Following the meeting, we had a great panel discussion that included Long Beach administrators, teachers, and students. The good news is that we are way ahead of the curve in our district in beginning to transform learning. I see all the time great examples of project-based learning, students taking leadership roles, deep understanding of content, presentations and exhibitions. And we are continuing to talk about how we might actually look at changing some of the centuries-old structures like the 42 minute period!
I was in the classroom for 21 years before I became a full-time administrator. I am a teacher to my core, and the film reminded me of one of the most powerful experiences I had as a teacher. Twenty years ago, I was teaching middle school and we were looking to add some authentic, rigorous research experiences to our students' curriculum. It was a private school, and we didn't have much in the way of resources, but I had a friend who taught at Stony Brook Medical School, and I asked him if he thought his students might be willing to work with my kids. The med students had to do some community service as part of their program, so it worked well with my plan. We had students develop a research topic with their medical student mentors, and over the course of the semester, they conducted research, evaluated results, and wrote their conclusions. We visited Stony Brook three times, and my kids communicated via email with their mentors in between. The conclusion of the project was an exhibition; my students had to present their research to a panel of science and medical experts from our community. They didn't "grade" the students, but instead gave feedback on their projects.
The eye-opener for me was the reaction of my students to these projects. They told me that it was some of the most in-depth, difficult, and important work they had ever done in school. They also said that the presentation was among their proudest moments. They got no formal grade for their work, and no "extra credit" for participating. It was learning for the sake of learning, and my eighth graders just loved it! All these years later, students often share with me that this experience was a game-changer for them in building confidence and giving them direction.
How wonderful that in Long Beach we are part of a community that is looking to make sure that schools serve our kids well! I can't wait to see what the future brings here!
