Your weekly source of learner-centered inspiration
Dear Educator,
As a mom of two middle schoolers and a former middle school teacher, I know how critical this period of time is for young adolescents. It is so easy to get irritated by the mess, lack of focus, and hormones that come with this age, but we have to remember that there is so much more that is possible beyond simply surviving middle school. As educators we have the opportunity to help middle school aged learners make sense of who they are, provide exposure to new ideas and experiences, and build their confidence as learners, problem solvers, and capable humans.
If you have been following me for a while, you likely know about Vista Innovation and Design Academy (VIDA)—one of my favorite schools in Vista Unified in northern San Diego County. It is full of life and some of my favorite humans, namely the founding principal, Dr. Eric Chagala, and most importantly, it embodies what a middle school experience can and should be.
We want to hear from you! Share your Learner-Centered Bright Spot with us here.
BRIGHT SPOT OF THE WEEK
A middle school experience filled with joy, learning, and purpose
What stood out to me most on a recent visit to VIDA are the experiences that students are getting beyond traditional content. Each student has a Design Lab every day. Although design and authenticity are integrated in core content areas, Design Lab time is designated for all learners to ensure that they, in the words of Dr. Chagala, have a rad experience every day to look forward to. It is not about preparing them to be something in particular or putting them on a certain track. It is about creating joy, learning new things, and doing something with the content.
During this particular visit students were:
Drawing with VR and practicing their creativity, while also leveraging technology and tools that will continue to evolve and be part of their world.
Making bowls with their hands in ceramics— there is something so cool about taking a block of clay and molding it to be something both beautiful and useful.
Collaborating to design machines to be able to move and complete tasks.
I am inspired when I see opportunities for young people to engage in their learning with a sense of purpose and explore more about the world while in school so that they can thrive beyond school. I would love to hear about your examples.
What real-world problem-solving skills do you nurture in your teaching practice? Let us know!
RESOURCE ROUNDUP
Explore resources that support connecting the dots between teaching and learning and school and the "real" world for meaningful, authentic, and purposeful learning.
1. VIDA's culture of innovation. Take a deeper look at how VIDA was intentionally designed to focus on learners finding their passions through an interdisciplinary approach. Download chapter 3 of my book Learner-Centered Innovation featuring VIDA's story.
2. Curiosity is foundational to learning. Teaching does not always result in learning, but exploring answers that tap into our natural curiosity almost always does. Explore this idea more in this blog post.
3. New podcast episode! Don't miss my insightful conversation with Starr Sackstein in episode 11: Changing the World One Mind at a Time. We talk about "covering" vs learning, assessment, and her experience creating learner-centered experiences within a more traditional system.
LET'S SHARE OUR BRIGHT SPOTS!
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