{"id":655,"date":"2020-01-18T18:14:45","date_gmt":"2020-01-18T18:14:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/?p=655"},"modified":"2020-01-19T00:03:17","modified_gmt":"2020-01-19T00:03:17","slug":"13-reasons-why-high-school-doesnt-have-to-suck-unabridged","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/2020\/01\/18\/13-reasons-why-high-school-doesnt-have-to-suck-unabridged\/","title":{"rendered":"13 Reasons Why: High School Doesn&#8217;t Have to SUCK. (unabridged)"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"fa fb ij ik il\">\n<div class=\"n p\">\n<div class=\"z ab ac ae af im ah ai\">\n<p data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">After witnessing the impact Cohort21 has had on its many participants over the years, I found myself in a conversation at our 3rd F2F (Season 8) with Lincoln Smith (<span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"@lsmi\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/lsmith\/' rel='nofollow'>@lsmith<\/a><\/span>), about how to help teachers recognize their own ability to transform their practice. It occurred to me that even though I had taught public school in Australia for 7 years, and have now taught in private schools in Canada for a further 5 years, it wasn&#8217;t until Cohort21 that my inner innovator was unleashed. Huge gratitude must be shared with <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"<a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/gnichols\/' rel='nofollow'>@gnichols<\/a>\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/gnichols\/' rel='nofollow'>@gnichols<\/a><\/span> and <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"@jme\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/jmedved\/' rel='nofollow'>@jmedved<\/a><\/span> for modelling the type of collaborative, initiative-seeking mindsets in their PD&#8217;s, that first set me on a path to rethinking education. Cohort21, and its many passionate alumi innovators (<span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"<a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/lmcbeth\/' rel='nofollow'>@lmcbeth<\/a>\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/lmcbeth\/' rel='nofollow'>@lmcbeth<\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"@der\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/ddoucet\/' rel='nofollow'>@ddoucet<\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"@roll\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/timrollwagen\/' rel='nofollow'>@timrollwagen<\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"@ad\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/adamcaplan\/' rel='nofollow'>@adamcaplan<\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"@shell\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/shelleythomas\/' rel='nofollow'>@shelleythomas<\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"@bren\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/brenthurley\/' rel='nofollow'>@brenthurley<\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"\"><span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"@gra\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/gvogt\/' rel='nofollow'>@gvogt<\/a><\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"@ege\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/egelleny\/' rel='nofollow'>@egelleny<\/a><\/span>) provided me with the necessary permission to take disruptive risks in my own teaching practice. Seeing how hindsight is 2020, it makes sense to look back as I also look forward to my riskiest venture yet\u2014 my new future as co-founder of my own innovative high school, SiTE Schools Dundas.<\/p>\n<p id=\"63b5\" class=\"ka kb cm ar kc b kd ke kf kg kh ki kj kk kl km kn\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">The following is a list of common sense changes to secondary school education, if we are looking to represent adolescents in a more dignified and developmentally appropriate way. Many colleagues (<span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"@nbl\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/nblair\/' rel='nofollow'>@nblair<\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"@tj\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/tjagdeo\/' rel='nofollow'>@tjagdeo<\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"@ljen\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/ljensen\/' rel='nofollow'>@ljensen<\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"@mh\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/mhodal\/' rel='nofollow'>@mhodal<\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"@l\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/acampbellrogers\/' rel='nofollow'>@acampbellrogers<\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"@alli\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/amacrae\/' rel='nofollow'>@amacrae<\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"@eo\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/eoboyle\/' rel='nofollow'>@eoboyle<\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"@lau\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/lmustard\/' rel='nofollow'>@lmustard<\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"@tf\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/tfaucher\/' rel='nofollow'>@tfaucher<\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"<a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/jsheppard\/' rel='nofollow'>@jsheppard<\/a>\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/jsheppard\/' rel='nofollow'>@jsheppard<\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"<a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/lmitchell\/' rel='nofollow'>@lmitchell<\/a>\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/lmitchell\/' rel='nofollow'>@lmitchell<\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"<a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/bblack\/' rel='