We have different motivations for designing a model school
Leonard: Pointing To
Thinking over the podcast it’s very obvious to me that I’m designing this school as a Demonstration Transitional Model. I want to invite people to follow along as we discuss all the critical aspects of the engine that is a successful school. You will hear and see how Jason and I differ and negotiate and then arrive at conclusions.If you follow us, you will hopefully feel that you are inside the project with us. When we are finished you will be able to stand imaginatively inside the school beside us.
It’s easy to visit a school and see a meeting and chat with a few people. You return home with not much more than a Utopian ideal confirmed. That’s not anyone’s fault. Most visitors don’t really know what to look for, what they are looking at or what to ask about. No reason they should. After following our Design-A-School Podcasts, Blogs and perhaps signing up to our future Design-A-School course, you will be better informed to go your own way with a lot more confidence. We are offering the Design-a-School- as well our Summerhill Democratics consultancy- to contribute to a new phrase:
Activation Not Inspiration.
Jason- The Process
Designing a school is a process. The purpose of these chats and blogposts, therefore, is to demonstrate how the process of design might work. We want to create the blueprints for a school by talking through the process of design. Those blueprints can provide a working model that school planners can use and adapt.
In my previous blogpost, I said that I did not want to impose the same education I experienced on anyone else. That’s a negative motivation. It is moving away from something I reject rather than moving towards something I approve of. However, as we started talking yesterday I was aware that the my rebel motivation faded away.
There’s a process?
Why? The process just interests me.
Schools are fascinating. Importantly, democratic schools are even more fascinating. You can’t fall back on a monolithic curriculum. It is not enough to look at what the authorities say. Therefore, you have to make decisions. For me this series will be enjoyable because I like that kind of work. I find looking at the components more interesting than looking off into the distant future or past.
I want to look systematically at the aspects of designing and running a school. Our process should help your processes.
