Making Schools Work: Bringing the Science of Learning to Joyful Classroom Practice

by Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Kimberly Nesbitt, Carol Lautenbach, Elias Blinkoff

Overview

If we teach in the way that human brains learn, both students and their teachers will thrive! This book aligns evidence from the learning sciences on how and what students need to learn with classroom practice (pre-K–12). It demonstrates, with hands-on examples, how a change in educational mindset (rather than in curriculum) can improve student outcomes on both standardized tests and a breadth of 21st-century skills skills. Written collectively by classroom teachers, administrators, parents, and learning scientists, this book shows readers how to co-construct and reimagine an optimal educational system. Making Schools Work offers three case studies of schools, including a statewide system, that are all realizing a 6 Cs approach to learning focused on collaboration, communication, content, critical thinking, creative innovation, and confidence. The text documents the ever-evolving implementation process, as well as outcomes and the ongoing work of stakeholders. Readers can use this resource to create an education for all children that is culturally responsive, inclusive, effective, and fun.

Book Features:

• Helps educators teach in the way that human minds learn.
• Jointly written in accessible language by teachers, administrators, parents, and learning scientists.
• Offers hands-on ways to reimagine classrooms without investing in new curricula.
• Puts teachers in the driver’s seat, reminding them of why they teach.
• Provides culturally responsive, inclusive, effective, and fun strategies.
• Offers children the possibility of learning the skills they will need for 21st-century skills success.

“Most of us agree that it is critical at this moment in time to reimagine what school could be. This reimagination must be informed by the best available science and built on current educational wisdom found in our schools. This book does just that and makes clear that more playful learning across the K–12 school system would be the most natural way to help all students learn the 21st-century knowledge and skills they need in life.”
—From the Foreword by Pasi Sahlberg, author of Finnish Lessons 3.0: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland? and professor of education, Southern Cross University, Lismore, Australia

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807781241
Publisher:	Teachers College Press
Publication date:	10/28/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	18 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Kathy Hirsh-Pasek is a professor of psychology at Temple University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Roberta Michnick Golinkoff is the Unidel H. Rodney Sharp Professor of Education at the University of Delaware. Kimberly Nesbitt is an associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of New Hampshire. Carol Lautenbach is assistant superintendent for teaching and learning design (retired) in the Godfrey-Lee Public Schools (Wyoming, MI). Elias Blinkoff is a graduate student in developmental psychology at Temple University. Ginger Fifer is a past teacher and school administrator at Friends’ Central School (Wynnewood, PA).

