Standards and Curriculum

Photograph from the Center for Ecoliteracy

The Natural Learning Research Institute

How We Work With Schools

Community Outreach

Who We Are

Our Research

Research Foundations

How We Work With Schools

In order to achieve high academic standards AND real world competence, three problems need to be resolved:

• Students need to score well on tests of the prescribed standards;
  

• Students need to learn for deep understanding and not just surface coverage;
  

• Students need to be prepared for a world where many of the standards will have changed by the time they graduate, and changes will continue for life.
  

Our Goals and Process

1.   Use the process learning circles

     to assist educators to develop

     ways to teach for deep

     understanding and real world

     competence.

2.   Encourage educators to master

     the prescribed standards and

     become subject matter experts.

3.   Encourage teaching across

     subject areas.

4.   Promote the integration of the

     arts and technology everywhere.

5.   Nurture student interests and

     encourage the expression of

     those interests in every course

     and subject.

6.   Expand “standards” to include the

     development of student maturity,

     resilience and capacity for higher

     order functioning.

7.   Formally and informally develop a

     parallel curriculum of big ideas

     (e.g. ideas about systems) to act

     as a common foundation for all

     subject areas and to prepare

     students for a life of constant

     change.