What are The Seven C’s of Learning?
Developed over seven years, refined in the classroom and researched in academia, The Seven C’s of Learning™ is an innovative and interdisciplinary way of thinking. These seven components of learning constitute the most essential elements for an education that is wide and deep, cross-curricular, relevant, rigorous, and student-centered. Applicable in all contexts and all content areas, The Seven C’s of Learning empowers teachers and students to diversify how they learn and how they share that learning.
CONTEXT
Learning about and understanding who created the text, when, and where. Recognizing how the author’s life experiences influenced the production of their text and identifying which contextual aspects (historical, economic, political, etc.) were most relevant to the author and their work. When applicable, looking at the publisher’s background and positionality.
CONTENT
Learning about and understanding what makes up the text; principally, what is the setting and system, what or who are the subjects or characters, and what are the key relationships and conflicts between these subjects and systems. Content also includes understanding the sequence-of-ideas, topics, and terms present in a text.
CONCEPT
Learning about and understanding why the author produced the text (i.e. what was their purpose?) and identifying the larger themes and essential questions their text explores.
-A theme is a author’s message about a topic. For example, “love” is a topic but “Love requires sacrifice” is a theme.
-An essential question is cross-curricular and thus must be relevant to multiple subjects, situations, and texts. Example: “Is pain necessary for growth?”
COMPOSITION
Learning about and understanding how the author composed their text and recognizing how they used persuasion and rhetoric to present and to prove. Essentially, understanding composition is focusing on the author’s methods, techniques, and choices for communicating their content and concept.
CONNECTIONS
Learning about and understanding how a text connects to your own life, to other texts and other disciplines, and to current and historical events.
-Think in terms of: Text-to-Self, Text-to-Text, and Text-to-World
CRITIQUE
Learning about and understanding the text’s strengths, weaknesses, and biases. Reflecting on the value of its ideas and the credibility of its author and publisher. Critique also involves examining the text through critical lenses and researching diverse critics to obtain new perspectives and insights.
-Examples of critical lenses: psychoanalytical, feminist, critical race theory, post-colonial, etc.
CREATE
Translating what you have learned through a creative product or project that reflects your understanding of the text and that applies your learning in a new, authentic way. These creative expressions of understanding can be physical, visual, oral, or written.
Ready to dive deeper and empower your school and students with this transformational framework?