Deep Learning: Engage the World Change the World

by Michael Fullan

As students contribute to their local and global communities, they begin to rethink their place not only in learning but also in changing their world. They push against the traditional structures of schooling by asking “why” and “why not.” When they are engaged in meaningful, relevant tasks, they see few limits. Speed Dating With the Pollies Year 12 Students; Victoria, Australia Students at Bendigo Senior Secondary College arranged a preelection forum, with local political candidates and community members, titled Speed Dating with the Pollies. Year 12 applied learning students at Bendigo Senior Secondary College were first-time voters in the 2016 federal election, and they were nervous and confused about local, national, and global issues. They organized an event where students from their school could meet local political candidates, question them about a range of issues, and then make well-informed choices when they voted in the federal election. Students invited the mayor to be part of their organizing committee; they met with a variety of community groups, sourced policy information from each of the candidates, and created a show-bag for first-time voters in the lead up to their “Speed Dating with the Pollies” event. Students felt at the center of something important, and they were listening to the talk, the issues, and the arguments they had channeled to their school. Students found that the media wanted to know what they thought! Students’ citizenship and skills devel...