Watching the Most Likley to Succeed documentary completley changed the way I view and think about education. The documentary follows a group of ninth-grade students at High Tech High as they take on a kind of learning that is more creative, meaningful, and flexible, espeacially compared to the more traditional schooling I experienced. At High Tech High teachers had the freedom to design their own projects, and students gained knowledge throough hands-on work rather than memorizing facts. I especially enjoyed the part about Samantha directing the play and watching her growth over the year. She started off as a quiet, shy young girl, and by the exhibition she had taken on a leadership role, grown, and gained more confidence in herself. Those moments demonstrated how powerful it can be when students take ownership of their learning. Looking back at my own ninth grade experience, I realize how little of it felt memorable or relevant compared to what I saw in the film.
The documentary also made me think about how much technology shapes our world today. It’s true that sitting at a desk 7 hours a day listening to a textbook lesson isn’t going to prepare students for the future. Learning hands-on skills and soft skills is so much more important, and it’s so cool how these students were developping those skills early on. By the end of high school they may not have memorized every traditional fact, but they left with creative and curious minds, which in the long run seems more valuable.
At the same time, I do think that traditional schooling still matters, espeacially as a future teacher who will follow the curriculum. But I think combining traditional knowledge with creative problem solving and collaboration is a great way moving forward. Even in my B.Ed. program, I’ve noticed how much I enjoy group work and discussions, and how much I actually learn and take away from them. It’s true that the content I’ve memorized for exams rarely sticks with me, but hands-on learning and working with others does. The film made me realize that educations should be about building relationships, creativity and skills that last beyond a test.
Connections to ISTE Standards and UVic TEP Outcomes:
- The film demonstrated ISTE Standards for Students such as Empowered Learner (1.1), where students set personal goals and reflected on their projects, and Innovative Designer (1.4), as they created and revised meaningful work. It also showed Creative Communicator (1.6) when students presented their projects to a diverse audience
- For teachers, it aligns with the ISTE Standard of Facilitator (2.6). Teachers supported rather than dictated, encouraging students to take ownership of their learning.
