E5
Projects with a Purpose: Diana Cornejo-Sanchez on Learning That Reaches Beyond the Classroom
From IdeaSpark: Big Ideas in Education · Hosted by Richard Culatta
Episode summary
In this episode of IdeaSpark: Big Ideas in Education: What happens when a middle school class decides to help keep a baseball league for visually impaired athletes in the game? And how can any teacher, even one bound to a strict scope and sequence, bring that kind of purpose into a 45-minute class period? In this new episode, Richard Culatta sits down with Dr.
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Original publisher description
What happens when a middle school class decides to help keep a baseball league for visually impaired athletes in the game? And how can any teacher, even one bound to a strict scope and sequence, bring that kind of purpose into a 45-minute class period? In this new episode, Richard Culatta sits down with Dr. Diana Cornejo-Sanchez, CEO of High Tech High. Diana grew up in San Diego’s Barrio Logan and rode a bus every day to a magnet program across town, where she slowly noticed that her neighborhood friends were being steered into different classes than she was. That early experience shaped a career that took her from high school humanities teacher to CEO of High Tech High, a network of 16 public charter schools recognized around the world for project-based learning. In this conversation, Richard and Diana explore Projects with a Purpose, a new effort to define what makes a project truly transformational for students, teachers, families, and community partners. They also dig into how High Tech High balances required standards with deep learning, why every junior completes a real internship, how students are bringing a critical eye to AI, and what educators in any school can start doing tomorrow. Richard and Diana discuss: How High Tech High is designing transformational projects with students, educators, and community partnersHow Diana’s own experience with tracking as a student shapes her focus on access and family engagementHow High Tech High balances required standards, depth over breadth, and interdisciplinary learningWhy High Tech High protects adult learning time, with teachers collaborating at least three times a weekWhat visitors notice first inside a High Tech High school, from student work hanging from the ceilings to student-led toursHow students are pushing back on AI output and learning to value their own critical thinkingWhat any school can borrow from High Tech High, starting with schedules and student voice Follow Diana: LinkedIn Follow Richard: LinkedInX Stay in touch with ISTE+ASCD: ISTE+ASCD WebsiteXFacebookLinkedInYouTubeInstagram