Hello, my name is Dan Thorlton.
I am an elementary school teacher at Linton-Stockton School Corporation with thirty-three years in the classroom. During this time I have witnessed many challenges in education,communication,and the dynamics of family life. For instance, the family unit has gone through a huge transition where single parent homes are more the norm in our society.
Video gaming has replaced face to face interaction with ones peers with an impersonal video screen. Learning to communicate is becoming a lost piece of society with The "reset" button having become a way of life.
Acquiring the skill to be a gracious winner or loser is being replaced with the "in your face" attitude being displayed by the very role models children look up to. What needs to be taught is how to deal with real-life frustration and the fact that you will not always be number one.
Admittedly, I have always been challenged as an educator to find new and innovative ways to impart these critical values to my students and reflecting back on my youth, I realized that my life-long interest in slot car racing can be an effective teaching tool in the school environment.
In fact, slot car racing has literally spread across the generations. It is very
possible that grand-dad played with them as a youngster and I firmly believe the
slot car connection would in many cases give family members a common ground.
So, what can slot car racing teach to a young mind? Curricula such as science and math are obvious applications. Additionally, subjects like language arts come into play with research being focused on the history of slot car racing. Other topics also revolve around actual race venues throughout the world including F1 racing in Europe.
Slot car racing provides applications for almost any topic one might imagine.
For instance, if a child has an interest in art, he or she can design and construct
dioramas as scenery for a track. Designing paint schemes and decals created on the computer can be applied to individualize a students car. If a child is "hands on" he or she might even construct a chassis made of popsicle sticks and a motor from an electric toothbrush. The encouragement of a creative mind is a powerful component of learning.
As you can see, the hobby of slot car racing offers a tremendous opportunity for student growth!
In pursuit of the goal and to demonstrate our determination to use slot car racing as a methodology, we have acquired a generous Indiana State Prevention Grant specifically designed to promote after-school activities. This grant has allowed us to get our "wheels on the ground" and we look forward to being able to continue this valuable program well into the future.
