Lee Shulman on "Communities of Learners"

From Jewish Education News, Spring 1998

"At this point, something rather revolutionary happens. That is, the teacher forgoes the dream that all the students will learn all the material."

"The six principles which appear to characterize the conditions for authentic and enduring learning in the communities of learners model are generative content, active learning, reflective thinking and practice, collaboration, passion, and community or culture." ["Community" or "culture" here indicating a supportive environment.]

"A particularly glaring problem is the eternal question of curriculum, namely, "How can we possibly teach everything we know when we have so little time?"... "Even if we have three times as much time, there would not be enough."..."The community of learners model suggests that we must be prepared to live in a world where different people have come to know different things in depth, and where they develop the capacity to collaborate with one another when there are problems to solve, problems that transcend what any individual can do alone."