Homeschooling, Big Picture Learning, and the MET

Scholastic recently posted an interview with Daniel Pink (Motivation 3.0 by Dana Truby). In the interview, Pink mentions "The Big Picture Learning high school in Providence, Rhode Island" where "kids' interests dictate the curriculum." Kids who are dictating their own curriculum? Sounds like interest-based learning to me. My curiosity piqued, I used Google to learn more. 

I discovered that Pink wasn't talking about a single high school; he was referring to a whole network of schools that started with six small high schools in a state-funded public school district in Rhode Island. Additional funding for the schools came from a variety of sources, including a non-profit company called Big Picture Learning. The schools are referred to collectively as "The MET," and they serve as a model for 80 other schools across the United States (see The MET: Our History for details). 





Once I made the connection between Daniel Pink, Big Picture Learning, and The MET, I realized these schools were being talked about everywhere: The MET has been reported in the news repeatedly and was even praised by President Obama ("President Obama Praises the Met and  BPL"). 

Although I'm a home educator, I'm very interested in projects like The MET for two reasons: 

1. They are an encouraging sign of positive and necessary changes taking place in public schools. As the schools improve, more children will be able to learn in a way that best suits their needs. This is good news for the kids in schools and for the homeschooling community. Why? Because families who may have felt forced into homeschooling in the past will instead have more than one viable option from which to choose. While I strongly support homeschooling and feel it is a wonderful choice for families who seek the lifestyle and experience it offers, I realize it isn't for everyone. I have personally witnessed the pain and frustration of parents who are driven to homeschool out of desperation. It's hard enough to make all the financial and personal sacrifices necessary to homeschool, but it's even worse to feel the anger and resentment of never truly having had a choice. To their credit, I've seen families make the best of their situations, and many even learned to love homeschooling, but I still believe we would all benefit if those who wanted to attend a good school were able to do so. 
2. The Met's philosophy and approach to education validates my own philosophy and approach to homeschooling. When Dennis Littky and Elliot Washor, founders of The MET and Big Picture Learning, decided to build their schools around the question "What's best for kids?" they were doing much the same thing homeschooling parents (and good teachers of all kinds) have been doing for years, only on a larger scale. 

Littky and Washor accept the following ideas about learning, all of which I would argue are modeled in the homeschooling community:  

• "Education research tells us schools need to be smaller, with more parent involvement and more personalized curricula." Homeschooling maximizes parental involvement and personalized curricula, and the 'schools' tend to be small (although they can grow as needed to include a network of other independent learners).
• "Brain research shows people learn by making sense of information, by connecting things, and by learning in a real context. Learning theory asserts the value of hands-on experiences." Most of the homeschoolers I know spend as much time as possible "learning in a real context," spending time out in their communities, exploring the world with their hands and minds. Free from the artificial time constraints of a traditional school setting, most homeschooled kids find ample time to play and learn by doing. 
• "Developmental psychology says kids . . . must be nurtured by adult mentors to thrive." Conscientious home educators nurture not only their own children but often other children as well, usually—but not necessarily—by coordinating activities with other homeschooling families (see "Social Learning: Deciding to Host a Study Group"). Homeschooled kids may connect with adult mentors serendipitously—for example, when they travel or spend time in museums or community centers—or intentionally, when their parents introduce them to special teachers or experts who serve a particular need (see "When Play and Experimentation Aren't Enough").
• "Gang research tells us young people need to feel a part of a culture, something larger than themselves." Although some would say homeschoolers lack this experience because they do not belong to a school community, most homeschoolers find reasonable alternatives: their close-knit communities may be based on mutual interests, religious affiliations, driving distance from home, or a combination of all three. 

As public schools begin to offer more interesting educational opportunities for students, homeschoolers may want to take a closer look at their local schools. Perhaps there's some common ground that hasn't been explored, some mutually beneficial ideas we can share with each other.  Hopefully, those of us who feel we've learned a thing or two about education will feel inspired enough to ask, "How can we work together to improve the educational alternatives for all the children in our communities?"