"There is no such a thing as a teacher or student. There are only co-learners" (K Robinson 2008)
The following paper was co-authored by our very own EnRusk founder and CEO Dr. Kynan Robinson and Kristen Swenson (Head of Research) and was published in the Childhood Education Innovation Journal in February 2022.
The following are sections taken from the article. To read the full article please download the PDF attached.
"Drawing from Kynan's extensive and ground breaking doctoral research this article calls for a revolution among education institutions to make a shift away from the outdated hierarchical models of “teacher” and “student” and toward a Kynan Robinson and culture that Kristen Swenson EnRusk embraces the notion of a “co-learning ecosystem.” This shift aims to disrupt the long-established power structures within education institutions and create a culture that places the emphasis on a collective approach to learning. This model situates all key stakeholders—students, teachers, parents,
administrators—on a much more level playing field. While it is impossible to truly remove all imbalances of power within this ecosystem, our research indicates that embracing this approach results in a dramatic increase in the agency, buy-in, and learning opportunities afforded to all stakeholders."
Key principles of the “co-learning environment”:
• Reframe the hierarchies in the room
• Include the right amount of order and disorder
• Value change over stasis
• Value collective creativity
• Value collaborative, collective learning over individualistic content transferal
• Reject notions of linearity in learning in favor or embracing a circular model
• Build trust and relationships with all stakeholders
• Set working protocols
• Allow space for feedback and reflection / Value continual testing to iterate continual learning
• Build and model empathy for self and others
• Build and model vulnerability
• Distribute responsibility for energy and learning
To read the full article please feel free to download the following PDF. And we would love to hear your thoughts. As always we would love to hear your thoughts. Is the concept perhaps still to abstract for many to grasp or finding its way into the mainstream concept. Have you had experience in such a learning environment be that a school or classroom? What changed for you? What stayed the same? What was something that was unexpected or sparked your interest?