Peter Hutton, in his TED talk, “What If Students Controlled Their Own Learning?”, describes his school in which
there is no school bell, no school levels, and staff selection and curriculum are decided upon by students.
Would you like to be a teacher in his school? Why or why not? What aspects of his school would you like to see incorporated into your own system? How could you make this happen?
Would you like to be a teacher in his school? Why or why not? What aspects of his school would you like to see incorporated into your own system? How could you make this happen?
While this school sounds amazing, I wouldn't want to teach there. I teach kindergarten, and have a difficult time imagining five and six year old students controlling their own learning. I feel that for middle and secondary level students, this would be an engaging school to be enrolled in. The amount of choice that Mr. Hutton describes for kids would be very engaging. I am a little wary of project based learning based upon my own children's experiences. I think if a student is choosing their own project, and working on it on their own, then it is a great thing. However, what I have seen is when teachers choose the partners and dictate the project. Unfortunately, some students end up doing all the work, and others get the grade of the hard worker.
ReplyDeleteAt the high school level, this sounds amazing! So often I feel like it becomes my responsibility to push/pull students through the finish line, and so many students are just "along for the ride". Giving them the responsibility and choice and autonomy to build their day would put that burden on the students and take it off the shoulders of educators so much. It would also keep teachers accountable, because if you arent effective and no students choose your classroom, why are you there? Students would get to give valid feedback on teachers.
ReplyDeleteI would be wary of a school like this because I feel like we would have a messy learning curve to get it to where we want it. When you go from strict control to total freedom, the initial results could be disastrous; however, after years, it would most likely balance out because the "newness" would fade. Honestly, I would love for students to drive their own learning. I get tired of kids constantly wanting me to affirm what they are doing. I want them to take risks and engage in their learning. In a way, I do allow this to happen because I give students freedom on how quickly they learn a concept. I also allow them to go "off task" and learn things that interest them without reprimand. I do have to rein some kids back in at times, but this flux makes kids self-monitor to some extent with reminders. I think our educational system is flawed and we need to wake up. I guess I was just told to do something about it.
ReplyDeleteI think this school sounds great in theory, especially in the older grade levels. Our students actually have quite a bit of choice in their electives, but due to staffing issues, we do not offer some of the classes that I feel would most benefit some of the students that hate traditional school. By allowing some of the students to lead these classes, and be employees of the school, it could alleviate some of those issues. I would love to be a teacher at this type of school and offer more choice to the students to guide their own learning, but I think it would also be a very steep learning curve and I would love to know more about how this type of school logistically works. I am not sure how well this would work here in the United States where the standards are mandated by the government. It is definitely a broken system and I teach a required part of the curriculum, but I would like to offer as much choice as possible in how they learn.
ReplyDeleteI would like to observe in a school system like this, however I don't think I would want to work there. The one aspect I did enjoy was the concept 'home learning' where instead of 'homework' it can be based more on student interests and real world applications. I think observing in a school system like this would help me understand it more and figure out what aspects I would be able to bring into my classroom, the school, or to my district. I like the concept of starting off small and then building into something bigger which is why I don't think I'd enjoy working there immediately and would much rather build into some of the concepts.
ReplyDeletePeter Hutton, in his TED talk, “What If Students Controlled Their Own Learning?”, describes his school in which there is no school bell, no school levels, and staff selection and curriculum are decided upon by students.
ReplyDeleteWould you like to be a teacher in his school? Why or why not? What aspects of his school would you like to see incorporated into your own system? How could you make this happen?
I think this would a great idea for high school students, but I teach first grade and I can’t imagine seven and eight year olds making decisions for their learning. When learning is directed by the teacher, teachers can give students control over their learning, but it’s guided.
What I would like to see incorporated into my system is to do home learning, but this would be differently in first grade. This would like students reading, writing, or practicing a skill that they need support in, guided by their parent.
I think this would be a huge shift in thinking for teachers, students, parents, and administrators. But for many students, I could see this working really well with the right guidance and mentorship. In many ways, I would love to be a teacher in this type of school. There would be a high learning curve at first as a teacher since the roles are shifted. I wonder if you would be more specialized in subject areas or in some cases, I'm guessing you would be learning right alongside the students in areas that teachers aren't typically teaching. In the TED talk, we didn't get specifics on how the learning plans are set up, but I'm assuming throughout their years at their school they would have to cover all the standards just in their own way. I could see this being both overwhelming but also powerful in giving choice to the students on how they want to create their own path of learning. I also having students on the curriculum committee is powerful since they are the ones most affected by those choices.
