Studies suggest that up to half of high school dropouts leave school because their classes are boring or irrelevant to their lives and aspirations. Yet the majority of U.S. schools continue their attempts to engage some 50 million students through conventional methods such as lectures, note-taking, and rote learning, often with dismal results. In Deeper Learning, award-winning education strategist Monica Martinez and education sociologist Dennis McGrath offer a transformative framework for learning that has led to standout results in schools across the country and has the potential to support the development and success of every student. Through examples from eight public schools, the authors chart the path to crafting flexible learning environments that meet the widely varied needs of individual students. They showcase interactive approaches that compel students to learn how to learn and provide an invaluable guide for teachers and communities wondering how their schools will be able to adapt to the Common Core standards and new assessments. Above all, Deeper Learning shows how inspired, engaging education does not have to be the province of elite private schools and how all young people can become creators, collaborators, and critical thinkers.
"It is a fast read and will interest educators who want to produce self-motivated, passionate learners with a goal that looks beyond passing tomorrow's quiz."
Library Journal
"In the tradition of Ted Sizer, Pedro Noguera, Gloria Ladson-Billings, and other innovative thought leaders, Martinez and McGrath provide inspiring examples of what deeper, student-centered learning looks like in practice. Communities across the nation must use the principles outlined in this book to fundamentally transform schools into places where Deeper Learning flourishes as a rule rather than
Warren Simmons, executive director, Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown Univers
"What do 'reinvented' schools look like--schools that prepare all students for college and for an innovation economy? This fascinating series of portraits offers a road map for the future of education. Deeper Learning is a wonderful book that should be read by every educator, parent, and policy maker."
Tony Wagner, Harvard University, and author of Creating Innovators and The Global Achievem
