Pleasantdale 107 Believes Children Learn Best When...#1


As we continue to explore and better understand the mission of Pleasantdale School District 107 (remember it is "to create a community of inspired learners"), we must all share common beliefs about the children whom we've been charged to educate and develop.  The school district, from top to bottom and everywhere in between, must know these beliefs and keep them at the forefront of their minds when making decisions that affect our schools and ultimately students' learning.  Today, we're going to probe deeper into belief number one, as adopted in the Pleasantdale Strategic Blueprint and found here.

Belief #1: Students are passionately engaged in topics that examine world issues, where they feel a sense of purpose and in which they make a difference.

Many of us remember back to our schooling experiences and asked ourselves the questions, "When am I ever going to use this" and "Why do I need to learn about this?" Take a moment to think back to your days in school, even middle school.  Do you you remember asking yourself these questions?  ðŸ˜¬

We probably received answers like, "This topic is so fascinating (maybe to the teacher), give it a chance" or "This will make you a more well-rounded person" or even "because I have to teach this." What were the answers you received?  Sometimes they were the ones I received.

Now think about things that you learn more about each and every day in your own life today.  What are these things for you?  Why do you learn more about them? How long are you willing to spend learning more about them?  How do you go about learning more?

Schools today are at a very interesting crossroads, because they are no longer the keepers of all of the information.  The Internet has significantly changed the game, because you can find information about pretty much any topic and learn it as in-depth as you want to and at anytime of the day or night.

So how does this relate to Belief #1?  I believe this belief statement opens the door to our teachers to create learning experiences that may be a little different than in the past. In order for students to passionately engage in topics that examine world issues, feel a sense of purpose, and in which they truly make a difference, students need to have choice about what they are learning.  But even more than that, they need to be able to act on their passionate learning choices and develop that sense of purpose. Can middle schools still cover the standards, curriculum, and content AND incorporate opportunities for students to first FIND their passions, then LEARN about their passions, and finally ACT upon these passions?  I believe we can and must do this in order to truly "create a community of inspired learners."

In conclusion, I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes, and I believe it is apropos in this conversation.  "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead from Brainyquote.com.  When Ms. Mead says citizens, I believe she means people of all ages and all walks of life, including middle school kids.  Let's never underestimate what they can do to change the world and support them along the way!


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