How is our school different from traditional schools?
Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.
-William Butler Yeats
| Our Approach | Traditional Public School Approach |
| Emphasis on cognitive structures and social development toward 21st Century Skills | Emphasis on rote knowledge |
| Teacher’s role is unobtrusive; child actively participates in learning | Teacher’s role is dominant, active; child is a passive participant |
| Environment and method encourage internal self-discipline and social responsibility | Teacher is primary enforcer of external discipline |
| Individual and group instruction adapts to each student’s learning style | Individual and group instruction conforms to the adult’s teaching style |
| Mixed age grouping | Same age grouping |
| Children encouraged to teach, collaborate and help each other. | Most teaching done by teacher and collaboration is discouraged |
| Child chooses own work from interest, abilities. | Curriculum structured with little regard for child’s interest |
| Child formulates concepts from self teaching materials. | Child is guided to concepts by teacher |
| Child works as long as s/he wants on chosen project. | Child usually given specific time for work |
| Child sets own learning pace to internalize information. | Instruction pace set by group norm or teacher |
| Child spots own errors through feedback from material and learning community support. | Errors corrected by teacher |
| Learning is reinforced internally thru child’s own repetition of activity; internal feelings of success repetition. | Learning is reinforced externally by rewards, discouragements |
| Multi-sensory materials for physical exploration development | Few materials for sensory, concrete manipulation |
| Child can work where s/he is comfortable, moves and talks at will (yet doesn’t disturb others); group work is voluntary and negotiable. | Child assigned seat; encouraged to sit still and listen without active learning during group sessions |
| Student led Inquiry based learning projects | Teacher guided experiments |
Our STEM students will:
- Inquire about their world
- Think critically to answer relevant questions and challenges
- Explore through reading, research, and investigation
- Respect and be responsible for themselves, others, and our world
- Achieve and become life-long learners
· Use the Next Generation Science Standards, National Social Studies/Geography Standards & Common Core Standards as the guide to learning skills necessary at each age level.
| Component | Looks Like |
| Inquiry Instruction | Teachers are trained to be experts in effective inquiry instruction and questioning techniques. |
| Authentic Project Based Learning | Teachers are trained to effectively facilitate collaborative student work. |
| 21st Century Skills Infused | 4 C's - Technology used as a tool |
| Intentional infusion of STEM | Inquiry Instruction making sure the STEM disciplines are applied. |
| Skills are still explicitly taught | Students practicing the new skills using application and synthesis of data within project based learning. |
| Emphasis on the process; self-reflection | Focus is not on correct answers but critical thinking |