TCS Explores Parallels with Expeditionary Learning

Expeditionary learning (EL) is an educational model that emphasizes active learning, character development, and teamwork to help students achieve high levels of performance. It's based on the idea that students learn best when they're engaged in challenging, meaningful, and adventurous work.

A main goal of EL is to “Enable excellent equitable outcomes for all students across three dimensions of student achievement: character, mastery of knowledge and skills, and high-quality student work.”

The expeditionary learning model grew out of a partnership between the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Outward Bound USA. There are EL schools in more than 30 states, including nine schools in Illinois. These EL educational facilities include private, public, and charter schools.

Our TCS Expert in Expeditionary Learning Our new head of school, Michelle Candaleria-Dunstan, is an expert in expeditionary learning, She taught in an EL school as a student teacher, and continued as an EL educator throughout her career.“

EL informs the way I guide learning for the adults and students that I lead. In addition to working in EL settings, I’ve attended and led learning institutes, conferences, and leadership cohort in EL,” says Michelle. “I have many dear friends who are also EL school leaders, and we support each other in leading schools during this challenging time in education.”

The Overlap Between Expeditionary Learning and Progressive Education "Progressive education and EL are intertwined historically and philosophically. However, EL outlines a specific set of practices and principles that its member schools adhere to, while progressive education is a blanket term that anyone can use," says TCS Director of Curriculum, Ms. Gloria Mitchell.

Michelle Candelaria-Dunstan says: “There are SO many similarities to how schools apply expeditionary learning principles and how we implement progressive education at TCS.” These include:

• Project-based and inquiry-based learning

• Student-driven learning 

• Field work (field trips at TCS)

• Adventure (think woods and outdoor education)

• Reflection

• Play-based learning

• Place-based learning (focusing on where you live and the needs in your own area)

• Staff and student autonomy 

• Student voice/Student choice 

• Social justice focus
  

“There are so many similarities!! This is why I am at TCS,” says Michelle.

The Role of Adventure in EL Perhaps the best illustration of the crossover between progressive education and EL, is EL Education’s prioritization of a sense of adventure in learning – both for students and faculty!

EL promotes the kinds of adventures that create opportunities for leadership and collaboration as groups of students and teachers face challenges both alone and together. Reflection is a vital component of such adventures so that each experience is a rich opportunity for learning about oneself, one’s peers, and the world. Teachers take care when planning adventures to ensure physical and emotional safety, while at the same time promoting risk-taking and courageous action.

Leveraging High-Quality Work

EL Education is distinguished in the educational landscape by an explicit focus on high-quality student work as an essential part of student achievement. One reason that others avoid this topic is that it is messy. Quality cannot be easily defined and quantified. EL believes, however, that when schools regularly engage in the difficult process of working together to define, recognize, and analyze quality work (and even quantify when possible), the results are positive and powerful.

“When a student is done with schooling, they are judged for the rest of their life not primarily by their ability to perform on tests, but by the quality of person they are and the quality of work they do. That’s why EL believes that developing an ethic of quality in students is vital,” says Michelle.

Bringing the Best of EL to TCS to Augment Progressive Education One of the first EL concepts Michelle incorporated from the first day of school, is the EL concept of “Crew.” 

At her very first group gathering, Michelle let students know that everyone in the room – students, faculty, and she herself – were all part of the crew responsible for education at TCS. She explained that sometimes a crew needs a leader. During some activities and projects, she would lead the crew, but at other times, an individual student might be the leader of the crew, or a classroom teacher might lead the crew. “The important thing to understand,” she said, “is that everyone on the crew has a voice, has a stake in and is an important part of successful learning and the success of TCS.”

The Expeditionary Learning website says, “The culture of Crew impels all members of a school community to work together as a team. The structure of Crew—daily meetings to support everyone’s learning and growth—makes time for students to build meaningful relationships with peers and their Crew leader, to reflect on and monitor academic progress, and to focus on character development. Crew is also an engine for equity and inclusion, a place where all students feel they belong and can succeed. Crew leaders strategically plan Crew meetings to address and assess these multiple goals.”

A New Chapter – A New Lens While not meant to replace TCS’ commitment to progressive education, having a leader who is sharing her EL perspective brings a new lens with which we can evaluate our successes at our school and see where we might be able to improve. Examining the ways in which progressive education and EL differ or complement each other can hopefully spur new ideas, new projects, and new ways to engage children and make learning fun.

The goal is to create an even richer curriculum, increase academic skills, and help both students and staff to unfold more of their potential. 

“What parents should know about expeditionary learning is that it’s all about the whole child and supporting young people to be empowered to create a better world,” says Michelle. “That’s always been a goal of TCS, too!”