Why Change?

"If the purpose for learning is to score well on a test, we've lost sight of the real reason for learning."

~Jeannie Albright

In an effort to improve student achievement, we have pushed the existing system of schools into hyperdrive, asking students and staff to work a speed that negatively affects learning in the long run. Despite intentions to ensure that all learners can be successful, educators seem to be working harder than ever but accomplishing less, while students seem to be more disengaged than ever but longing for more. ~ Allison Zmuda

The reality of school in 2015:

Students are BORED!
- The level of apathy for many students is increasing year to year
Students have changed and schools have not changed with them
- Education has not changed much since the Industrial Revolution
- Today's students are nothing like they were 20 years ago
Learning is fragmented
- Students move from one class to the next and don't get the opportunity to make connections between subjects
- Fragmentation of schedules leads to fragmentation of thinking
  - Only a small percentage of students are intrinsically motivated to dig deep at home.
  - It doesn’t allow for students to dig deep- ever.
Strict routines
- bell schedules and class schedules are set and don't change much from day to day, year to year
Fragmentation of subjects for teachers as well
- English wing, Social Studies Wing, etc.
  - Teachers don’t get to know each other beyond their disciplines
- Teachers don't have much opportunity to work with each other
  - Collaboration leads to inspiration and innovation
Lack of true options
- Choices for students as far as classes are concerned are limited
  - Regular, Honors, or AP
  - Elective classes for Core Subject credit
    - Creative writing, Journalism, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
AP/Honors students are separated from the general population of students
- All students should be able to interact
  - Higher level students can and will raise the bar for students around them
  - Lower level students will see that they can “do it, too”

What can we do about this? We need to shift our thinking.

Every student, every day must have access to factual (domain specific) knowledge, practice (a focus on automaticity or immediate recall), and feedback from a knowledgeable source (to improve thinking and performance). We must present students and educators today with a balanced approach to classroom instruction. With the idea of balance comes control... in today's classroom who should be in control? Who controls the experience? Both the teacher and student. There needs to be a balance between the teacher-driven learning experience and the studnet driven-learning experience. This phenomenon is known as the Personalized Learning Revolution!

Teachers today are guides of inquiry and facilitators of learning. The educators of the 21st Century have to be creative, innovative and tech savvy. They must build trusted relationships with students all while demonstrating a steadfast belief in their students' potential competency; they must provide timely and high-quality feedback, and approach new learning with a proactive and reflective attitude. 21st Century educators must help students to set goals, design tasks, persevere through tough and messy challenges, as well as create and use knowledge that will allow them to go beyond the four walls of the classroom.