The Student-Centered Shift: Empowered International Schools and Classrooms Through Project-Based Learning

How do you develop a student-centered secondary classroom with a packed curriculum, strict assessment guidelines, and an exam based culture?  This is the dilemma Gisou Ravanbaksh faced when wanting to provide more agency to her students in her DP Psychology class.  But through a few simple shifts in the learning process and audience for student work, her classroom came alive with students researching, developing, and exhibiting an authentic 'brain museum' they co-created from start to finish. Learn more about the shifts she implemented and how you can unleash student agency in yours as well.  Learn more and connect with Gisou: LinkedIN Get the 12 Shifts Book: https://transformschool.com/whereistheteacher  Take the Scorecard: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard   Join a 12 Shifts Cohort in January: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsmasterclass  Gisou's Bio:  Gisou is a student-centered international educator and educational leader with 20 years of experience in both adolescent and adult learning. She has xpertise in designing and delivering customized professional development workshops on student wellbeing, cross-cultural understanding, diversity and inclusion, character development, curriculum design, leadership training, and other areas of targeted need.

What happens to the classroom environment when you give students a real problem to address? That's what Dave Strudwick, former Teacher/Principal of Real School Budapest was wondering when he asked year 5 students to fuse literacy, multimedia, and fashion to "create a better world."  His classroom transformed from a teacher-centered space to a real world design studio, with students taking on roles as sustainble fashion designers, and magazine publishers.  Learn more about his transformation story and how through a few simple shifts, you can experience the same transformation in your classroom as well.  Connect with Dave on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-strudwick-a6152128/  Get the 12 Shifts Book: www.transformschool.com/whereistheteacher  Take the 12 Shifts Scorecard to Identify Target Areas of Growth: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard  Learn more about the 12 Shifts Master Class starting in January: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsmasterclass  Dave's Bio:  Dave is a creative leader who has founded three schools and lead others. He has worked in a wide range of contexts including schools, museums, with tech companies, start ups, and with excluded children. His focus is on the development of rounded young people who have great knowledge, habits of success, creative know how and way finding abilities. He loves writing, facilitating workshops and keynote speaking that looks to design and develop curriculum, pedagogy, community and culture. His approach improves outcomes through the development of people, student ownership, digital processes and creating a high quality learning environment.

What learning opportunities exist beyond our classroom doors?  That's the question that led school founder and student-centered educator Dr. Jane Shore on a community mapping expedition with her high school students in Philadelphia.  Through a simple 5-step process, they uncovered community stories, built strategic connections, and forged long term learning partnerships that would give learning in the classroom new purpose and meaning.  This 'ecosystem map' became their North Star. Hear Jane's story and discover how to more meaningfully connect your classroom to the community as well.  Connect with Jane: jane@schoolsofthought.org Take the 12 Shifts Scorecard to target araeas of growth: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard Get the 12 Shifts Book: www.transformschool.com/whereistheteacher Learn more about the 12 Shifts Cohorts starting in January: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsmasterclass     

What do grades tell students about their learning? Are they even helpful?  Even though evidence suggests grades are a poor motivator for student learning, we still use them in our classrooms to evaluate learning. But there's a much better way to not only evaluate learning, but track learner GROWTH and PROGRESS.  In this highly engaging episode recorded live at my Book Launch Party , Gary Heidt takes us through his journey of replacing grades in his classroom with portfolios and presentations of learning, and the impact it had on his learners.  This episode will make you re-imagine what's possible in your won classroom when shifting from... Grades - - - - > Self, Peer and Expert Critique Get in touch with Gary Heidt: Linkedin, Twitter/X- @Ed_by_design, Instagram- @pvnovalab Gary's Blogs: https://onlyconnects.wordpress.com ,  Https://pvhsnovalab.com   Link to Gary's Gradeless Digital Notebook: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1oOWav74ZSMcoS9wXQhB6r_UCbnQR7J_b/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107869970601559545884&rtpof=true&sd=true  12 Shifts Resources:  Take the 12 Shifts Scorecard to identify areas for growth: www.transformschool.com/12shiftscorecard  Get the 12 Shifts Book: https://www.amazon.com/Where-Teacher-Shifts-Student-Centered-Environments/dp/1032484713  Learn about the 'From Teacher Led to Student-Centered' Professional Learning Cohorts Starting in January: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsmasterclass 

