Category Archives: Culture

Motivating with Drafts on Display

Critiques, Culture, Journey maps

Exhibitions naturally motivate, without the need for a grade.  A looming speech focuses the mind like a good hanging (with apologies to Samuel Johnson.)

But how do you motivate someone to do their “best work” on the first, second or third draft of a multi-week project, without having a teacher assign a grade?

photo (304)

Here’s one way: Post a few examples of world class finished products (in this case, a travel itinerary and budget.)  Then ask students: “We are xx% finished with the time allotted for this project; are you xx% of the way to ‘the best work you can do’ at completion?”

The Beauty of Competition

Culture, Eagle Buck-Pts

Why does spontaneous order work in the classroom and society?  Because individuals in community, learn to compete; to launch efforts to serve the community while also helping themselves, without being brutish and nasty.

A few months ago, one Eagle started a store at school, selling snacks for admittedly high prices.  Still, with a monopoly, she did quite well.

photo (303)

Yesterday, a competitor opened, with lower prices and different offerings.

Neither Eagle is selling health food – these are middle school efforts, not adult directed activities.  Nor has the original entrepreneur lowered her prices – at least not yet.  But healthier food and lower prices will emerge, if the individuals who make up the market demand it.

Competition within community, that’s what makes a health civil society.

The Messiness of Trial and Error Learning, Self Government, and Spontaneous Order

Culture, Guides, Hero's Journey, Parent's Meeting, Testing

The Acton Academy curriculum would be so much simpler if the adults would just take charge of the teaching: lessons could be planned and delivered; classrooms would be free from disruptions and students could move forward in a lockstep curriculum.

The Acton Academy studio would be much neater if adults were in control: food could be prohibited; janitors could be hired and free time would be quieter and less raucous.

Parents would be much easier to manage in a more well ordered school too, especially if we didn’t consider having families of lifelong learners so important or would stop conducting those pesky weekly surveys of customer satisfaction.

Trial and error learning, self government and spontaneous order are just so messy.  Especially when we are trying to craft a model for 21st century learning.

Those of us who guide in the school make mistakes. Early on, we made it clear that standardized testing wasn’t important – building a curriculum and school around standardized testing stifled curiosity and ingenuity; being “smart” was better than the alternative, but not nearly as important as having character and perseverance.

Yet we wanted to make sure students weren’t too far behind in the basics, so we tested how Eagles were doing in reading, writing and math.  The results were astounding, so suddenly we began touting the rapid advances in learning that we could easily measure, forgetting the far more important “messy” lessons that were being earned and learned.

At one point, a third or so of our older elementary students had maxed out the SAT10 test, so it was inevitable that the rapid advancement in grade levels would slow, as many Eagles approached the limits of the tests, some focused more on one subject than another and others went through natural changes in development and cognitive growth.

Yet now we had to explain to a few anxious parents that even the brightest and most motivated Eagles can’t advance multiple grade levels every year, not if you want the far more important and messy lessons of self government, learning how to learn and apprenticeships to take hold.

Yes, real learning is messy.  So are genuine learning communities.  So are parents and lifelong learners like us trying to find our way.

Yet we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Your Hero’s Journey

Apprenticeships, Culture, Energy and flow, Exhibition, Guides, Hero's Journey, Quests, Smart Goals

Every Eagle at Acton knows that he or she is on a Hero’s Journey that will change the world, in a profound way.

We learn the most as Guides, when we ask important questions.  Today we asked which experiences in the last seven months havebeen the most valuable for each Eagle’s individual Hero’s Journey.

photo (301)

The results surprised us:

  • First Place:  My Apprenticeship
  • Second Place: Setting and Achieving My Own Goals
  • Third Place: Exhibiting My Work in Published Exhibitions.

The lessons for us:

  1. The real world is far more important than any classroom.
  2. “Learn to Do” and “Learn to Be” trump “Learn to Know” in the 21st century; and
  3. Incentives matter but grades do not.

Be Amazed

Communications, Core Skills, Critiques, Culture, Hero's Journey, Quests, Speech Quest, Speeches, Writing

We expect far too little of our young people. Really.  Even when we know they are geniuses-in-the-making.

Our Middle School Eagles just published a Mystery Anthology, and presented two copies to the Elementary Eagles, who have been competing to see who can devour it first.  Today we received this email from on of the ES students:

Hi Ms.Abigail,

I have a blog called Read This! and I recently reviewed your                                 storybook   on there. I am sending you the link so if you would like to read it you can. The link is http://readthisnk.blogspot.com/

Sincerely,

Nikita

This afternoon, we found out a Middle School Eagle will have an editorial published in the Austin paper next week, as a result of her apprenticeship.

Finally, and most powerfully, today we asked our MS Eagles to “stand in the box” as they read the rough draft of their hero speeches.  We even invited in a flock of Elementary Eagles as an audience, to increase the pressure.

Frankly, I didn’t expect much. It was a first draft of a difficult speech, performed by two of our more reserved Eagles, who had struggled with the assignment.  The goal simply was to get them in front of an audience.

photo (300)

Then the first Eagle began to read, and we were all mesmerized by her words.  And the the second Eagle delivered a powerful plea to save his homeland from invaders.  In both cases, I promise you that anyone within earshot would have answered the calls.

Later, as I was describing the impact of the performances, one of my high powered MBA’s said: “It’s so good that you are teaching them such a critical life skill.”

But you see, we didn’t teach them anything.  Each Eagle knew all along how to write and deliver a moving speech, in an original voice.

An eight year old with a blog, writing book reviews.

A twelve year old publishing an editorial in a major metropolitan newspaper.

Two moving speeches – each from a first draft.

Today, as most days, I didn’t teach at all. I learned something new.

Be amazed.

Why do we care so much about the education of children?

Culture, Guides, Hero's Journey, Parent's Meeting

Why do adults care so much about the education of children?

  • Do we want to build a better society?
  • Or are we more interested in showcasing our children or disciples, to make ourselves look better?
  • Or perhaps we seek to relive our own childhoods, to right old wrongs.

None of these are legitimate reasons.  Children are not raw material for social architects or props for a “parent of the year” contest or tools for middle aged psychodramas. Children are precious beings, each a genius, with an individual hero’s journey.

It is surprisingly easy to forget this, but children can sense when the motives of a teacher, coach or parent shift, and they move from being curious and joyful in learning to suspicious and guarded.

Better to leave them to explore on their own than to try and mold them for the wrong reasons.

Learning to communicate

Communications, Core Skills, Culture, Journey maps, Launches, Speeches, Storytelling, Writing

How do you learn to write a powerful speech?  To use your ideas and words to change the world?

Many schools focus on grammar, making sure every apostrophe and comma is in the right place.  Certainly we want our Eagles to be able to write and speak in correct English, but we care even more ideas and having an original voice.

So how does one learn to write and speak in a way that changes the world?

First, we believe by seeking out,  experiencing and critiquing world class examples, in the case of a speech, The Gettysburg Address or Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech.

That’s why we are drawing inspiration from Corbett Harrison, a teacher who has developed a terrific set of modular tools that students can use alone or with peers to polish their ideas and words.

photo (298)

We’ll break down these critiques into six areas:

Idea – How original and powerful is the idea?

Structure/Organization – Are the ideas are sequenced and arranged in a way that is easy to follow?

Craft

  • Voice – Does the author’s style make you want to read more?
  • Sentence Fluency – Are there interesting sentences of different lengths?
  • Word choice – Are the words vivid and memorable?
  • Convention – Is the grammar correct?

Eagles will practice force ranking, discussing and providing evidence of these traits not only for Mentor Texts – great works that are provided or found, but also applying them in their own pre-writing, drafting, revising and editing – all with the goal of publishing a powerful piece or giving a world changing speech.

photo (299)

In the revision stage, Eagles will learn to self critique, and solicit and deliver peer reviews and expert critiques.

Writing, speaking and communicating through the visual arts are all skills that are “learned by doing,” in deep relationship with others, while referencing great works of the past.