nofollow'>@bblack<\/a>\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/bblack\/' rel='nofollow'>@bblack<\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"@est\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/estewart\/' rel='nofollow'>@estewart<\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"<a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/mbrims\/' rel='nofollow'>@mbrims<\/a>\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/mbrims\/' rel='nofollow'>@mbrims<\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"@wd\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/wdarby\/' rel='nofollow'>@wdarby<\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"@lbet\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/lbettencourt\/' rel='nofollow'>@lbettencourt<\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"@rab\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/rabbiento\/' rel='nofollow'>@rabbiento<\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"atwho-inserted\" contenteditable=\"false\" data-atwho-at-query=\"<a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/elee\/' rel='nofollow'>@elee<\/a>\"><a class='bp-suggestions-mention' href='https:\/\/cohort21.com\/members\/elee\/' rel='nofollow'>@elee<\/a><\/span>) were asking me if I have started recording the pedagogical innovations on my journey. I have no doubt there will one day be a book. For now, this blog (now in its entirety, with further resources at the end) is a start in that direction. The new Montessori high school (SiTE Schools) I have co-founded with <a class=\"bo dc ko kp kq kr\" href=\"https:\/\/directorsdeskblog.wordpress.com\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\">Tony Evans<\/a>, is proof that truly engaging alternatives to mainstream education exist.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"kt ku kv kw kx ky dl dm paragraph-image\">\n<div class=\"kz la bl lb ai\">\n<div class=\"dl dm ks\">\n<div class=\"fu r bl lg\">\n<div class=\"lh r\">\n<div class=\"bk lc s t u ld ai bd le lf\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/Paper-Crane.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-656\" src=\"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/Paper-Crane.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"977\" height=\"651\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/Paper-Crane.jpeg 977w, https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/Paper-Crane-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/Paper-Crane-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/Paper-Crane-450x300.jpeg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 977px) 100vw, 977px\" \/><\/a>Paper Crane Project | SiTE School<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h1 id=\"c6ff\" class=\"lq lr cm ar aq ee iq ls is lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\"><strong class=\"bu\">1. Small Class Sizes<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p id=\"15a5\" class=\"ka kb cm ar kc b kd mb kf mc kh md kj me kl mf kn\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Every educator knows the secret ingredient of teaching lies in the relationship formed between pupil and teacher. This can be a whole class relationship or one-on-one. Both are vital. Yes,\u00a0<a class=\"bo dc ko kp kq kr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fraserinstitute.org\/sites\/default\/files\/secondary-school-class-sizes-and-student-performance-in-canada.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\">some studies<\/a> suggest class size does not make a marked difference to academic achievement at the secondary level. But it never hurts. I\u2019ve yet to see a student or parent complain of too few classmates. In my experience, the optimal class size sits somewhere between 10\u201316. Less than that and you may find it hard to motivate, initiate discussions, or form dynamic groupings. More than that and you inevitably have students who hide, succumb to distraction, or fall through the cracks \u2014 making it impossible to personalize learning and create meaningful connection. Class size is the silver bullet of education reform. <a class=\"bo dc ko kp kq kr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/canada\/article-does-class-size-matter-many-teachers-are-adamant-it-is-crucial\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\">Teachers<\/a>\u00a0and students and parents agree. It is more fundamental than resources or buildings or curriculum, and has the ultra-cool added benefit of providing more jobs.<\/p>\n<h1 id=\"1662\" class=\"lq lr cm ar aq ee iq ls is lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\"><strong class=\"bu\">2. Mixed-Age Groupings<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p id=\"6a8a\" class=\"ka kb cm ar kc b kd mb kf mc kh md kj me kl mf kn\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Having a balance of multi-age students in a classroom not only helps with peer tutoring and mentorship, you simultaneously vanish the stigma of both underachievers and overachievers. You also provide authentic extension material for those students ready to move through the course at a faster pace (which can and should include moving to the next grade), and you erase the arbitrary notion of age being the determining factor of ability. The Montessori framework preferences a\u00a0<a class=\"bo dc ko kp kq kr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.public-montessori.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Three-Year-Age-Spans-in-Upper-Elementary.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\">3-year age grouping<\/a>, which works well in an adjusted high-school arrangement of Grades 7\u20139 and 10\u201312. Students in these scenarios very quickly forget their age differences and become more interested in sharing knowledge and gaining experience. For a student moving through these levels, this means at least two opportunities to review and understand the material with peers and a further opportunity to teach it to the class; which is the ultimate form of education, allowing the teacher to take the necessary step back and get out of the way of the learning.