ReplyDeleteIn elementary school I think it would need to look quite different just because of the age of the students, but I could see incorporating this idea in project based learning with choices on topics, similar to the PLP he talked about. The rubric or standards would be set, but the students could decide how they learn and how they present their understanding. I also love the idea of using home learning because not only does it give the learners some autonomy, but it also incorporates the family into their learning.
I personally think I would like this school! I enjoy times when I get to be more of a facilitator than a teacher, and I too, like to shake things up and learn new things each da
ReplyDeleteeach day. It is energizing to get something new and dive into passions.
DeleteI think incorporating time in the day/week for students to create & work on a personalized learning project would be a small, tangible way to incorporate this concept into our current system. It would allow students to explore an interest of theirs while not having to overhaul the whole system. I think that they would enjoy getting to explore a curiosity or passion and it would be a nice change of pace from the traditional style we follow.
I feel that this is a good option for students that are motivated to achieve their goals and pursue education in a way that is purposeful. I can see how many students would thrive however in the same breath; I can see how this could be too open ended for some students who need more guidance. I am a person who had no idea what I wanted to do and in fact, changed my direction a few times but I am thankful for the guidance of school counselor and college professors that help guide me along the way. I compare this to many other facets of my life as well. When I have too many options, I feel a bit overwhelmed and get into a rut not knowing where to start. Again, I think that this is a great option but am also glad for more of a traditional school as well.
ReplyDeleteI think that Harrisburg high school in South Dakota has an independent option as well as a traditional schooling option that seems like a nice balance for owning your own education, but this method is still one step further of independence.
If I were to implement an element of this to my classroom, I would like to have the option for a research and discovery center. I do think students would love to have the freedom to discover and research independently and for it not to always be directed and controlled. It may give more joy to the students.
I think it would interesting to be a part of this school knowing that children are in charge of their learning. It makes it sound like the teacher is only their for support and challenging students thinking. I would like to see students having more control over classes that are offered for them. I do believe the more students have invested in their learning the more they will strive to do their best. Having a student leadership committee that had input on what was decided in the school would be great leadership opportunity for students.
ReplyDeleteI think this school sounds good in theory, but a lot of students would struggle. I think some students would thrive in this system. Working in this type of school is not something I would enjoy at all. I really like being in a positions to directly influence my students. I would feel pretty useless as a teacher in that school.
ReplyDeleteI think this school sounds very interesting to be a part of, but I don't know if I could be a teacher at this school in my current position as a kindergarten teacher. I think it is very exciting for students to take control of their own learning, but at the young age I teach, that would be quite difficult. When students are excited about something, they tend to be more focused and are willing to work harder towards something they care about. I think you can attain similar outcomes with doing different project-based learning activities. Students would still be able to have a choice in learning about something they are interested in, but are still required to hit certain standards that they teacher has set.
ReplyDeleteI think teaching in a school like Peter Hutton's would take a lot of getting used to, and I'm not sure how much I would enjoy it. I do believe that students should be able to show independence and have autonomy, however, I also don't think that my middle school students would be successful in a school like that. The demographics and maturity level of middle schoolers is all over the place so I think many students would not benefit from this practice. We have a program in my building called MCL (Mass Customized Learning) which is similar to what Hutton allows his students to do. In our MCL classes, a student could be in 6th grade but is taking 8th grade courses. I think this is beneficial to our students who really excel in their grade level so they aren't being hindered.
ReplyDeleteFor my content and grade level, I think this would be very interesting and sucessful. I teach high school art and often WISH we had atleast block schedule, for longer art making sessions. With a 50-55 minute timem slot, we are often just getting into the "art zone" when the bell clangs and they move on to another content area. Often, leaving a right-brain, creative class like Drawing, to go to a left-brain class such as math or history. Quite a brain shift. I have done training and have experiences in PBL (Project Based Learning ) and this is also very conducive to the creative arts. Students in PBL do decide what to create (albeit, within the directive of the teacher). I taught a photo class where students worked in small groups to create their own ad agency and try to "sell" a pair of shoes, through photography and designing a visual ad. I enjoyed seeing how invested most students were in their projects and how they delegated the roles and responsiblities. One downside was the student absences which impacted those who were consistently present. I think a hybrid of this freedom and traditional systems would be more plausible.
