parents discuss project based learning

Last night, a group of thirty ChangeMaker Academy parents met to discuss education, PBL, and what to expect from this program for their children. We started broad, by discussing philosophical questions about the purpose of education, such as "What skills do students need to be successful in the 21st century?" and "What does it mean to learn?" 

Then we transitioned to how The ChangeMaker Academy will fulfill our ideals. There are four main learning objectives. Students will be able to:

• Research, analyze, and evaluate a variety of primary and secondary sources as a daily practice
• Make connections between content and concepts
• Construct a logical argument using evidence
• Question the world around them and take ownership over their learning

The ChangeMaker Academy teachers are building the curriculum with these objectives at the center. But we are also really focused on making learning engaging, so that students are invested and encouraged to become change makers themselves. Here's an overview of the year:

We are excited about how each content area, not only fits into each broad theme, but also really complements the others. My next post will give an overview of the the first unit.