A buzz of excited conversation fills the air.
Active students move about the room exchanging materials and ideas.
Desktops are covered with mountains of construction materials. After a moment, the teacher becomes visible as she lifts herself off the floor where she was helping a small group measure lengths of string. Despite the seeming disorder, there really is some organization to the room. This was my first experience observing students engaged in cooperative investigations. It was a refreshing look at an educational environment where the students were genuinely having fun.