ReplyDeletePeter Hutton’s TED Talk was very interesting to watch, but I do not believe I would want to be a teacher at his school. All I have ever known is either being in a student roll or a teacher roll. With only having taught special education in a 6th grade resource room for two years, I have a hard time imagining students determining what areas they need to work on, what grade content they are understanding, or how to deescalate a behavior they may be going through without guidance. I think many students that I had on my caseload would struggle to push themselves to achieve their goal(s) and utilize accommodations appropriately within their IEPs. An aspect of his school that I would like to incorporate into my own system would be “home learning.” I feel that I often did not give out a lot of homework as students had work time to complete the task in my classroom. This home learning concept is very intriguing because this does allow student(s) to have a say in what they are learning. I could incorporate this by not assigning homework, but rather have a list of options they could choose from that still showcases their learning, but allows them the freedom of choice. Peter Hutton mentioned how this could be a student practicing an instrument, cooking a meal, finishing up homework, etc. These are all great skills a student should embody as well as help them grow as a student/person.
ReplyDeleteAs an art teacher, I already let students work at their own pace—especially at the high school level—and I’ve seen how much that helps. Not every student learns the same way or at the same speed, and giving them flexibility makes learning feel less stressful and more meaningful.
ReplyDeleteThat’s why a school like the one Peter Hutton talks about really resonates with me. I truly believe we’d see better learning, more retention, and a better use of everyone’s time—students, teachers, and parents included. When students feel trusted and in control, they tend to take their work more seriously.
I also really appreciated his story about Josh. It was a great, real-life example of what can happen when a student is given time, support, and freedom instead of being forced into a one-size-fits-all system. Stories like that make me hopeful and remind me why flexible, student-centered learning can lead to brighter futures.
I think that this would be a great concept. You could spend time focusing on building relationships and meaningful learning instead of a lot of rules and district/state testing. If there are no bells, it would mean that the students aren't being rushed. I feel as teachers we are always rushing at the end of class and this would give us the time to just finish when it works. Students would be able to be fully engaged instead of worrying about a time crunch. I do think that some students would mayb struggle with this as a lot of time would mean more procrastination. The students would really have to be taught how to prioritize and understand what the expectations are.
ReplyDeleteIf students could control their own learning, I think we would have a happier student body. Teachers could then foster the learning of those students who truly were interested in being in their classroom. Again the purpose of students should be to foster growth in learning. This type of school would do just that. I believe in a small school, this is very hard to implement. It is just really hard to offer enough electives to meet all students personal interest. I believe it would be interesting to offer a class where students choose what they want to learn and their goals for the semester. The grade could be based on the completion of their goal.
ReplyDeleteI think a school like this sounds amazing in theory. It was interesting to hear his description of it, but I would love to observe at this school to get a better idea of how it really works. The thought of going from how things are currently structured to total freedom is very intimidating to me. I don't think I would want to be a teacher in this school unless I had a better understanding of how I could do it well. I would love to see certain aspects incorporated in our own system. I like the idea of students driving their own learning. I think the Home Learning instead of Homework is a great way to do that. Students can deep dive on a subject that interests them - and because it interests them, they're much more likely to retain what they learn. I love how open-ended the concept is as well. As for how I could implement this in my own classroom, I think it comes back to offering as many choices as possible in my assignments so students can feel that their learning experience is somewhat personalized.