<\/p>\n<h1 id=\"365c\" class=\"lq lr cm ar aq ee iq ls is lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\"><strong class=\"bu\">3. Purposeful Work<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p id=\"607a\" class=\"ka kb cm ar kc b kd mb kf mc kh md kj me kl mf kn\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">We know that what often drives us in our lives are those moments when our passions produce \u201c<a class=\"bo dc ko kp kq kr\" href=\"https:\/\/positivepsychology.com\/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-father-of-flow\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\">flow states<\/a>\u201d, described as when time becomes insignificant, the work we do, joyful. Are teenagers any different? Perhaps they are even more drawn to this way of being. They crave meaning in their lives at the exact time when their quest for identity has hit its stride, when the questions of difference between themselves, their parents, or other social groups is all encompassing. If high schools don\u2019t answer this call to action, if they don\u2019t provide authentic academic experiences that relate to student interests and have real-world consequences, then they have failed adolescents. If knowledge content becomes diminished at this stage, so be it. Social-emotional learning (<a class=\"bo dc ko kp kq kr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/blog\/why-sel-essential-for-students-weissberg-durlak-domitrovich-gullotta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\">SEL<\/a>) and social justice appeals have proven to be more significant and will help teenagers gain the self-confidence that will foster intrinsic motivation towards lifelong learning. We know that resilience comes from overcoming challenge and failure. So challenge them, and let them fail.<\/p>\n<h1 id=\"4d5e\" class=\"lq lr cm ar aq ee iq ls is lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\"><strong class=\"bu\">4. Meaningful Context<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p id=\"3ac5\" class=\"ka kb cm ar kc b kd mb kf mc kh md kj me kl mf kn\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Why are we learning this? This may be the only question worth asking in the information age. If today\u2019s teacher can\u2019t answer this in a practical way, it\u2019s fair to say that subject\u2019s easy-to-search content should not be taught. Contextual learning can come in many forms; you can teach the history of math, uncover local environmental issues, or invite experts. Teachers should be trained to relate popular culture, current events and the latest innovations, into a classroom discussion to build engagement through mutual relevance. What you should never do is plan your entire lesson in advance, because context is like live theatre: it only works in the moment and will change from class to class and year to year. Overplanning for the sake of admin compliance is not only a recipe for teacher stress and anxiety, it actively works against the needs of adolescents. A teacher who is unable to observe the mood and interests of the class and improvise with their subject material, is not modelling the very flexibility we are asking the students to develop.<\/p>\n<h1 id=\"f9ab\" class=\"lq lr cm ar aq ee iq ls is lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\"><strong class=\"bu\">5. Learning Happens Everywhere<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p id=\"af5c\" class=\"ka kb cm ar kc b kd mb kf mc kh md kj me kl mf kn\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Too often, high schoolers spend their days shuffling from one uninspiring classroom box to another. Small respites can be found at lunch or during spare. Increasingly, even these breaks are becoming pressured into further programming such as wellbeing training. What effect does this have on the autonomy of the adolescent who is entirely shaped by their environment? How do they perceive scholastic institutions when everything is institutionalized? What if learning could happen anywhere and the separation between the real-world and the school-world wasn\u2019t so defined by the boundaries of property. Adolescents must connect to this outside world and a new definition of community: projects, publishing, protesting, presenting \u2014 however and whenever there is more at stake than a mark. Co-ops, internships, and service should be compulsory. An abundance of connections exists through any parent\u00a0<a class=\"bo dc ko kp kq kr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/blog\/school-community-collaboration-brendan-okeefe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\">community<\/a>. If churches produce reverence, museums a sense of wonder, galleries artistic appreciation, then what are schools built for?<\/p>\n<figure class=\"kt ku kv kw kx ky dl dm paragraph-image\">\n<div class=\"kz la bl lb ai\">\n<div class=\"dl dm mg\">\n<div class=\"fu r bl lg\">\n<div class=\"mh r\">\n<div class=\"bk lc s t u ld ai bd le lf\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/IMG_0674-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-660\" src=\"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/IMG_0674-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/IMG_0674-scaled.