My exigence for showing this article was to provide evidence that more EL  in the class room was possible and it could still comply with standards. Gallahan and I have been working on a lesson plan for the class that incorporates these principles. The lesson itself still complies with the standards set by the state, as well. My question to you, Ms. Dowless is:  what are your experiences beyond what Gallahan and I have observed with PBL and El Education? Also, how did you teach while still complying with the set standards? I wanted to show this article because it provides examples of a often cited example of EL education.

Expeditionary learning and state mandated learning objectives do not have to be at odds with one another. They can coexist. At Grove Middle School, teachers have not abandoned expeditionary learning and moved onto follow common core. Instead, they continue to pursue Expeditionary learn while they are complying with the federal mandated learning of objectives. The teachers refuse to simply teach to the standardized tests.

EL education has a long history in Grove middle school. The school was reformed by the current principal from one of the worst and most violent schools in the district to its best. The school itself has become one of the models for expeditionary learning education. Its story is often distributed on pamphlets to other schools considering switching to this learning style.

Two lenses guide the school in the curriculum. The first is sense making. Sense making consists of an individual’s cognition, situated cognition, and role of representation. An individuals cognition consists of a person’s values, prior knowledge, experiences, and beliefs. Individual cognition is used in the classroom to greater strengthen the EL curriculum by using what the educator already knows works and does not work to their advantage. This allows teacher to collaborate and do work on their own to strengthen the curriculum. Situated cognition allows for EL in the workplace to flow. It is making all the social networks, workplace structures, and professional affiliations follow together to provide cohesion. Situated cognition is also the willingness of educators to grapple with new technology. The role of representation is the reasoning behind the policy. It is the rationale, context, purpose, and difference from the previous policy.

Inquiry as a stance is a grounded theory of action that allows the learner and the teacher to transform the educational framework. In this, educators are as active as the students in the learning environments. Inquiry as a stance challenges convention. It questions what is normal.

Because of this strong framework in their curriculum, educators found little problem with the requirements of No Child Left Behind Laws. These learning requirements did not interrupt the interdisciplinary tract these teachers were pursuing in the classroom. This was due to the constant professional development that the teachers are required to go through during their teaching at Grove. The professional development allowed the teachers to focus on teaching the standards that they felt were important to students.

Managing an EL or PBL educational environment is difficult, what recommendations would you have for others at incorporating it?

I am a big proponent of self-learning and I am certain that it is a crucial part of the learning process. Learning about different topics of interest is an uniquely human endeavor. We all in our own ways become experts in our areas of interest or hobbies.

In a traditional learning environment, self-learning is fostered through broad individual assignments that may be based on a set criteria. A traditional example of this would be a research paper. It is up to the self-learner to find sources, evaluate them, and develop their own thoughts on the topic. Most of the “learning” being done is up to the student. The course that they are writing it for has progressed far enough that the teacher views them as capable enough to write their paper.

Research papers are not the end all of self-learning. Self-learning was a big part of what John Dewey thought in regards to education. Schools were set up that allowed students to teach themselves (Reed 91). Ideas about self-learning have not faded into obscurity 70 years after Dewey died. Students developing their own curricula may not be mainstream, but that is not to say that it does not happen. Not only are traditional examples available, but there programs like EL Education. One of EL Education’s 10 design principles is solitude and reflection. EL goes on to state that “students and teachers need time alone to explore their own thoughts.” Many of the other design principles within EL  emphasize this form form of education and provide a foundation for a unique learning environment.