Becoming Self-Directed Learners

In 1972, an intrepid group of teachers and students at New Trier High School (Winnetka, IL) formed the Center for Self-Directed Learning. Each student would design their own program instead of following the daily grind of standardized courses with off-the-shelf textbooks, canned lectures, and, of course, the all-important final exam. Approximately 600 students took the plunge into the unknown during the Center’s 10 years. Now, more than 35 Center graduates look back on their experience, each of them writing about why they left the standard curriculum and joined the Center, what they did in the Center, and how the Center has affected their adult lives. Among the graduates who contributed memoirs are Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen.

In 1972, an intrepid group of teachers and students at New Trier High School (Winnetka, IL) formed the Center for Self-Directed Learning. Each student would design their own program instead of following the daily grind of standardized courses with off-the-shelf textbooks, canned lectures, and, of course, the all-important final exam. Approximately 600 students took the plunge into the unknown during the Center’s 10 years. Now, more than 35 Center graduates look back on their experience, each of them writing about why they left the standard curriculum and joined the Center, what they did in the Center, and how the Center has affected their adult lives. Among the graduates who contributed memoirs are Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen.

JAMES BELLANCA – Jim is an educational consultant, executive director of the Illinois Consortium for 21st Century Schools and editor of the national blog for the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. He was recently named a Senior Fellow for the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Jim’s recent books include "The Focus Factor: 8 Essential 21st Century Thinking Skills," "The Leader’s Guide to The Common Core Standards," and "Wad-Ja-Learn? Deeper Learning Assessments for the 21st Century Classroom." He and his wife, Gerry, live in Glencoe, Illinois and tend to their award-winning garden (Chicago Tribune, Garden of the Year, 2007). Their children and grandchildren live in Winnetka, Illinois; Glenview, Illinois; Boulder, Colorado, and Sydney, Australia.