A Compelling Image of Rigour
I think the word rigour has taken on a negative tone.
In the current educational discourse of high-stakes testing and increasing discussions on accountability, the concept of rigour is often reduced to merely meaning more content in the classroom. Discussions of rigour seem to revolve around greater accountability for teachers and students, more work, more homework, more testing, more more more..
With that in mind, I find the following short video from High Tech High incredibly refreshing and challenging. This short excerpt is a 2 minute piece I’ve taken from the end of a entertaining 15 minute interview with the CEO of High Tech High, Larry Rosenstock. You can watch the full interview here.
I love some of the very thought provoking quotes that Larry Rosenstock drops in this clip, including:
“Rigour is being in the company of a passionate adult who is rigorously pursuing inquiry in the area of their subject matter and is inviting students along as peers in that discourse.”
“We know you are a good teacher by the sophistication of your kids work. If your kids are producing work that is worth doing and has lasting value and learning that is worth learning, then you’re a good teacher.”
An understanding of this type of rigour is wholely different from the quantitative model that is usually spoken of in educational circles. It is qualitative, not quantitiave, and in fact, if lived out in a classroom, would require students cover less content (though significantly more deeply) rather than more.
Thanks for the inspiration High Tech High…
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