If we teach in the way that human brains learn, both students and their teachers will thrive! This book aligns evidence from the learning sciences on how and what students need to learn with classroom practice (pre-K-12). It demonstrates, with hands-on examples, how a change in educational mindset (rather than in curriculum) can improve student outcomes on both standardized tests and a breadth of 21st-century skills. Written collectively by classroom teachers, administrators, parents, and learning scientists, this book shows readers how to co-construct and reimagine an optimal educational system. Making Schools Work offers three case studies of schools, including a statewide system, that are all realizing a 6 Cs approach to learning focused on collaboration, communication, content, critical thinking, creative innovation, and confidence. The text documents the ever-evolving implementation process, as well as outcomes and the ongoing work of stakeholders. Readers can use this resource to create an education for all children that is culturally responsive, inclusive, effective, and fun. Making Schools Work is not an ordinary book about re-imagining education. It is a theory, a plan, an implementation strategy, and a series of case studies to show you just how to change your educational mindset. Book Features: Shows how to apply the 6 Cs and playful learning principles to what goes on in the classroom every day. Jointly written in accessible language by a team of experts from teachers to educational administrators, to museum educators to learning scientists. Offers hands-on ways to reimagine classrooms without investing in new curricula. Puts teachers in the driver's seat, reminding them of why they teach. Provides culturally responsive, inclusive, effective, and fun strategies. Offers children the possibility of learning the skills they will need for 21st-century success.
Kathy Hirsh-Pasek is a professor of psychology at Temple University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Roberta Michnick Golinkoff is the Unidel H. Rodney Sharp Professor of Education at the University of Delaware. Kimberly Nesbitt is an associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of New Hampshire. Carol Lautenbach is assistant superintendent for teaching and learning design (retired) in the Godfrey-Lee Public Schools (Wyoming, MI). Elias Blinkoff is a graduate student in developmental psychology at Temple University. Ginger Fifer is a past teacher and school administrator at Friends' Central School (Wynnewood, PA).
Contents Foreword ?xiii Acknowledgments ?xvii 1. ?Why Now? ?1 Looking Ahead ?5 2. ?The Science of Success ?7 At a Glance ?7 Introduction ?7 The How of Learning ?11 What Children Learn: A Breadth-of-Skills Approach Through the 6 Cs ?24 Where the How Meets the What of Learning ?31 3. ?Case Study 1: The 6 Cs Go to an Independent School in Pennsylvania ?34 At a Glance ?34 Introduction ?34 A Theme-Based Approach as One Embodiment of the 6 Cs System ?38 Themes, the 6 Cs, and the Principles of Playful Learning ?48 4. ?Case Study 2: Designing for Equity in a Michigan School District ?49 At a Glance ?49 Introduction ?50 Using Human-Centered Design After Exploring the Underlying Barriers ?52 Results: The System Shifts Toward Success for All ?67 Next Steps to Intensify Learning ?68 Slow Down to Speed Up ?69 5. ?Case Study 3: Statewide Scale-Up of Playful Learning in New Hampshire Kindergarten Classrooms ?71 At a Glance ?71 Introduction ?71 Motivation for Change ?73 Evidence-Based Approach for Change ?74 Impacts and Outcomes ?80 Guided Play in COVID-19 Classrooms ?83 Further Investment in Guided Play and Coaching ?83 Conclusion ?85 Chapter 5 Supplemental Resources ?86 6. ?Bringing It Home: Adapting the Model for Your School ?97 Step 1: Get Buy-In ?101 Step 2: Educate ?101 Step 3: Co-Design ?102 Step 4: Try It Out ?103 Step 5: Broaden Your Scope ?103 Step 6: Assess How It Is Going ?104 Step 7: Home and School ?105 Step 8: Have a School- or Grade-Wide Conclusion ?105 7. ?Authentic Assessment to Support the Science of Learning ?106 At a Glance ?106 Introduction ?106 Motivation: Why Engage in Assessment? ?107 Measurement of the Knowledge and Skills That Matter ?108 Developmentally Appropriate Assessment ?109 Summative and Formative Assessment ?110 There Is More Than One Type of Authentic Assessment ?115 Clantete: Using Authentic Assessment to Support the 6 Cs ?122 Radnor Middle School: Authentic Assessment to Support Student Learning ?123 Conclusion ?124 8. ?Jumping Over School Walls: The 6 Cs and Learning Principles Are Everywhere ?125 At a Glance ?125 Introduction ?125 Enter Playful Learning Landscapes: Informal Learning at Its Best ?126 Media: The Learning Principles and the 6 Cs Work Here, Too ?129 Conclusion ?134 9. ?Re-Imagining Education at Your School ?135 Introduction ?136 The 6 Cs Prepare Students for Success ?136 How Can We Help Children Remember What They Learn So That It Is Sticky? ?138 How Do We Teach in a Way That Supports Transfer? ?139 How Do We Move From the "Memorize and Spit-It-Out-on-the-Test" Model to One in Which Students Are More Engaged in Their Learning? ?139 Appendix A: Visual Chapter Synopses ?145 Appendix B: Recommendations for Further Study ?159 References ?163 Index ?179 About the Authors ?185
