Reflection Blog Post #2

Jeff Hopkins, the founder and principal educator of the Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry, challenges what we’ve learned to consider and accept as normal about schooling. His work is rooted in the idea that education should be designed as if people mattered.

This school was created to provide a more meaningful education system model that opposes the traditional high school structures and rigid processes. The school is being built around an inquiry-based approach to learning. This model moves beyond the standardized instruction and instead encourages students to engage with their own questions, curiosities, and experiences, going deeper than a basic research project.

At the core of Hopkins idea is the notion that learning begins with asking the right questions. Students are not simply asked to complete assignments or research selected topics. Instead, they are asked questions such as: What are you curious about? What have you been wondering? And what has been exciting or bothering you? From this philosophy, starting here, learning becomes more personal rather than procedural. Hopkins wanted students to go beyond basic research projects and instead engage in work that feels meaningful and connected to their own interests and lives.

This concept is reflected not only in how and what students learn, but also in how learning spaces are designed, as discussed in Hopkins video. The school includes, collaborative rooms, lab spaces, relaxation areas, and quiet zones that allow for decompression from the overstimulating nature of school, something that traditional schools overlook. Along with maker and technology spaces equipped with tools such as 3D printers, camera gear, music and art equipment, pottery wheels, and woodworking tools, which allow students to express their own interests rather than confined to a curriculum and empower students in their own learning creatively.

Again, in his TED talk, Hopkins draws on the idea that “education is not the filling of a pail but rather the lighting of a flame.” For him, learning is not simply something that comes from the outside, but rather it comes from within and must be sparked and nurtured. Human curiosity is not a byproduct of learning; it is the driving force behind it. The ability to explore and understand the world is rooted not only in physical development but in the innate curiosity that pushes us to make sense of what exists beyond ourselves.

A key notion Hopkins emphasizes in his videos is the difference between getting information and truly learning, as knowing facts is not the same as understanding them, and understanding is not the same as internalizing knowledge in a way that changes how we think or act. This distinction forms the crux of his critique of modern education, that too often, schools prioritize knowing about something rather than truly knowing it. According to Hopkins todays education system has failed to make this shift, instead remaining focused on content delivery instead of cultivating curiousity, meaning, and understanding. This stands out in contrast to many students’ experiences in todays education system, filled with deadlines, strict curriculums to follow, and learning what the teacher wants you to know without the chance of delving deeper into the topic. Hopkins work stands out as a sharp reminder to students that school isnt a one size fits all notion and that if education is meant to prepare students for life, it must begin by honoring how humans actually learn and the different forms that can take.