Los Alamos Middle School - Digital Learning Process Pilot

Learn how blended learning engaged students and teachers as "co-investigators" to determine what works best in these new, powerful learning environments. With support from the Los Alamos Education Foundation, 220 students and four teachers piloted this process with Ferdi Serim in the fall of 2012.

What would you do if your school was torn down and rebuilt around you, as you and your students spent the next two years in portables? Los Alamos Middle School in New Mexico has accepted this situation as a challenge to create a 21st Century school, fully engaging students. In fact, students are creating a new policy/rules book for their best school ever—one where student voice and learner needs (both students and professionals) are the drivers.

See how this real-world project uses blended-model project-based learning to gather evidence, connects with the community, and documents the use of ISTE NETS to develop and support student claims. Students create a “21st Century Learner Declaration of Independence” to convince the principal why the "legacy model" of education should be retired. They list their grievances and provide solutions that consider fairness, safety, purpose of school, methods of making things happen, coming to consensus, etc. Educators have taken on the role of "co-investigators," learning to transfer their traditional classroom expertise to exciting new venues.