHS administrators and staff have had the opportunity to network with colleagues of like roles and grade levels who are employing the HTH model in schools around the world. This year’s Winter Residency Program brought together educators business leaders and community officials from California, Colorado, Illinois, Georgia, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, British Columbia, Toronto, Mexico City, India, England and Israel.
“The opportunity to see the HTH model in action, at the original campus, meeting the program founders and networking with long time staff members has been an absolutely amazing experience! To see firsthand, the levels of engagement, passion and ownership the HTH student’s have for their own education and success is tremendously inspiring. I am so excited to use this experience to help shape AHS’s success as we bring 21st Century education to Durango, Colorado.”
Animas High School is based upon a highly successful model, High Tech High (HTH) in San Diego. HTH opened in 2000 and the school’s overwhelming success led to a greater demand for this type of education. Recognizing that small school size is an important factor in creating a positive learning environment, HTH began replicating itself instead of increasing the school’s size. Currently on High Tech High’s San Diego campus, there are three high schools, two middle schools and one elementary school.
The first week of February 2009, AHS Head of School Michael Ackerman attended the Winter Residency program at the HTH San Diego campus. The overall goal for this residency was to learn as much as possible about the HTH principles and practices through complete immersion in the life of the school. The Animas High School design team and members of the board of directors have also visited HTH many times over the past three years. Whether through our participation in Summer Institute, Winter Residency or Spring Exhibitions, AHS administrators and staff have had the opportunity to network with colleagues of like roles and grade levels who are employing the HTH model in schools around the world. This year’s Winter Residency Program brought together educators business leaders and community officials from California, Colorado, Illinois, Georgia, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, British Columbia, Toronto, Mexico City, India, England and Israel.
“The opportunity to see the HTH model in action, at the original campus, meeting the program founders and networking with long time staff members has been an absolutely amazing experience! To see firsthand, the levels of engagement, passion and ownership the HTH student’s have for their own education and success is tremendously inspiring. I am so excited to use this experience to help shape AHS’s success as we bring 21st Century education to Durango, Colorado.”
- Michael Ackerman, AHS Head of School
Pictures (above): Students work on Coaching Techniques as they prepare for an upcoming Socratic seminar. Lori Fisher, future AHS Humanities teacher advises her students. 
Picture: (right) Animas High School Head of School, Michael Ackerman and High Tech High C0-founder and "Emperor of Rigor" Rob Riordan take a moment to catch up.
Pictures (above): Educators form across the globe participate in breakout sessions during the 2009 Winter Residency Program. Students collaborate on a reading assignment on Buddism.
Pictures (above): Jade, a senior at HTH leads a group of resident educators around on a tour of the High Tech High Learning Village. Art or science class? Ninth grade HTH students blur the lines while pursuing excellence. Students work to create a stop-motion animation film for their language arts class. These young ladies will work to edit together over 300 seperate still frames into a thirty second digital short.
Pictures: (above) The Fishbowl; A well know landmark and homebase for High Tech High 9th Graders. HTH teachers offer their insights.