Note that this requires learners with the courage to think, draft, revise, edit and perform – but not a teacher, at least in the traditional sense.

The Speech Quest

Communications, Core Skills, Culture, Journey maps, Quests, Speech Quest, Speeches, Writing

At the end of this six week session, our Eagles will deliver a world changing speech: standing in the shoes of a historical figure, at a particular time, in a particular place.

Learning to move people, to call them to action, is an important skill for a hero.  But the Speech Quest is about more than writing, polishing and delivering a powerful speech.

photo (297)

Eagles also will be required to use Expedia, Trip Advisor and other travel related sites to create an itinerary and budget for a multi-day trip to visit the city where their speech will be delivered, including touring historical sites, museums and other point of interest.

While planning the trip, Eagles will make a “bare bones,” “luxury” and “actual” budget, so they can learn to make the difficult trade offs in time, money, breadth, depth and comfort that traveling requires.

Also included in the Speech Quest is the requirement to create a Google Earth guided tour of the city, including street level views of the sites to be visited, including pictures, images and historical commentary (if you haven’t tried Google Earth – it’s an amazing tool.)

Even the introduction to these tools and the various adventures and expositions has raised important questions, like:

“Why do we travel?”

“Is it for new adventures and new experiences or to learn deeply about a culture?”

“Is it better to spend a little time in many places, staying in hotels, or to spend an entire week or month living with one local family?”

Learning to ask questions is as important as the final product.  So is making difficult tradeoffs between time, money and goals. So is learning new cutting edge tools.

All a part of becoming a hero in the 21st century.

Changing the world through a speech

Core Skills, Parent's Meeting, Speeches, Testing, Town Hall, Trouble, Uncategorized, Writing

“I have a dream…”

“Four score and seven years ago…”

“Ask not what you your country can do for you…”

There’s only one reason to give a speech: You want to change the world.

No photos from your latest family vacation; no boring PowerPoint slides to control your audience’s attention; no droning lectures to put people to sleep.  Simply a moving speech that moves people to action.

Six weeks from now, each Eagle will deliver a world changing speech, as a historical figure, at a pivotal point in time, on a subject he or she feels passionate about.  It will be an original speech, drafted, revised and crafted over a six week period.

photo (292)

Today several Eagles were called forward to stand “in the box” for ten minutes to speak on something they care passionately about.  The lesson: giving a great speech takes passion AND serious preparation.  You cannot just “wing it.”

photo (293) photo (294)

Next came two hours of Improv training and practice.  Because giving a world changing speech means letting go of your fears and saying “yes” to being comfortable being yourself on stage.

photo (296)photo (295)

At the end of the day, our Eagles went to the Elementary School to present a gift of two copies of last session’s Mystery Anthology, and give each author a chance to pitch his or her story by reading a few lines.

How do you learn to give a world changing speech?  You start by having the courage to get into the arena.

A sprint towards reality

Core Skills, Culture, Eagle Buck-Pts, Portfolios

Whew! Another Acton Academy session completed.

Weeks and weeks of “intentionality” – this session’s battle cry –  sprinkled with fun and intense learning.  One Eagle captured it perfectly: “This session seemed to fly by in a day.”

The Salem Witch Trials; assembling portfolios; serious reflection; anticipation of next session’s adventure – it was a busy, high energy, intentional final week.

Not every Eagle finished with an apprenticeship; a few have been rejected several times and now must go to “Plan D, E and F.”  Not every Eagle completed the lofty end of session goals, so our special group outing was postponed.

Sure, it would have been easier if we had adjusted the goals, so everyone could win.  If we made exceptions so there was a fairy tale ending.  If we made sure our Eagles won the game every time.

But that’s not the way the real world works.  Our goal isn’t college ready graduates, nursed on “straight A’s” and cheap self esteem.  Not poseurs, nor those who hide behind false perfection. Never “cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.”

Instead, our goal is to equip and inspire Eagles to succeed and fail – fighting a worthy fight; becoming who they were meant to be; building deep and nurturing relationships.

Heroes who will change the world, real world heroes who are willing to accept – and even celebrate — the bumps, bruises and disappointments that reality demands to make a real difference.

Reading

Core Skills, Culture, Portfolios, Reading, Uncategorized

When the middle school started in September, a surprisingly large number of Eagles  hated to read – particularly books that were forced on them by adults.

A love of reading had never been sparked, or even worse, had been extinguished.

Early in the fall, we encouraged each Eagle to read something, even a comic book, about a subject they were passionate about.  For the boys, that often meant Lone Survivor or other books about war.

This week, as part of updating portfolios, we asked Eagles for a list of books they have read since January 1st.

photo (288)

The answer: 80 books. That’s an average of one book, every two weeks, for each Eagle.

Sure, some Eagles are more voracious readers than others.  But each and every Eagle can now be seen sitting on the floor or lounging on a beanbag chair, with a favorite book in hand.

A love of reading; a thirst for curiosity.  Perhaps the most important discover a young hero can make.

What would you change about Acton Academy?

Collaboration, Galileo Trial, Ranch trip, Uncategorized

Today, I asked in group: “What would you change about Acton Academy?”

The answer below, but first a few glimpses of our Eagles hard at work, making the final push on Core Skills, Portfolios, Apprenticeships, Learning Badges and the Salem Witch Trial (tomorrow.)

photo (281) photo (282) photo (283) photo (284)

Q: “What would you change about Acton Academy?”

The first response: “I wish we could spend more time at school, because there’s so much to do.” The next four students agreed, each adding their own reasons for wanting more time at Acton.

Work hard. Play harder.

Consequences, Core Skills, Culture, Eagle Buck-Pts, Math, Smart Goals, , , ,

Eagles work hard. Every week.

Want some proof? Since January each Eagle has logged an average of 1904 minutes on Khan – that’s five hours per week of activity.  And since each minute logged on Khan comes with another minute or so of focus, it’s really more like two hours a day of intensive math.

Some Eagles are quicker on math; others have to put in more time to master a skill.  Thankfully, every Eagle can move at his or her own pace.  And Eagles help each other, as long as they remain in a purely Socratic mode.

Our middle schoolers are on pace to master Arithmetic and Pre-Algebra by the end of spring.  Every Eagle. Not a passing grade of 70. Not even an excellent grade of 90. Mastery.  One hundred percent mastery.

At this pace, all of our Eagles would be through Calculus by spring of 2014.  Through Calculus. Before high school begins.  (Yes, they’ll probably slow down.  Still, a torrid pace.)

photo (274)

Here’s a shot of the Eagle Scoreboard, a compilation of their individual SMART goals, displayed for all to see.  It’s a visual reminder of all the hours of hard work in various subjects, with each goal set by an individual.

photo (276) photo (277)

Eagles work hard.  So by Friday afternoon it’s time for an hour of Monopoly or Life or even a few hands of poker.

Games?  Surely a waste of time. Absolutely, unless you are interested in critical thinking, mastering probabilities, learning about human nature or social skills.

Work hard. Play harder.

Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble

Civilization, Culture, Exhibition, Journey maps, Quests, Salem Witch Trial

This week marks the start of our Salem Witch trials, re-enacted with modern forensics.

photo (269)

Eagles first played a complex game resembling the Prisoner’s Dilemma, where townspeople were given a series of choices to accuse their neighbors or risk being accused themselves (a game that Federal prosecutors increasingly are using to coerce confessions from lower level operatives to convict higher level bosses – whether they are guilty of a crime or not.)

In eleven minutes, almost every citizen in the town had either been afflicted or put to death – showing just how quickly fear can spread in a mob.

Later, Eagles watched a clip of Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, and discussed persuasive techniques that an individual could use to disperse a mob.

Next Thursday, Acton Academy parents will sit as jurors as we reenact the trial, deciding whether the witches live or die.

The inspiration that comes from guiding others

Collaboration, Communications, Core Skills, Culture, Guides, Hero's Journey, Independent Learner, Math, Reading, Socratic, Writing, , ,

The word “inspire” means to “to breathe life into.”