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/IMG_0674-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/IMG_0674-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/IMG_0674-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/IMG_0674-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a>Communication class at The Printed Word bookstore, Dundas, Ontario<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h1 id=\"536b\" class=\"lq lr cm ar aq ee iq ls is lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\"><strong class=\"bu\">6. Question, Discuss, Repeat<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p id=\"67cf\" class=\"ka kb cm ar kc b kd mb kf mc kh md kj me kl mf kn\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Maria Montessori refers to the\u00a0<a class=\"bo dc ko kp kq kr\" href=\"https:\/\/montessoritraining.blogspot.com\/2007\/07\/montessori-philosophy-third-plane-of.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\">3rd Plane of Development<\/a>, the stage known as adolescence, as the time when the youth becomes a \u201csocial newborn\u201d. It goes without saying, then, that a large amount of this time is set aside for talking with peers; talking about relationships, talking about problems, about dreams, hopes, frustrations, absurdities. The role for adults at this stage is to listen without judgement, observe and guide where appropriate. The role for teenagers is to ask great questions. This is in fact the only way to check one\u2019s ideas and ideals. In a properly curated discussion, where respectful communication is modelled, the most amazing epiphanies and analogies will spontaneously arise. Deeper learning will flow from inquiry, dialogue will become discourse, provocations will lead to new perspectives. Call it Socratic seminar, Harkness method, classic debate \u2014 what matters is there is space for everyone to be heard. Discussion is the first, best, and last method of education. Best of all, it does not require wifi!<\/p>\n<h1 id=\"a0af\" class=\"lq lr cm ar aq ee iq ls is lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\"><strong class=\"bu\">7. Less Rubrics, More Resilience<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p id=\"3b1f\" class=\"ka kb cm ar kc b kd mb kf mc kh md kj me kl mf kn\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Current pedagogical practice will tell you the more scaffolding and transparency you provide a student, the greater chance they may have to satisfy assignment expectations. They\u2019ve even given it a name \u2014 universal design for learning (<a class=\"bo dc ko kp kq kr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.understood.org\/en\/learning-thinking-differences\/treatments-approaches\/educational-strategies\/universal-design-for-learning-what-it-is-and-how-it-works\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\">UDL<\/a>). What they don\u2019t tell you is how this very strategy also reduces creativity and originality as youth limit themselves to imitate exemplars instead of reaching towards a unique product. I\u2019ve seen it too often, where teenagers ask what it takes to get a 90% rather than asking how they can tailor their personal interests into a project that satisfies the criteria. When we consider the rise of learning difficulties experienced by students today, and the overall\u00a0<a class=\"bo dc ko kp kq kr\" href=\"https:\/\/theeducationhub.org.nz\/how-to-help-students-improve-their-resilience\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\">lack of resilience<\/a>\u00a0and adaptability found as a result, do we not need to look at ourselves as educators and find our own heavily administered practice culpable? Find as many ways to co-construct assessments as possible. Have adolescents write their own reports. This isn\u2019t sidestepping your duty, it\u2019s allowing them ownership over theirs.<\/p>\n<h1 id=\"6be3\" class=\"lq lr cm ar aq ee iq ls is lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\"><strong class=\"bu\">8. Go Gradeless Already!<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p id=\"494f\" class=\"ka kb cm ar kc b kd mb kf mc kh md kj me kl mf kn\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Process over product. Formative versus summative. Ongoing checkpoints as opposed to strict outcomes. Stop the\u00a0<a class=\"bo dc ko kp kq kr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ascd.org\/ascd-express\/vol14\/num31\/more-teachers-are-going-gradeless-i-asked-them-why.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\">debating<\/a>\u00a0and give adolescents and parents the only solution proven to decrease anxiety and stress. The minute you remove standard numerical assessment, the sooner you see teenagers learn for the sake of learning. The minute you dissolve arbitrary deadlines, watch as youth become negotiators of their own work habits. When you give constructive feedback instead of points, observe how students will spontaneously do another draft to correct their mistakes and appease their own growing success and worth. Because what it comes down to is, what is the\u00a0<em class=\"mi\">self<\/em>\u00a0worth? It may take many years for grades to cease being the benchmark for post-secondary acceptance but these numbers don\u2019t have to be shared with students now. The increasing trend of skills-based reports and project portfolios \u2014 applications preferencing experience \u2014 suggests it won\u2019t be long before what we measure is the capacity for being open to learning and not the learning itself.<\/p>\n<h1 id=\"3da3\" class=\"lq lr cm ar aq ee iq ls is lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\"><strong class=\"bu\">9. Freedom to Teach<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p id=\"3ee8\" class=\"ka kb cm ar kc b kd mb kf mc kh md kj me kl mf kn\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Teaching is an artform. The development of one\u2019s individual style and voice is the career goal. Despite attempts for schools to carry on popular programs when a revered teacher leaves, something is always lost in the absence of a great educator. This is because at its core, teaching is an individual practice, separate from the mission statements of boards and curriculum standards of ministries. Teachers facilitate with dynamic personality and accumulated experience; the more they have of both these traits, the better they usually fare in this most noble of professions. Principals and department heads would be wise to heed this advice: let your teachers\u00a0<a class=\"bo dc ko kp kq kr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/education\/archive\/2017\/09\/why-teachers-need-their-freedom\/539151\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\">follow their bliss<\/a>\u00a0and watch as their students likewise become more open minded and curious individuals in the face of such passion. As soon as teachers become bogged by administrative duties, caught in union politics, or are viewed as less important than alumni or parents, you have limited society\u2019s most vital resource for transmitting Enlightenment values.