| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the Applied Learning
Academy (ALA) and allow the lessons learned from this public school to emerge from
the narrative stories of past students, parents, teachers, administrators, and local business
associates who have been directly involved and influenced by the applied learning
teaching method. Accountability is critical for all public and charter schools. Districts
have been trying to raise the standards with new programs and strategies in an effort to
make learning experiences relevant to students? daily lives. Revisiting John Dewey?s
philosophy from the progressive movement, project-based, service learning, community
partnerships, and portfolio assessment helped to create the applied learning method. In
the present study, a qualitative case study approach was utilized to identify successful
factors, benefits, and drawbacks of applied learning in order to describe the transition of
portfolio assessment, project-based learning, and community-based partnerships within
the classroom and to understand the impact and misconceptions of applied learning as
experienced through the Recognized Campus, ALA, a 6-8th public middle school within a large urban school district. Participant interviews, field observations, and historical
records were collected which indicated that student centered project-based curriculum,
small school size creating family relationships, community involvement with
partnerships, service learning projects, and metacognitive development from portfolio
assessments were the major factors that supported academic rigor and relevance because
of the real educational applications in this applied learning middle school. Briefly
defined, applied learning is when a problem is seen within the surrounding community,
and the solution is generated by the students. This progressive 15-year impact of applied
learning ultimately leads to the development of four applied learning schools despite the
misconception that applied learning was a remedial or gifted program.
Redefining applied learning for a better understanding developed a
reconceptualized diagram borrowed from the quantum mechanics model.
Reconceptualization expands the interpretation by increasing the intellectual flexibility.
As the student becomes energized from the acquired knowledge of learning applicable
skills through service learning, project-based curriculum, and portfolio assessment, the
student?s academic growth should increase to a higher, educational ?energy level?
supported by the critical, situated-learning, and feminist theories. | en |
