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For the upcoming 2009-2010 school year children born between 1995 - 2004 (inclusive) are eligible for enrolment in SelfDesign.

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What is the SelfDesign Learning Community?

The SelfDesign Learning Community (SDLC) is a government-certified learning option in British Columbia, formally identified as a Group 1 Independent School. As well, though all our learners live and learn in their own homes, SDLC is not considered "homeschooling" by the Ministry of Education but rather a government-funded and certified "Distributed Learning" (Internet-based) program. We refer to our program as a "learning community" comprised of a network of families and Learning Consultants that support children learning in their homes and in their community in a manner determined by the child and family. It is through our mutual support that parents, children and Learning Consultants create a synergistic learning community that is much more than the sum of our parts.
The SelfDesign program provides a template and a context of support for a child or youth who, as a vital human being, demonstrates that learning is a natural, emergent process.

The philosophical tenets of SelfDesign reflect those of the parent organization - Wondertree Foundation for Natural Learning (www.wondertree.org), namely, that learning naturally and optimally unfolds for all children in a context of support, love and enthusiasm. Essentially, the work of SelfDesign is to value and validate children's learning as it emerges in conventional and non-conventional (but equally valid) forms. Brent Cameron, founder of the award-winning Wondertree learning program in 1983 and co-founder of SelfDesign in 2002, first documented the principles of selfdesigning in his Masters thesis (Simon Fraser University, 1989). An award-winning book, 'SelfDesign: Nurturing Genius through Natural Learning' by Brent Cameron and Barbara Meyer, was published in the fall, 2005 (Sentient Publications, Boulder). An additional Masters thesis (SFU, 1997) was completed on the innovative and award-winning 'Virtual High Learning Community', a Wondertree-style program for teens (Vancouver, 1993-1996) by Michael Maser.

SelfDesign philosophy is original in nature and owes a debt of gratitude to the work of John Holt, A.S. Neill, Ruth Benedict, Gordon Neufeld, Joseph Chilton Pearce, Jean Leidloff, Buckminster Fuller, Seymour Papert, Edith Cobb, Howard Gardner, Martin Seligman, Mel Levine, Nel Noddings, Douglas Harding, Humberto Maturana, Gregory Bateson, Ashley Montagu, John Grinder, John Dewey, Johann Goethe and many others. Lately, we are also delighted to learn of the important insights by researcher Dr. Daniel Janik (Hawaii) who has correlated significant neurobiological attributes and distinctions with 'enthusiasm-based learning'.

Much of what goes on in schools is about their need to organize and make the teaching process as efficient as possible. In SelfDesign we focus on individuals enthusiastically learning what they are interested in and in allowing each child to generate his/her own curriculum based on interests and efforts. Overall, we do not conform to many common schooling conventions, believing them to be poorly matched to the natural learning proclivities and neurobiological attributes of all children.

SelfDesign learners are not put in classrooms. They are free to learn whatever they want to learn. Our job as parents and learning consultants is to keep good records on what is being learned so that we can demonstrate equivalency and therefore accountability for money invested in learning.

We do not test our learners*. In school one of the ways teachers can find out if a student is paying attention is to give exams and tests that illustrate at least that the child remembers the facts that are being taught. In SelfDesign we track the enthusiastic interests of each learner, therefore we are getting an accurate record of what they are 'attending to' - i.e. our 'attendance' is neurologically determined and not just a child in a seat. Every Ph.D. student engaged in the highest and global process of learning focuses on discussions with his or her committee, and we have designed our way of evaluating 'real' learning through our conversations between each learners committee - composed of (learner, parents, learning consultant and mentors). [* grade 4 and grade 7-level learners enrolling in SelfDesign are required by law to participate in FSA testing as mandated by the BC Ministry of Education; please see FAQ item pertaining to this to clarify our unique approach]

In SelfDesign we do not grade our learners. In school classrooms teachers do not have time to individualize the learning of 30 learners and can not provide meaningful records of their learning so they need to grade the learners comparatively. In SelfDesign we have over 50 pages of observations tracking the learning of each learner annually.

We do not test our learners. In school one of the ways teachers can find out if a student is paying attention is to give exams and tests that illustrate at least that the child remembers the facts that are being taught. In SelfDesign we track the enthusiastic interests of each learner, therefore we are getting an accurate record of what they are 'attending to' - i.e. our 'attendance' is neurologically determined and not just a child in a seat. Every Ph.D. student engaged in the highest and global process of learning focuses on discussions with his or her committee, and we have designed our way of evaluating 'real' learning through our conversations between each learners committee - composed of (learner, parents, learning consultant and mentors).

We do not impose a curriculum on learners. Our program is not coerced by expectations or management processes that are external motivations derived by intimidations like failure or coercments like passing. We believe in the intrinsic value of understanding and engagement of learning as a rich, valuable and meaningful experience in itself. Even students in school who sit for years experiencing an imposed curriculum are not guarantteed to learn the curriculum. Many learners experiencing imposed curriculums learn in fact to hate or dislike the subject. Many learners leave school turned off most of the curriculums that have been imposed on them. Our learners in SelfDesign demonstrate learning based on interests and in our experience over many years learners who learn based on enthusiasm live life as an enthusiastic experience and are more likely to enjoy and continue learning about all subject areas.

Ensuring a successful future is more determined by ensuring a happy and meaningful present. A child living in enthusiasm learns to be enthusiastic. A child who does not enjoy or find meaningful or relevant the schooling experience but who learns to postpone their rights and interests to some future time ends up living for the future never to return to the present. In SelfDesign we appreciate that we can and only do live in the present and that the quality of living in the moment is a sacred trust to be sustained by parents and mentors for every learner.

Here is a Basic Overview of procedures and requirements for participating in our program:

i. As part of the typical enrolment process in SelfDesign a family reviews our table of available Learning Consultants (each LC having posted a brief autobiography in this table) and they select one with whom to work closely throughout the year. (nb - families enrolling in SelfDesign must have a computer and internet hookup [high-speed recommended])

ii. After a Learning Consultant reviews family information (included with application) and agrees to work with a family, that family is assigned to the Learning Consultant.

iii. In early September (or soon after a family enrols) a family receives instructions for downloading and accessing the SelfDesign 'Village of Conversations' and contact is established with their LC through the Village and by phone.

iv. The first real order of business is initiating a SelfDesign Learning Plan, which unfolds as a collaborative activity between the family and LC. To help facilitate the planning process, and to establish relations, a Learning Consultant will arrange to visit and meet a family. In some cases, geographic distance will not permit such a meeting, or a meeting will occur later in the year.

v. Most often, while a learning plan is being drafted, a family begins their weekly 'Observing for Learning' reporting (described here in this FAQ), an activity that continues throughout the year with the Learning Consultant responding to each weekly 'O4L' report. LCs also correlate or 'translate' learning highlights from O4L reports to Provincial Learning Outcomes established by the Ministry of Education.

vi. Two times a year a Learning Consultant and family collaborate in completing a 'Seasonal Review' for each learner, summarizing learning highlights and activities. A final report completed at the end of the year is considered as part of a learner's Permanent Educational Record by the Ministry of Education.

vii. Famillies enrolled in SelfDesign have access to funding, via cheque requisition and a unique VISA card, to support activities and services described in the Learning Plan.

SelfDesign has created a unique system to pay vendors, merchants and service providers involving the use of a 'reloadable credit card' that is issued in the name SelfDesign Learning Community to enrolled learners. This card, pre-loaded with funds in the fall and re-loaded at other times during the year, is intended as a way for SelfDesign to pay suppliers and service providers directly for items and services the support each learner's individual learning plan. Guidelines for using this card are provided to all families. Our system also allows for families to requisition cheques directly so that SDLC can pay for mentors and learning services.

