LEARNING Technology Builds on Core Values Covington High School WRITTEN BY JOSH HAGY From kindergarten to adult scholars, the educational offerings of the Alleghany Highlands are nearly limitless. 36 Alleghany Living The Alleghany Highlands is the proud home to two thriving school systems bolstered by the support of a fully accredited community college and local and regional libraries scattered throughout the Highlands. The educational landscape in the Highlands begins in the elementary classrooms of Covington City Schools and Alleghany County Public Schools. While continuing a proud tradition of operating independently, the two systems are collaborating on a variety of initiatives designed to prepare their students to meet ever-growing educational demands. First among these initiatives is the use of responsive classrooms, an approach designed to focus on engaging students in academic content while supporting emotional growth and community development. The goal of the approach is to create a well-rounded citizen-student who is prepared for the challenges of high school. At Alleghany High School, the responsive classroom leads to a new focus on projectbased learning, a hands-on, studentcentered approach to learning that couples traditional academic knowledge with creative and challenging projects designed to incorporate the soft skills that a traditional