ST. GEORGE, Maine — “Students are learning differently now,” Mike Felton said, as he explains why the single-town school district has adopted a hands-on learning approach for all grades at St. George School.

“The pieces that impact that [different learning style] are trauma and technology, Felton said. "More students in Maine and across the country are exposed to trauma before they get here, and that affects how students learn."

That trauma, Felton said, can come from dysfunctional families, poverty, substance abuse in the family and other factors. Technology, he added, with so many students’ attention diverted by cell phones and social media, has made it harder for them to focus on school and learning.

“What we’re trying to do here is find a new way to re-engage them with learning. And

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