91
Volume:
2020
,
February

To the Margins and Back

Submitted By:
Chris Buonamia, The Town School, New York, NY and Rebecca Hammerman, Ed.M. Candidate, Klingenstein Center, New York, NY

In Search of Deeper Learning by Jal Mehta and Sarah Fine
Harvard University Press, April 9, 2019

Harvard researchers Sarah Fine and Jal Mehta had hoped to uncover practices of deep learning at the best-regarded high schools in the United States, but instead they found that most classroom instruction was rote, lacking rigor, or boring. By shifting their focus outside of classrooms, they discovered vibrant pockets of deep learning in extracurricular activities. There, Mehta and Fine observed a new “grammar of schooling” that gave rise to their imperative to “make the periphery the core.” Their book, In Search of Deeper Learning, offers crucial guidance for all educators seeking to improve teaching and learning. We already know how to provide deep learning experiences for children, Fine and Mehta posit; we’re just doing it in the wrong places. Additionally, while they found many schools and classrooms to be outdated and uninspiring, they affirm that many teachers have created environments that are full of energy, hope, and “intellectual vibrancy.” The common thread between these vastly diverse classroom settings is that there is no singular model or design that inspires deep, interconnected learning. Examples of deep learning are found in progressive and traditional schools, in project-based classrooms and in direct-instruction settings, in thriving, wealthy communities and in struggling and under-served neighborhoods. According to the authors, then, the future of high school education lies in the concepts of mastery, identity, and creativity. The wonderful profiles detailed in their book suggest great ways to move classrooms in the direction of deeper learning for all students.

Categories
Teaching Practice
Creativity