Week 2 Reflection

Today I visited Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry (PSII) and to say it changed my view on education would be an understatement. The experience was insightful, inspiring and transformative on my perspective on teaching. PSII uses an inquiry process of learning approach, where students are the leaders and designers of their own learning. They investigate in what they find interesting and get to pursue their passions. It gives students the freedom to dive deep into subjects and topics that a public school would not be able to provide.

By exploring the school in person, I got to see the high student engagement, motivation, creativity, and independence. I had the fortune to talk to a student and they shared their immense gratitude for the school as it has allowed them to shape their education to their needs and desires. Throughout the school I came across inquiry based posters to support students in their learning, and provided me a better understanding of the process that the students undertake.

Questions I have after visiting PSII:

Do they face challenges in acquiring resources that the students need for their inquiry projects? I can imagine some projects need specific tools, equipment, materials, and even settings. Do they receive enough funding to accomplish this?

How do teachers feel managing or keeping up to date with several different students independent learning?

Do students have to know earlier on what they would like to study in post-secondary education to ensure they meet the requirements? And do students ever find themselves falling short on post-secondary requirements at the end of the 4 years and stay longer to complete them?

From the students perspective, do they ever feel like they are missing out on the “high school” experience?

Do we need to reimagine education?

Visiting PSII made it clear to me that education can take different forms and allow students to still succeed. I have to be honest, when I first heard about the inquiry process to learning, I was sceptical. I wondered how students would be set up for life if they were the drivers of their own learning. This was because I have observed so many students in schools unmotivated, lacking interest and not putting in effort to learn. However, the students at PSII are the opposite because their education is catered to their interests, making them motivated and want to come to school. I believe more schools should adopt this approach to learning or at least provide it as an option to students.

What concerns and/or excites you about this approach?

The freedom students have with this approach both excite and concern me. It’s amazing how a student can dive deep into a subject of interest and be at the same level of understanding as say a student completing their masters. This approach allows students to accelerate their learning and gain valuable skills, providing them a strong foundation for further education. What I am most concerned about is whether these students are missing out on that traditional well-rounded education that makes students try a little bit of everything. Without trying something how do you know you won’t like it? I am concerned that perhaps students focus too much on a subject area and miss out on experiencing others.

What are the potential benefits of developing a personal learning approach?

There are many benefits such as, deeper learning, increased motivation, greater appreciation for their learning, developing valuable skills, fostering creativity, and shaping education to a student’s learning needs. It promotes the student’s learning and development as it is student-centred and requires critical thinking and problem-solving.