My Dream School

While watching Logan LaPlante's "Hackschooling makes me happy" TED talk, my mind was blown. I thought that a school like Logan's was not possible. I mean, I'm going to be a teacher so I can teach students. But if there are no students, how do I teach? Then that go me thinking of a school that  I would create in order for students to be happy with their education and their future.

I researched 9 innovative schools and really agreed with one of them: New Country School in Henderson, Minnesota. There are 6 principles that they stand by. No classes, teachers, hierarchy, schedules, walls, and janitors. There are "advisors" that help guide the students, and the students pretty much create and take care of the school. The students are working together and shaping their own education.

If I were ever given the opportunity to create my own school, I would definitely incorporate New Country School's 6 principles. I would also bring in real-life situations, anything from filling out insurance applications to taking care of babies. If there was a student who didn't know what really interested them, have them do short internships or observations so they can see what a job requires. The school would be kept up by the students, just as if they owned their own house. Maybe even incorporating a system where the students would earn a wage (fake of course) and have to pay taxes, bills, groceries, etc so the students can learn how to manage money.

I really like the concept of no schedule or time frame. In Daniel Pink's book "Drive" there are three levels of motivation. The highest and most desirable is motivation 3.0. With motivation 3.0, it says that if a person really wants to learn or master something, they don't need a schedule, deadline, or a monetary reward at the end. Autonomy is what the goal is.

My school would be very student-centered and they would run the school, decide their own schedule, and learn what they would like to learn. When we limit students to what they learn, that's when student's feel that their education is becoming someone elses. If we teach students to rely on teachers too much, then autonomy will not be achieved and a student will be shorted an individualized education.