First and foremost, I believe in the power of curiosity. I believe that if we show our students things that are innovative and unusual, that they will instinctively take the lead and not only get more out of the learning process but actually enjoy it. When you ask kids which classes they like the most, a large portion of them will tell you it's the wood, metal and technical shop classes - and the reason is simple; the teacher has stepped out of the way and allowed them the freedom and responsibility to manage their education. When I started this course, my aim was to create something that offered a taste of the left-overs and orphans of the traditional math curriculum - the things that are interesting, but fall just short of being a keystone to something else. The more I became involved with Innovate YC, the YCCA and Student Led Learning at Yamhill Carlton High School in general, the more convinced I became that I needed to shift to a model of education within my math classroom that echoes what's so successful in the shop. To that end, I've pushed to make every unit we do have not only a direct application explained thoroughly, but a connection, interview or site visit with someone who uses those skills on a daily basis. Each assessment is up to them to create and demonstrate, and all I ask is that they meet the bar I set. It's a little bit scary, a little bit chaotic - but so far we're having a lot of fun, and even learning a thing or two along the way. I encourage you to check out the Innovate YC website, and take a look at some of the other projects we're working on - great things are happening at YC!