It’s really amazing when you discover that there’s a group of people working on something that so entirely matches what you believe in that – if you were to embark on the same task they were working on – you would want to do it just like them.
When you’re pushing the status quo, this doesn’t happen that often. But when it does, it’s worth broadcasting. This week, after reading one Boing Boing article, I discovered two such groups:
1. Quest to Learn is a new school scheduled to open this coming fall in New York City, founded on the principles of authentic, student-centered, game-based, and real-world learning models. Taken from their homepage …
Quest fosters the type of learning that is possible today—learning based on access to online resources and tools from around the globe, learning that supports customized content for every student on demand, learning that is game-like in its ability to inspire and motivate.
Quest’s principal founder, Aaron Schwartz, is a New York City educator who understands the value in modeling education to reflect real world systems, instead of modeling education to describe real world systems.
2. As a young teacher I would often peek outside my classroom to see if anyone was coming down the hallways before I began a game, role play, or simulation with my students. I thought I was breaking the rules. I didn’t want to be judged. Had I known that there was an Institute of Play whose primary mission is to promote “the play, analysis, and creation of games, as a foundation for learning, innovation, and change in the 21st century,” I maybe wouldn’t have felt so guilty. Kudos to this team of professionals for working on such a worthy cause, and I hope their work helps other young educators to feel proud – not ashamed – of using game-based learning resources with their students.
As I’ve always said… let me know the minute you get your school up and running. I’ll be there!
I remember “checking the halls” too when I was practicing Renaissance dancing with my gr.10 English class who were studying “Romeo and Juliet”. I somehow felt a little guilty that my class was laughing, making noise and having fun, while others down the hall were copying notes and quiet… probably bored stiff, but quiet.
I’ve started to get over that “fear” of constantly being judged because I know that my students are learning. After almost ten years of teaching, I’m finally starting to feel more sure of myself and my unconventional ways. Pass the marzipan!
The stigma is bizarre isn’t it!?
Thanks for the comment Teresa. I can’t wait for the day we’re all teaching at the same school again. It’ll be like having to get everyone back on the island in LOST. He he.