Episode 126 | Three Decades of Insights from the Escuela Nueva School Model

Episode #121. Saturday October 22, 2022, 4:30 pm Eastern

School reform and innovation is never easy. In this episode of Silver Lining for Learning, we will meet with Vicky Colbert, a sociologist from Columbia, South America. She is co-author of the worldwide renowned Escuela Nueva model that was designed over 30 years ago. Escuela Nueva is Spanish for “new school” and represents an education model that originated in Columbia and now operates in over 16 countries spanning the globe. Escuela Nueva is a progressive education model that emphasizes learner understanding over memorization. It also attempts to foster the development of interpersonal skills. Importantly, instead of a lecture-based approach, it employs a child-centered pedagogy with extensive collaborative learning. In an Escuela Nueva school, students learn independently and at their own pace. Studies show that it improves literacy and numeracy among disadvantaged youth while encouraging the development of active and reflexive learning as well as self-esteem, creativity, and civic and democratic values. The skills fostered by an Escuela Nueva school are meant to help graduates flourish and quickly adapt to the challenges and possibilities brought by the increasing technological world around them. Attend this session and learn about more of the results of this method and perhaps rethink aspects of your vision of effective schools and schooling.