High Tech High School

As part of the preparation for my cycle two ARP, I visited High Tech High School (www.hightechhigh.org), the school that serves as a catalyst for reform within San Diego community by creating a model school and by encouraging many local educators, politicians and leaders to visit. There are only humanity and Math/Science Departments. The school combines English and History together, and they are talking about combining Math and Science as well.

The room that I was in was a Spanish classroom, but it looked like a computer lab to me. I did not see any Spanish textbooks on teacher's desk; instead, computers, CDs, DVDs, students' projects and portfolios are on the desk. I saw some students playing with computers, and some doing their projects with computers without being watched by teacher. In fact, there was no teacher there when I was entering the room. I believe that is the trust. The kids know the price of the trust and freedom is responsibility.

The teacher who invited me wanted to show me a project (http://projects.hightechhigh.org/?project_id=13&action=projmain&x=116&y=54) that the 10th graders made. He did not really know exactly how the kids made it. From time to time he had to ask the kids to help him show me the process. That tells me that he gives the kids a sense of control over their learning, and the kids construct their own knowledge. That's totally a new way of teaching and learning to me, very interesting.