Part 21 of 24 in School Is Not Education← Part 20Part 22 →
This chapter provides a checklist for designing a microschool, focusing on its operational principles rather than superficial aspects. It covers learning, AI, human interaction, measurement, and culture to create an effective educational environment.
- A clear curriculum and diagnostic assessments are essential for learning design.
- AI should provide hints, privacy, and human escalation options.
- Small group sizes and trained adults are crucial for human interaction.
- Regular mastery checks and authentic work portfolios are part of measurement.
- A positive culture encourages questions and celebrates progress without ranking.
A Microschool Design Checklist
A microschool should be judged by its operating principles, not its furniture or branding.
Learning design
• Clear curriculum map for foundational knowledge
• Diagnostic assessment before instruction
• Retrieval practice and spaced review
• Opportunities for oral explanation and peer teaching
• Projects that require application, not decoration
• Time for reading, writing, mathematics, movement and creative work
AI design
• Attempt-before-answer default
• Hints and Socratic prompts before full solutions
• Easy escalation to a human
• Verification against trusted sources for important facts
• Age-appropriate privacy rules
• No requirement to submit sensitive personal information
• Regular audits for hallucinations, bias and shortcut behaviour
Human design
• Small enough group that every learner is noticed
• Adult trained in child safety, facilitation and learning science
• Clear behaviour norms
• Frequent parent communication
• Specialist support when needs exceed the facilitator’s expertise
• Safeguarding and emergency protocols
Measurement
• Baseline and periodic mastery checks
• Retention checks after delays
• Portfolio of authentic work
• Learning-habit rubric
• Child self-assessment
• External benchmarks where useful
Culture
• Questions are welcomed
• Mistakes are treated as information
• Learners sometimes teach one another
• No public humiliation or ranking rituals
• Progress is celebrated without turning every activity into a prize
Frequently asked questions
What are the key components of a microschool design?
Key components include learning design, AI design, human interaction, measurement, and culture.
How should AI be integrated into a microschool?
AI should offer hints, allow easy escalation to humans, and ensure privacy and verification against trusted sources.
Why is human design important in a microschool?
Human design ensures every learner is noticed, supported by trained adults, and clear behavior norms are maintained.
What role does culture play in a microschool?
Culture encourages questions, treats mistakes as learning opportunities, and celebrates progress without ranking or humiliation.