Embracing quality for deeper learning
At DDES, we are deeply proud of the growth we’ve made to support students to create high quality work. Our understanding of quality is aligned to EL education’s definition, which is broken into three attributes: Complexity, Authenticity, and Craftsmanship.
Our ultimate goal is for DDES students to be able to thoroughly and accurately answer the question, “How do you know this work is good enough?” without relying on a teacher to tell them they’re done. We have embraced an obsession with quality because we know it provides a pathway for improved teaching and deeper learning.
- Complexity: The high-quality work students create is complex because it includes higher order thinking and literacy skills. While creating quality products, students must apply and transfer skills, analyze complex texts, evaluate models, and make connections to multiple concepts.
- Authenticity: Projects and products are modeled after the work of adults in the field and are created for authentic audiences as often as possible. The work matters to students, which is a motivational context for high achievement.
- Craftsmanship: Students are expected to demonstrate craftsmanship in both conception and execution. Craftsmanship conveys care because the work is done with focused attention to detail in service of meeting the criteria.
Expeditions
At DDES, our learning expeditions provide a motivational context for students to learn, practice, and apply higher order literacy skills. Students engage with a compelling topic for a significant portion of the school year in order to develop the reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills that are necessary to create a high-quality product at the end of the unit.
We know that students will work hard to investigate, develop opinions about, and contribute to solutions for authentic issues that matter to them. Our expeditions support students as they build strong background knowledge in order to dig into complex texts. Their knowledge grows through research-based writing activities and protocol discussions. Eventually, they are able to apply both content knowledge and literacy skills to create products and presentations that encapsulate what they’ve learned and impact the world.