ReplyDeleteI would enjoy being a teacher in a school like this because I believe children learn more when they have autonomy and ownership over their learning. One aspect I especially appreciate is the idea of students supporting one another. I would love to create more opportunities for students to uplift others and act as experts or helpers for their peers. Even in an early childhood classroom, students can model skills, help classmates, and learn through collaboration. In my own classroom, I could incorporate this by providing more student choice during activities and encouraging peer support during centers and play-based learning. Giving students opportunities to lead, help others, and explore their interests can build confidence while strengthening the learning community.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I would want to be a teacher in this type of school. I could go either way. It would be an adjustment giving up control, but one I would actually probably enjoy once I learned how to navigate it. I like the idea of it for older kids, but I teach 2nd grade and I feel this would be a little bit challenging for 7 year olds to control their own learning. I feel like lower elementary definitely needs more structure and guidance. While I love giving students choice, I don't know how it'd work giving them control. I would love to see this in action in an elementary building. I do love the idea of no bells and no rushing. I feel like as teacher we are always rushing to fit things in that we are required to teach. Therefore, meaningful learning isn't always happening.
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ReplyDeleteA very interesting approach at schooling for sure. He mentioned that there were 120 different elective choices, that in itself very impressive to give student that many choices. A question I have is how do they get all of the basic required courses completed in this setting, with my experience in education, there are for sure many student not signing up for some required courses unless they are forced to, I see this as a challenge with this type of system. I could see some of the aspects of this school included in our alternative program. Actually we have some of these in place already. There are no bells, the student have some choice in which courses they take and when they take them. The students are required to be in school 5 hours per day, from a time period of 8:00 to 4:00 which offers flexibility with this appointment, jobs, etc. I have always been a hands on approach type of person with my background in Ag and Science which already brings in a varied of projects and labs, so I would be in favor of trying this type of learning.
I really enjoyed what Peter had to say and I agree with a lot of what he had to say. What I would really like to see happen and I hope to make this change in our school, is to go to more of a college setting in which classes start at different times for students based on their schedules. We could work around students schedules, work and other interests. I like the idea that students can choose what classes to take and when to take them. Obviously teachers would act as academic advisors, but we really let students and their parents guide pathway and let them choose their future instead of always putting them in the same boat. I do understand the difficulties of such a change, but I think it would be great in allowing students more control over their future and pathway. I also understand that this would take some strong convincing of parents and other invested people in the school community, but I believe we would see a strong response after the initial implementation. Most of the behaviors that I have as a principal have everything to do with students being bored and not engaged because they are sitting in a class in which they have no interest in. One thing I just do not think I could get away from are bells totally and the fact that students need to be at school and learn the social side of things. One thing I wish I could change which would be even harder is to offer some classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and others on a Tuesday and Thursday. I get this would really take some getting use to and take some creativity on the scheduling aspect of it all, but I believe it can be done. We know that some things just do not work in 2026, and instead of being afraid that the change might fail, we need to be excited at the opportunity to make a big difference and change things for the better.
ReplyDeleteThe concepts Peter shared in the video sound encouraging and I agree with some of the aspects, but I am not sure it would be a good fit for me. I strive on having a routine, and not having bells would be a hard adjustment. I also find it hard giving up control to the students and being more of a guide than a leader. I like the idea of the students taking a part in selecting the curriculum. I think it is important for students to be a part of their learning, therefore they are engaged and they are able to find what is of interest to them.
ReplyDeleteI would like to be a teacher at Peter's school long enough to experience this type of system first-hand, gaining enough knowledge to allow me to determine if any of the aspects could be incorporated into our current system. Allowing students to be more involved in their own education could definitely cause to them being more invested in it. Employing the students would grant them beneficial work experience, assisting them in determining a field they may (or may not) want to pursue. One reason students do not enjoy being at school is because they are pretty much told what to do all day long. Their schedules are set. Their lessons are set. Families who opt for online learning or home-schooling say it allows for more freedom. The coursework required can be completed in much less time than students typically spend in a classroom. For years I have wondered how I could implement a more individualized math program. Instead of being enrolled in Algebra I, then Geometry, then Algebra II, then a senior level course, students would be given the requirements of the high school math courses and provided resources for learning the skills. In a perfect world, the students would be allowed to choose which platforms they would use to learn the skills and what methods they would use to demonstrate mastery of the standards. If that could be accomplished in a shorter period of time than the traditional four years, then the student would earn credits sooner. The concept of home learning instead of homework intrigues me. Implementing this would allow students more freedom of choice and would also teach accountability in demonstrating/documenting their learning. Students could use a variety of methods for presenting their home learning to their peers and teachers to show how the core subjects come together in daily life.
