Studio Model in Grades 7 and 8

Slate School’s Studio Model for Grades 7 and 8 allows students to independently study aspects of larger group projects while building foundational knowledge for the whole cohort. Learners of any age can create positive change. Topics for launches are contemplated by educators based on competency goals and student interest. Questions for contemplation evolve within the group and guide learners to research that interests them and serves the whole group’s understanding. The launch may span parts of several days with multiple smaller focus groups working to unpack concepts and wonderings before the team settles on the area(s) of focus going forward. It is an exciting time in the classroom. Learners and guides set goals for the time needed for dedicated research before returning to share information. This sharing can bring a finished feeling, or send students down new paths, sometimes in collaboration with other students. The robust sharing that occurs along the way grows the group’s understandings. Reflection takes place concurrently. Students begin to think about the potential impacts of their individual and growing group knowledge.

When all have shared, the cohort reflects and considers their next steps. Will the information discovered and pondered simply be shared with others, or is there an action to take? How do we use what we’ve learned to make the world a better place? How will we measure our success? The answers to these questions guide all that follows.

The Studio model lives in harmony with our competency-based approach to learning. Students and educators identify competencies of focus and use their work in studios to develop them. Studio work often involves deliberate practice to build skills for learners to access new and more complex understandings across the curriculum.