The class of 2015 at Casco Bay High School for Expeditionary Learning in Portland, ME focused their junior year’s work on climate change. In the fall, they studied both the chemistry and the policy.
Assessment can be a pretty scary word to students. But, does it have to be? What would assessments that excite students and truly reveal their understanding look like?
At King Middle School in Portland, Maine, 8th graders plunged into ReVolt, a 5-month, interdisciplinary expedition using design to solve a real world problem. No core academic subject was left out as the students actively engaged in multifaceted projects across classrooms.
What happens when students take ownership over their education and push their learning beyond the walls of their school buildings to activate change in their communities? They develop impactful and transformational projects like the Peacekeepers of Chicago.
As human beings, we are compelled to achieve quality when we are deeply invested in the work—when our hearts are fully engaged in the task at hand. For young people, classroom thinking and learning is no different.
These days, it seems everyone is talking about grit, perseverance, 21st century skills, and noncognitive skills, but no one seems to be talking about courage. What does academic courage look like and what happens when students have the courage to overcome fear?
