EduCon 2024

Student-centered instruction is not a flash in the pan trend; it is here to stay. It is the linchpin of 21st century teaching and learning. If our students are to thrive in an unpredictable future, it is time to shift instruction—and to keep shifting instruction—with their authentic interests foremost in mind.

The McLean School Head, Mike Saxenian, envisions a place where students have agency and authority over their learning, not only answering questions, but asking questions of themselves and each other. We are working with classroom teachers to realize this vision, evolving from an inherited industrial age model, with students often “sitting and getting”… and “giving” the correct answer. Middle School Academic Technologist, Mike Carson, and Instructional Coach, Kate Rizzi, form partnerships with faculty members to alter the culture from inside their school.

With our colleagues, we hope to create a learning community in which all members share, reflect on, and learn from their successes and failures. We have just begun, but we can see small, positive steps towards student-driven learning. We will share what we have learned from this process of self-reflection and mutual support. Where are you in the process of revolutionizing education? What have you learned? How can we support one another?