One of the challenges of the current standards-based system of K-12 education is that as educators we feel we need to approach the design of learning with highly scripted opportunities.
In the extreme, it’s right there in the textbook…
…”hook” the class by asking the following question….
…then deliver this direct instruction….
…then use these ‘real-world’ applications to get learners to practice what you delivered…
…finish with this ‘assessment’….
Outcome-driven learning….
I think we can all agree that today’s learners are heading into a future VUCA world…one that is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous.
One that is going to require skills of curiosity, creativity and agility.
So will outcome-driven learning continue to serve us?
What if we made a change to balance outcome-driven learning with curiosity-driven learning?
Not that standards or outcomes are unimportant, but what if we started with the curiosities of learners instead of the outcomes?
I know what you’re thinking…
The classroom would be chaos if we let learners have that much agency. OK…what if we looked at agency as a give and take, starting with learner curiosities, as opposed to an all or nothing?
Meeting the needs of learners and the outcome based system.
Possible? Does this serve learners better for their future?
At the heart of such a change is power, agency and who has it.
Think about your own professional learning:
…you know you can’t stand those cookie-cutter, fly-by-night professional development days.
…you know you enjoy those professional learning opportunities where the guardrails are wider and you can pursue your own curiosities, focus on those things you and your team can work on and elevate.
Your students feel the same way….
Let’s share the power!
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❓ Provocations:
What assumptions do we need to challenge/unlearn if we choose to design learning opportunities rooted in learner curiosities and not system outcomes? What new design skills would we need to learn?
💎 Resource:
Education That Nourishes the Soul – mindapi
🧠 Mindsets:
Teacher as designer; not content disseminator
💡 Areas:
Teaching and Learning
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