Our Middle School Eagles are full of life already, but have been even more inspired lately by earning the chance to guide Acton Elementary School Eagles in Math and Reading.

photo (267)

It’s important to note the word “guide” versus “teach.”  We believe the deepest and most powerful learning comes from having a Socratic Guide as your partner, rather than suffering a lecturing adult teacher posing as an expert.

photo (266)

Our MS Eagles earn the right to guide an elementary school Eagle by completing a Learning Badge challenge.  Each Learning Badge challenge earns the right to 30 minutes of guiding time, which comes with a learning covenant and feedback on the Guide’s performance.  Complete a dozen or challenges and you earn a Learning Badge.

photo (264)

Our MS Eagles consider it a privilege worth working hard to earn, and are lining up to do so.

photo (265)

All Eagles will move from the Independent Learner badge to Running Partner to Socratic Guide to Project Guide to Curriculum Creator, until by high school each Eagle is capable of running a school (or company or non-profit) on their own.

Think of it.  An army of bright young people guiding each other, delivering “learn to do” and “learn to be” skills and lessons better, faster and far less expensive than adults.

You might even call it a revolutionary idea.

Just Another Friday (guest bloggers: the MS girls)

Culture, , ,

Today was a great Friday at Acton Academy Middle School.  After a focused, intentional day of learning and Socratic discussion, the boys left early for AirSoft.  The girls didn’t expect anything unusual to happen, but as soon as the boys left, Ms. Abigail had a surprise for us….as soon as the boys were out of sight, all the girls piled into a car, wondering where they were heading.  After a few hours we started seeing signs for Six Flags!!

Image

After we made it through the gate, we rode roller coasters 200 feet high going down at a speed of almost 100 mph!  After we were done doing roller coasters, we hopped on a bus and Ms. Abigail said, “We’re going to the airport.”  As soon as we got to the airport Taylor Swift was there!  The girls waved frantically at her, yelling “Taylor! Taylor!” but she ignored them because she’s a snooty famous person and she was in first class, while we were in regular class with a throwing up man, a crying baby and a whiny five-year-old kicking the backs of our seats and begging for a cookie.Image

As we were buckling up the stewardess came by and asked us if we wanted pillows for our flight to ENGLAND!  When we got to England, we were greeted by Queen Elizabeth.  Image

Then as we got to the castle, everyone from One Direction rode in on unicorns with bagels and cream cheese (butter for Claire) for all of us!  Image

Then One Direction started performing live and all the girls were eating bagels.  Then an alien rocket came down and took us all in their UFO back home!

Image

DST

Culture, Energy and flow, Socratic, Trouble

The discussion this morning was terrible.  Low energy. Lethargic.

Even Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address couldn’t penetrate the fog. Uncharacteristically, no one seemed willing to participate.

What to do?  Simple.  Ask the Eagles what was wrong.  So I did.

The answer: “Daylight Savings Time.”  Everyone was tired and grumpy from getting up one hour earlier.

The solution – an unscheduled fifteen minutes outside in the cold air, running and jumping and playing.  Then back to work, with new energy.

It’s one of the secrets to Acton.  When something’s not going well, we ask the Eagles.  And then let them solve the problem.

Tragedy of the Commons – Part II

Consequences, Covenants, Culture, Distraction, Guides, Trouble

Want to take on an impossible task? Try transferring janitorial duties to a group of middle schoolers.

At Acton Academy it’s our Eagles responsibility to clean the sink, mop the floors and empty the trash – every day.  With no help or intervention from Guides.

At first this took a great deal of patience.  The room looked (and at times smelled) like a college dorm.  But finally the Eagles rallied to form a cleaning crew and spruce up their new home.

Sadly, after a while enthusiasm waned and we slipped back into bad habits.  That is, until the Acton elementary students wrote a series of letters complaining about the trash and how it was damaging the Acton brand.  There was talk of an intra-school suit for damages, perhaps a Chapter 11 bankruptcy with elementary students as overseers.

The middle schoolers rallied again. But a few weeks later slipped back into slothful habits.

photo (252)

Then, a novel idea.  We divide the room in half and separate the Eagles into two teams.  At the end of clean up, the an elementary student serves as referee, with one of two choices:

  • Declare one side the winner.  Winners go outside the next day during free time.
  • Declare the entire classroom “pristine,” which means both sides can go outside (Hasn’t happened yet!)

As shown above, the Elementary Eagles take great pride in their new responsibilities, and the room has never been cleaner.

We set the rules; Eagles decide whether or not to play.  Even when it comes to cleaning the bathrooms!

Our best ideas come from Eagles

Collaboration, Communications, Core Skills, Culture, Energy and flow, Journey maps, Math, Reading, Writing

Flow, the feeling of being “in the zone” while working, is a powerful force at Acton Academy.  When an Eagle is in flow in completing a Khan math exercise; reading a book or writing a speech, learning happens at an extraordinary pace.

Collaboration is an important part of Acton Academy too.  Sometimes you need a friend to explain a difficult concept, or even more importantly, to ask the right question.  Almost all of the real learning at Acton is student to student, not Guide to student.

But collaboration can interrupt flow.  And too many interruptions can ruin a two hour block of Core Skills time.

So what to do?

photo (251)

Our Eagles came up with this solution – a Collaboration Request board.  Now if you need to ask someone to collaborate, you post a request rather than interrupting.   When your potential collaborator takes a break, he or she can check the board and rendezvous at a set time.  Plus, we have a record of the peer to peer learning.

Collaboration happens. Flow is protected.  Our best ideas come from Eagles.  Every time. If we just ask.

Only the Shadow knows

Culture, Hero's Journey, Journey maps, Psychology Quest, Quests,

Today our Eagles explored their “Shadow,” the unclaimed part of the psyche that leads us to project our fears and worries on others.

Is there a politician you truly despise because he or she seems “dogmatic?”  Carl Jung would say this is a part of you disowned at an earlier age, more than likely because you were shamed when you exhibited a similar behavior.  (Shadows also show up as the dark or scary characters in your dreams.)

Shadow projections cause us to blame others.  Shadow projections are the root of scapegoating.  Shadow projections waste an incredible amount of energy that could be put to a more positive use.

The antidote to your shadow is to turn the negative into a positive – “dogmatic” becomes “principled” when the cause is just;  “laziness” becomes “rest” when used wisely; “silliness” becomes “fun” with a different perspective.

photo (248)

Above Eagles trace their real shadows.  The interplay between symbols and ritual in the real world can help reveal new insights in the inner world.

photo (249)

Here Eagles turn “dark” shadow images into their positive counterparts.

photo (250)

Why does this matter?  Because our young Eagles are going to change the world.  Having the tools,  intentionality and courage to take an inner Hero’s Journey provides reserves of moral judgment and energy for the times our Eagles will need them the most.

Preparing our new home

Culture, Place, Uncategorized

Acton Academy started four years ago with seven elementary school Eagles in a small, rented house near downtown Austin.

The school quickly outgrew its original campus, so we moved to the Acton MBA campus, our only alternative given the glacial speed at which the City of Austin approves building permits.

In July, we’ll move to Acton Academy’s permanent home, a four acre campus just east of the University of Texas, in a hip,  fun, funky Austin neighborhood that’s becoming one of the new hot spots in town.

Last week our parents and Eagles toured the new campus.  Many schools become too focused on buildings, at the expense of learning; we won’t make that mistake.  But great architecture – twenty foot ceilings and movable walls and outdoor decks do add something special to transformational learning.  Here’s to our new home!

DSCN0185DSCN0267DSCN0186DSCN0281DSCN0250

Active Imagination and the Hero’s Journey

Collaboration, Core Skills, Culture, Hero's Journey, Psychology Quest, Quests, Speeches,

As part of the Forensic Psychology Quest, Eagles today experimented with Active Imagination, a challenging technique invented by Carl Jung.

Building on their work in dream analysis and word association, Eagles learned to “daydream” in an intentional way to invite and record conversations with different archetypal characters inside them, revealing inner thoughts and conflicts and clarifying real world struggles.

