What students say about LiD

"I wish that every Wednesday would come really fast so that LiD day would come sooner. And that the days of the week would only slow down when I was having a really good time or on LiD day."

“I think LiD is very interesting because you are the only one that is doing a topic about something. In the class you are able to tell your classmates about your topic. The best thing about learning in depth is that you’re a professional at that topic.”

“Learning in Depth is definitely something I’m going to be doing for the rest of my life. It’s so exciting because you never know what you will learn. It’s always surprising.”

“My topic for LiD is sea life. I think Learning in Depth is fun and interesting. You draw pictures and learn facts. It teaches you a lot. Learning in Depth is my favorite subject.”

NEW

LiDKiT Ready!

“LiDKiT: Resources for Implementing the Learning in Depth Program.”
The LiDKiT has all the resources we provide for implementing Learning in Depth in a classroom or school. You can order it from Pacific Educational Press.

Check out the additions to:

● Teacher/School Resources pages, where we have added examples of the questions or interesting statements that can be given to students with their topics at the opening ceremony. Also some pictures of students with their portfolios—some in folders, some in boxes.

Now Available!

"This is a fascinating, provocative, utterly visionary and courageously speculative imagining of an educational future that is simultaneously elite and egalitarian, deeply intellectual yet utterly connected to passion and identity. A most audacious proposal from one of education's most audacious thinkers . . . an inspiring challenge to those who aspire to deep understanding for their students.”—Lee S. Shulman, President Emeritus, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

"The Learning in Depth project has brought to our students a completely new relationship to learning that has been surprising in its depth and quality. After seeing Learning in Depth at work in our school community, I know this has been a critical, missing element. It has proven to be everything we imagined (and much more we didn't) when we heard about Kieran Egan's remarkable vision.”—Sheri Dunton, K-3 Teacher, Corbett Charter School.

“Learning in Depth outlines a bold and stimulating curricular innovation designed to improve the quality of schooling from kindergarten through high school. The book’s key idea is certainly worthy of serious debate and continued experimentation. For that reason alone, I commend its suggestive proposal to the attention of thoughtful educators everywhere.”—Philip W. Jackson, David Lee Shillinglaw Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus University of Chicago.

For orders in the US and other countries: Click here.

For orders in Canada: Click here.

The Learning in Depth project

7 steps to starting LiD

LiD

You have heard about Learning in Depth, now what is involved in getting started?

7 steps to starting LiD

by Linda Holmes

child-looking
Step 1: Get a team together

Students
Parents
Colleagues (librarian, technician, administrator)
School PAC
IERG LiD team

Talk to them all about what LiD will look like in practice and what it is designed to achieve. Let the parents/caregivers know what you will be doing, and what they can do to help their child. Ask the PAC to help with resources. (One request for old National Geographic magazines produced hundreds.)

The LiD website can help with drafts of letters to parents, and much else: http://www.ierg.net/LiD

Step 2: WHEN will you do LiD?

Consider your timetable closely. How often can you manage to fit in a LiD session?

Once a month?
Once every two weeks?
Once a week?

Most programs do well with a meeting for about an hour once a week. Plan LiD time for when it will work best for you and your class.

Step 3: WHERE will you do LiD?

Think of the best place for the children to have space to work, and for you to move around and support them when necessary.

Do you have access to a library?
Can you use a computer lab?
Is your own classroom best?
Can some of the work be done outside?

Remember to encourage students to work on their topic at home as well, and to seek help from parents, other adults, peers, etc.

Step 4: How will you use LiD time?

You will want to consider the level of your students’ skills, and spend some time enhancing them to enable students to research their topics better. You can:

Teach library skills
How to do a survey and questionnaire
How to do simple experiments
Computer skills
Observation skills
How to make presentations
How to search magazines/newspapers
How to incorporate their own art work
Note taking
Other organizational skills

You can find detailed help for organizing LiD time on the website: http://www.ierg.net/LiD

Step 5: What do you need to have ready to start?

Letter to parents explaining the program
List of topics for the students
Portfolio for each student—folder, box, or files
A clear plan for the opening ceremony
A medal, badge, ribbon, or tile with the student’s name and the name of the topic

Go to the LiD website for templates of letters to parents and suggestions for how the ceremony might be set up: http://www.ierg.net/LiD

Step 6: What will YOU do during LiD time?

The teacher’s role in LiD is different and varied:

You may work with one student at a time
You may work with small groups of students
You may work with the whole class developing skills
You may be preparing for future LiD activities
You may quite quickly find yourself able to get on with other work because the students are happily engaged on their own

Since there is no grading in LiD, your time is your own, as is the students’. You can make yourself available for consultations with students, for questions, and to be able to provide individual encouragement where it is needed.

It also gives you an opportunity to observe your students develop new relationships with knowledge and learning, and with each other. You can move from being “the sage on the stage” to “the guide on the side.”

Step 7: Don’t try to do it all alone

Expand your network of colleagues by joining the on-line network and discussions on the LiD website
Work with other teachers in your school or locally who are doing LiD
Talk to other colleagues about LiD and help them implement it in their own classes
Keep in touch with teachers you know who have already successfully implemented LiD

LiD

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