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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]GDS is best for the kind of student who is a self-starter, who can find his/her own way through the material, and who can really get into a project and go above and beyond what is explicitly required and or do it his/her own way. A student who prefers a more "traditional" model of having the material presented by the teacher, along clear instructions about how to go about the work, isn't likely to be as happy there.[/quote]

I would have (and, in fact, did) say that before HS.  What I've learned is that (from about 8th grade on) GDS can be hellish for the above-and-beyond kid.  When sky's the limit for many assignments and you have multiple interests/academic strengths, then it's an endless morass of work.  I suppose you could say that it prepares kids for real life (but most real life I've seen doesn't look like that and, when it does, something's usually wrong).  There's a soul-crushing element to it all and very little time for intellectual free play and exploration.

Now I'd say that GDS is best for the kind of kid who is willing to blow off things s/he doesn't care about.  It's not just self-starting that's called for, but self-stopping.  So maybe self-direction is a better characterization.  And the fact that GDS is a good fit for your kid in L/MS isn't a sign that it's the right HS.   FWIW, I'm not talking "success" here but what it costs in this kind of environment and how it shapes kids and their attitudes toward school.[/quote]

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