<\/p>\n<h1 id=\"59e0\" class=\"lq lr cm ar aq ee iq ls is lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\"><strong class=\"bu\">10. Think Outside the Domain<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p id=\"3044\" class=\"ka kb cm ar kc b kd mb kf mc kh md kj me kl mf kn\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">\u201cModern life requires range, making connections across far-flung domains and ideas.\u201d (David Epstein,\u00a0<em class=\"mi\">Range<\/em>) By the time students reach secondary school they have already been standardized into the narrow structures of subject-specific thinking. For many, English and Math seem separated by gulfs of unbridgeable content. Yet if we simply renamed these traditional disciplines, say,\u00a0<em class=\"mi\">Communication<\/em>\u00a0or\u00a0<em class=\"mi\">Problem Solving<\/em>, we might suddenly see just how connected they are in terms of broad application. Adolescents feel pulled in a thousand directions by the various methods subjects silo them into. This can easily be changed by focussing on each subject for an immersive period of time instead of grazing superficially. What if teenagers could master skills and mindsets in each discipline before moving to the next one? What if these transitions were not arbitrary, but curated, to allow an understanding of subject similarities instead of emphasizing differences. You don\u2019t take an Uber to the \u201cscience\u201d part of town. All knowledge is transformational and\u00a0<a class=\"bo dc ko kp kq kr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/integrated-studies-introduction\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\">integrated<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ky\">\n<div class=\"n p\">\n<div class=\"mj mk ml mm mn mo ae rd af re ah ai\">\n<figure class=\"kt ku kv kw kx ky ms mt paragraph-image\">\n<div class=\"kz la bl lb ai\">\n<div class=\"dl dm mr\">\n<div class=\"fu r bl lg\">\n<div class=\"mu r\">\n<div class=\"bk lc s t u ld ai bd le lf\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/StreetSiTE.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-659\" src=\"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/StreetSiTE.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2304\" height=\"1728\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/StreetSiTE.png 2304w, https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/StreetSiTE-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/StreetSiTE-1024x768.png 1024w, https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/StreetSiTE-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/StreetSiTE-1536x1152.png 1536w, https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/StreetSiTE-2048x1536.png 2048w, https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/StreetSiTE-400x300.png 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2304px) 100vw, 2304px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Lindsay Palmer |\u00a0<a class=\"bo dc ko kp kq kr\" href=\"http:\/\/lindsaypalmer.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\">http:\/\/lindsaypalmer.ca\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"n p\">\n<div class=\"z ab ac ae af im ah ai\">\n<h1 id=\"4898\" class=\"lq lr cm ar aq ee iq ls is lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\"><strong class=\"bu\">11. Dignity is Not a Four Letter Word<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p id=\"cece\" class=\"ka kb cm ar kc b kd mb kf mc kh md kj me kl mf kn\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Adolescents are ready for the adult-world but they feel a great amount of\u00a0<a class=\"bo dc ko kp kq kr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC2850961\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\">unrest<\/a> about this burgeoning responsibility. In another time and place they would have already been part of the workforce, helping out on the farm, married, or fighting in a war. Their passion and energy for life is unmatched and has the capacity to start revolutions or go viral. Look at the great work of climate activist, Greta Thunberg. She is respected because of her unique perspective; she has not compromised her values for an adult rationalization of how the world works. Self-determination is the result of feeling individual worth. This is not some small measure of character but rather a developmental necessity for growth and dignity. If you lend adolescents a sense of autonomy and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gettingsmart.com\/2016\/12\/developing-self-directed-learners\/\">self-direction<\/a> through voice, choice, expression, and movement, you will earn that same dignity back. This two-way street is the rough pavement our teenagers tread. Uncertainty breeds opportunity. Adolescence is a time when you get fired by the boss and hope you get hired back on as a consultant.