Since 1983 Brent Cameron has worked with children and youth, beginning with the launch of the Wondertree Learning Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia. Gradually over these years of research and development, Brent and others working with him began to understand the process of natural, holistic learning that was being elegantly demonstrated by learners in Wondertree and in parallel Learning Community-projects (Virtual High, SelfDesign).

During the Virtual High program between 1993 and 1997 Brent was significantly influenced by the work of Dr. Humberto Maturana and the work of cybernetics and systems theory. Working from the neuro-biological concept of "autopoesis" from Manturana's work, Brent coined the term "SelfDesign". This composite word describes both the identity and the process of being human. Each human being is a learning entity unto themselves and is engaged in a lifelong transformative process of learning, learning as a creative and design-based process bringing into play our awareness of self into our ability to learn.

Scientist Gregory Bateson once said that human beings are unique in the universe for our ability to choose to work aligned with, or against nature. He asserted that most of our problems arise when we choose to work against nature. SelfDesign is an educational methodology that works in harmony with human nature, in harmony with each learner by respecting their enthusiastic desire to learn and create meaning in the world.

The age range eligibility for the 2009-2010 School Year is anyone born between Jan. 1st, 1995 and Dec. 31, 2004 inclusive.

Agreements between SelfDesign Learning Community and Participating Families and Learners for the upcoming year (2009-2010) (as they appear in the SelfDesign Enrolment form)

Below is a list of agreements that form the basis of our relationship with enrolled families. These agreements set up conditions for SelfDesign to receive support funding from the Ministry of Education (as clarified in a clearly spelled out contract)

1. I will supply to the SelfDesign Learning Community office a copy of each of our learner's Birth Certificates and a Legal Residency document confirming citizenship and residency in BC. These will be provided to the office within two weeks of enrolling (and on or before September 15th at the latest for those enrolling before this time for the 2009-2010 year). The Legal Residency Form is provided online during the enrollment process. (SDLC needs these documents on file before we can enrol your learner/s in our program according to our contract with the Ministry).

2. If it is feasible, I will meet in person with our chosen Learning Consultant at least once during the school year and preferably at the beginning of the program - to design our SelfDesign Learning Plan for each learner in the program. I will negotiate a mutually-agreed-upon time for this with my Consultant. (Rationale: Although many families and consultants have not met as they are remotely distant to each other, we feel that online learning comes alive when people have a chance to meet in person early on in the learning process. Your willingness to meet with the Consultant, where possible, provides an excellent context in which to build a relationship and outline the SelfDesign Learning Plan for the upcoming year.)

3. I permit Wondertree Foundation (the legal entity overseeing the SelfDesign Learning Community) to use the information about my child/ren and my family for purposes required by the Ministry of Education and for purposes designated by Wondertree Foundation in operating the SelfDesign Learning Program. Information will only be disclosed to the Ministry of Education following its designated policies and procedures. I understand that this includes providing annual Distributed Learning Achievement Data. All other information will be considered private and will only be released outside the program operation with the family's express permission. All parents, learners and staff have the right to access their own personal information upon request. (Required under Personal Protection Information Act.)
 
4. I will participate in the SelfDesign Learning Community for the school year 2009-2010 according to the following programatic guidelines:

i. I will download and use proprietary SelfDesign software for correspondence and completion of electronic reporting forms (text and video tutorials are available to assist you in this)

ii. I will use SelfDesign electronic forms for completing and providing a weekly 'Observing for Learning' report to my Learning Consultant describing the emerging learning process (one report per learner); I agree to read and acknowledge responses from my Learning Consultant pertinent to previous reports and work with suggestions from the Consultant. I will provide these reports in a timely manner on a weekly basis and will notify my Learning Consultant if I am unable to do so through extenuating circumstances.

iii. I will use SelfDesign electronic forms to provide a weekly learning hours-log (recording a minimum of 25 hours per week) to my Learning Consultant. My agreement as a participating family is to track 850 learning hours between Sept. 1 and June 30, which means accounting for or logging a total of 34 weeks during that period (Kindergarten-aged children are logged at half this amount of time). I understand that I can organize and designate personal Holiday weeks during the learning year, as we are reporting for only 34 weeks out of a total of 45 weeks between Sept 1 and June 30. Therefore I can either start late or finish early or take holidays in between as it suits my family and in agreement with the Learning Consultant.

(• the total time to complete ii. and iii. will take approx. .5 - 1 hour per week per child, at a time of your choosing and in negotiation with your Learning Consultant)

iv. My child/ren and I will complete a SelfDesign Learning Plan in collaboration with my Learning Consultant, and this Plan can be updated and changed on an ongoing basis in consultation with the Learning Consultant throughout the learning year. I understand that there is a mid-year review and an end of year review of the learning process, and I will participate in a collaborative way with the Learner and the Learning Consultant to create an accurate and meaningful learning report for the year.

v. I will review messages from and correspond with my Learning Consultant and other SelfDesign staff through my Village mailbox and child's Planner in a timely fashion.

5. As much as possible, I will log into the SelfDesign Village (one hour per week is recommended) to participate in the SelfDesign Learning Community. I understand that participating in the Village means reading and/or responding to messages in conferences and contributing my own ideas and expertise to the learning community. I will post a brief biographical sketch of myself (called a 'Resume' in our system) as a Parent Advisor to our online community, and to post a Resume (bio) on behalf of my children if they will be participating in the SelfDesign online Village as well. This is done to help ensure and enhance awareness of SelfDesign Learning Community members. Although participation in the online Village of Conversations is optional, much of the rich dialogue and value of being in SelfDesign is available in the Village. There is a comprehensive Resources Area created by consultants, parents and learners that is an invaluable reference for home learning.

6. I will permit my child, if born in 1997 and/or 2000, to participate in the provincially mandated Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA tests) in February 2010 as required by the Ministry of Education. (nb - The Ministry provides principals with the authority to allow exemptions to testing for extenuating circumstances related to health concerns and/or unexpected emergenicies). Please contact the Principal before February if you feel that there is a need to consider an exemption for your child(ren). More guidance and support is provided on FSA testing as the testing period approaches).
   
7. I will use the SelfDesign Learning Investment for procuring learning materials (books, software, equipment, etc.), programs (tuition) and mentors providing learning services, as identified in my child(ren)'s Learning Plan, and I agree to reconcile these purchases with my child/ren's Learning Plan. The SelfDesign Learning Plan is an emerging and changing document and can be changed and adjusted throughout the year to reflect the changing and growing interests of the learner.

8. I will provide a statement of Internet expenses if I am claiming these funds for reimbursement. I understand that I may be audited with respect to the claimed expenditures.

9. I will work cooperatively with the Learning Consultants and attempt to resolve differences in a positive way. I understand thatthe relationship withthe Learning Consultant is year-by-year and mutually consensual. If either party feels the other is not living up to agreements, he/she can request resolution through the SelfDesign Executive. Parents and learners can request to change learning consultants and work with other people at any time during the program.

Of these agreements, the two weekly items are:
- Completing an Observing for Learning report
- Tracking and Logging Learning Hours

In British Columbia, The Homeschooling Act of 1989 grants parents the legal right to homeschool and to provide an educational program of their choice for their children. Children must be registered at any school in BC, such as Wondertree's HLN (Home Learning Network). Independent schools receive approximately $175/homeschooling child. Most do not return any of this funding to families. HLN returns $125 to families. Although no support is provided, parents are considered the teachers and do not have to meet any reporting requirements.

In 2006, Bill 33 enshrined 'Distributed Learning' (DL) programs such as SelfDesign in the Education Act of British Columbia. All DL programs must demonstrate teacher involvement in planning, delivery and assessment of the students’ educational program. From the Ministry's viewpoint, students must be enrolled at any school in BC, such as SelfDesign, in order to receive per-student funding. The Ministry of Education considers SDLC Learning Consultants (all BC-certified teachers) to be acting in a role equivalent to that of a teacher, with parents and learners comprising the other members of each child's learning team.

In SelfDesign, parents are acknowledged as the primary supporters of their child’s learning. SDLC also recognizes that the decisions made about learning reside in the home. As a parent you are responsible for observing and reporting the learning that takes place, and for working with a Learning Consultant to support your child’s Learning Plan. Parents are also encouraged to provide feedback in SelfDesign 'Seasonal Reviews' and to apprise Learning Consultant and the SelfDesign Executive Team when circumstances arise in their family (e.g. prolonged illness, personal issues, etc.).

Each learner enrolled in SelfDesign will be assigned or choose a BC-certified teacher called a Learning Consultant (LC). The Learning Consultant’s main role is to work in cooperation and collaboration with the learner and parents to support and help account for learning. Initially, each LC will work with a family to enable the child to develop and achieve his or her SelfDesign Learning Plan, after which they will monitor a learner’s tracking of learning each week, reflecting on and responding to weekly 'Observing for Learning' reports sent to them by parents and/or learners (who wish to do their own reporting). The Learning Consultant also works with families to review and report on a child’s learning plan 2-3 times each year, and they monitor 'Learning Investments' submitted by families to ensure they support a child’s Learning Plan.

The duration of SelfDesign spans a conventional school year, from the beginning of September to approximately early-June. For learners enrolled in September and hoping to qualify for the full SelfDesign Learning Investment, it is expected that a maximum of 850 'learning hours' hours will be 'logged', or accounted for electronically over the school year. This breaks down to approximately 25 hours each week for 34 weeks. SDLC recognizes that learning in the home can occur 7 days a week and does not require that a specific schedule be kept limited to conventional school hours. In other words, in SelfDesign there is considerable flexibility to achieve the required learning hours. Most families participate on a weekly basis during the normal 10 months of schooling from September to June. Parents log a minimum of 425 hours for kindergarten-aged learners over the duration of a conventional school year.

The family visit including a SelfDesign Learning Consultant, a learner and one or more parents is a special experience, the overall intent of which is to create a positive framework in support of the learner. Most often this visit takes place early in the school year in the home of the learning family, though it may also occur in a mutually convenient location such as a park, community centre, café or another home. The benefit of meeting at the learner’s home is that this is where the learner (and his/her family) is often most comfortable meeting with a learning consultant, who may be a stranger to them. Being invited into a learner’s home is an act of trust and an honour, and SelfDesign is grateful for this invitation. In some cases, a home visit may not be feasible during the year (BC is a very large province, after all!)

Whether the initial meeting occurs in a learner’s home or elsewhere, it is an opportunity to:

- meet each other,
- discuss the learning interests of the learner,
- discuss the learning dynamics of the learner (exploring what have been some learning achievements and frustrations),
- overview the SelfDesign Learning Plan (introducing the main concepts for new families, and/or reviewing a Learning Plan draft with returning learners),
- discuss the obligation for learners and/or parents to complete a weekly Observing for Learning form and send it to the learning consultant,
- discuss accessing the SelfDesign Village, noting any technological difficulties (and hopefully resolving them!),
- discuss mutual interests,
- discuss how the learning consultant can support the learner in specific ways,
- discuss future meetings and any interests in gathering with others in a Learning Circle.

SelfDesign Learning Community is considered a DL or Distributed Learning program. Accordingly, computer and Internet access is required in order to fulfill the agreements of participating in the community. All communication, handbooks, and reporting are handled electronically on-line. In addition, participating on a weekly basis in the on-line Village of Conversations is strongly recommended. We recommend high-speed internet connectivity (DSL or cable), and a recent computer and operating system (Apple 'Tiger' or Windows XP).

No, as a category 1 independent school,SelfDesign receives 50% of the funding provided to BC public schools, which does not provide our program with sufficient funding to provide computers to families.

We provide families with the means to (individually) support their child(ren)’s individual learning plan through the SelfDesign Learning Investment and we anticipate continuing this practice in the coming year. Families cannot be reimbursed for purchases or paid directly. We do provide a reloadable Visa card and a cheque requisition system that can be used to make purchases that are linked to the Learning Plan.

Each week families provide an 'Observing for Learning' report that is focused on what their child/ren were engaged in during that week. This engagement can include passion, delight, concentration, wonder, frustration, excitement – each of these is an indicator of a child’s involvement, and an authentic reflection of their 'learning'. We understand that the range of interests may vary, week to week and that not all areas of the Learning Plan will be addressed each week. We do require that families provide meaningful observing that provides sufficient detail to make the Observing for Learning useful and relevant in terms of the on-going interactions with the LC and family. We also require that this is done on a timely basis and expect that families will complete the Observing for Learning each week unless there are family emergencies. Some families keep daily notes and then compile the Observing for Learning at the end of each week which can take an hour each week or more depending on the amount of detail provided and your keyboarding skill. Challenges include providing the Observing for Learning each week regularly and providing sufficient depth and detail. More information about Observing for Learning is provided elsewhere on this website, and please check the guidance and samples in the following link so that you are aware of expectations.

Yes! If children and their parents feel they can write an adequate Observing for Learning report then children may wish to contribute to meeting this responsibility. Many learners in SelfDesign have successfully crafted their own O4L reports, with some writing one report per month (1 of 4) and some writing all of the reports throughout the year.

Many learners have said that they value and enjoy completing their own O4L reports for the following reasons (and many also parents confirm these sentiments):

- Children like taking ownership of this activity and cultivating a personal relationship with a supportive Learning Consultant,

- they come to appreciate how writing about their own learning and learning processes deepens their awareness of their learning,

- they value the writing practice that comes with completing an O4L report.

If you think that your child may wish to complete their own Observing for Learning reports we suggest that you emphasize to them that this is an opportunity or invitation that they may find interesting and valuable but it is not an imperative and they certainly do not 'have to' do this. A way to approach this activity is as an experiment, to see if they do value it, and then deciding how much of their own reporting they wish to 'take on' for the remainder of the year. Maybe they want to complete one of four monthly O4L reports, maybe two, maybe all of them -- these choices are yours to make in your family. We also encourage you include your Learning Consultant in discussions and decisions on this issue.

Please note - In the event that SelfDesign learners assume some or all responsibility for writing their own Observing for Learning reports, parents continue to be responsible for ensuring that these reports are of adequate qulaity (in content and style) to meet the requirements of our program. For those families where learners are crafting their own O4L reports we encourage parents to take an active role in reviewing the reports and providing their own supplementary comments.

We provide an online 'Village of Conversations' which is provides a virtual community for the support of families.

Where there is sufficient numbers and interest we assist in the development of local learning circles and local networks where learners can meet together a few times a week or a month for learning activities and to share mentors.
[ fcp://@www.selfdesign.org,%231500048/Exec%20Team/webfolder/FAQ/Home%20Page#m-otherservice ]back to questions

We require the development of a detailed SelfDesign Learning Plan, weekly tracking of learning and weekly observing of learning. This extensive documentation forms the basis of an ongoing weekly dialogue about learning with a SelfDesign Learning Consultant. This happens online through our custom-designed Village of Conversations. Samples of work are provided electronically where possible.

In responding to, and in support of learning, SelfDesign Learning Consultants draw on their role as professional educators and consultants to assess learning with reference to the (generalized) Curriculum Organizer-framework created by the Ministry of Education, as well as the more specific provincial Learning Outcomes-framework. To these ends SelfDesign has designed specific and unique forms for exclusive use by our Learning Consultants (to clarify, parents are not required to account for learning in terms of ministry-derived criteria). We use samples of work as confirmation of what the child can do within the larger context of all the feedback that we gather.