Table of Contents

Foreword xiii

Acknowledgments xvii

1 Why Now? 1

Looking Ahead 5

2 The Science of Success 7

At a Glance 7

Introduction 7

The How of Learning 11

What Children Learn: A Breadth-of-Skills Approach Through the 6 Cs 24

Where the How Meets the What of Learning 31

3 Case Study 1: The 6 Cs Go to an Independent School in Pennsylvania 34

At a Glance 34

Introduction 34

A Theme-Based Approach as One Embodiment of the 6 Cs System 38

Themes, the 6 Cs, and the Principles of Playful Learning 48

4 Case Study 2: Designing for Equity in a Michigan School District 49

At a Glance 49

Introduction 50

Using Human-Centered Design After Exploring the Underlying Barriers 52

Results: The System Shifts Toward Success for All 67

Next Steps to Intensify Learning 68

Slow Down to Speed Up 69

5 Case Study 3: Statewide Scale-Up of Playful Learning in New Hampshire Kindergarten Classrooms 71

At a Glance 71

Introduction 71

Motivation for Change 73

Evidence-Based Approach for Change 74

Impacts and Outcomes 80

Guided Play in COVID-19 Classrooms 83

Further Investment in Guided Play and Coaching 83

Conclusion 85

Chapter 5 Supplemental Resources 86

6 Bringing It Home: Adapting the Model for Your School 97

Step 1 Get Buy-In 101

Step 2 Educate 101

Step 3 Co-Design 102

Step 4 Try It Out 103

Step 5 Broaden Your Scope 103

Step 6 Assess How It Is Going 104

Step 7 Home and School 105

Step 8 Have a School- or Grade-Wide Conclusion 105

7 Authentic Assessment to Support the Science of Learning 106

At a Glance 106

Introduction 106

Motivation: Why Engage in Assessment? 107

Measurement of the Knowledge and Skills That Matter 108

Developmentally Appropriate Assessment 109

Summative and Formative Assessment 110

There Is More Than One Type of Authentic Assessment 115

Clantete: Using Authentic Assessment to Support the 6 Cs 122

Radnor Middle School: Authentic Assessment to Support Student Learning 123

Conclusion 124

8 Jumping Over School Walls: The 6 Cs and Learning Principles Are Everywhere 125

At a Glance 125

Introduction 125

Enter Playful Learning Landscapes: Informal Learning at Its Best 126

Media: The Learning Principles and the 6 Cs Work Here, Too 129

Conclusion 134

9 Re-Imagining Education at Your School 135

Introduction 136

The 6 Cs Prepare Students for Success 136

How Can We Help Children Remember What They Learn So That It Is Sticky? 138

How Do We Teach in a Way That Supports Transfer? 139

How Do We Move From the "Memorize and Spit-It-Out-on-the-Test" Model to One in Which Students Are More Engaged in Their Learning? 139

Appendix A Visual Chapter Synopses 145

Appendix B Recommendations for Further Study 159

References 163

Index 179

About the Authors 185

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Most of us agree that it is critical at this moment in time to reimagine what school could be. This reimagination must be informed by the best available science and built on current educational wisdom found in our schools. This book does just that and makes clear that more playful learning across the K–12 school system would be the most natural way to help all students learn the 21st-century knowledge and skills they need in life.”
—From the Foreword by Pasi Sahlberg, author of Finnish Lessons 3.0: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland? and professor of education, Southern Cross University, Lismore, Australia

“This is a book we’ve been waiting for! Making Schools Work transports the science of how children learn directly into classroom practice. This accessible, culturally flexible, and impactful book reimagines education for our time, showing how we can empower teachers and prepare children for a life of learning in this 21st-century global world.”
—Carol Dweck, Lewis & Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology, Stanford University

“The 6 Cs are both common sense and utterly revolutionary. This authoritative guide not only synthesizes the modern science of learning and motivation but also shows how it can be put into practice now. A must-read for any educator who has wondered whether there is a better way to make schools work.”
—Angela Duckworth, Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor, University of Pennsylvania

“Making Schools Work shows how to apply the science of learning to prepare young people to navigate uncertainty, shape meaningful careers, and solve the increasingly complex challenges facing our planet and society. It is a wonderful resource for educators looking for guidance and examples about developing students who can shape a better world for themselves and all of us.”
—Wendy Kopp, CEO and co-founder, Teach For All; founder, Teach For America

“For too many students in too many schools, the learning experience is broken. This book can help fix it. A team of experts has produced an evidence-based, actionable, and timely guide to rethinking the design of classrooms and reigniting the joy of discovery.”
—Adam Grant, Saul P. Steinberg Professor of Management and professor of psychology, University of Pennsylvania; host, WorkLife podcast

“Yes, schools can be more rigorous, more equitable, and more fun at the same time. This joyful, engaging, and practical manual is just what educators need to transform schools and young people's lives for the better.”
—Anya Kamenetz, writer and education reporter; author, DIY U and The Stolen Year

“The authors connect the dots between a remarkably broad and interesting array of studies and bring to life vivid concrete examples of real classrooms. Making Schools Work shows what can happen when children like what they are learning and teachers know what they are doing. This book provides a blueprint for anyone who wants their classroom to flourish.”
—Susan Engel, senior lecturer in psychology, Williams College; author, The Intellectual Lives of Children

“The authors of Making Schools Work have put together an invaluable guide to supporting rich, meaningful, playful learning in our children. Teachers, administrators, and everyone else who is invested in students’ emotional well-being and intellectual development will find much to feast on in this deeply researched and beautifully written book.”
—Annie Murphy Paul, science writer; author, The Extended Mind

“In Making Schools Work, scientists, teachers, and administrators bring deeper learning to life. Inclusive and culturally responsive, this book takes big ideas like 21st-century skills and shows what they look like in practice. A critical guide for those interested in understanding how to transform our industrial-era structures into next-generation schools and systems that bring passion, purpose, play, and deep learning for students and adults.”
—Jal Mehta, professor, Harvard University; author, In Search of Deeper Learning

“This is exactly the book we need right now (actually, we needed it years ago). Our models of schooling are simply not up to equipping students for the tasks of the 21st century. The authors make the case for schooling that is relevant, active, and aligned to what we know about the development of children and youth. The team presents what this model looks like in real classrooms in which students are fully engaged, their talents and interests recognized and developed, and their teachers energized and valued. This is truly a must-read for every educator, policymaker, and school board member.”
—Robert C. Pianta, Batten Bicentennial Professor of Early Childhood Education, University of Virginia

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