<\/p>\n<h1 id=\"bf7a\" class=\"lq lr cm ar aq ee iq ls is lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\"><strong class=\"bu\">12. Actual Critical Thinking<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p id=\"ca26\" class=\"ka kb cm ar kc b kd mb kf mc kh md kj me kl mf kn\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Perhaps the most overused and underdeveloped term in education. Very simply, critical thinking is the ability to recognize what is not being said in any given situation. It was developed by the\u00a0<a class=\"bo dc ko kp kq kr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/conversations\/2016\/12\/27\/14038406\/donald-trump-frankfurt-school-brexit-critical-theory\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\">Frankfurt School<\/a>\u00a0of German philosophers escaping to America during WWII. Determined to never let a totalitarian regime happen again, they rallied against the status quo by questioning all of society\u2019s codes and conventions. If education is based on liberal values, on the emancipation of the individual becoming a more informed and productive citizen, then this skill of discernment is primary. It should be explicitly developed through credible research and metacognition. Thinking about thinking is a powerful way for adolescents to move beyond a black and white view of the world. By embracing paradox, challenging bias, dissecting mental models, and confronting counter-intuitive scenarios, youth learn to hold space for meaningful reflection. This is why, as Montessori said, \u201cestablishing lasting peace is the work of education, all politics can do is keep us out of war.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"kt ku kv kw kx ky dl dm paragraph-image\">\n<div class=\"dl dm mv\">\n<div class=\"fu r bl lg\">\n<div class=\"mu r\">\n<div class=\"bk lc s t u ld ai bd le lf\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/IMG_0662-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-661\" src=\"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/IMG_0662-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/IMG_0662-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/IMG_0662-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/IMG_0662-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/IMG_0662-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/IMG_0662-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/IMG_0662-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/files\/2020\/01\/IMG_0662-400x300.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/a>Dundas, Ontario<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h1 id=\"fc15\" class=\"lq lr cm ar aq ee iq ls is lt lu lv lw lx ly lz ma\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\"><strong class=\"bu\">13. Nature is Nurture<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p id=\"b136\" class=\"ka kb cm ar kc b kd mb kf mc kh md kj me kl mf kn\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Get outside, more often. Or as Richard Louv, author of\u00a0<em class=\"mi\">Last Child in the Woods<\/em>\u00a0says, \u201cschool isn\u2019t supposed to be a polite form of incarceration, but a portal to the wider world.\u201d This generation is driven by a social and moral imperative to help save our planet from climate change. High schools should provide experiential situations where this passion for sustaining the natural can be fostered. Again and again. Despite all the advantages our amazing technologies can provide, we must do more as humans to embrace\u00a0<a class=\"bo dc ko kp kq kr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.deepecology.org\/deepecology.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\">deep ecology<\/a>. Educator Mitchell Tomashow says, \u201cthe ability to conceptualize environmental issues on a global scale, one must first have the trained skills to observe the details of local interrelationships, relationships that one can actually perceive with one\u2019s own senses.\u201d Teenagers need to work with their hands, build up, dig down, use tools, investigate, and reaffirm their relationship with nature through a renewed respect of place. Every school should be a forest school.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fa fb ij ik il\">\n<div class=\"n p\">\n<div class=\"z ab ac ae af im ah ai\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">&#8230;&#8230;<\/p>\n<p id=\"11f2\" class=\"ka kb cm ar kc b kd ke kf kg kh ki kj kk kl km kn\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Follow our story:<\/p>\n<p id=\"8a53\" class=\"ka kb cm ar kc b kd ke kf kg kh ki kj kk kl km kn\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\"><a class=\"bo dc ko kp kq kr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/siteschools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\">Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a class=\"bo dc ko kp kq kr\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sitedundas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\">Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">References<\/p>\n<p data-selectable-paragraph=\"\"><b>1. Small Class Sizes<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Allison, Derek J. Secondary School Class Sizes and Student Performance:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fraserinstitute.org\/sites\/default\/files\/secondary-school-class-sizes-and-student-performance-in-canada.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.fraserinstitute.org\/sites\/default\/files\/secondary-school-class-sizes-and-student-performance-in-canada.pdf<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Alphonso, Caroline. Does Class Size Matter? Many Teachers are Adamant it is Crucial: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/canada\/article-does-class-size-matter-many-teachers-are-adamant-it-is-crucial\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/canada\/article-does-class-size-matter-many-teachers-are-adamant-it-is-crucial\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>2. Mixed-Age Groupings<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Three-Year Age Spans in Montessori Classrooms:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.public-montessori.