Innovation Playlist
Surely, the purpose of school isn’t producing data. School ought to prepare children to lead fulfilling lives in a dynamic, uncertain future. Which raises two essential questions:
- What is your vision of what your school could be?
- How do you make informed progress toward that vision?
The Innovation Playlist is a powerful change model based on small steps that elevate learning and life outcomes. It brings your community together to build consensus on your North Star. It trusts teachers to lead the way, build on successes, draw on best practices, and do what you take joy in — challenging your students in creative, distinctive ways that prepare them for life.
Already, the Innovation Playlist is working in the field — in classrooms, schools, districts, even in entire states. This illustrative use case brings it to life, as does this compelling documentary produced by a team in Hawai’i, and this documentary produced by students in Virginia. The goal of the Innovation Playlist? To help your school become the school you know your students need, not the school you inherited, by providing you with on-ramps to deeper learning.
Mobilize Your Community
All things are possible once your school community is mobilized to work collaboratively toward a shared, aspirational goal. This album offers. . . (Read More)
All things are possible once your school community is mobilized to work collaboratively toward a shared, aspirational goal. This album offers exceptional resources to inform, transform, and energize your community. It brings people together to embrace a vision of what your school could be, and what competencies are essential for your students. It sets the stage for joyful, enduring progress.
Start small, but start now -- With a few colleagues, watch The Future of Work and Do Schools Kill Creativity? from the Build Momentum play, and share reflections about how your school can better prepare students for life.
Student-Driven Learning
Agency — the ability to manage your own efforts — is an essential life skill. Imagine if your students could drive their own learning. Exceed stretch goals, fueled by intrinsic curiosity and motivation. Learn without your constant oversight, letting you guide, inspire, and encourage. This album helps students develop agency — so essential in normal times and imperative during the pandemic.
Start small, but start now — With a few colleagues, try Curiosity Time, and share reflections.
Real-World Challenges
Too often, kids are assigned material they’re unlikely to retain, nor use as adults. They study just to get a good grade, sapping intrinsic motivation and purpose. . . (Read More)
Too often, kids are assigned material they’re unlikely to retain, nor use as adults. They study just to get a good grade, sapping intrinsic motivation and purpose. But everything changes when students take on real-world challenges. They know their work matters. They create bold initiatives, overcome setbacks, and persevere. They learn how to learn. This album helps you unleash student potential through real-world challenges.
Start small, but start now — With a few colleagues, empower students to take on a short-term real-world initiative.
Evidence of Deeper Learning
What we assess, and how we assess it, determines what kind of adults our children become. When we measure success with low-order bubble-test skills, we impair their futures. When we empower students to do bold, creative work, they develop distinctive higher-order competencies. But creative work demands different, more authentic assessments. This album helps you create assessments that capture -- even spark -- consequential student learning.
Start small, but start now -- With a few colleagues, schedule a virtual public exhibition of student work a few weeks from now.
Caring & Connected Communities
In normal times, students can’t learn effectively without social and emotional support. In a pandemic, this support is imperative. Yet too often, social and emotional priorities get lost in the blur of curriculum, test scores, out-competing classmates, and being judged against standards of perfection. This album offers powerful practices that help you create a caring and connected community for your students.
Start small, but start now --With a few colleagues, try a one-hour advisory session, and share reflections.
Share your insights with us by email (WeCare@WhatSchoolCouldBe.org) or by posting a short video to YouTube and sending to us to playlist on the WSCB YouTube channel. Your progress helps this Playlist reach greater heights, sparking progress across a growing community of change agents.