While Active Imagination at first sounds somewhat “far out,” it was Jung who championed the idea of an inner Hero’s Journey as an important part of fully lived life, and many people have found the technique brings great clarity to important life decisions.

photo (243)

Theory aside, the Eagles were fascinated with Active Imagination, not only taking quickly to the technique, but begging for more time to continue the conversations with the characters who emerged from their unconscious.  Several learned extremely powerful lessons about themselves.
photo (241) photo (242)Add the Active Imagination challenge to a day where Eagles listened to and analyzed a Winston Churchill speech, and several guided younger Eagles in the Elementary School as part of their Learning Badge project, and it was quite an important day for our young leaders who someday will change the world.

freedom

Culture

Being in charge of your own learning is difficult, crucial, and liberating.Image

Below, Eagles decompress by spontaneously designing and building a fort out of scrap lumber, sand castle-like in its joy and impermanence.

photo

Later, an exuberant visit to the construction site that will soon become our new roost!

photo

The Power of Role Models

Collaboration, Culture, Guides

One of the most powerful parts of Acton Academy is having Eagles of different ages in the same classroom.

In the Elementary School, five year olds guide ten year olds; in the Middle School, fourteen year olds find they can still learn from someone who is eleven.  Most importantly,  we find that age differences quickly disappear for Eagles and Guides, as the special talents of each Eagle become far more important than age differences.

photo (235)

And yet, Elementary School Eagles still look up to Middle Schoolers. Recently, the ES’ers requested to have their lunch time adjusted, just so they could watch the Middle School Eagles play sports.

This powerful attraction of older role models is why we are giving Middle School Eagles  a chance to earn the right to serve as temporary Guides to the Elementary School Eagles, by earning one Learning Badge a week.

Our belief is that we’ll find Eagles can curate, create and deliver educational challenges more powerfully than adults.  If anything, our most revolutionary idea so far.

Inner work and the dreams of heroes

Art, Culture, Journey maps, Psychology Quest, Quests, , , , ,

This week our Detectives-in-Training become Forensic Psychologists in training, as our Eagles begin to dig into their own inner worlds.

Why do some people keep repeating unhelpful behaviors?  How can understanding yourself make you a more successful athlete or a better friend?  How can you decide whether the boy or girl you just met is the “right one” for you or a passing infatuation?

All pressing questions for middle school students.

During the next five weeks in the Psychology Quest, we’ll explore dreams, the shadow self (projecting); active imagination, scapegoating and mob mentality, all as the Eagles began preparing for a reenactment of the Salem Witch trials with modern day forensics.

photo (225) photo (226)   photo (229) photo (230) photo (231)

On Day One of the Psychology Quest, Eagles were introduced to Carl Jung as a hero, and explored the unconscious, sub-conscious and conscious mind through word association, free drawing and free sculpting.

photo (228) photo (227)

A psychologist would have a field day with the symbols, archetypes and emotions that poured out.

Our Eagles also received dream journals and pledged to start recording their nightly dreams, for later analysis.

Let the dreams begin!

Intentionality

Collaboration, Consequences, Core Skills, Covenants, Culture, Distraction, Energy and flow, Journalling, Math, Reading, Writing

Today we returned from break.  Only eleven weeks until summer session.  Time to put the finishing touches on our learning culture before we let new Eagles into our tribe.

The focus word for this week: Intentionality.

photo (221)

Acting with intention. Being purposeful. Tapping into your passions. That’s what heroes do.

So time to eliminate the trivial; to minimize the unimportant. Time to put all of our energy into learning. Time for a new definition of work times, based on a survey late last session, asking Eagles how we could reduce distractions.

photo (222)

So we created new definitions of the our Work Blocks.  All Core Skills time is now silent.  We added No Tech Core Skills time, where all computers are closed and Eagles simply read, write and ponder.  

No interruptions are allowed – if an Eagle needs to collaborate, he or she posts to a Collaboration Request board.  An added benefit – we now have a record of who is helping whom and why.

photo (223)

We also rearranged the desks in the classroom. All of this was based on recommendations submitted by Eagles.

photo (219)

Core skills time was incredibly focused and purposeful today.  Deep concentration on “blacking out” Khan skills; serious writing; deep reading.  Not a sound in the classroom.

In the afternoon, the launch of an exciting new project.  But more on that tomorrow.

Learning To Do: Robots and Apprenticeships

Consequences, Uncategorized

Learning at Acton takes place in five to seven week sprints, followed by a week off from school, for reflection and recharging.

Today, as we near the end of a six week sprint, two examples of “learning to do:”

photo (208)

First, an exhibition by the Lego Robotics team, a collection of elementary and middle school Eagles who have been hard at work for weeks creating and programming robots to perform a complex set of tasks.

This is just one example of the spontaneous after school challenges that have been organized by Eagles and parents, including: Robotics; Chess Club; Spanish Club; Speech Club and Art.

photo (207)

In our Apprenticeship Quest, Eagles built on last semester’s work in gifts, flow, opportunities and injustices to create a list of possible spring apprenticeships, chose the real world job that is the best “next adventure” for them, and then began to do the research necessary to convince someone to hire them..

Today, Eagles started practicing their “pitches” – the phone or in person pitch that no employer could refuse.

Learning to find your “calling;” identifying the next real world adventure to pursue it; having the interview skills necessary to get the position.  All part of “learning to do” at Acton.

Mystery Solved; Suspect Arrested

Culture, Detective Quest, Exhibition, Journey maps, Quests

So who had abducted Detective Anna?  The Acton campus was in an uproar, as Detectives-in-Training fanned out to collect evidence and interview suspects, using all of the tools and skills they had earned during the Detective Quest:

photo (203)

  • Documenting the crime scene;
  • Fingerprint analysis
  • Footprint analysis
  • Handwriting analysis
  • Deductive ability
  • Decomposition
  • Life cycle of flies
  • Microbes
  • Tooth impressions
  • DNA and genetics; and
  • Facial reconstruction.

photo (202)

Detective Anna’s first cousin “Dora” appeared to help as a lab assistant.

photo (204)

Evidence was carefully analyzed and weighed.

photo (205)

The prime suspect was relentlessly questioned until she finally broke down and confessed.

photo (206)

A grateful Detective Anna was rescued, and the Eagles shared their top “lessons learned” about the scientific method and forensic analysis:

  • You have to get it exactly right, because an innocent person might go to jail if you make a mistake;
  • This means that details matter; and
  • What you do impacts others; so
  • You most go slow, and work hard to uncover evidence and clues far beyond what’s given; and
  • Be careful to cross check your team’s work for accuracy.

A pretty good checklist for any scientific project that’s going to change to world.

From Eagles to Parents

Culture, Parent's Meeting

Three times each year with have an Acton Parent’s Meeting.  These Parent’s Meetings are to talk about our own hero’s journeys as adults, not to discuss school matters.

This week’s Parent’s Meeting was focused on sarcasm and passive-aggressive behavior, and how examining our own lives can add depth and value to the entire family, as well as to help us change the world.

Since we’ve been examining similar questions in the Middle School, I asked our Eagles what advice they’d give to parents on the use of sarcasm in the home:

  • Remember that we’re all on the same team
  • Stop for a moment and think about the other person before you respond…
  • If you are in a bad mood, it’s better to hold your tongue
  • Speak honestly and clearly, but not harshly
  • When you respond sarcastically, ask yourself: “Where did that come from?”
  • Never forget that you have a deep influence on others

Amazing what we learn from our Eagles every day, just by trusting them enough to ask.

The Courage to be Vulnerable and Grateful

Culture, Energy and flow, Hero's Journey

Yesterday, as a continuation of our discussions about sarcasm and passive-aggressive behavior, we asked our Middle School Eagles to share their greatest fears.

The remarkable outcome?  Each shared a deep, serious, personal fear; fears that all humans share, but few ever voice.

Then, one by one, each Eagle expressed gratitude to a classmate who had inspired or helped them.  Face to face; eye to eye.

