A challenging revelation
In the Autumn of 2016, I vividly recall sitting in a presentation that outlined an approach to teaching and learning that was entirely foreign to me. In this approach, students took ownership of their learning, set their own goals, and played a critically important role in what they learned and how they learned. In the U.S. this would mostly be unfathomable. Sure there were a set of schools that were on the edge of innovation and experimenting with new ways to address learning inequalities. However, most schools and their teaching and learning approaches have changed little in the past one hundred or so years. Bells ring; Students move through hallways to their classes. Teachers begin the class with a "Do Now" activity to get them started for the day. Teachers direct the students in the what and how they will master the learning for the day. Teachers outline the criteria for success for the day. And so on. Input from the student is rare. Control relies squarely at the front of the room, with the teacher.
That presentation inspired my multiple-year investigation into Kunskapsskolan (KED). This was fueled by visiting dozens of KED and KED-inspired schools, where the focus on personalized learning is made concrete through four essential key design elements:
goal setting;
- coaching;
- a personalized schedule and
- a curriculum wholly hosted on a learning management platform.
I'd seen these instructional elements in many educational settings; however, the way they are utilized and leveraged substantiated KED's unique approach to learning and instruction.i
I was further inspired by how the key design elements require a change in teacher's and leaders' mindsets. KED teachers are no longer solely in charge of when and how students learn, but in this approach, they serve as facilitators to assist students as needed.ii In the KED framework, students can work independently and at their own pace toward the co-created goals with their coach. The approach also demands schools rethink their timetables, building logistics, and space usage throughout the school. The approach also allows for consideration of learning agendas at a national level, which for the US currently means a need for conversations around school innovation and educational borrowing.
The national context
In the United States, public schools were built on a model to prepare citizens for the industrial age and factory work..iii But how are schools now engineering and innovating changes in teaching and learning to meet our society's current needs? The data says we have not been doing a great job. More worrisome is the widening gap in achievement between racial and economic lines that has continued to grow despite our attempts to address the issues.iv This discrepancy is often the impetus for the conversations around school innovation and educational borrowing.