How is learning unleashed?

Image by Elena Sacks

In the build up to our exciting Unleashing Learning conference, there is much discussion as to what the term ‘unleashing learning’ unleashes in different people!

The art teacher believes learning is unleashed through art. Some are convinced of the power of technology to unleash learning. 

The school is abuzz with ideas…

One teacher tells me that believing in her students is what unleashes their potential to learn. Is learning unleashed by positive self perception? By the way teachers talk to learners? Understanding the way each learner learns best? 

Is it when we stop covering material and allow learners to uncover and discover for themselves that learning is unleashed? Is it about student ownership and agency?

Is learning unleashed when you create a culture of thinking? By making thinking visible? By encouraging reflection on the process as much as the content of learning?

Does passion unleash learning? Is it the opportunity to explore something about which you care deeply? Is learning unleashed when there is relevance and connection to students’ lives?

Is learning unleashed through imagining and creating? Through self-identification of problems and exploration of possible solutions? 

Are time and space key factors in unleashing learning? What if we let go of restrictive timetables?  Is learning unleashed when the classroom walls are flattened and learning is taken outside… to nature, to the streets, to the world? Is it deep curiosity and the time and space to pursue wonderings that unleash learning?

How do you think learning is unleashed?