We are required by our contract with the Ministry to report on learning two times a year, which we do in the form of SelfDesign 'Seasonal Reports'. These reports are primarily reflections and updates of the Learning Plan though they also provide an opportunity for feedback between families and Learning Consultants. The last formal report is appended to the the Learner‘s Permanent Record file electronically. The other two remain in the child's Planner. The reports are collaborations between the learner, parent and Learning consultant, often done through an interview. As an Independent school, we are not required to provide letter grades. We are required to provide feedback on the learning within the framework of the Ministry Learning Outcomes. From 2008, we are required to provide annual Data Achievement records based on a 4 point scale to enable the Ministry to compare Distributed Learning programs across the province.

This question does not directly equate as our program is ungraded. We require tracking of at least 25 hours of learning each week that relates to the Learning Plan goals, and we are required to report on 850 hours over the duration of our year. These numbers relate to the hours of instruction in a classroom, however, we have more leeway in including all of the learning activities in which a child participates; for example, if music is part of the Learning Plan, then piano lessons and practice may be included in weekly reporting.

Our program requires weekly contact between the family and the Learning Consultant through SelfDesign's online Village of Conversations. We strongly recommend participating at least an hour each week in our Village of Conversations in addition to completing a weekly 'Observing for Learning' report and learning-logging form (which takes approximately 1 hour per week per learner).

This coming year (2008-09) learners born in 1996 (grade 7-level) and 1999 (grade 4-level) are expected to participate in provincewide FSA testing as mandated by the Ministry of Education.

WRT to FSA testing, we are aware that many people have valid reasons for neither supporting such testing nor wishing for their children to participate in it. Many of these reasons reflect antipathy toward school-based testing that uses, and abuses, testing as a method of measuring learning and evaluating competency. Often, too, a disproportionate measure of evaluation is based on test results. True as this situation is, it is the opinion of SelfDesign Executive that another opportunity exists even in the realm of mandatory testing. Briefly, we have experienced satisfaction approaching and supporting FSA testing as an opportunity for learners and parents to learn how to prepare for, complete and assess testing in a way that provides a meaningful experience much beyond how the experience of testing commonly occurs during the course of schooling. To this end, SelfDesign pledges to approach the experience of FSA testing in February 2009, as we have done previously, as a community, offering support and insights into the process of testing so that learners gain valuable skills that may serve them lifelong. Test results may provide significant and interesting feedback to learners and families but such results will in no way influence your participation or evaluation in SelfDesign.

This Village has been built using FirstClass software with a custom-designed visual 'Village" interface. Using this software, forms have been designed that enable families to quickly log data each week as to learning activities and observing for learning. This data remains online in the Learner’s 'Planner' (student folder) and is accessible by the LC to reflect upon and respond. Most parents report that they can complete the actual reporting in less than, or approximately one hour each week per child, depending upon the depth of the observations.

The SelfDesign Learning Community as a Group 1 Independent School is now eligible to enroll learners who may qualify for Special Education Grant assistance. Our program is flexible and may be of interest to families with children who have special needs and are learning at home.

We receive 50% of the average public school funding (approx. $3,500.00 per learner in 2008-2009). Although we are an independent school, we do not charge fees and we do not receive any other funding so all our funding is public money. Provincial legislation does not permit the reimbusement of funds to parents for learning supplies and services. We are permitted to reimburse families for Internet fees which is the only direct funding to families provided.

If you are wondering if our program supports the use of faith-based resources the answer is "not really". The focus of our program is educational methodology, rather than religion. We focus on process not content. We support the rights of the learners to be curious and enthusiastic so that learning is generative and not adaptive to the instructions of the educators.

Because there are several other faith-based Distributed Learning Independent School programs, we recommend that if the focus of your family learning program is faith, you might be better served by the other programs. This does not mean, however, that we are excluding faith-based families. Several of these families have chosen to work with us because they agree with our educational methodology even though we do not reimburse funds for the purchase of faith-based curriculum .

