KPS on steroids.

In the interest of saving a few bits in bitspace I have not reproduced this post onto my blog but it is worth a peek if you know of or even like Ricardo Semler, democratic schooling or totally "in your face" ideas about schooling. I thought I posted this a little while back.... apparently not.

and then there were eight

Folks,
Just had a peek at the wikispace and we have 8 bodies signed on. Almost a crowd or at least an excuse for a party.

Interesting report

A colleague working on a different project came across this report out of Tasmania: More than an Education: Leadership for rural school−community partnerships. What struck me was that the key ideas are very close to what one might value in a KPS context in terms of community-school links. The file is 197 pp. long.

The Wiki space

I've moved a few bits of furniture into this space. So the invitation is there to add stuff. The old static web page site is way past its use-by date. I can send out individual invites to the Wiki but it is simpler if folk who'd like to add bits to the site that they go there, get an account (it is free) and just do it.

Given it is open to anyone I was also wondering about having students write in this space, maybe with images rather than words but that they could have a piece of the wiki turf? What do folk think?

The Schools kids would like

I stumbled across this piece from the Guardian that reports a project the newspaper ran for school children, asking them what school they'd like. I came across it on Bob Pearlman's site. The project-based approach that he has traced across a number of schools is pretty KPS-like. Interestingly, he reports a study of school student leaders in the US conducted by the International Society for Technology in Education, they wanted schools that:

* Are Fun
* End lecturing from a textbook
* Institute problem-based, discovery-based, and inquiry-based curricula
* Implement "real life" situations and hands-on learning
* Shape the curriculum with student internship experiences
* Build relationships and "animated mutual learning" between adults and students
* Provide an "inviting" physical environment
* Provide the technology tools for students and teachers to do their work.

Not a bad check list.