What Does Student-Owned Learning Exploration Look Like?

What does deeper, richer learning look like? How might we shift to a more student-centered, student-owned school day? Is this possible only in private schools, or also in public schools that are adjusting to new standards and struggling with larger class sizes?

Here are some pics from a quick stop at Design 39 Campus yesterday. D39C is a public preK-8 school in Poway, CA.  Every other day the schedule embraces “Exploration Time”, six and twelve week blocks co-determined by teacher and student passions and “superpowers”. Here is a quick photo essay of what I saw amongst the grade 4-5-6 pod:

Origami exploration

Multi-media graphics exploration

Chess exploration

Multi-media arts exploration

Computer coding exploration

I also snapped this shot of visible, collaborative learning in reading and writing; evidence of how students earlier in the day had read ‘Casey at the Bat’, critiqued, and set up a writing project:

And finally, a bit of our after-school first stage design challenge with the combined site Leadership Team and Governance Council (which includes both students and parents) on how we might gather and share what is so unique and powerful about what is happening at D39C with the rest of the world! D39C offers tours every week, so if you want to see what a truly transformed learning ecosystem looks and operates like, come visit.