It was remarkable to witness.  A real honor.

“Being around others who are better than I am makes me want to do my best work”.

Culture, Detective Quest, Excellence-Best You Can Do, Quests, Socratic

Given the choice between five motivators to rank, based on this TED talk by Dan Pink, http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation.html, many Eagles gave top billing to other options of their own invention.  Beyond reward, pride, praise, mastery and autonomy they spoke matter-of-factly of deadlines, competition, and for one student, “Getting good at this will help me in the long run”.

Monday, with two weeks to go until the end of the session, Eagles recommitted to excellence in all their work, which on this day included tracking bacteria growth (excellence in keeping their lunches down)photo

carrying out science experiments of their own design (excellence in interrogation techniques)

photo

And of course, excellence in Poppy design.photo

“Poppy needs help. Stat.”

Culture, Distraction,

A few weeks ago, as part of our Detective Quest, each Eagle was given a pair of rubber surgical gloves.  One especially creative Eagles filled a glove with water, then used a black marker to draw eyes, a nose and a mouth, and named his creation “Poppy.”

photo (198)

Poppy became a class pet.  When Poppy sprung a leak, students rushed to “save him,” even establishing an OR to perform “Poppy surgery.”

Soon more and more students created and adopted their own Poppies.  Even after we started charging a hard earned Eagle Buck  for a surgical glove, the mania continued.  Eagles were close to obsession over their charges.

photo (197)

At first, I’ll admit the whole episode seemed a distraction.  But after close observation, I believe there’s something deeper going on.

  • Middle School Eagles welcome having “life and death” responsibility over another, even a make believe pet.
  • Exercising such important care leads to a more closely knit community.
  • Plus, it’s fun.

Just another example of Eagles preparing, in their own way,  for making real life decisions that will change the world.  And a lesson for Guides who want to inspire and motivate Eagles to take on real world challenges.  They are ready and hungry to do so.

Cardboard, Claire Boxes, Creativity and Joy

Collaboration, Culture, Distraction

Some days the noise at Acton Academy can be distracting: the buzz of collaboration; critiquing and Rosetta-chatter.

So an Eagle-inventor took cardboard and duct tape and created the Claire-Box, a personal cocoon named after it’s inventor. Claire-Boxes became quite popular.

photo

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Austin, bright and sunny.

Eagles rushed outside for lunch. Soon Claire-Boxes were converted into cardboard sleds, and the hillside was filled with Eagles sliding, riding and rolling together on cardboard magic carpets, laughing and screaming with delight.

Destruction of school property?  Hardly.  More like transformation.  And clinging with all your heart to childhood play.

Hard work. Creativity. Friends. Enjoying the gift of a warm spring day.  Pure joy.

Thank you for the lesson and the memory.

Imagine this…

Civilization, Hero's Journey, Launches

Imagine this….

photo (195)

We often appeal a lot to imagination at Acton Academy.

We ask Eagles to imagine that they are:

  • A world leader, at a historical inflection point, facing a difficult decision…
  • A scientist; Thomas Edison, disappointed after another failure, but determined to try again;
  • A hero in their own story, in search of an apprenticeship adventure that will be a steppingstone to a calling that changes the world.

Vision is only the first step to a powerful journey, but it’s an important part of the motivation that drives deep learning.

“That’s mean…you’re better than that.”

Covenants, Culture, Hero's Journey, Trouble,

It’s starts with a passing remark between friends.  Perhaps even something misheard.  Feelings are hurt but unexpressed.

Later, something biting in response, disguised as humor: sarcasm.

No matter the cause, the effect is corrosive.  Soon, a friendship may be lost.  Later, it may cost a marriage.

Are unkind words merely a rite of middle school passage?  We think not. We believe our Eagles can transcend petty meanness.

Over the years, Acton MBA students have done thousands of “Stars and Steppingstone” interviews with successful people from 30 to 85 years old.  If you listen carefully, the older, wiser role models will all tell you the same thing, that near the end of life, you will ask some form of the following three questions:

  • Did I contribute something meaningful?
  • Was I a good person?; and
  • Who did I love and who loved me?

Monday, 14 year old Maria Teresa’s story reminded our Eagles of the first question; that each is expected to change the world in a meaningful way.

Tuesday, we examined the second question, what it means to be a “good person” and how sarcasm and passive aggressive behavior are small acts of cowardice, the easy way out.  Acton heroes are expected to confront mean remarks head on, so relationships can be repaired.

One young Eagle even had the courage to gently but firmly confront a friend, in front of the entire class, using the new techniques of conflict resolution we had practiced.  A genuine act of bravery for both parties.

photo (193)photo (189)

By the end of class, nine brave Eagles stepped forward with a bold promise.  To wear honesty bracelets for one week, as a commitment to call out and stamp out mean comments, so as to make the community stronger.

photo (188)

Can middle school students really build a far healthier community than most adults?

We believe they can and will.

Imagine this…an Acton Eagle who at age fourteen….

Detective Quest, Signalling, Uncategorized

Imagine this…an Acton Eagle middle schooler who at age fourteen:

  • Simultaneously and successfully is taking online courses in Udacity; Coursera and EdX from universities like Harvard, Stanford and MIT, while serving as a consultant for her prestigious local university and some Silicon Valley venture capitalists  on distance education.
  • Recently gave a TEDX talk on the future of education.
  • Just a few months ago became the youngest person ever to attend billionaire to Peter Thiel’s “20 under 20” conference for the best and brightest youth in the world.
  • Most importantly – imagine this Acton Eagle is convinced that even Khan Academy is “like putting PDF’s of the Encyclopedia Britannica online” because the teacher still determines and sequences the lessons.  This Eagle believes that a Wikipedia revolution is coming where individual students will source, curate and sequence videos, problems, simulations, projects, real world challenges and other learning experiences, with each student finding the pattern that works best for them, for a particular knowledge area or skill.

Her analogy is DNA.  Sequencing chunks of educational material is like sequencing genes; each individual has a unique sequence that works best, but you can learn a great deal from sharing and  studying the similarities and differences in the patterns, and how they vary between different people.  She already has designed a website where students are sharing and comparing different sequences for different topics and is in discussions with venture capitalists to fund an expansion.

There’s no need to imagine Maria Teresa, because she’s a real person, a fourteen year old Eagle at our Acton Academy sister school in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Maria Teresa - Founder of Makeducation

Yesterday, I introduced our Austin Eagles to Maria Teresa’s story at morning launch.  At the end of the day wrap, I asked our Eagles what Maria Teresa has that they don’t, and one by one, individually challenged them to a Hero’s Journey as inspirational as hers by age fourteen.

I have faith that each and every one of our Eagles will do just that.

You can read more about Maria Teresa at http://ideamensch.com/maria-teresa/ 

down with unanimity!, except regarding kindness

Communications, Consequences, Core Skills, Critiques, Culture, Smart Goals, Socratic

We do not like unanimity.  Usually, it means we’ve asked a bad question.

This week, Eagles have worked on discussion skills with a sometimes jarring rigor. Their progress has been amazing!  Next step: commenting intentionally to one another rather than filtering through a guide.  Guides’ big work: to trust, and step aside.

When is the last time you’ve printed out an email for your peers to critique before sending, or took a strong stand in a Socratic discussion, arguing against even your most respected friends?  Or shared honest reflections about your efforts through the week, aloud, to a supportive yet competitive team of colleagues?  Or made an impassioned speech in front of a small group?

Our students have done all of this, and just in the past 24 hours.  They’ve set for themselves quite high standards of excellence.  Not always met; five months into this, most of the young adults in our community have experienced failure as defined by their own terms, and every single one has picked themselves back up to try again.  Failure or success both possible, but perseverance non-negotiable. And lessons learned that they will never forget.

Back to unanimity:  Is asking the Eagles to catch a classmate in the act of committing kindness a weak challenge?  Always room for improvement, but it was beautiful to end the day on a chorus of commendations.  Never degrading into chaos, all made their voices heard in support of the kindness of their peers.  Who won?  everyone, of course.

