Recently, I posted about a guest speaker named Trevor MacKenzie who spoke about inquiry based learning. But what does this inquiry based learning look like in an actual classroom environment? What would it be like if there was an entire school whose focus what on inquiry based learning? That is what Jeff Hopkins illustrated for my class today.

Jeff Hopkins is the founder and principal of the Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry (PSII) in Victoria, BC. This a school where unique pathways of learning of supported and encouraged. At PSII, staff realize that not all students learn the same and their zone of proximal development is different. Because of this they support individual development by incorporating what they refer to as an “emergent curriculum.” This is the idea that learning emerges from previous learning and the relationship that occurs between teaching and learning. In emergent learning, the learning that occurs is unique for each individual. This type of learning is supported through inquiry based learning where personal learning paths are co-created by students and teachers based on individuals curiosities and interests.

When looking at PSII’s website, there was a chart that I thought was really cool and beneficial for explaining inquiry based learning and how PSII is different, and the same, to other high schools. As seen below in the chart, PSII is very different from most high schools in many ways; however, there are two key aspects that are the same. You can graduate with a regular BC Dogwood Certificate at PSII, and you can go to college, university, or any other career path you desire. Jeff mentioned this in our class today.

One thing that Jeff talked about today that I found really cool was where students go after they graduate from PSII. Jeff told many stories and testimonies about students who graduated from PSII and went on to succeed outside of school. His son, who curated a glowing portfolio in video animation while at PSII, had a meeting with an esteemed school who does not usually take individuals out of high school and was offered a place on the spot. Other students have gone on to take engineering and sciences in university, become entrepreneurs, create their own businesses (such as art selling websites), and much more. For me, and I am sure many others, hearing success stories from schools like this is so encouraging and exciting. To know that a school like this can work is thrilling and is exactly the encouragement many families need to hear in order to consider sending their kids to a place that is so different than the norm.

After giving us a run down of what PSII is like and what they stand for, Jeff opened the floor to us for question. There are a couple of things here that stood out to me:

• Your job as the educator is to create a structure that allows for maximum agency and choice. You need to be flexible and not feel like you need 100% control!
• It is financially accessible! This type of schooling can be done for the same amount of money or cheaper than regular schools.
• It is easier to start doing this type of education with younger ages vs. older
• Steps of the inquiry process: 1. Creating Questions; 2. Research; 3. Refining Questions; 4. Learning Activities; 5. Assessment

At PSII, individuals learn unique sets of skills that are often missed at other high schools, and get to actively learn and retain knowledge as result of inquiry based learning. To me it is exciting to see a school like this in Victoria and hear the success that is coming out of it. Our visit from guest speaker Jeff Hopkins today filled me with excitement and hope to where our education system could be going and to my future as a teacher!

Photo Credits: Cover photo by Ian Schneideron Unsplash