Action Research at Educare: Shifting Focus to the Learner for the 21st Century

Abstract

A new small-school, Educare or Edu2 (pronounced edu-car-ai; from the Latin word meaning "to draw out") opened its doors in Montreal, Canada, in September 2019. Edu2 has launched an innovative educational environment to address the challenges of preparing students to live meaningful and fulfilling lives in the 21st century. In order to achieve that, Edu2 has engaged in the challenging work of rethinking how schools should organize and what constitutes worthwhile knowledge. Edu2 sees the need for school to foster a supportive community, promote a healthy and happy learning environment, advance digital and traditional literacies, and view learner-generated knowledge as essential. The Action Research at Educare: Shifting Focus to the Learner for the 21st Century research team is led by professor Elizabeth Wood. We are investigating, in partnership with the founder-educators of Edu2, the extent to which the school’s vision has materialized. An ongoing focus of the partnership research is community building, educational technology, and student-centered pedagogy: Edu2 is committed to these core tenets while meeting the global academic standards of the Quebec Education Program (QEP). Our research team is committed to chronicling Edu2’s first year of operation through the (voices) experiences of all community members - teachers, students, parents, and researchers. This presentation will explore the experiences of both students and teachers as they engage with the various opportunities, challenges and feelings of belonging to this unique community during the initial year.