Each trimester we take a day and a half have our students reflect on their learning. I feel it is important to share a few thoughts about this. I wrote in depth about this last trimester in a blog sharing my perspective as an advisor at IDEAS and a parent at ESAA.

We believe that putting our students in control of their own learning is essential based on the dynamic world they are entering. We are preparing students for jobs that do not yet exist using technologies that currently do not exist. The job market is continually changing with young people expected to have 13-14 different jobs by the time they are 38.  People have called this the knowledge economy as a way to emphasize that one’s ability to adapt to and acquire new knowledge. The Presentations of Learning create a structure that helps to put students in control of their learning by asking them to share evidence of their learning and reflect on it.

Our work with Presentations of Learning is part of a national movement to put students in control of their learning. Here is a Mindshift blog from KQED that details a few examples from other schools as part of a movement called Deeper Learning. Our experiences within our schools reflect the comments of the schools outlined in the blog.