One possible answer was suggested by Priscilla Santana, a junior at the Met, when she demonstrated her digital portfolio through a PowerPoint presentation. One of her internships was at a hospital, where she assisted a research nurse with a neonatal intensive care study. When her mother's carpal tunnel syndrome sparked an interest in physical therapy, Priscilla produced a pamphlet on fibromyalgia. The mentor is there. Outside professionals in the field, such as business people and college professors, come in and assess students.
Parents are there too, because parents know the kids best, and they help to assess.
And peers are there, which is maybe the most important part, because they help raise a culture of standards. At The Met, we're actually watching it being applied. Calling curriculum guidelines well-intentioned but fictional documents, Jacobs encouraged her hearers to think of themselves as curriculum designers for 21st century learners. She observed that the expression implies that the teacher's work is appropriate even though the teacher may not know what the students are learning. In deciding what to include and what to cut, Jacobs recommended that teachers focus their curriculums through the use of essential questions.