Minding the Achievement Gap

PBS Newshour has a thought-provoking segment on the implementation of "deep learning" at the secondary school level.

Deep learning is hands-on, experiential learning that advocates hope will teach real world values, be less focused on testing, and close the achievement gap. Proponents believe that this teaching method can help students develop self-motivation, creativity, initiative, and collaboration skills, to name a few. 

The report by PBS's John Tulenko, begs a few questions: what is the achievement gap? Which schools will have the resources to implement deep learning? And is deep learning something new or is it a return to previous pedagogies dismissed as "not rigorous"? 

I think it bodes well for an integration of STEM fields and the humanities at the secondary level. Check out the video here. What do you think?