Self-Directed Learning for Teens

February 19, 2013 6 Comments

What can a teen accomplish, given the right tools, resources and mentor support?

Amazing things.

Last week I wrote about designing your own high school curriculum and exploring self directed learning with my homeschooled teen. I know that this age group is capable of finding their way (with guidance).

Recently, I found this video profile of the Independent Project, being tested out at a public high school in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. They are test driving a program that allows a group of students to take charge of their high school education, follow their passions and take a break from the grades and tests of traditional school experience.

Check it out:

The idea that people (adults included) learn rapidly and retain information better when they are interested, passionate about a topic is not new. Homeschoolers and unschoolers have successfully built their lives around this idea.

While there are independent private schools that operate in this way (based on the Sudbury model), this is one of the few high schools in the world where this concept is being given a test run.

Could this be available to all public school students someday? I hope so.

What do you think? Would you send your teen to a school that empowered them to direct their own education?

Cyndi

This is freaking cool!! If I designed my own education, I would still have taken biology and even physics, but I would have done a LOT more art, language, writing and photography. Only now as an adult have I given myself the freedom to truly indulge in my passions. I hope to write a memoir about it one of these days (I need to finish the other one I started…yes, I’ve figured out I’m much better at non-fiction than fiction, LOL.)
http://janinehuldie.com/ Janine Huldie

Wow, this would be awesome to be allowed in all public high schools, because honestly push for tests and learning for the test is so not working now and something truly needs to be done. This would be a wonderful alternative and could really be what our kids need. Thanks seriously for sharing Amy!!
http://profiles.google.com/kacagle Karen Terry Cagle

This has ALWAYS been my idea of a perfect school. We only do interest led and it is working beautifully but I was just telling someone that my perfect idea of high school would be a small group of students working on a meaningful project. Off to read your last few post. Love this Amy!
ttoombs08

I think this is a great idea! My oldest loved certain subjects and would read ahead or research the subject outside of the class and ended up knowing more about it than the teacher, so I can see the positives for allowing students to self direct. Can you imagine if a teen was allowed to study a subject as far and in depth as they wished? The knowledge they and the world around them would gain. It could lead to incredible things.
Melanie Chisnall

Amy, I’m not able to view the video today – something’s up with my graphics card/flash thingy again, but reading the quote and what you’ve written, I can say that I would definitely send my teenagers to schools that enforced this type of thinking. Maybe in 13 – 15 years they will have infiltrated this sort of learning into all schools. Wouldn’t that be something! Great post
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