Constructing Sustainable Houses Develops Collaborative Skills
Teens in Philadelphia learn how to solve math and engineering problems while working together to build high-efficiency homes designed for disaster relief, as part of an alternative senior year program called the Workshop School.
Edutopia's new series profiles young people who are making their learning more authentic by taking it into their own hands, on their own time. This series is produced by Mobile Digital Arts and Twin Cities Public Television, as a companion to an hour-long PBS special that is now available to watch.
More Edutopia Coverage on Collaborative Learning
- BLOG: Deeper Learning: A Collaborative Classroom Is Key
Blogger Rebecca Alber provides tips for scaffolding collaboration in the classroom.
- VIDEO: Collaborative Learning Builds Deeper Understanding
By working together on problem sets in math and sharing their perspectives in roundtable discussions in English, students at The College Preparatory School are making collaboration the driving force in their learning.
- BLOG: Focus on Collaboration to Kick Off New School Year
Blogger Suzie Boss shares steps for assisting secondary students with classroom collaboration.
The Philadelphia-based Workshop School (formerly Sustainability Workshop) grew out of a desire to design an educational experience focused on real-world problem solving. The Workshop School is becoming a full-service school, and is currently enrolling students for the 2014/2015 school year. In 2012/2013 it was a full-time alternative senior year program for 28 volunteer students from three Philadelphia high schools. For more information on the Workshop School, please visit the Workshop School FAQ page. Keep up to date with the Workshop School on Twitter.
Visit the Is School Enough? series page to see more videos on informal learning.