Course Description

Children are naturally curious, interested and enthusiastic learners. Then why do they often dislike school and are bored and disruptive?

When children can have the opportunity to direct and manage their own learning they are emotionally invested and engaged. Learning is an inner process that is unique to each individual.

The class examines and discusses many elements of the self-directed learning process, including consensus, learners and relationships at the center, expanding choices, honoring the rights of children, learning to learn, observing for learning and self-reflection, goal setting and tracking, viewing life and learning through a developmental lens, communities of care, role of mentors and facilitators.

This class will explore how a teacher in a classroom can mentor project-based learning with a self-directed group of students, and how homeschooling has celebrated and succeeded with a self-directed learning model.

The student will reflect on projects they undertook as a child and create their own self-directed learning project.

Instructor: Self Directed Learning

Caprice Thorsen

Caprice leads innovation and project implementation for the SelfDesign Learning Foundation in British Columbia. Caprice is founder of Zonetropy, an entrepreneurship program for ages 14+ that helps young people gain economic literacy, entrepreneurship skills, and a network to fund self-employment, travel, or college. She is honored to be guiding her two daughters, ages 10 and 14, on their self-directed learning journey. Caprice believes we can transform our world by designing education and work in a different way. Her work with companies and educational programs has emerged from the understanding that people, no matter their age or stage, need autonomy as they develop mastery by doing meaningful work. Her experience in education includes co-founding a Sudbury school, creating a homeschool enrichment center, overseeing program innovation and implementation for SelfDesign, starting an international Parent Coaching program for SelfDesign, and winning federal start-up grants of $500,000 to start two charter schools in California. Caprice has an MBA in Finance from Carnegie Mellon University and a BA in Cultural Anthropology and International Relations from University of Virginia. She is certified as a Personal and Professional Coach by the Newfield Network. She is on the board of the SelfDesign Foundation that oversees the SelfDesign Graduate Institute.

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Class 1: Welcome to Self Directed Education

    • Introduction to Caprice

    • Segment #1: Welcome

    • Biological Foundations of Self Directed Learning

    • Segment #2: Adult Power Over Children

    • Segment #3: Three Reasons to Embrace Self Directed Education

    • Steve Jobs - You Can Build Your Own Things

    • Portfolio Work
  • 2

    Class 2: Trust, Power and Coercion

    • Segment #4: Trust

    • Segment #5: Power

    • Drive - Dan Pink

    • Segment #6: Coercion

    • Changing Paradigms

    • Portfolio Work

  • 3

    Class 3: Learning, Education and Schooling

    • Segment #7: What is Learning?

    • Segment #8: Schooling vs. Education

    • Education Choices Overview

    • Portfolio Work
  • 4

    Class 4: Academics and the Myth of the Basics

    • Segment #9: Boredom and Lack of Engagement

    • Segment #10: Academics

    • Segment #11: The Curse of the Textbook

    • Surprising Facts About Learning Maths

    • Portfolio Work
  • 5

    Class 5: If Not Teacher-Directed Academics, Then What?

    • Segment #12: What Do Self Directed Learners Learn?

    • Segment #13: What Does Self Directed Learning Look Like?

    • Neurodiversity: the myth of the normal brain

    • Segment #14: Self Directed Learning vs. Personalized Learning

    • A View from the Alliance for Self Directed Education

    • Self Directed Learning Fundamentals - Peter Gray

    • Portfolio Work
  • 6

    Class 6: Examples of Self Directed Learning Environments

    • Segment #15: Examples of Self Directed Education

    • Reggio Emilia in a nutshell

    • Sudbury Valley School

    • Agile Learning Center approach

    • The Six Optimizing Conditions

    • Portfolio Work
  • 7

    Class 7: Designing Places for Self Directed Learning - Part One

    • Segment #16: Six Elements of a Self Directed Environment

    • The Four Educational Drives

    • Segment #17: Being Seen and Valued

    • Segment #18: Unique Gifts, Talents and Interests

    • Everyone is a Genius

    • Revenge of the Right Brain - Dan Pink

    • Portfolio Work
  • 8

    Class 8: Designing Places for Self Directed Learning - Part Two

    • Segment #19: Soul's Calling, Imagination, and Planning

    • Segment #20 Design the Environment not the Curriculum

    • Innovation Space

    • Portfolio Work

  • 9

    Class 9: Designing Places for Self Directed Learning - Part Three

    • Segment #21: Educator as Role Model and Witness

    • Segment #22: Frustration and Avoidance

    • Segment #23: Freedom, Play and Age Mixing

    • Portfolio Work