Student-led learning: Desert Island Day

Good blog post and nice video from Happysteve about 'radical self-direction':

"So, day 3 of the year. 180 kids, 90 new, 90 veterans. Establishment phase. Here's the premise: you have crashlanded on a desert island. There are no teachers. How on earth, logistically, did [these teachers] manage this? Well you should ask them on Twitter. From what I gather and observed (I spent about 30 minutes of the day in attendance in person): the 6 teachers hid outside the open space, observing the kids via video links and open windows. They tweeted clues in via a large twitter screen that acted as a well of knowledge. They used a P.A. system to phone-in further clues. They had established rules: students must remain within 2 metres of their team. Students must ignore 'spies' (adults who entered the space, dressed in costumes). It was pretty much pure game-based-learning. Simulation. Here's the environment we've curated, now prove yourselves. And LO AND BEHOLD, they did! "

EDvent Calendar: Day 11 (new approaches to school)

Sometimes I think we do school this way because we've always done school this way. Here are a few alternative approaches that are based in research rather than being based in 'what we've always done':
Tinkering School:

 

Studio schools:

 

The Teddy McArdle Free School: