For much of his book, Tony Wagner has explained the widening gap between what it takes to remain competitive in an increasingly global society and what students are learning in school. Additionally he has shed light on several issues plaguing the current educational system in terms of barriers that stand in the way of students learning practical skills for the future. Lastly Wagner has begun to develop ideas for which both teachers and curriculum can change fundamentally to meet these goals. But like he has admitted before, it is hard for people to conceptualize or picture doing something they haven't seen in action yet. Enter schools like High Tech High, the Met, and Francis Parker Charter Essential School. It is here that Wagner gives examples of school that actually implement the ideals behind teaching students the 7 survival skills. Namely connecting learning to student interests, putting learning in student hands, developing important inquiry and critical thinking, and ultimately creating relevant students work through projects and collaboration.
As it turns out, I am not only partial to High Tech High but fairly familiar with it's structure as well. I had heard of this innovative high school in San Diego's North County early in my teaching program. It's methods no doubt draw a lot of interest throughout the up and coming teaching community. For me, this school resonates on an deeper level. I received my undergrad in Electrical Engineering from SDSU and I naturally have an affinity for math and science related fields. High Tech High seeks to instill the essential skills for these intensely sought positions of the future job market within their students. At HTH many student projects and learning activities are centered on discovery style learning, collaboration, hands-on creation, and problem solving. When I think about these skills, I think about the very same projects I worked on as an aspiring engineer in school. Because of this, I would love to teach in this environment and can see myself integrating my undergrad experiences with those of my students if given the chance.
On a final note, it is also worth mentioning my wonderful opportunity to actually observe a math class at High Tech High last semester. It was a simple lesson focused on number sequences but the ideals of the school were clear and on display. Students worked in collaborative groups and largely discussed ideas and approaches to a given problem. The teacher acted merely as a facilitator, only offering more inquiry to student ideas and questions. It was only after the class thoroughly explored a topic that conjectures were agreed upon and explained in detail. The lesson took some time but I sensed the long-term benefits of this type of learning. Students had internalized problems and had genuinely sought solutions with their peers without notions of disengagement, passive learning, or formula dependency. As a result, this experience has contributed to my vision of how learning math should be and has since increased my advocacy for the mission of High Tech High.
As it turns out, I am not only partial to High Tech High but fairly familiar with it's structure as well. I had heard of this innovative high school in San Diego's North County early in my teaching program. It's methods no doubt draw a lot of interest throughout the up and coming teaching community. For me, this school resonates on an deeper level. I received my undergrad in Electrical Engineering from SDSU and I naturally have an affinity for math and science related fields. High Tech High seeks to instill the essential skills for these intensely sought positions of the future job market within their students. At HTH many student projects and learning activities are centered on discovery style learning, collaboration, hands-on creation, and problem solving. When I think about these skills, I think about the very same projects I worked on as an aspiring engineer in school. Because of this, I would love to teach in this environment and can see myself integrating my undergrad experiences with those of my students if given the chance.
On a final note, it is also worth mentioning my wonderful opportunity to actually observe a math class at High Tech High last semester. It was a simple lesson focused on number sequences but the ideals of the school were clear and on display. Students worked in collaborative groups and largely discussed ideas and approaches to a given problem. The teacher acted merely as a facilitator, only offering more inquiry to student ideas and questions. It was only after the class thoroughly explored a topic that conjectures were agreed upon and explained in detail. The lesson took some time but I sensed the long-term benefits of this type of learning. Students had internalized problems and had genuinely sought solutions with their peers without notions of disengagement, passive learning, or formula dependency. As a result, this experience has contributed to my vision of how learning math should be and has since increased my advocacy for the mission of High Tech High.