Putting Students at the Center

We have come to believe that there is only one way for students to learn - come to school, sit at a desk, be taught by a teacher, and be tested. We've operated schools as if they were industrial factories, with teaching and learning practices that mimic assembly-line and batch-processing manufacturing. Today, we need more students achieving at high levels to make sure they are fully ready for the challenges that come after high school, creating a more equitable and prosperous future for our communities. Rather than a top-down, one-size-fits-all approach to education, schools need student-centered strategies to help learners reach their highest potential. In student-centered environments, learning is personalized, competency-based, takes place anytime, anywhere, and students take ownership over their learning.

Last November, I had the pleasure of representing the Nellie Mae Education Foundation at TEDxBeaconStreet 2015 to explain in the following talk how student-centered learning improves education and creates better outcomes for all learners: