Beliefs on How Students Learn Best in the Modern World

Prior to the Grand Forks Public Schools Innovations Committee’s first official meeting, a pre-survey was administered to committee members to gather their initial thoughts.  The first question was a critical starting point for our committee:

What do you believe and know about how students learn best in the modern world?

From the responses, I created a word cloud to visually depict the most frequently used descriptors of how students learn best.

As is evident from the word cloud, active, relevant, and hands-on were the most frequently used terms followed by engaged, choice, collaborative, real-world and problem-based.

Does “what we believe and know about how students learn best in the modern word” match the reality for students?  The overarching theme of the answers provided by the students serving on the committee was "except for a few isolated innovative examples, not really."  Don't get me wrong, Grand Forks Public Schools is outstanding, therefore not unique in trying to find our way to a more consistent approach to student-centered (active, relevant, hands-on) learning experiences.

How does the information of how students learn best inform the work of our committee?  Our first step should be to agree upon, as a district, how students learn best.  Take a look at these belief statements form Mount Vernon School and Peel District.  Does it seem both have a solid shared belief about learning?

We have a wonderful opportunity to: 1) “innovate INSIDE the box,” 2) think OUTSIDE the box, and potentially in some situations 3) THROW OUT the box, break free from the status quo and create something new and better.  I am looking forward to the discussions of the committee to envision an even better learning experience for our students.