January 23, 2025

Dear Educator,

As we celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., I wanted to share one of my favorite quotes of his:

“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character–that is the goal of true education.”

It is incredible to think of the profound impact that educators can have in shaping the character and perspectives of the next generation. This week, I want to highlight a classroom lesson that left a strong impression. It was a great example of developing character and intelligence.

With Gratitude,

3rd Graders Solving Big Problems 

A few years ago, I was part of a design challenge with 3rd graders who read a book and empathized with a character to design a solution that would help other students who feel invisible at school and in their families.

Facilitated by the amazing Kaleb Rashad at High Tech High, these students read, wrote, collaborated, and designed solutions to a problem that plagues people of all ages: despite being increasingly connected, we often feel more isolated than ever before. These 3rd graders had some amazing ideas for how to solve this challenge in our communities.

This lesson supported students to be better readers, writers, and thinkers while also developing their character to empathize and be good citizens in their communities. It is a reminder to me, and hopefully to you, that when we value kids, see them as capable, and honor their ideas and expertise in the learning process, we can often learn more than we can teach. Young people are capable of solving big problems, and it is so powerful when we create opportunities for them to develop and showcase these skills.

Students of all ages can have a tremendous influence on their community (and the world). I’d love to see examples of what students are doing in your community! Share your story by replying directly to this email :)

Resources to advance your learner-centered practice

As we work to create learner-centered environments, examining our own water—our culture, assumptions, and beliefs—is key to cultivating the mindset shifts needed to change the water we’re swimming in. We can do this by visiting other schools that are implementing learner-centered practices or stepping out of our field and doing analogous experiences.

The next time you plan such an experience, keep this tool by your side, so you can unveil the mindsets present in the environments you’re observing. Remember, no matter how innovative a practice or idea might be, it is the the mindsets of the people who are executing that will determine the impact. Access the tool.

Resources to advance your learner-centered practice

📖 Why Stepping Outside Your School Could Be Key to Learner-Centered Change. "If mindset is a key to a learner-centered paradigm, how do we recognize and shift it? Helping people see the water they are swimming in is hard from the inside. Creating experiences outside our day-to-day can be a powerful way to reveal the beliefs and assumptions we may not be aware of in our culture." What experiences will you create?

🎙️ What Happens When We Believe All Young People Are Brilliant?
"I'm here to not only see the brilliance in our young people, but create spaces and systems so that we can cultivate and honor that brilliance." Tune in to this amazing podcast.

🎥 WEBINAR: Reimagining Education Through Innovative School Design. "We will meet leaders from Escondido Union School District who have been in the messy middle of design and will share their journey, lessons learned, and how they are leveraging Learner-Centered Collaborative’s School Design Elements to design the best schools for their community." Register here.

👩‍💻 Customize the Learning Experience. "Learn ways to make learning more personalized by providing voice and choice, designing curriculum and assessments with learners, and leveraging technology to make the process more efficient." Start learning here.