Next Steps in the Journey: Staking Identity and Making Relationships: Considerations for the Future of Literacy and Schooling

Citing his study with Michael Smith on boys’ engagement in school, Wilhelm calls students’ in-school experiences “mind-numbingly poor quality.” Students crave meaningful work and meaningful relationships, he believes, and when there is a focus on inquiry and the design of artifacts born of meaningful knowledge, there is more engagement, more understanding, and a stronger promotion of parent and community collaborations.