What’s the Connection?

Communications, Core Skills, Culture, Detective Quest, Journey maps, Quests, Socratic, Writing

Shift gears overmuch?  Your transmission will suffer.

So what’s the connection between a rotten banana and correct usage of the past progressive*?  What about a link between precise language, kindness, and a rather annoying buzzer?
photo
Scattered and smothered are fine at the Waffle House but less than optimal for the pursuit of excellence.  At Acton, we strive toward holistic cohesion in our curriculum, though juggling many tasks is a real-world skill that also comes into play in our classroom.  Ironically from a guide’s standpoint, the task juggling unfolds quite naturally, while the cohesion requires a bit more forethought.
photo
To connect the above dots: Eagles are working as Detectives-in-Training, learning valuable science as they pursue the skills they’ll need to not only solve crimes but also make a persuasive case against a suspect before a jury.  At the same time, they are creating their own mystery crime stories, using logic, artistry and their fabulous imaginations to pursue excellence as writers.  (* and brushing up on their grammar along the way- though a quick survey of adults on campus suggests that while it’s incredibly important to be able to use tenses effectively, no one actually cares what the tenses are called).
photo

Underlying the “Learning to Know” and the vital “Learning to Do” is the even more essential “Learning to Be”, and a focus on character building and discussion skills permeates every “know/do” quest.  In today’s launch, we went over the new student-generated community standards and honor code with a careful focus on defining any potentially vague terms.  Terms like “scapegoat”, “cheat” and “bully” were hashed out to a unanimous understanding by the community.  Students circled the discussion back to the positive by brainstorming what steps to take to prevent negative situations from beginning/escalating.  At the end of the day, we introduced a new reward for our daily Kindness Hero, challenging all to channel their detective skills toward looking for evidence of kindness in their peers.
photo
Throughout all of this, Eagles passed around a buzzer, to hold themselves accountable for accidental use of the verbotten “um”s and “like”s.  Hooray for excellence in discussion skills, but here’s one vote for Buzzer-Free Fridays starting, um, now.

Friday’s Lessons Learned

Apprenticeships, Civilization, Core Skills, Culture, Detective Quest, Distraction, Hero's Journey, Journalling, Math, Quests, Smart Goals, Writing,

At day’s end, Eagles reflected back to lessons learned from the morning’s weekly wrap-up, discussing the amount of effort they’d put into their work vs. the amount of payoff they received in terms of personal achievement and our classroom points-tracking system.  In Core Skills they determined individually which work to focus on to best reach the goals they’d set for themselves on Monday.

ImageWhile all journaled in hopes of winning the weekly writing contest (congratulations, Kenzie!), some focused on Khan skills, others on their Mystery Fiction writing, others on their Apprenticeship Quest work including some beautifully rendered Mind Maps.

Image

Looking for tools to increase focus and help in their pursuit excellence, some students experimented with making their own “Claire Boxes”, named for the Eagle who first had the idea of creating a sensory-deprivation space to block out distraction and help her dive deeply into her independent work.ImageImageLater in the History Yurt, all Eagles were able to enjoy special personal space with our new eye pillows; Eagles lay back with the lavendar-scented pillows weighing pleasantly against their eyelids and listened to stories from 17th Century England, including the military and political strategies of Oliver Cromwell during and after the English Civil War, and a look at daily London life through the diaries of Samuel Pepys.  We learned that one of our Eagles’ ancestors was likely the actual executioner of King Charles!   All students are working towards learning about their ancestry as part of their ongoing series of History Challenges.

Enjoy the three-day weekend and have a Happy MLK Day, see everyone on Tuesday!

“Dr. Watson, I presume?”

Core Skills, Critiques, Culture, Detective Quest, Journey maps, Quests, Socratic, Writing

Our Detective Quest entered a new phase today.

Eagles added handwriting analysis and lie detection to their list of investigative tools.

photo (179)

And began to piece together all the clues, and to narrow in on a prime suspect.

photo (180)

Discussing and voting on the most important piece of advice offered by Sherlock Holmes.

photo (181)

Earlier Eagles met in small groups to critique the first drafts of their mystery stories, the best of these to be published in a collection at the end of the session.

Learning to do, in real world projects, where the end result matters.

How do people learn?

Apprenticeships, Consequences, Culture, Detective Quest, Eagle Buck-Pts, Guides, Hero's Journey, Journey maps, Launches, Quests, Socratic

How do people learn?  An important question, and a reminder that “teaching” and “learning” are only loosely connected.

The article below summarizes some of the most recent discoveries about how people learn: http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2013/01/how-people-learn/

Here’s what we’ve found at Acton Academy:

1.  Deep learning requires context.  This means having a clear visual  “journey map” and milestones ON THE WALL  that our Eagles can track. (“You are here; Here’s where we have been; Here’s where we are going and WHY it matters”); plus a diagnostic Framework (“Below are some questions you can ask to decide what to do next.”)

2.  Every launch must put students “in the shoes of a protagonist” facing a decision that will matter in their lives, and somehow will shape their identity and determine their destiny.  Otherwise, who cares?

3.  Our primary job is to set the rules and incentives so as to shape the learning environment.  Then let the students learn through “learning to do.”  Experiential learning is best; Socratic discussion next best.  Experts/lectures are allowed, but Eagles can access this information on their own.

If we deliver:

1.  End goals that add richness to our Eagle’s Hero’s Journeys;

2.  Maps and milestones.

3. Frameworks; and

4.  Enticing rules and incentives;

then great learning happens.

photo (174)

Here’s a photo of this morning’s launch. Below an example of a Mind Map for the upcoming Apprenticeships – Eagles learning to create their own visuals.

photo (176)

Of course, the ultimate goal is to equip students to create learning journeys, frameworks and incentive systems for themselves and others,  so the “learning to learn” becomes a deeply imbedded habit, and one that spreads exponentially.

Learn Math; Forget Math; Learn Math Again

Core Skills, Culture, Detective Quest, Journey maps, Math, Quests

Learn math; forget math; learn math again.

Most of us learned math in school for a test; forgot the math; and learned it again when we had to use it in the real world.

Our first efforts weren’t wasted.  Modern neuroscience suggests our early work was  laying down pathways that made math easier to learn the second time.

Our experiences at Acton Academy are crystal clear on one count: there’s no more need for traditional math teachers.  With game based adaptive programs like Khan Academy; Dreambox; ST Math and Manga High, students can learn math on their own and teach it to each other much more efficiently and effectively than with a traditional math teacher. Plus, Eagles can move at their own pace and have a lot more fun.

Perhaps even more importantly, a 70% score isn’t “passing;” in fact, even a 90% score won’t do.  You have to work on a math subject until you master it, before moving on.

But let’s not kid ourselves,  In time, this mastery will fade unless the skill is used repeatedly in the real world, in a way that matters.  Only those neurological pathways will remain, waiting to be reactivated.

At Acton Academy, we try to put math skills to use as soon as possible.  Today, Eagles worked to gather measurements from shoe impressions from a crime scene; sample the heights and shoe sizes of classmates; and use probabilities and ratios to predict the height of a possible suspect in the Detective Quest. In doing so, they had to create their own approaches and formulas – some admittedly a little complex and convoluted, but in the end all coming to the same answer.

photo (172)

photo (173)

photo (171)

Will our Eagles forget this math too? Surely.  But they are less likely to forget the logic, reasoning and teamwork that was required to use the math to solve a real world problem.

This means our Eagles will want to learn more and more math and to put it to use, every repetition preparing another neural pathway, until the habits of math and science are deeply imbedded.

