Career exposure through real-world problem solving and team challenge - that was the concept for “Challenge Week” at Building 21 Philadelphia last Spring. What if we identify real-world Students present their proposal for an outdoor redesign of our school courtyard. problems and challenge teams of students to propose solutions? What if we create [...]
This post originally appeared at GETTINGSMART on July 8, 2018. By Chip Linehan Our current system’s narrow definitions of student success value content knowledge over the skills and mindsets needed for students to thrive in today’s rapidly changing world. On the other hand, next-generation graduation requirements that measure and credit a broader and deeper array [...]
I had the privilege of participating in a panel on Competency-Based Education at last week’s NewSchools Venture Fund Summit 2018. Facilitated by my friend, Dr. Jeremiah Newell, the panel also included Chris Sturgis of CompetencyWorks and Nate McClennen of Teton Science Schools. We had a terrific conversation about the challenges and opportunities of CBE, as [...]
The above quote is from a recent article published on Ready By 21. Early in our design year, we made a commitment to talk to students, teachers, and school leaders. At first, it was easy for me to say, "I have been teaching students for seven years. I know what they are going to say." [...]
Do YOU BELIEVE in US?? Then we need YOU at Building 21! Building 21 is now hiring for Fall 2015! Are you a creative teacher who is passionate about learning and wants to rethink what is possible in high school -- or do you know someone who is? Then Building 21 may be [...]
On 3.14 this year, I sent an email to the team wishing everyone a Happy Pi Day. For fun, I threw in a little brain teaser: what other day of the year could stand in and serve as Pi Day and why? I’m so glad I chose to do that. What a delight! I didn't [...]
We recently revisited the question, "Why competency-based education?" as a way to step back from our work. As Chip puts it, "Nothing is sacred." We believe that what we are doing transcends any model or method. They are just vehicles to realize our vision. Currently, I am neck deep in the process of envisioning a [...]
The Wrong Way to Teach Grammar Boston Public Library/Wikimedia Commons This recent piece in The Atlantic makes a compelling case for interest-based learning. Instead of forcing students to master a set of mundane grammatical rules before getting to the "fun" part of writing about things they are interested in, we should throw them [...]
If I had to pick a video that explains in an approximate way what we're seeking to do at Building 21 in partnership with the School District of Philadelphia, this would be it. I enjoyed the entire sixteen and three-quarter minutes of it and was especially fond of Studio H's 6 Design Directives which can be [...]
I am knee deep in the competency world and have read everything I can find about how to define this work. Is it Competency-based education, or Mastery-based Education or Proficiency-based Education? All of these terms are being used interchangeably, but do they really mean the same thing? I don’t think that they do. Here is [...]
