My wife and I looked at each other and gave a knowing grin. While these are the learning tools Gregorys children currently use to meet their weekly goals, children at Acton are free to set personalized learning goals using the tools or resources that work best for them. Determined to provide her children with a learning environment that nurtures their talents and cultivates their individuality, this fall Gregory launched The Wilder School, a microschool that is part of the booming Acton Academy network. Acton Academy Fort Lauderdale is a non-traditional K-12 private/alternative school based in Fort Lauderdale and with a sister school in Prague. The self-directed learning environment has been a game-changer for our 9 year old son. In a world where most schools have mission statements about preparation for a fuzzy future, the. Whether it's launching a startup business, writing and directing a play . Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. and athletic and other school-administered programs. Should you wish to pay a full year or full semester, a discount will be applied. Acton students are empowered to thrive in a world that needs independent, motivated thinkers and learners. If there had been schools like The Forest School (TFS) when I was young I can't help but think what a better situation our country would be in today. Plans often change if an Acton near you doesnt reply they are still in the process of preparing to launch. They were behind in math and reading when returning to another school. Acton students are empowered to thrive in a world that needs independent, motivated thinkers and learners. This school has been claimed by the school or a school representative. In essence, self-directed learning has long been discussed as an alternative to incentivized learning, and the two cannot co-exist. Acton Academies are opening up across the world. Public schools hold kids hands too much, but at Acton, we felt like there wasnt enough adult mentoring that could have helped our kids. Like Acton, she plans to make the student the center of the classroom; teachers will play a support role as students pursue "quests," engage in socratic discussions, and complete lessons in core. The hero accepts their journey, and crosses the threshold from the ordinary world into the special world. They receive feedback from peers and guides on their contribution to the studio. Instead, the kids played around and made something they werent actually proud of and felt theyd fulfilled the requirements. Our experience with self-directed learning offered students agency to make choices and give feedback without punishment or reward. The kid immediately came back to the parents crying because they tried to do their chores and the wheel was broken and they needed mom to fix it. We believe it is the most nurturing, deep . Acton is a network of schools (around 80 listed on their site) based out of Austin, TX. To Boost Kids Vocabulary, We Need To Build Their Knowledge, Entrepreneur On A Mission To Educate On Building Healthy Relationships, Four American Scholars Awarded Worlds Largest Prize For Outstanding Work In History, Catholic Schools And The Fabric Of American Education, We Need To Stop Seeing Skipping School As A Problem, And Recognize That For Some Its A Rational Choice. A teacher and literacy specialist for 20 years in both public and private schools, Ross values the freedom and flexibility of the Acton model. WHY WE ARE STARTING AN ACTON ACADEMY. Peers are supposed to offer a verbal warning, and then if the behavior persists the peer can go on to the Acton tracker and ask the person for a buck. That last phrase, falling behind is one that is kind of ignored at Acton. A fantastic GPA didnt provide me with the skills for self-motivation, or curiosity, as I had been guided by getting the grades. When Jessica Gregory and her husband moved from the Washington, D.C. area in 2020 to a suburban community north of Boston, they expected to find a school for their children that was similar in quality to the one they left behind. A 21st century school with locations in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach. Instead of any learning taking place, students are simply focused on completion. While Dallas, Austin, and Houston are leaders in digital empire building, the playbook is the same wherever you go. When working on a craft project, my 11-year-old son took a pocket knife to school so he could carve a piece of wood. No report cards, only. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational . Acton Academy Santa Cruz offers a truly different approach to school- one that puts young people in the driver's seat of their own learning. This is NOT the school discussed below, but I think my commentary provides useful context for this mothers open letter. Heres a science projectfollow these directions. Frankly, most kids these days are helpless. Students only motivation are silly badges and stars for completion of online lessons. Its an innovative approach to education that celebrates personal responsibility, creative freedom, and the pursuit of ones life purpose.With 300+ worldwide campuses, our Learner-Driven community believes every child is a Hero who deserves to find a calling that will change the world. We join teams in Wisconsin, Chicago, Toronto, Houston and London who won the right to open a new wave of Acton Academies to build on the success of the original Acton Academy in Austin, Texas. (Alison McDowell) You can review the information provided to Jeff and Laura Sandefer by the guest blogger mom here. This includes teaching themselves math and English through books and online resources at school, but it also means self-learning to overcome obstacles, to deal kindly with others, and to develop motivation. nothing. In my quest to understand the best models nationally for potential use here in Kentucky in our public schools, I've come across Acton Academy. Acton is not a Christian school or a denominational school, but it does allow kids space to develop their spiritual foundation and moral footings as they are confronted with challenges. Drawing inspiration from the classics, the Heros Journey is the archetypal series of adventures every human yearns to experience. Acton Academy is a 21st century solution for the epidemic of mediocrity and apathy that plagues young people in traditional school. This exchange hones students critical thinking skills. When students are asked for their learning goals they are told the answer must be the number of lessons or minutes they will complete. My kids were legitimately sad that they couldnt go, because they were in teams of kids working on projects, and they didnt want to let their peers down. There is not a moment in the day when bucks are not in jeopardy. Our whole family was in tears in our living room as we discussed it. IS ACTON A RELIGIOUS SCHOOL? Acton learners become powerful communicators by observing world-class examples, practicing in many genres and vehicles, through peer critique, and by writing for public audiences. I am writing this blog in tribute to the critically important work on the history of education and its intersections with military research and automation done by brothers David and Douglas Noble. As we began searching for answers to these questions, we came across Courage to Grow by Laura Sandefer, Acton Academy Co-Founder. A growth mindset is open to constructive criticism, knowing that it gives an opportunity for improvement. Founded in Austin in 