Writing their own stories, in every way…

Core Skills, Culture, Detective Quest, Launches, PE, Place, Quests, Storytelling, Trouble, Writing, , , ,

Do what you say you’ll do, or follow your conscience?  Do you have the courage to be honest about your choices?  In this morning’s huddle, Eagles discussed adding a West Point-style honor code to their governance documents.  At issue in particular is internet use during free time.  While exploring the repercussions of offering our bodies junk or nourishment, and to what degree the level of tidiness reflects the learning space as a “landfill” or a Studio of Excellence, this age group is facing decisions re drawing boundaries for their interaction with the Web.  Student-generated guidelines will be introduced tomorrow after a town hall-style debate, and the decision is firmly the students’ to make.  Guides and parents stand together watching this important process, reinforcing the message that this is serious, the community is involved, and we absolutely trust you to argue with each other until you create an agreement that’s right for you.

Today saw the launch of Thursday morning Writers’ Workshops.  First project, tying in with the afternoon hands-on Detective Science quest: write a great detective mystery.  Eagles brainstormed about elements crucial to a great crime story, listened together to a classic Sherlock Holmes short, then revised their megalist to create their own rubric of excellence in crime/mystery fiction.  Agreeing that a detective (whether casual or pro) is a crucial character, they used StoryMatic to jump start ideas for character generation.  Until they didn’t.  Whoops- a Guide set a guideline without thinking it through all the way to make sure there’s an ultimate WHY.  Naturally many students rebelled; they can smell bogus a mile away.  In this case, the students were set free to use StoryMatic, or not.  Ask your Eagle which they chose.  The MS’ers take this seriously at least in part because they know that what they do matters, and that they, as brave and thoughtful adventurers, are creating a path for others to follow.

New path in PE: after an invigorating awards ceremony with certificates for Olympic Champions (whoever exceeded their previous best by largest percentage increase) and trophies for Best Sportsmanship (congratulations Ellie and Pace!), down to the field for….. Wiffle Ball!

Ms. Anna and Ms. Terri challenged the D.I.T.s (that’s Detectives in Training) to learn the science behind fingerprinting and analyzing data from footprints left at a crime scene.   Also a great lesson in following directions, as it turned out, and in cleaning as you go.
Image
Tomorrow, a look at goal tracking for the week, a Town Hall meeting, the journal reflection contest, history in the yurt and a more meaningful version of (offline) Game Time.

Don’t Mess with Acton

Culture, Launches, Trouble

We’ve been struggling with afternoon clean-ups.  The Tragedy of the Commons.  Our promises as Guides means we don’t want to intervene from above.

All of this raises an interesting question. What works best for motivating a team – the carrot or the stick?  Or something else?

Yesterday, we opened class with the “something else:” Showing a series of the “Don’t Mess with Texas” commercials.

In the 1980’s, Texas faced a crisis: its roads and beaches were littered with garbage.  Large fines hadn’t helped. Neither had encouraging better behavior.  But as our Eagles quickly realized, the “Don’t Mess With Texas” commercials appealed to Texas pride; Texans are different; we love Texas; therefore, we have too much pride to litter.

Our Eagles decided to appoint a committee to draft their own series of commercials to encourage Eagles to do a better job of cleaning up.  Here are their first drafts:

photo (169)photo (168)photo (170)

Learning math; writing; science and other subjects is relatively easy.  Properly motivated, Eagles love to learn.  Learning how to motivate yourself and others?  That’s a subject that takes a lifetime to master.

But our Eagles are off to a good start.

Back in the Flow

Communications, Core Skills, Culture, Detective Quest, Journey maps, Launches, Math, Quests, Smart Goals, Writing, ,

The first day back from break almost always is a challenge.  The second day, better.

We opened with a clip from Whodunnit – a wonderful test of our Eagle’s observational powers.  Attention to detail matters. It matters for a writer who uses crisp details to hook you into a story; it matters to a cook who needs “everything in its place;” it matters to a detective at a crime scene.

We also are tightening the focus on goals – long term goals for the session; weekly SMART goals; daily goal check ins with Running Partners.

After setting ambitious goals for all three, Eagles were back at work in Khan for math; were introduced to our new Mystery Writing challenge by Ms Abigail; and continued on their Detective Quest with hands on work collecting fingerprints and documenting a crime scene.

photo (167)

photo (165)

photo (166)

In Pursuit of Excellence

Apprenticeships, Civilization, Core Skills, Culture, Detective Quest, Excellence-Best You Can Do, Hero's Journey, Journey maps, Launches, Math, Quests

How do you encourage a learning community to strive for excellence?  That was today’s challenge, with a roomful of energetic Eagles back from Christmas Break.

We opened the day debating whether our overarching goal this session should be Excellence or Mastery?  Excellence won the day, based on the Eagle’s logic that the practice of Excellence must precede Mastery.

So Excellence became the “word of the session,” with signatures as a sign of commitment.

photo (162)

We continued with a review of the spring session, which will include a Crime Solving project and a reenactment of the Salem Witch Trial.

Silent Core Skills time began with Eagles setting long term Khan goals, including mastering the last of the basic math skill sets, before individual Eagles will be asked to choose whether to dive deeply into Algebra, Geometry or Trigonometry in a few weeks.

We followed with a Socratic Discussion about how you decide what book to read next.  Should the decision be based on ”fun” or some other criteria?  Fiction or non-fiction? Genre? A focus on the time period we’ll cover in History this spring (1600 to 1776); a scientific subject we’ll explore in projects like DNA or genetics or psychology?  Improving a skill like writing or speech making?  Or perhaps going deep into a biography of a hero.

Eagles get to choose what they read, but we want them to choose wisely.

Just before lunch we unveiled this spring’s plan for securing an apprenticeship in April, and how Mind Maps might encourage some new paths or people who can help.

Then after lunch, the launch of our newest project, using science to solve crimes, complete with a real crime scene.

photo (164)

photo (163)

How do you encourage a learning community to strive for excellence?   Paint a vision of an exciting journey. Offer choices.  Insist on clarity.

No guarantees, but a good start.

From the Peak; Looking to the Horizon

Culture, Portfolios

It was before dawn, a few months ago, as the Middle School Eagles trudged up a steep slope in the Texas Hill Country.  As the sun rose, we could see for miles in every direction.

The message: The hard work of the Hero’s Journey is worth it because it allows you to see further (and farther!)  At the top of each peak, a time for celebration, a moment to enjoy, rest and reflect, while planning the next climb.

Yesterday was such a day at Acton Academy.  We assembled the final portfolios – one copy for school and one for home — and the Eagles cleaned and cleaned and cleaned to get the classroom back into a (semi) pristine state.

photo (161)

The portfolios were imperfect in the sense that they are works in progress, with grammatical mistakes and misspellings to prove that no adult oversight was allowed. True also of equally imperfect and beautiful thank you notes to some of the “fellow travelers” who have helped us this term.

Imperfection. Mistakes. Works in progress.

And yet the learning, the sense of accomplishment and the feeling of ownership were profound, both in the scratchings in the portfolios and the reflections offered  in the final group discussion.  There’s absolutely no question that these Middle School Eagles are heroes-in-waiting, who will change the world.

Our final moments together shifted to the horizon, to the crime solving, genetics, biology, psychology, Salem Witch Trials, apprenticeships and many more adventures that will come in the spring.

But for now, two weeks of rest and celebration with our families, as it should be.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Whew!

Culture, Distraction, Energy and flow, Portfolios

Hard work.  Last minute scurrying. Lights. Adrenaline. Showtime.  Celebration.

Then, the morning after. An energy hangover.

Some Eagles are distracted.  Others listless.  A few, uncharacteristically sleep in.

photo (158)

Others build protective walls in order to recharge, an innovative approach to self preservation.

photo (159) photo (160)

All of this is a natural part of the ebb and flow of human creativity.  Rest. A phenomenon to be explored; a ritual to be incorporated next year..

Some schools consider the week before Christmas a “dead week.”  We’d never be that disrespectful towards time, but building in a purposeful lull to recharge does make sense; a time to just “be” for a few hours; a time for mindfulness; a time for rest.

Most of the afternoon we worked on Portfolios, synthesizing the work of three months into a celebratory narrative.  Tomorrow we finish these portfolios, and begin to look towards the adventures of next semester.

Roll out the red carpet….

