What I learned at High Tech High

High Tech High (HTH) is a network of public charter schools that offers students from Kindergarten to grade 12 a hands-on, student-centered, experiential approach to learning.They are guided by 4 connected design principles: equity, personalization, collaborative design and authentic work. 

School Profile

Today I had the pleasure of joining a tour of the HTH Chula Vista campus led by a Grade 12 student named Natalia, who is an example of what an innovative education can do to a child's learning journey. 

"As High Tech High teachers develop curriculum, they consider the California academic content standards and the High Tech High learning areas, which call for students to achieve competency in teamwork, technology, communication, art and design, ethics, responsibility, and habits of mind."

Diverse student population 

Having spent all her school years in this system, Natalia, born in the States and daughter of Mexican parents,  shares that the HTH Chula vista has a diverse student body of approximately 600 students in high school, divided by grade levels and in small classes of no more than 30 students. In my tour of the school, the diversity was visible and noticeable on the learning artifacts, the learning displays and student portfolios.

Approaches to learning

Their curriculum focuses on project-based learning, with students working collaboratively on an average of three projects per year, each lasting six to eight weeks. " HTHCV teachers work in teams to integrate the curriculum across subject areas. Students master critical content while pursuing their interests through individual and small-group projects."

The teachers define the project themes, and in addition to class time, learners have 30 minutes of Flex Time every day to work on their projects. At the end of each cycle, they showcase their work at a learning exhibition to parents and the broader community.

Curriculum

Students start their school day at 8:30 a.m.and end at 3:30, have courses in the humanities, math, science lab, language, in addition to advisory sessions and flex time. Advisory happens for 20 to 30 minutes every day, a period during which students meet with a homeroom teacher who monitors their progress, discusses school issues, and provides individualized support. The school provides classes in visual or performing arts, engineering and offers a wide choice of elective courses, ranging from cooking and crochet to leadership and preparation for college.

Achievements

Very articulate, confident and expressive, Natalia mentions student voice, personalization and self-directed learning as strengths of the education she received. In order to graduate, students have to do an internship and a senior project. Natalia mentioned that despite not having had a traditional type of education, with excessive standardized testing, she has developed in ways that are more valued in society. She proudly shares that she has recently been admitted into UCLA, a prestigious university in California and hopes to work in international development. 92% of the class of 2022 chose to attend college, right after graduating. 

Touring High Tech High Chula vista with a student ambassador and other educators was another great opportunity to see how school projects can challenge the status quo and promote student engagement, creativity, relevance and focus on community.

“Knowledge emerges only through invention and reinvention, through the relentless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other.”(Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, page 53)