With AI able to fill out worksheets, write five paragraph essays, craft short stories, or pen reports in seconds, the impetus for inspiring original, real-world work couldn't be greater.  How as student-centered faciltiators do we support students in producing the kind of work that they find PERSONALLY meaningful and beautiful? Helping them find THEIR unique, personal voice. In this groubreaking episode, recorded live at our 12 Shifts launch party, Matthew Neylon, Creative Director at Mt. Vernon K-12 school unpacks the secrets to curating this kind of work across an entire school.  Through his transformation story we learn how to transform the blank walls of our schools and classsroom with the creative work and genius of kids.  Connect with Matt: Instagram/Twitter (X) (@mattneylon), Linkedin, Website: https://cre8ivmvmt.com/  Purchase the 12 Shifts Book: www.transformschool.com/whereistheteaher Take the 12 Shifts Scorecard to identify areas for growth: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard  Watch the video presentation and join the conversation on LInkedin: Join the Conversation

What happens to student empowerment when we move from the the front of the classroom to a gentle facilitator on the side?  We get more self-directed learners. More student voice, opinions, and ideas.  A range of diverse work products.  Making this shift is NOT easy. It requires a mindset of trust, and the facilitator 'moves' to support this kind of student-centered environment. Andrew Faulstich, a Montessori Adolescent Guide and Facilitator of these kind of learning environments teaches us how to make these shifts by: Unpacking the core tenets of learner-centered environments Providing concrete strategies to foster student-led discussion Suggesting a few changes in the way we design our classrooms Offering prompts for more open-ended learner supported questions   Get in Touch with Andrew: LinkedIn, Community (Enlightened Educator Project), Blog/Newsletter (Substack)  Take the 12 Shifts Scorecard to Target Areas of Growth: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard  Get the 12 Shifts Book for More Strategies/Ideas/Stories: www.transformschool.com/whereistheteacher (Use WT30 at checkout for 30% discount)  Andrew's Bio:  Andrew believe in the potential for education to be transformative for all students. His expertise is in facilitating learning environments where all participants, both young people and adults, experience empowerment and liberation. He developed and led international and U.S. education programs and taught students from 10 different countries in person, virtually, and in a hybrid format. Across these experiences, Andrew found that progressive, learner-centered, and Montessori education is a catalyst for a transformational change within each learner. Andrew works at the intersection of supporting human development and driving a social revolution leading to a more equitable, interdependent world.

If I walked into your classroom, would I find students seated neatly in rows facing the front, or in small interdependent table teams?  One of the best ways to shift from a teacher-led to a student-centered environments is to re-arrange your furniture.  In this short bonus episode, I unpack simple ideas for creating this kind of collaborative environment, strategies for developing interdependent student teams, and the implications it will have for your classroom in the new school year.  Take the 12 Shifts Scorecard to Identify Areas for Growth: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard Get the 12 Shifts Book: www.transformschool.com/whereistheteacher RSVP for the 12 Shifts Launch Party: www.transformschool.com/booklaunch  

In a world with advancing AI, personalized chatbots, and ready made content at student's fingerprints, how do we engage them in work that they find personally meaningful? This short episode helps unpack the conditions necessary to engage students in this kind of work, irregardless of age or school subject. From podcasts, to state of the art green spaces, discover how to have students create professional, beautiful work. Shift #5/6: From worksheets - - - - > High-Quality, Real World Work Take the 12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments Scorecard: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard  Pre-Order the 12 Shifts Book: www.transformschool.com/whereistheteacher  Attend the Launch Party: www.transformschool.com/booklaunch  Discover 50+ Alternatives to Worksheets/Exams: Real World Work Alternative List

What happens when we allow learning to move outside the siloes of our classrooms?  In this episode, through a real case study, we learn how to design empowering, trans-disciplinary experiences with teachers across mutiple subjects. And all it takes is a few shifts in how we approach learning design.  Take the 12 Shifts Scorecard: https://transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard/  Pre-Order the 12 Shifts Book: https://transformschool.com/whereistheteacher/  Attend the Launch Party to Connect to Global Practitioners: https://transformschool.com/booklaunch/ 

What happens when we lead learning with big questions, rather than mandated curriculum content?  Four year 7 teachers across 3 different subjects wanted to find out.  Over a seven week unit, they devised activities, lessons, and hands-on learning that helped students dive deeper into big questions around developing future societies.  As a result...agency, empowerment and engagement went through the roof! Learn more about the story of how they organized the learning and how you too can shift from content-led experiences, to inquiry-based experiences in the 2024-2025 school year. (Shift #2 for Student-Centered Environments)  How to Write Essential Inquiry Questions: https://transformschool.com/2020/01/26/how-to-write-an-essential-question-that-invites-wonder-and-curiosity-from-your-learners/  Take the 12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments Scorecard: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard  Pre-Order the 12 Shifts Book: www.transformschool.com/whereistheteacher Attend the 12 Shifts Launch Party to Connect to Global Practitioners: www.transformschool.com/booklaunch