Back in March, I participated in an online town hall meeting, sponsored by Tom Vander Ark’s organization Getting Smart. The town hall’s title was “What Will it Take to Make Learner-centered Ecosystems a Public Education Reality?” A large portion of the meeting addressed the why and the what of making learner-centered ecosystems more prevalent inside the world of learning. Here are some of the highlights from the day:
Karen Pittman, founding partner of Knowledge to Power Catalysts, discusses “the why”:
“…I’ll quickly dive into some key points form the paper I coauthored with Education Reimagined, titled ‘Too Essential to Fail.’ This work consolidates extensive evidence supporting the timely necessity for educational transformation, underscored by public demand. Our analysis extends beyond the U.S., incorporating insights from the OECD’s future learning scenarios, particularly the concept of schools as learning hubs, which is crucial for achieving equity.”
“We begin by examining public surveys spanning over ten pages, reflecting the consensus among various stakeholders – including business leaders, parents, students, teachers, and out-of-school time leaders – on the need for community-based learning. Highlighting the student perspective is vital; their voices underscore the urgency of connecting education with real-world experiences, as the majority express that current school offerings lack relevance to their interests and future aspirations.”
“Our discussion also references Thomas Arnett’s work on the K-12 value proposition, contrasting traditional educational metrics with what stakeholders actually value. Interestingly, attributes like universal access to standardized curriculum and assessments hold less importance to parents and the public compared to more personalized and community-integrated educational experiences.”
“Furthermore, when considering the transition from traditional school systems to community-engaged ecosystems, it’s essential to acknowledge the complexity of the community beyond a simplistic peripheral view around schools. Drawing on a model developed by the National League of Cities during the pandemic, we explore how communities can support learning hubs, emphasizing the diverse opportunities for learning that extend beyond academic instruction.”
“The journey from systems to ecosystems involves reimagining the interplay of people, places, and possibilities, as highlighted by the work of Tom Akiba and Maria Hecht at the University of Pittsburgh. This reimagining necessitates viewing learning ecosystems as dynamic networks of relationships and resources, transcending the boundaries of conventional schooling.”
“In conclusion, understanding the science of learning and development reveals the vast potential of young people, which can only be fully realized through a holistic approach that leverages all aspects of the community….”
Emily Liebtag, Chief Innovation Officer at Education Reimagined, discusses “the what”:
“I’ll be discussing what our concept looks like in practical application. Both in the United States and globally, numerous organizations, including ours, are examining the practical implementations of our educational theories. Karen highlighted two critical points: first, there is evidence that people’s values and expectations for K-12 public education are evolving, and second, there is a need to identify the systems and structures capable of supporting this new paradigm of education.”
“Drawing from a decade of community engagement, we, like many of you, believe that an education system which embraces flexibility, aligns with learners’ interested, and incorporates real-world learning, purpose, and connectedness, exemplifies a learner-centered approach. At Education Reimagined, we define the pinnacle of this approach as encompassing five elements:
- Learner agency
- Social embeddedness within the community
- Personalization, relevance, and contextualization
- Open-walled setting that integrate community into learning
- Competency-based progression that addresses a comprehensive array of needs and outcomes”
“Across the nation, there are models that successfully align these values with teaching and learning methodologies, embodying what we term learner-centered education. This approach not only aligns with the first requirement Karen mentioned – matching education with evolving values – but also addresses the challenge of systemizing and making such educational models publicly and equitably accessible. However, achieving this has not been straightforward.”
“Despite the emergence of successful examples of learner-centered education, systemic barriers ranging from policy, funding models, to credentialing processes have historically impeded the widespread adoption and accessibility of such educational models in the United States. This represents a significant challenge, but also an opportunity for innovative thinking about accessibility for all interested parties. We propose the concept of learner-centered ecosystems as a solution capable of addressing both identified needs. This approach encompasses five components [listed above] of a comprehensive system that merges various educational spaces and experiences into a cohesive structure, offering young learners what they need throughout their day.”
“This ecosystem encompasses more than diverse physical locations; it signifies a holistic learning journey guided by advisors who assist young individuals in navigating their educational pathways within their communities. The key components of a learner-centered ecosystem include:
Learning hubs (e.g., museums, libraires, and other public institutions) offering daily educational opportunities,
Home bases where learners, together with their peers and guided by advisors, explore their educational paths,
Field sites providing career-connected experiences to complement their learning journey.”
“For a learner-centered ecosystem to truly transform public education, it must be publicly funded, integrated out-of-school learning experiences into the educational journey, and recognize learning achievements from various settings. Without these elements, we risk maintaining a status quo where educational experiences are fragmented and fail to meet learner’s comprehensive needs. The essential components we’ve outlined are crucial for building an ecosystem that significantly diverges from traditional models, ensuring every young person receives the education they need, rather than limiting exceptional opportunities to a privileged few.”
…
Sound good? Of course it does.
The problem is that the learner-centered community thinks that our current traditional K-12 school system is built to transform itself into a learner-centered culture.
It’s not.
Maybe in other countries, but not here.
We are too committed to believing that better teachers, a charismatic school leader, improved curriculum, longer hours and longer days, and let’s not forget about those tests, will all add up to improved learning for our kids.
We’ve tried to improve the existing system for the past 50 years, and although the K-12 system hasn’t seen bad results for whites and Asians, it’s been a dismal place for black, brown, and poor kids to be.
Til tomorrow. SVB
A Better Path to Learning 
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