Nearly everything in America has changed in the last century – except schooling. It looks almost identical to how it did a century ago, with a one-size-fits-all approach, large class sizes, and personalization nowhere to be found.
The only way to disrupt this cycle and free the next generation of kids to be more ambitious, more creative, and to think for themselves is to create a new kind of education experience – one where the goal is simple: to foster more independent learners.
Independent learners have a sense of agency over their future. They have strong self-regulation and metacognitive skills and are deeply reflective about their strengths and weaknesses. Independent learners have a strong sense of purpose.
Purpose is what keeps us going. But if we’re only interested in short-term goals like passing exams, what happens when the goal is achieved? Teaching students who seem only motivated by threats and rewards and give every appearance of hating everything to do with school can be a joyless exercise. Teaching students whose purpose is to learn for its own sake is an altogether different proposition. They listen attentively, work conscientiously and strive to relate new concepts and information to what they already know. Having a purpose gives us the desire to master tricky content just because it’s there.
(Didau, Rose 2016)