School Sucks

The Essential School Sucks, #15 of 50 Theme Two: Leaving Institutional Schooling and Finding Educational Alternatives Diane Murphy taught in public schools for 30 years before she retired early to build BigFish, an innovative self-directed learning community in Dover, NH. I had the pleasure of speaking with Diane at the FreeCoast Festival and of hearing her presentation on BigFish (https://www.bigfishnh.org/). We sat down to discuss her past experience, current efforts and passion for self-directed learning and integrating teens into the real world. Discussion: - Diane's path out of public school - properties of natural learning - physical costs of school - A new model for a self-directed learning center - Cooperation and competition can work together - Community networking for real-world education and training - How teens move from a school to a self-directed learning community - Outcomes for self-directed learners - Building online portfolios - How public school teachers are kept in line A Follow-Up Show Wi