Project Based Learning (PBL)
Educational Program Model & Philosophy
2.0 High’s educational philosophy is built on the ideologies of multiple educational philosophers, leaders, and change-makers. The insights of those who have gone before us have paved the path for our philosophy of education and have deeply informed our practices. Much of our philosophy is laid out in the four 2.0 Schools Design Principles:
1) EQUITY
“Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.” (Paulo Freire)
“Liberating education consists in acts of cognition, not transferals of information.” (Paulo Freire)
Freire criticizes the “banking” model of education—the kind where teachers fill the minds of children who passively receive the information and then gently conform to the world. He argues that this type of passive education only perpetuates systems of oppression, forever obstructing those without power from truly engaging with the world to make change. At 2.0 High, we agree with Freire and believe that true liberation and true equity can only be achieved if students are trained to think critically, engage productively in rigorous dialogue and engage in the transformation of their current world.[1] An education that gives students these skills is much more empowering and liberating than any passive collection of knowledge can ever be, no matter how “rigorous.”
To this end, we regard integration as imperative, and fully integrate all students. All students take a rigorous curriculum that prepares them for college and career readiness. All students can choose to take the Honors option for the courses they take (but they are also truly integrated, in the same classroom, with students that do not choose Honors). Special education students are integrated into mainstream classes (and provided additional support) as much as possible per their IEP. Our school culture and pedagogy place high value on individual interests, student voice, and student ownership of learning. Project based learning (PBL) teaches students how to think, and to develop both cognitive and noncognitive skills—equipping all students to reach their highest potential and engage meaningfully with the world.
2) AUTHENTIC WORK
“Give the pupils something to do, not something to learn; and the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking; learning naturally results…all genuine learning comes from experience.” (John Dewey)
“Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself.” (John Dewey)
The pedagogy of 2.0 High is very much based on Dewey’s ideas. Students at the school will engage in work and projects that are authentic to real life, meaningful to the community, and immersive in nature. PBL encourages students to develop ownership over their learning, and to see the influence they have over their world. Student learning will frequently be put on public display and meet an authentic need in the community. As a mentor of 2.0 High’s founder has said, “When a student creates something that was not there before, and hundreds of people come to see it, it’s a transformational experience.”[2] Learning that stems from experience is priceless; and experiences that provide students with the skills needed for postsecondary success are irreplaceable. To this end, 2.0 High students will engage in meaningful academic internships, community service, and fieldwork with local experts. Learning will take place as students engage in rigorous inquiry and experiences designed to improve knowledge, skill, creativity, problem solving, and social-emotional development. Immersive, experience-based education is the foundation of 2.0 High’s educational approach.
3) PERSONALIZATION
“Be the one who notices.” (Rob Riordan, High Tech High)
“If we do not love our children, we cannot understand them; if we do not understand them, we cannot reach them. If we cannot reach them, we cannot teach them.” (Howard Fuller, Institute for the Transformation of Learning)
At 2.0 High, relationships are the key. Teachers and students know each other well, and a strong school community is the foundation of the school. Too many students fall through cracks created in school communities with large, fragmented populations, or when school staff members are too overburdened with their work to truly engage with their students. The 2.0 High school community is one of interpersonal connection, close relationships and accountability among students and staff—to ensure that ‘someone notices’ when students and staff struggle, as well as notice success and celebrate! Recognizing that identity development and personal growth occur in the context of community, we foster relationships of trust and mutual respect among students and adults through small school size, small classes, student collaborative work, and intentional community activities at the start of each day. For a school to be an excellent learning place for students, it must also be a rewarding workplace for teachers. Teachers are given the flexibility and autonomy necessary to passionately empower their students to meet rigorous academic objectives. Teachers also work collaboratively to address school issues and are active participants in critical decisions such as professional development, assessment, hiring, and other significant matters.
4) JOY
“Life at school shapes how children see the world. We want them to see the world as a wonderful, delightful, creative place that’s worth protecting.” (Gever Tulley, Brightworks School)
School should be exciting, engaging and leave students hungry for lifelong learning. Working hard and having fun don’t need to be separate—they often go hand in hand. In addition to a joyful experience, our morning recovery meeting is designed to be mindful of long-term outcomes and promote the diverse aspects of living a meaningful life, including physical, mental, social, emotional, occupational, environmental, spiritual, and financial health. We want all students to feel love and that they belong.
The guiding pedagogy at 2.0 High is project based learning (PBL), an approach which transforms teaching from “teachers telling” to “students doing.” More specifically, PBL can be defined as:
Engaging learning experiences that involve students in complex, real-world projects through which they develop and apply skills and knowledge
A strategy that recognizes that significant learning taps students’ inherent drive to learn, capability to do work, and need to be taken seriously
Learning in which academic outcomes are identified up front, but the paths of the student’s learning process are neither predetermined nor fully predictable; we know where students will end up (the academic goals), but do not dictate how they will get there
Learning that requires students to draw from many informational sources and disciplines in order to solve problems
Experiences through which students learn to manage and allocate resources such as time and materials
At 2.0 High, PBL is a key ingredient to serving a diverse population of students, as well as meeting the needs of the whole child. 2.0 High students are active participants in their learning and are required to publicly demonstrate their learning through presentations and portfolios—introducing an additional, and arguably more authentic, element of accountability for high-quality work. This type of work builds self-esteem and encourages inter-dependence, collaboration, and student agency. It also gives students confidence in areas that may be intimidating, such as public speaking or on-the-job training.
[1] Data showing the systematic exclusion of higher-order thinking activities in classrooms of communities of color and impoverished communities has been well documented. For example, see Kohn, A. Poor teaching for poor children, in the name of reform. Education Week, April 27, 2011.
[2] Larry Rosenstock, Former Superintendent/CEO of High Tech High