I just read a really interesting article from Wired's GeekDad column about the way we think about education. The author, Kevin Makice, draws on Alfie Kohn and Elizabeth Ostrom to argue that many of the policies and systems we use in education are short-sighted, and do not consider their own ultimate objectives. I was particularly impressed with Ostrom's research on non-competitive economic systems which can outcompete traditional systems in the marketplace. Her criteria for effective resource-sharing include:

1. Clearly defined boundaries
2. Localized rules for managing resources
3. Member participation in the decision-making process
4. Effective and accountable monitoring
5. Graduated sanctions for violation of community rules
6. Accessible conflict resolution
7. Community self-determination recognized by higher-level authorities
8. Multiple layers of nested enterprises (polycentrism)

Having some experience with cooperative living arrangements, and having spent some time thinking about what we're really trying to do in schools, I find these criteria compelling. This is a good reminder to me of making my teaching philosophy more explicit on my website and in the work we do in class.