Example Daily Schedule and Curriculum

I can't stop thinking about Someday School!

Today I worked on a sample schedule/curriculum. While the point is that students will get to choose what they work on, in order to be an approved school in Washington we still have to offer 6 hours of instruction per day. So this schedule includes lots of choices of organized classes, as well as semi-organized exploration times... but keep in mind that students will still be free to come up with their own ideas and work on their own things. They will not have to participate in every organized thing on the schedule... instead they will choose how they will use their learning time.

It is important to realize that, while Someday School gives students freedom to decide how they spend their time, it also gives them responsibility and holds them accountable. Each morning they will have to set a goal for themselves on a Kanban board. A Kanban board is a type of visual organizer that lets you see where you are and what you are moving towards. They are divided into categories. A simple one may just have the categories "Ideas," "To Do," "In Progress," and "Finished." So on a student's personal Kanban board, he may have post-it notes, each with a word or drawing about something he wants to do. These would always be added to the "Ideas" category. On Monday he might pick two or three he wants to work on that week, and move those to "To Do." Then, as he starts to work on these, he moves them to "In progress." Whenever he finishes something, he can move it to "Done." There, he can see all of the things that he has learned and accomplished over time. These might be things he is working on in the organized classes, things he is working on with a volunteer, or things he is pursuing on his own or with friends.

At the end of the week, students have Sharing/Reflection time, in which they share what they have learned and worked on by writing in a blog or journal, organizing photos, etc.
This shows that students are expected to do constructive things with their time. They may use some of their time to just relax and have fun, but they are also expected to use their brains and be a part of the school.

Here is the example schedule, if you would like to see it.It is, of course, subject to change. I'd love to hear what you think of it!