What would your dream school look like? If you could design your most perfect learning experience, what would it look, feel, and sound like?
These are the kinds of questions the North Rowan High School community pondered as we prepared for the implementation of our Restart transformation. Restart, which gave NRHS flexibility around some NC State rules, allowed us to dream and create outside the confines of the traditional test-driven, bureaucracy-laden system. When we explored all the dreams of an ideal school, one essential component was clearly evident throughout: engagement in authentic learning. In our dream school, students were engaged in the learning not because they were told to, or because they "had to" for a grade or test. Rather, students were engaged because they wanted to know more, wanted to master more, wanted to experience more. Authentic learning aligns with our statement of purpose, which is to nurture and encourage students to develop their gifts and passions for academics, careers, and life. In the Journal of Authentic Learning, Audrey Rule cites four characteristics common to authentic learning: 1. Real-world problems that engage learners in the work of professionals 2. Inquiry activities that practice thinking skills and metacognition 3. Discourse among a community of learners 4. Student empowerment through choice. At NRHS we are leveraging challenge based learning (CBL) as an instructional tool for engaging students authentically in real-world problems. Challenge-based learning, as outlined in the iBook Challenge Based Learning Guide by Digital Promise, "empowers learners (students, teachers, administrators and community members) to address local and global challenges while acquiring content knowledge." We have established design classes (see a syllabus here) where lower school 9th and 10th grade students spend 3 hours daily for 15 day periods engaging in their CBL challenges. Design classes rotate with the core content classes, providing opportunities for cross-curricular connections as challenges require students to utilize content knowledge as they learn about the “real world”. Additionally, core content and elective classes across the school have begun implementing their own mini-challenges. Here is just a sample of the CBL opportunities provided in August and September at NRHS this year:
“Editorial: The Components of Authentic Learning” by Audrey Rule, Journal of Authentic Learning Volume 3, Number 1, August 2006, Pp. 1-10. Mark H. Nichols, Karen Cator & Marco Torres. “Challenge Based Learning Guide.” Digital Promise, 2016. iBooks. https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/challenge-based-learning-guide/id1145036840?mt=11
3 Comments
Miranda File
10/3/2018 05:35:07 pm
It is truly exciting to see the level of engagement our students are exhibiting. I am eager to come in each day and see what the kids are going to accomplish. The level of empathy that some of them have developed while working on real world problems amazes me. I am so glad that we have an administrator willing to push us to our best and help us realize our dreams!
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Brian Whitson
10/4/2018 07:52:10 pm
In working with challenge based learning, I love that the students are the "designers in charge" of their learning. We, as the teachers, get to learn alongside of them. As I reflect on that I have experienced as a CBL learner, the process is very organic, sometimes messy, and quite imperfect. So in many ways, it is the real world. Sometimes we have epic wins, total failures, and something in between. But in the end, students are driving their learning and stamina which is so important.
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Michelle Jamison
11/28/2018 08:20:17 am
After reading more of this new initiative at NRHS i am very clear about what was so unclear at open house back in August. WOW!! This approach is truly exciting and opportunities scheduled to meet with teachers and students to learn more was eye opening, too. I think Mr. Whitson said it very well "organic, sometimes messy and . . . ". YES, just like the real world . . a marriage of education and application in the moment . . finally . . LOVE IT!!
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AuthorMeredith Williams served as principal at NRHS from 2016 - 2022. Mrs. Williams now serves as Assistant Professor of Instructional Design at Catawba College. Archives
June 2019
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