I just love the following description of a 21st century school depicted by Misty Adoniou (one of my favourite researchers) on popular academic news website, 'The Conversation'. I love the freedom and flexibility at the school I work it in that it has allowed me to implement much of what is described.
"Imagine two teenagers. Let’s call them Jack and Alaysa. They go to Imaginary High School somewhere in Australia.
There are no year levels or set curriculum. Students move on to the next stage when they are ready, irrespective of age. They partner with teachers to design what they learn and how they are assessed.
Traditional subjects are replaced with real-world problems. Kids are still learning maths and English - they’re applying their knowledge to build and race a billycart and to market products at a local fair.
Students develop their capabilities and give back to their communities. They might be out revegetating the local creek, mentoring preschoolers or restoring furniture.
Students are totally absorbed in what they are doing, studying areas they have chosen which clearly matter to them.
Four topics that catch your eye are the challenges of migration for kids, why the Internet is changing punctuation, what it’s like to be an apprentice, and an exploration of different school systems across the world.
Students are creating products, producing blogs and sophisticated multimedia presentations.
Classes have students of different ages and teachers from different subjects are working together. At times during the week, lessons last for a whole morning or afternoon.
Rather than having an identical timetable to others in their year, students here have a personal plan, which is updated twice a week.
Students have the flexibility to work part-time, engage in physical activity and community service. They create electronic portfolios to show what they have learned. In some cases these exist as “open badges”, digital proof that they have reached certain levels of accomplishment."
"Imagine two teenagers. Let’s call them Jack and Alaysa. They go to Imaginary High School somewhere in Australia.
There are no year levels or set curriculum. Students move on to the next stage when they are ready, irrespective of age. They partner with teachers to design what they learn and how they are assessed.
Traditional subjects are replaced with real-world problems. Kids are still learning maths and English - they’re applying their knowledge to build and race a billycart and to market products at a local fair.
Students develop their capabilities and give back to their communities. They might be out revegetating the local creek, mentoring preschoolers or restoring furniture.
Students are totally absorbed in what they are doing, studying areas they have chosen which clearly matter to them.
Four topics that catch your eye are the challenges of migration for kids, why the Internet is changing punctuation, what it’s like to be an apprentice, and an exploration of different school systems across the world.
Students are creating products, producing blogs and sophisticated multimedia presentations.
Classes have students of different ages and teachers from different subjects are working together. At times during the week, lessons last for a whole morning or afternoon.
Rather than having an identical timetable to others in their year, students here have a personal plan, which is updated twice a week.
Students have the flexibility to work part-time, engage in physical activity and community service. They create electronic portfolios to show what they have learned. In some cases these exist as “open badges”, digital proof that they have reached certain levels of accomplishment."