My School District Project

   Many of the ideas for my school district came from the things I both like and dislike about the school in which I now teach and the school I attended as a child.  One thing I dislike about both is how disharmonious they are with the surrounding communities and how separate school life seems from everyday life.  I love that my childhood school gave students many opportunities for freedom, and I get sick to my stomach when I consider how limited my own students' choices are.  I feel like my students never had the chance to develop decision-making skills, self-motivation, or mutual respect because of the way they have been treated at school.  Therefore, I tried to create an environment that promotes student freedom, both inside and outside the classroom.  I wanted a school that values child and adult literacy (the reading teacher in me, I guess).  I made the school a resource for the community, and I tried to give students a feeling of responsibility for that community.  Finally, I tried to make school life more cyclical.  I envisioned a calendar and daily schedule that gives learning a natural feel, so that instead of counting down the days to summer vacation, students could view school as a life-long, very personal process.  While my school district has obvious flaws, I am proud that it does not shy away from giving students accountability.  I sometimes wonder how much students could achieve if they felt any sort of ownership over what they learned.  This design stems from that basic question.

Here's my school district:
http://hayley-sr3zo.posterous.com/
Hope you like it!