2010 by Laura and Jeff Sandefer, Acton Academy now has more than 250 affiliate schools in 31 states and 25 countries. Before Acton, the only time I had heard the term freedom level was to describe a social credit system where those with higher credits get greater access-a program that has been piloted on a wide scale under the guise of building trust with authoritarian governments. Acton Academy is dedicated to inspiring each child to see life as a Hero's Journey, where someone with curiosity and character can find a 'calling', using his or her most precious gifts, in a way that brings great joy, to solve a deep burning need in the world. After adding 50 new schools this fall, the tiny Acton Academy team is gearing up to onboard 150 new schools each year thereafter. His love for learning has returned as well as his confidence in school. Loud and hard to get any work done. They were happy and challenged and built valuable skills. Just waiting for the kid to finally say enough is enough and jump in. While they do not assign grades or rank students, guides ask tough questions, Is that the best you can do? and invite a student to try again if the answer is no.. Uphold Acton Academy's mission, family promises, and beliefs. Microschools: tiny schools with powerful relationships. As parents to 6 young children between our two families, we have been thinking about education a lot recently. Acton Academy Seacoast uses the latest technology in a self-paced learning environment that is designed to foster responsibility, goal-setting, and teamwork. We will notify you when an Acton Academy launches near you. I love the mission of Acton Academy. Acton Academy is student led. This means young people take ownership of their education and peer relationships. Learners are able to work at a pace that fits where they are. Teaching by lecturing or issuing instructions is not allowed at Acton. They were disappointed to discover that classroom and behavioral management consumed much of the school day, and a rigid curriculum stifled their childrens curiosity and creativity. More here on the Peterson Fellowship at Acton Business School. The Acton model relies heavily on self-directed learning with a lot of peer feedbackolder students help younger students set and monitor goals. We saw it in our own kids after just a few weeks. This is the most amazing school ever. Acton learners earn Servant Leader Badges that celebrate the development of heroic character and signify earned freedom and responsibility. However, the network fees, the small school nature, and their mission (including the for-profit part) are poor fits for our public schools. There is one location in Washington DC charging over $25,000+, and other locations that are nearly free. Learn to be curious, independent, and lifelong learners, Develop a deep respect for economic, political and religious freedoms, Cherish the arts, wonders of the physical world and the mysteries of life on Earth, Discover their most precious gifts and learn to use them to solve difficult problems. Indeed, decentralization of authority and an elevation of the individual is at the root of Acton Academys broader mission. We attended an A++ location in Boise, Idaho (Heroes Academy), but when we moved to a new state, the owner was not providing anywhere close to the same quality of experience. We focus on Montessori-inspired and real-world experiences for our students, in a way that encourages them to take full ownership of their education. We were so disappointed that it was NOTHING like the atmosphere or culture of the Acton wed experience in Boise (which was awesome). It holds the students record, or ledger, of their work, their 360 reviews, their SMART goals, their badges for completing a certain amount of work, and their buck balance (more on bucks below). He is inspired every day by the guides and fellow heroes to find answers and then share out loud HOW he found those answers. Our unique approach challenges learners through real-world, collaborative, hands-on projects and experiences, combined with the latest in adaptive-technology. Before that, he was a multi-millionaire off-shore oilman and venture capitalist. Now the student is working toward. Low pay, high expectations with little communication, the franchise doesn't really support Guides, and strict rules about "how to Guide". In our opinion, the approach to academics was a little too extreme, and we feel that a few low-stakes standardized tests during the year, a clear set of milestones, and commonsense benchmarks could have been implemented in a way to improve the experience. One of their kids had a chore to do: taking out the trash. through deep socratic discussions about history, heroes, and self governance. Inside each studio are 5 freedom levels. . Our learner transition from public school. However, I discovered in talking to them, that they didnt actually know what they had done wrong to deserve the low freedom level. Business Outlook. We believe the learning experience is much richer when the Guide offers insightful questions and facilitates hands-on learning. They matured, learned to overcome obstacles, and they made friends. You empower kids to an unparalleled degree. They are written and published online, on Actons tracker. The schools in those areas will immediately start populating below. We are happy we made the transition an look forward to the upcoming year. A suite of adaptive tools support individual progress on skill development. Thus, let's learn from them. I will be impartial and mention pros AND cons, but please dont lose the messagego to Acton. I understand that some parents are very overbearing and this is probably why they keep parents at arms length, but I did feel a bit of separation from the kids. Similarly, classes can sometimes vote another student out of the school if they are taking away from the experience (obviously, within limits). Acton Academy Taipei is honored to be a part of the Acton Academy network. I write about the future of learning, work and human development. The Forest Schools educational model is cultivating the confidence and curiosity our daughter was lacking in the public school setting. Acton offers a unique education model which complements individualized learning plans with small group, collaborative projects, she told me. After having kids of my own, I knew I wanted them to have the opportunity to experience learning in meaningful, practical ways that cultivated curiosity and self-efficacy. Acton Academy (2022-23 Profile) - Austin, TX - Private 1 week agoWeb Acton Academy 1404 E Riverside Dr Austin, TX 78741 Tel: (512) 689-9822 www.actonacademy.org REQUEST INFO SAVE SCHOOL Acton Academy serves 69 Location:1404 E Riverside Dr, Austin, 78741, TX Phone:(512) 689-9822 Courses160View detail Preview site Each Acton affiliate is founded by entrepreneurial parents like Gregory for whom the networks philosophy of highly personalized, self-paced, learner-driven education resonates. Socratic Discussions and self paced challenges equip children to be independent lifelong learners. Bucks are also taken if peers see you not following the classroom rules. Bound by extremely high standards of excellence and lifelong learning, this is where great adventures begin. Sending your child to TFS is the best give you can give them and our future society. Our mission is to inspire each child and parent who enters our doors to develop a calling that will change the world. 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