DISTRICT COLUMBIA

work, both complete and in progress; and to “think out
loud” in public on both physical writing surfaces and in
digital space. All of these spaces are most useful when
they are integrated rather than segregated, just as
subject matter is becoming more integrated throughout
the curriculum.
Schedules are changing from short, regimented periods
to longer blocks that allow students to become more
immersed in learning and engaged in multiple learning
activities. Students and teachers want to be able to
move seamlessly from one activity to another.
Rather than becoming masters of content, students
are being asked to become master learners with
deep understanding of key concepts used to absorb
knowledge throughout their life. All of this learning
cannot be done at a desk in a 600-square-foot or even a
900-square-foot classroom.
SUPPORT LEARNING IN COMMUNITIES.
Research has shown that students perform better in
smaller schools. But in large urban school districts, small
schools in stand-alone buildings, particularly at the
middle school and high school level, are not economically
feasible. Even so, the most important aspects of
these schools can be replicated by creating smaller
communities of learners, both student and teacher,
within larger schools. These smaller communities are
variously called “schools within schools,” “academies,”
“small learning communities,” “personal learning
communities,” “educational houses,” or simply “learning
communities.” Although each of these types embraces a
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