It's Time to Change the Subject
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| ULearn16 #uAKo16 pōhiri 2016 |
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| Tulip Festival, Rotorua Government Gardens 2016 |
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| ULearn16 - kicking off with 1800+ educators ready to challenge the status quo! |
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Tēnā rawa atu koutou, Selwyn Primary Kura - Ka mau te wehi!
Larry Rosenstock, founder and CEO of High Tech High, shared his story during the opening keynote of ULearn 2016. From carpentry to law, success doesn’t come in straight lines. When Larry set out to write a book, instead he built a bungalow. Larry took us on a rich journey, remembering the past, in order for us to change the future. And Larry is certainly changing the future, with the creation of High Tech High, an equity project, guided by four connected design principles, equity, personalisation, authentic work, collaborative design. High Tech High Learning comprises of thirteen charter schools (ECE-secondary), Recognising the value of having students from different backgrounds working together, High Tech High has grown from a national to an international mosaic of learners and teachers.
We need to start with reimagining, we must begin and end with the learners, with a large dose of craziness. Rather than segregating subjects, the students themselves drive their learning, finding authentic contexts, within their community. For example, when the students realised thatrattlesnakes and mice were not going to help our learning they needed to find a way of eradicating these naturally. Hence, the ‘Owl’ project was conceived. Who says algebra is boring, when it can be ‘Calculicious’.
If we consider what students should know and do in the 21st century, we may include collaboration of multiple perspectives, curiosity, and persistence to name a few. With project-based learning, there are endless opportunities to create something authentic and new. At High Tech High, they are interested in how students react, apply and create, integrating the world, beyond prescribed subjects - collectively learning. Along the way, they are developing authentic 21st century skills and knowledge such as self assessing, critical thinking and creativity. Larry questions how can teachers model 21st Century curriculum in 19th century work environments?
In the words of Paulo Freire, Knowledge emerges only through invention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world as with each other.
In other words, as educators we must pursue the relentless creation of invention and reinvention.
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| Image created by: www.reflectiongraphics.com |
Larry is confident we can DO this, in fact, if we value our future, we must. With the integration of mind, heart and hand, the integration of our school and community, we conclude with a peal from Larry’s Grandmother, there are two types of people - those that THINK there are two types of people, and those that don’t.
NOTE: This post was first published on CORE Education's blog for ULearn16
Links:
Links:
'Most Likely To Succeed'
I finally was able to view 'Most Likely to Succeed'. This is essential viewing for anyone who seeks to challenge the status quo, and push the boundaries of educational possibilities. If you are interested in hosting a screening in your community / region, you are invited to contact Sarah Whiting, CORE Education here.
In order to spark your interest, I found this 25 minute clip:
In order to spark your interest, I found this 25 minute clip:
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| Suzi Gould, CORE Education - our host and contributor to this blog post |
Check out the following twitter feeds:
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| Connect Collaborate Innovate |
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