What do students need to become owners of their learning?
It’s hard to be it if you can’t see it. “Own your learning” means taking ownership of your learner record, your portrait (or profile) of a graduate, your digital portfolio.
Fanschool is the safe, simple portfolio network for students and teachers. Share articles with a safe, authentic audience and show your work.
The purpose of school is to create scholars and citizens.
Fanschool is the safe home of student news where learners own and share their writing and work.
Designed with privacy-first principles, two decades of research (in classrooms, schools, and especially around our kitchen tables) revealed two key findings for 7-17 year-old learners:
Purposeful student work needs to be shared and student-directed family engagement is more effective.
We ACE learning work by Activating, Celebrating, and Elevating it: See more.
Fanschool solves these structural problems around school:
School calendars only cover ~180 days, meaning students are learning somewhere else more than half the year.
School emails steal your work, making the report card and the yearbook the only visible outcomes of a decade’s worth of learning.
Learning Management Systems are obsolete, especially in this Read Write Own era of the Internet.
One-to-One technology initiatives often fail, especially if they put a machine in everyone’s hands only to see them submit assignments that no one ever sees again.
Students and families disengage as software vendors, administrators, even parents delegate too much responsibility for students' learning to systems and tools that alienate them.
The Fanschool team includes determined parents and educators with a passion for learning and life.
Primary teacher & Kidblog founder, Mr. Hardy, invented digital student publishing through safely-moderated spaces. His family lives in rural Minnesota. See “10 mistakes teachers make when publishing student writing”.
Secondary teacher & Fantasy Geopolitics founder, Mr. Nelson, became a pro learning coach with a “Let the kids play” mentality. His family lives in Minneapolis, MN. See “10 ideas for student social studies articles”.
“To Learn, Students Need to Do Something” by Jennifer Gonzalez
“When Educators Make Space For Play and Passion, Students Develop Purpose” by Tony Wagner
“Why a Web of Connections—Not a Single Relationship—Should Surround Students” by Julia Freeland Fisher
“Who Owns the Learning? Preparing Students for Success in the Digital Age” by Alan November
“The Key to Motivating Students—And Maybe Everyone Else Too” by Natalie Wexler
Core Value #1: Fundamentals are fun.
It’s fun to know things, especially when you own the fundamentals. Communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity are also pillars of education: Your Fanschool profile showcases your active participation and accountability.
Core Value #2: Automaticity is principal.
The bridge between understanding and application is automaticity. Students need repetition and they have to generate articles and answers themselves. Practice and feedback matters in reading, writing, and math.
Core Value #3: Networked knowledge is the learning.
You need people advocating for you to become good at them. Mentors and educators engage and motivate, keeping students focused on the material and reaching new heights.
Core Value #4: Scientifically designed for success.
Motivation comes from achievement. Confidence is built through automaticity. Authentic audience and assessment gets you hired and leads to human flourishing. Everyone can win with safe social learning.