With the focus on learning we are establishing a program that includes learning in the domains of body, heart, mind and spirit as legitimate human experiences. What we support is an open and balanced approach to spiritual ideas from a variety of points of view.

Our praxis of supporting emergent, enthusiasm-based learning with the help of a trained Learning Consultant and our Village of Conversations are unique in the province. Parents should note that we invest in learners who are actively involved in their Learning Plans and do not reimburse families directly except for Internet fees. Participation is part of the contractual obligation of the family and we have asked families to leave the program if they have found themselves unable to keep program agreements.

We are prepared to enroll multiple children in a family, though we limit families to a maximum of 3 enrollees for at least their first year in SDLC. The reporting requirements may be quite onerous for a family with many children, so the enrollment after the first year will depend on the family’s history with us and their willingness to participate.

Most of the Learning Consultants working in our program are familiar with and experienced in supporting home-based or alternative learning. A number of them also have children who learn at home. Wondertree Foundation has a long history of providing support to those who learn at home. We also have an on-going best practices discussion on our village which explores many of these issues.

We have many different styles of learning at home including those who have ‘school’ at home, those who are unschooling and those who are de-schooling.

Our program is organized around the SelfDesign Learning plan and weekly observing and commentary on the progress of learning. This makes it possible to provide detailed feedback on learning as it arises within a family’s learning environment and a child’s individual orientation. The underlying philosophy of our approach believes that we need to pay attention to the child first in order to notice the learning that is occurring. The correlation with any curriculum or formal educational criteria occurs as a secondary experience. Conserving and nurturing the child's disposition for wonder and enthusiasm and passion for learning is paramount in SelfDesign.

As an Independent School, we have more leaway in how we approach learning. The role of our LCs is to ensure that in the development of the Learning Plan, the learner and the family are aware of all of the dimensions of a well-rounded individual including the skills involved with language arts, science, mathematics and social studies, physical education and the arts as well as second language learning for learners in the Grade 5-8 age range. The observing for learning of each leaner is assessed weekly by the LC in terms of the Ministry of Education learning outcomes, which are indicators of the learning that may be anticipated to be observed in learners at different age levels. In this way, we focus on the learning process and identify when the observations indicate what a learners has achieved.

In the course of responding to, and supporting the weekly learning reports, our Learning Consultants do complete a form that correlates the learning with BC Learning Outcomes, and they correlate learning planning with the generalized Curriculum Organizers developed by the Ministry of Education. In both cases, parents are not required, nor expected to participate in this correlation with Ministry criteria; it is a process handled by the professional educators to meet Ministry requirements that SelfDesign is operating as a "school " and not homeschooling.

The SDLC program is funded by the Ministry of Education through its Independent Schools Branch. BC legal residency is required. At least one parent must be a citizen of Canada or a landed immigrant of Canada and a form stating this will be provided for your signature.

It is possible for learners and families to both travel and live outside BC for part or all of the school year.  What will be required is access to the Internet in order to complete the weekly tracking of learning, observing for learning reports, interaction with the Learning Consultant and participation on the online village of conversations.  BC must still be the place of formal residency within Canada.

In 2009 SelfDesign integrated the International School of the Kootenays, an innovative group 1, online high school, into its prgraming, creating 'SelfDesign High'. SDH offers a full graduation program and many other unique courses and workshops, too. Please visit our link to this school for more information.

We believe our greatest strength is our commitment to support learners and families in their vision of learning and to provide a community of support for learning at home within a framework that provides for excellence and nurtures diversity.

The uneven participation of learners and families. Those who have understood our program and participate in our community have made us part of their lives and, we believe, benefit from the dialogue and the support of our community. Unfortunately, some families provide only cursory involvement, meeting the minimal requirements necessary to receive the learning resources investment. As our program moves to being an established program, we will require participation in the SelfDesign process and we will require that agreements be met in order to continue in the program. We also feel constrained in applying our limited resources to keep up with new requirements from the BC Ministry of Education at the same time we meet our commitment to our program philosophy and families.