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Three-Year-Age-Spans-in-Upper-Elementary.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.public-montessori.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Three-Year-Age-Spans-in-Upper-Elementary.pdf<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>3. Purposeful Work<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Oppland, Mike. 8 Ways to Create Flow: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/positivepsychology.com\/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-father-of-flow\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/positivepsychology.com\/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-father-of-flow\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Weissberg, Roger. Why Social and Emotional Learning is Essential for Students: <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/blog\/why-sel-essential-for-students-weissberg-durlak-domitrovich-gullotta\">https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/blog\/why-sel-essential-for-students-weissberg-durlak-domitrovich-gullotta<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>4. Meaningful Context<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Andriotis, Nikos. Contextualised Learning: Teaching Made Highly Effective:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.efrontlearning.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/contextualized-learning-effective-elearning.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.efrontlearning.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/contextualized-learning-effective-elearning.html<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Pg Hj Besar, Dk Siti Norainna. Situated Learning Theory: The Key to Effective Classroom Teaching: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/327530821_Situated_Learning_Theory_The_Key_to_Effective_Classroom_Teaching\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/327530821_Situated_Learning_Theory_The_Key_to_Effective_Classroom_Teaching<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>5. Learning Happens Everywhere<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Martinez, Monica. Four Practical Steps to Deepen School and Community Connections: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/xqamerica\/four-practical-steps-to-deepen-school-community-connections-ddcc921b00bf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/medium.com\/xqamerica\/four-practical-steps-to-deepen-school-community-connections-ddcc921b00bf<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">O\u2019Keefe, Brendan. 5 Steps to Better School\/Community Collaboration:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/blog\/school-community-collaboration-brendan-okeefe\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/blog\/school-community-collaboration-brendan-okeefe<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>6. Question, Discuss, Repeat<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Andrews, Sarah Werner. Montessori Institute Northwest. Four Planes of Development: <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/montessoritraining.blogspot.com\/2007\/07\/montessori-philosophy-third-plane-of.html\">https:\/\/montessoritraining.blogspot.com\/2007\/07\/montessori-philosophy-third-plane-of.html<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>7. Less Rubrics, More Resilience<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Morin, Amanda. Universal Design for Living (UDL): What you Need to Know: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.understood.org\/en\/learning-thinking-differences\/treatments-approaches\/educational-strategies\/universal-design-for-learning-what-it-is-and-how-it-works\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.understood.org\/en\/learning-thinking-differences\/treatments-approaches\/educational-strategies\/universal-design-for-learning-what-it-is-and-how-it-works<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Reuser, K. Co-Constructivism in Education Theory and Practice: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ife.uzh.ch\/dam\/jcr:00000000-3212-6146-0000-00004ae1a3f6\/Co_Constructivism.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.ife.uzh.ch\/dam\/jcr:00000000-3212-6146-0000-00004ae1a3f6\/Co_Constructivism.pdf<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">The Education Hub: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/theeducationhub.org.nz\/how-to-help-students-improve-their-resilience\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/theeducationhub.org.nz\/how-to-help-students-improve-their-resilience\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>8. Go Gradeless Already<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Whitmell, Terry. More Teacher Are Going Gradeless. I Asked Them Why: <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ascd.org\/ascd-express\/vol14\/num31\/more-teachers-are-going-gradeless-i-asked-them-why.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">http:\/\/www.ascd.org\/ascd-express\/vol14\/num31\/more-teachers-are-going-gradeless-i-asked-them-why.aspx<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>9. Freedom to Teach<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Sinclar, Ashley-Lamb. Why Teachers Need Their Freedom: <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/education\/archive\/2017\/09\/why-teachers-need-their-freedom\/539151\/\">https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/education\/archive\/2017\/09\/why-teachers-need-their-freedom\/539151\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>10. Think Outside the Domain<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Edutopia. Why Schools Should Embrace Integrated Studies: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/integrated-studies-introduction\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/integrated-studies-introduction<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Epstein, David. Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.davidepstein.com\/the-range\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.davidepstein.com\/the-range\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Quest University. The Block Plan:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/questu.ca\/academics\/the-block-plan\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/questu.ca\/academics\/the-block-plan\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>11. Dignity is Not a Four Letter Word<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Ark, Tom Vander. Developing Self-Directed Learners:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gettingsmart.com\/2016\/12\/developing-self-directed-learners\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.gettingsmart.com\/2016\/12\/developing-self-directed-learners\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Casey, BJ.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">The Storm and Stress of Adolescence: Insights from Human Imaging and Mouse Genetics: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC2850961\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC2850961\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Saxelby, Meaghan. Bring Dignity Into Your School and Transform Culture:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/culturesofdignity.com\/bring-dignity-into-your-school-and-transform-culture\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/culturesofdignity.com\/bring-dignity-into-your-school-and-transform-culture\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>12. Actual Critical Thinking<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Duckworth, Cheryl. Maria Montessori\u2019s Contribution to Peace Education:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tc.columbia.edu\/epe\/epe-entries\/Duckworth_ch4_22feb08.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.tc.columbia.edu\/epe\/epe-entries\/Duckworth_ch4_22feb08.pdf<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Illing, Sean. If You Want to Understand the Age of Trump, Read the Frankfurt School: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/conversations\/2016\/12\/27\/14038406\/donald-trump-frankfurt-school-brexit-critical-theory\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.vox.com\/conversations\/2016\/12\/27\/14038406\/donald-trump-frankfurt-school-brexit-critical-theory<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>13. Nature is Nurture<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Drengson, Alan. Some Though on the Deep Ecology Movement:<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.deepecology.org\/deepecology.htm\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">http:\/\/www.deepecology.org\/deepecology.htm<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Ewert-Krocker, Laurie. The Adolescent: Taking on the Task of Humanity\u2014Conducting the Dialogue Between Nature and Supranature: <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.montessori-namta.org\/PDF\/theadolescentandnature.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">http:\/\/www.montessori-namta.org\/PDF\/theadolescentandnature.pdf<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Louv, Richard. Last Child in the Woods:<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/richardlouv.com\/books\/last-child\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">http:\/\/richardlouv.com\/books\/last-child\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Tomashow, Mitchell. Bringing the Biosphere Home: <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.mitchellthomashow.com\/our-crew\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">http:\/\/www.mitchellthomashow.com\/our-crew<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After witnessing the impact Cohort21 has had on its many participants over the years, I found myself in a conversation at our 3rd F2F (Season 8) with Lincoln Smith (@lsmith), about how to help teachers recognize their own ability to &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/2020\/01\/18\/13-reasons-why-high-school-doesnt-have-to-suck-unabridged\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":160,"featured_media":656,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33,5,7,41,40],"tags":[22,56,51,29,27,49,26,13,24,35,37,47,57,12,19,30,9,21,32,46,16,10,8,17,45,50,55,54,52],"class_list":["post-655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-21st-century-skills","category-classroom-reflections","category-strategic-teaching-objectives","category-timetable-change","category-whole-school-innovation","tag-21st-century-competencies","tag-assessment","tag-class-size","tag-co-constructing-criteria","tag-collaboration","tag-community","tag-critical-thinking","tag-curriculum-design","tag-design-thinking","tag-disrupters","tag-empathy","tag-experiential-learning","tag-gradeless","tag-innovative-teaching","tag-inquiry-based-learning","tag-intrinsic-motivation","tag-kinaesthetic","tag-knowledge-integration","tag-life-skills","tag-montessori","tag-multidisciplinary","tag-nature","tag-outdoor-education","tag-personalized-learning","tag-place-based-learning","tag-real-world-skills","tag-resilience","tag-socratic-seminar","tag-vertical-integration"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/160"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=655"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/655\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":662,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/655\/revisions\/662"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/656"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohort21.com\/ericdaigle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}