Jeff Hopkins & PSII
After reading about Jeff Hopkins and the Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry (PSII), watching the videos and interviews, and joining the virtual visit, I’ve learned a lot about a type of teaching and schooling that I hadn’t seen much of before. It really opened my eyes to how differently schools can operate while still supporting student learning.
PSII, founded by Jeff Hopkins, is an independent school built around inquiry-based learning. Instead of following set classes and grade levels, students design their learning around personal questions and projects, and teachers help them connect the inquiries to the curriculum. This approach is built on the belief that learning is most powerful when it starts with curiosity and choice. I think it is so cool that students get to learn in ways that work best for them. For some kids, traditional schooling might still be a better fit, especially if they prefer more structure or routine. But for those who find traditional classrooms tiring, schools like PSII offer a different approach. I also want to note that traditional schools are slowly becoming more aware and inclusive of different learning needs and styles.
One of the main ideas behind inquiry learning is to start where the learner is. That really stood out to me. If a student is overwhelmed, they won’t learn anything, and if they’re never challenged, they won’t grow either. Finding a balance between the two is so important. It reminded me of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), where all learning and teaching occurs. We recently did a reading on this topic in another course, and I immediately made the connection to inquiry based learning. I also found it interesting how individualized learning is at PSII. Students have their own projects, and teachers help to make connections between subjects. During the Zoom visit, someone asked how students meet curriculum requirements, like math, if their inquiry is focused on biology or art. Jeff explained that there are lots of cross-curricular opportunities and teachers either help students find multiple links between subjects or make small adjustments to their projects to include missing competencies. This helps to make sure students meet the curriculum without forcing them to focus on a singular subject at a time.
Another thing that stood out to me was how PSII implements breaks and schedules. Each student follows their own day plan based on their inquiry project and their needs. There are also no set breaks within the day. If a student is in a really good workflow, they can keep working, and further along if they find they need a break, they take one. This really made me reflect on how traditional schooling prioritizes control over schedules, even if it interrupts meaningful learning and teaching.
Overall, learning about Jeff Hopkins and PSII was incredibly eye opening. It showed me that not all schools need to look the same to be effective and beneficial. Inquiry based learning gives students choice, voice, and ownership, things that can make education more meaningful. As a future teacher, I’m thinking about how I can implement these ideas in my own classroom. Creating learning goals with students, small inquiry projects, or giving students more choice in how they show their learning, may help create a classroom where curiosity and engagement are the priority.