Today marks the beginning of ‘Technology and Innovation’ and I am so excited! As a teacher, it is important to understand how we can use technology to enhance our student’s learning as well as our own and progress into the future of teaching.

Our task this week was to watch the documentary “Most Likely to Succeed”. In this film, we followed a school called High Tech High where students are introduced to an alternative learning style to what is usually conventionally available. “Most Likely to Succeed” presents a compelling critique of traditional education systems, showcasing High Tech High as an exemplar of a new approach. It challenges the standardized testing-focused model, advocating for a shift toward project-based learning. High Tech High embodies this shift, emphasizing hands-on projects that foster collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Their interdisciplinary approach breaks down subject silos, enabling students to see connections between various fields. Central to this model is student-centred learning, granting students autonomy to explore their interests while emphasizing real-world applications. The documentary questions the efficacy of standardized tests as the sole assessment tool, favouring alternative methods like presentations and portfolios that better capture student growth. Ultimately, the film champions High Tech High’s innovative educational approach, advocating for broader adoption of similar methods to better prepare students for the demands of a rapidly evolving world.

Reflection: Why are schools like this important?

Personally, I would love to work at a school like this. I think the fact that we haven’t reinvented our education system by now is crazy, the goals of the school system in North America are no longer aligned with society’s expectations for adults. Allowing students to have more autonomy over their learning creates more of a passion for what they are learning about; having subjects be co-taught connects thoughts and ideas akin to how they connect in the real world. No thought is purely math-based, science-based, language-based, or otherwise. Everything is connected and learning should be as well. However, my concern, and the concern of many parents is that this methodology is not common across schools and post-secondary institutions. Does this prepare students to attend higher level education? I would say it probably doesn’t but I would love to see over time a shift at the University level to more of a similar way of teaching, learning, and sharing.