For more than 100 years our nation’s industrial approach to schooling has centered around course lessons, goals and sequences that are guided by a single teacher, grade-level cohorts and a rigid set of expectations that offer little flexibility for learners or educators.
While efficient, this model of delivery has proven both ineffective and inequitable.
Gone are the days of training a factory-ready workforce. Yet, powerful forces have collectively kept this industrial paradigm of education intact despite its many failures.
What might a new, student-centered paradigm of schooling look like?
Out of the Box provides an action plan for rethinking teaching and learning in a way that better prepares today’s students for tomorrow’s challenges.
The plan is divided into four sections:
The Introduction – revisiting the core assumptions around schooling
Part One, “Seeing the Box” – making the case for student-centered learning
Part Two, “Getting Out of the Box” – defining innovative learning models, how they are developed and adopted
Part Three, “Moving Beyond the Box” – providing recommendations for how leaders from government, philanthropy and school systems can help realize an innovative / learning model
Teachers, policymakers, researchers and education leaders contributed to this systems transformation guide, which aims to inspire a learning model that integrates:
- Thoughtful instructional design, assessment, research and cognitive science
- Sustainable pedagogical practices
- Innovative operational design for teacher workflow, class time and classroom design
- Relevant technological tools and data
Making the shift to student-centered learning will require a coordinated effort centered on reimagining what schooling can be and renewing our collective efforts at true system modernization.
How can innovative learning models transform K-12 education? Read Out of the Box.
