by Adena Dershowitz, Director the The Fourth Century Center and Experiential Learning
At Abington Friends School, we believe that questions are the spark for discovery, growth, and understanding. Guided by our Quaker roots, we see questioning not as a simple pursuit of answers but as a path toward deeper insight. Raji Malik, AFS early childhood teacher, once captured this concept beautifully, when he referred to the work of teaching as a “sacred puzzle”.
Fostering a spirit of inquiry challenges educators to continually ask: How do we know what is true? How do we discern what is right? What is best for our students and our world?
Our commitment to questioning is what led us to establish the Inquiry Lab at the Fourth Century Center. The students, faculty members and administrators who are participating in the lab will engage in an ongoing process of discovery, addressing questions that affect our school-wide practices.
Given the significance of the impact of technology on learning and well-being, the 2024-2025 Inquiry Lab is committed to exploring areas where technological development intersect school life and learning.
- Use of Cell Phones and Devices in Quaker Schools
- The Impact of AI on Education
- Technology Skills and Ethics Curricula
The Fourth Century Center is partnering with Dr. Siva Mathiyazhagan, the Associate Director of Strategies and Impact at the SAFELab, University of Pennsylvania, and a Faculty Associate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. Dr Mathiyazhagan will serve as the research advisor for the Inquiry Lab team.
As a lab, we will look both inward and outward to seek wisdom by reviewing relevant literature, connecting with other schools, and conducting internal community research. At the conclusion of the school year, the lab will present the Administrative Council with their findings and recommendations for school practice.
As we enter into this work, I am energized by the commitment of my colleagues and students who want to spend the time questioning these topics together throughout the school year. Together, we will discern not what is true, right, and best for all, but rather what is true, right, and best for Abington Friends School.