Teaching for a Living Democracy: Project Based Learning in the English and History Classroom is a product of the years I’ve spent working with young people, most of which has been with youth in public schools in Philly. The book, which is rooted in a commitment to equity and social justice, presents a framework of changing the way […]Read Post ›
Earlier this year my 12th graders conducted an inquiry into education. By giving students an opportunity to learn about education theory, talk to the general public about education, and reflect on their own educational experiences, I hoped to help them develop their own ideas and understandings mainstream education, the education they experience at SLA, and […]Read Post ›
It is powerful to watch young people evaluate their own experiences and develop ideas for change. This is how we began the year in my 12th grade English classes. Students wrote about meaningful learning experiences and collaborated to design their own version of an ideal school. They read theory from John Taylor Gatto, Theodore Sizer, the Unschooling Movement, […]Read Post ›
There is something very powerful that happens when young people are given a chance to reflect on their own education and share visions of what education and school can and should mean. This year my 12th Graders began the year by doing just that. The unit began with us all writing about and reflecting on deep or […]Read Post ›
Today my American Government classes wrapped up our unit on Democracy and Education. We started the class by viewing and commenting on the digital stories that students made to communicate unique ideas about democracy and education at this moment in Philadelphia. Students had done a great job of creating work that is poignant, insightful, and […]Read Post ›
Mr J Block 