ReplyDeletePeter Hutton's school sure is interegine. I would love to go see it and what is run. I can see myself being a teacher in a school like that. It's empowering for the students, has the students "taking control" in a way that is managed and guided and overseen. But why not let them have more voice? That sounds like a breath of fresh air.
ReplyDeleteMy school gives students a lot of choice into what they are learning and what they would like to learn. It's been great to see the changes happen over the last 5 years.
Peter Hutton's talk was interesting, but I really don't think I would be a good fit for that school. I teach elementary and I feel like the students need the basics at these levels in a way that doesn't allow for choice. As they get older, into the junior high and high school ages, having some choice makes sense. But I also wonder, by giving the students all of the choices over what they learn, what if they could have found out they like a class or have a knack for something that they never got exposed to because they were not required to take certain classes. I think schools can implement parts of this in ways like offering choices within assignments and certain topics, like the book mentioned with juicy questions being a guide for digging deeper on a topic.
ReplyDeleteI love it! I agreed with Peter Hutton all of the way! Just the simple fact that students know that the school that they are going to attend is going to help to satisfy and grow their own interests is an instant set up for success. I personally know that when I am given a chance to learn something new, and I can apply and utilize something that I cherish or I am invested in, that I have always become a master of that task and/or discipline. How can you not love school that has Alpacas?
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to visit this school! I would like to see and hear more about it. There is much to be said about the benefit of students being in charge and involved in what they are learning. At the elementary level it can be allowing choices for students, such as, in second grade researching an animal or topic of choice and having certain criteria but work at your own pace. As students get older, more student led learning can take place. I taught in the middle school twenty five years ago and did some project based learning which was differentiated and students were very motivated when they have a say in what they are learning and work independently or within a group and have a teacher as a facilitator. Students get bored when teachers do all the talking. We also did student led conferences, which reminds me of this idea. The more students are motivated and feel there's a purpose to learning, the more of a positive outcome you will get. I'm always thinking of ways to incorporate student led learning. Students that teach other students is also beneficial. The extent of this depends on the grade level. I also did like the concept of home learning instead of homework! I'm going to give this one a go - it sounds more positive too.
ReplyDeleteAs Peter Hutton finished his "What if students controlled their own learning" TED Talk, he stated that it is great for those that it works for. I believe I would rather teach in a more traditional system offering a very broad based teacher guided curriculum. I also see this as a benefit for students. I know when I was in high school, (and maybe even now in the fingertip age of AI) I was ill prepared to direct my own paths. It is often said that most people are ultimately not employed in the area of which they completed their college major. Please don't get me wrong. I see the values of students controlling the confines of their learning, driving and managing their education, being part of a supportive empowering community, and using staff to aid/assist in the design of their education. These traits/ideas all have merit when properly designed within the context of individual classrooms that can meet such needs and thus impacting to possibly a great degree those students competencies/abilities. I would prefer to teach where I am at offering an open-ended broad based education that caters to student interests as they are ready. An individualized learning plan may be great for some, but in my small institution we offer limited elective choices (not 120) due to size. I agree that homework should be limited (an extra hour of sleep, if used in such a way, would often be more beneficial). I thought his talk on ten hours of home-learning weekly and having students become tutors was interesting.
ReplyDeletePersonally, while I recognize how some may benefit from this style of learning and teaching, it is not for me. I thrive off of routine and structure, without it I have a hard time coping with the unknowns and meeting my daily demands. I liked the aspect of students getting to steer their learning towards their interests and curiosities - I think that is valuable to their education and would lead to increased engagement. It serves as a good reminder to seek out and ask my students for their opinions when possible to guide my lessons towards their interests.
ReplyDeleteI think this sounds like a great school and can see many students thriving off this however, I myself would find teaching in a school like this challenging. I would worry about the students who don't have that internal drive and motivation and what they would choose. We can be aware of home situations but have no control what happens outside of school, so that lack of parent involvement could make the unpredictability a challenge. What I took away from this talk is something I think about a lot while supporting my girl scout troop because we are "girl led" and we take that seriously in helping our girls learn to be leaders and let them run the troop with our guidance. We are constantly seeking out their ideas and directions instead of my own. So in the classroom you could ask students their likes/dislikes and build lessons/activities that are of that particular classes interests.
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