Alternative learning pathways explored

Hi 👋🏻, I'm Mischa Colley. For more than 15 years I've been casually exploring the evolving landscape of education, schooling and learning through an alternative lens.

First as a recent Steiner high school graduate, then as a university student come university dropout and more recently as a parent of two children who are unschooled.

With this project I get to combine my expertise as a Creative Technologist, and passion for alternative learning, to work in and around Edtech. I'm able to work on creating offerings to support families like mine choosing alternative education pathways.

I'm currently working on:

• A podcast exploring how learning takes place in the spaces in-between. It will explore the stories of learners and learning guides from within various communities and will have a focus on self directed learning and parenting off the beaten path.
• A digital technology offering for the homeschooling / unschooling community (around Byron Bay to start) in the form of a workshop series and mobile makerspace
• Building relationships with organisations and individuals as an EdTech consultant. Say hi.

I'm thinking about developing:

• A course for parents around confident and conscious technology use
• A platform offering a directory of learning opportunities capable of connecting learners (individual's and groups) with those providing these opportunities in both local (often face-to-face) and global (sometimes virtual) contexts
• Ways to construct persistent and evolving personal learning plans based on these opportunities that can be leveraged by learners, their families and their learning guides to meet desired goals
• Mechanisms to unlock access to spaces (i.e. a local mechanics workshop or commercial kitchen etc) and people (matching of interests with expertise) based on demonstration of acquired knowledge
• Methods to support space shifting and sharing so previously locked down campuses (i.e. what happens in schools after hours?) can be leveraged by more learners
• Ways to document and share acquired knowledge that's owned by and stays with the learner thought their life long learning journey

As a parent of two unschooled children my vision is to help make alternative learning pathways more sustainable for all involved supported by the appropriate use of unobtrusive technology.

You can follow along, or better yet reach out for a chat, while I continue to explore this space ...