Episode Details

Next week, I have the privilege of gathering together with educators and school leaders for a Leadership & Learning Conference in Norman, Oklahoma. Guest speakers Jeff Zoul, Jack Berckemeyer, and Christine Handy will be on hand to share best practices. I’m looking forward to circling up with other educators who enjoy being life-long learners.

Gearing up for this time of learning reminds me of last year when I heard a presentation by Will Richardson, educator and author, who shared stories about new ways students are interacting with learning today. Here are three examples he shared:

• He talked about Nate Butkus, a 7-year-old boy who has started his own science podcast.
• He shared the story of a young man in India, Siddarth Mandala, who is beta-testing self-protecting “shock” shoes for women to protect them from rapists.
• He showed photos of students who are building tree-houses in their school cafeteria to replace traditional furniture.

The common thread among all of these students is the new ways they can learn today: their abilities to find resources, access information, and see examples that feed and inform their passions.

If we are living in a new world of learning where students constantly have access to create, design, connect, and produce inside and outside of school, Richardson asserts we must rethink three areas: beliefs, contexts, and practices.

Here’s are three questions Richardson explores:

1. How does this change our beliefs?
   We must be willing to rethink what we believe is effective learning; we cannot simply base this on tradition. Instead of making “student-driven learning” an elective or encore period, let’s completely design school around their passions and interests.
2. How does this affect our contexts?
   Research shows that more students are actively disengaged rather than engaged; and technology often places us in “echo chambers” where we only access information from others with whom we share common interests. We must rethink how to keep students engaged in learning that is truthful, discerning, and meaningful.
3. How does this influence our practices?
   We must become “skill” centered instead of “content” centered if students are to demonstrate mastery. We must move from the ever-increasing world of assessments for knowledge toward a world of applic