We believe that students learn best when they are . . .

• essential members of a vibrant, diverse learning community,
• immersed in challenging, real-life experiences that make a difference,
• exploring ideas, questions, and projects that are meaningful and relevant to them,
• collaborating with inspiring adults who know them well,
• given real responsibility for their education, and
• in touch with their innate wisdom and capacity for insight.

from Watershed School

Re-listening to outgoing NAIS president Pat Bassett’s TEDxSaintGeorgesSchool – Schools of the Future, I heard him say that one of his grandchildren attends The Watershed School. At 18:30, Bassett explains the way 7th graders start the school year at Watershed – with an expedition to the source of the Colorado River. Learning is based on exploration and discovery, problem finding and problem solving – real-life context in which the content is solute dissolving in solvent to form a solution.

What does your school believe helps students learn best? How are you realizing those beliefs?

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Building further from this post: “Could there actually be one “C” to rule them all?!”