3D Game Lab - Probability, Communications, Core Skills, Culture, Excellence-Best You Can Do, Exhibition, Film, Quests, Uncategorized

The last minute preparations were frantic – the final editing of films; the fine tuning of games; last minute pitch practice: all underway while Eagles simultaneously built their semester end portfolios and shared final “lessons learned” in a number of important areas.

And then it was showtime.  The room filled with customers, and the game play began:

photo (151) photo (152) photo (153)

Pitches were made to real customers, with each Middle School Eagle trying not only to best their classmates, but to defeat the dreaded Elementary School Eagles competing alongside them.

Once the games were finished, it was time for the film festival to begin:

photo (154) photo (155)

The smell of popcorn in the air.  The anticipation of launching something you created out into the world, for all the world to see.  Two noted filmmakers in the audience.

photo (155)

In the end, there were technical glitches.  Two of the films weren’t very good; one was fantastic. An Oscar for the Best Picture and awards for the games were presented.

photo (157)

Yes, excellence matters.  So does pleasing customers.

But how do you learn how to work in teams towards mastering a skill?  By working on exceptional teams and teams that fail.  How do you learn of the importance of setting and reaching milestones?  By trying to do everything in the last week, and failing.  How do you learn to set deadlines early enough to have a series of dress rehearsals? By failing to do so, and suffering the consequences.

Our Eagles have far to go, but oh they have come so far.

And the dreaded Elementary School competitors in the Game Expo?  Final score: Middle Schoolers, a average of 2.9 votes per student; Elementary Schoolers, and average of 2.96.  Beaten, but not defeated.

Now it’s time to rest, recharge and look forward to a rematch in the spring.  For all real creative ability comes from challenge, failure, rebirth and the kind of steely perseverance that leads, in the end, to the excellence of a personal calling.

Closing the loops; looking forward to the future

3D Game Lab - Probability, Art, Communications, Core Skills, Culture, Exhibition, Film, Hero's Journey, Math, PE, Quests, Reading

Now is a time to close some of the powerful learning loops we opened just a few months ago.

Last week, we started by closing the Art loop with an exposition of the Acton Dragons at Amy’s Ice Cream.

photo (150)

Monday, we closed the PE loop with the Acton Olympics, returning to the same challenges Eagles faced in September, to record new personal records (Thanks Coach C!)

photo (148)

On Wednesday, we close the loop on Projects, with the Game Expo and Film festival.

Below, yesterday Eagles practice and critique Game Expo pitches, with the Middle Schoolers feverishly working to defeat the Elementary School challengers by gathering more customer “votes” at the Expo.

photo (149)

All week we are recording reflections on “lessons learned” from Math, Reading, Writing, Building the Community, Science and the Pursuit of Excellence, as Eagles prepare their final end of semester portfolios for Thursday.

Then – on Friday — a review of next semester’s adventures and a final CELEBRATION!

Enlightened trial and error

Civilization, Communications, Critiques, Culture, Hero's Journey, Journalling, Journey maps, Socratic,

“You can do it!  You will have many more opportunities.  I will help you if you want help.”

“It’s okay- let’s do it again, so you can get it”, because  I do not want them to go through life thinking , “If I fail, it means I’m not supposed to do this”.

“Don’t beat yourself up.  Let’s try again.”

These are some of the words the Eagles wrote in their journals this morning as they considered what to say to a friend who fails to reach a goal.  The question arose: would you rather work with a partner who succeeds when you fail, or who fails with you? Many stated that they’d want to work with someone who succeeds, so they can learn from that person.  Some preferred the idea of learning alongside someone on the same level, making mistakes together, growing together.

“An unstoppable force!” is how one Eagle described a team where one partner’s strengths complement the other’s weaknesses, and vice-versa.

At the start of history class, Ms. Laura asked students: what motivates you?  why do you work as hard as you do?  and after collecting responses, did a beautiful job of refreshing everyone’s memory about the meaning of Socratic discussion: Socratic discussion is not a debate, it’s a principled discussion.  There’s no argument to be won; the point is to seek truth, to seek a new perspective.  With these reminders, the Eagles participated in student-led Socratic discovery about exploration before lying down to listen to the story of the rise and fall of Dutch New Amsterdam in the New World.

photo

Teamwork was spotlighted during project time, launched by Ms. Anna with a clip about the product design firm Ideo.  The Eagles were taken with this radical approach to collaboration and remarked about how “constructive rather than destructive chaos” could lead to great things.  They got to put the concept into action by dividing into small teams to critique each others’ games (link to the ideo video: http://vimeo.com/21086801 use password:academy), reporting afterwards how helpful the extra brain power was in improving their work, experiencing first hand the Ideo mantra of “Enlightened trial and error”  outpeforming the “planning of a lone genius”.

IMG_5761

The school day closed with a revisit to our Hero’s Journey map, as we come close to the end of this first semester at Acton.  The questions of Who am I?  What promises must be made and kept?  Who’s walking with me?  have taken on visceral meaning for these young adults as they’ve looked deep within and asked themselves tough questions, worked hard to fine-tune and adhere to their own systems of self-management, decision making and accountability, and collaborated with running partners and small groups on film and other projects.

But for our Heroes, the learning doesn’t stop at 3:15.  Except for a handful of Eagles whose intense sports commitments preclude it, Thursdays are chess club day.  Carpe Diem!

photo

Real heroes never give up

Consequences, Culture, Hero Story, Hero's Journey

Yesterday, five Eagles failed to finish their My Hero’s Journey project on time, and thus suffered the consequences of their choices by missing the class celebration.  Some missed by a little; some by a lot.

This must have hurt, because failing publicly always hurts.  But at Acton Academy, not everyone wins every race  – just like in the real world, there are successes and failures.

Real heroes know it isn’t about winning or losing,  but about having the courage to fail, get up, dust yourself off and try again.

Winston Churchill knew this when he said during the depths of World War II:

“We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”

Churchill fought depression all his life.  His political career seemed all but over when he was blamed for 44,000 British deaths at Gallipoli in World War I.

But by 1941, Churchill said at a Harrow graduation : “Never give in–never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.”

We want our Eagle to try mightily, and when they fail, to feel the sting of temporary defeat.  To know how hard it is to fall and get back up and try again.  Because it is through effort and failure and rebirth that character is formed.

At the entrance to the Acton MBA is a quote from Teddy Roosevelt:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Our Acton Academy Eagles’ place will never be with those timid souls, because they are heroes who will change the world, even if it means knowing the bitter taste of an occasional defeat, and the courage it takes to get back up and try again.

Having Fun versus Working Hard

3D Game Lab - Probability, Core Skills, Critiques, Culture, Hero Story, Hero's Journey, Quests, Smart Goals, Storytelling, , ,

So how do you inspire Eagles take control of their own learning?  Not an easy question.

Here’s a start. Today’s launch featured three stories:

1. 18-year-old Stacey Ferreira saw a tweet from entrepreneur Richard Branson about a charity event he was sponsoring , flew halfway across the country to meet him and left with $400,000 in funding for her new website.

2.  Harvard Education professor Richard Elmore, who has observed over 2,000 classrooms, writes a blog post blasting traditional schools as “custodial institutions, designed to hold adolescents out of the labor force and to socialize them to adult control” adding that the “only other public institution in our society that works this way…is the prison system.”

3. A group of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs announces a new school where “every child is a genius,” giving credit for its inspiration to Acton Academy.

Stacey Ferreira is a hero who shows what our Eagles can accomplish. Professor Elmore paints a dismal picture of the educational alternatives.  The Silicon Valley entrepreneurs are proof that what our Eagles’ efforts matter in the world.

During the day, progress continues in Core Skills, including an early glimpse of math in spring, where Eagles will choose independent paths in either Geometry, Algebra or Trigonometry. We also debate a change in self-governance designed to simplify SMART goals.

One Eagle pays off the loan she took out to start the school store:

photo (145)

In the afternoon, Eagles work hard on their Game Quest, some creating board games, others making electronic games, all knowing that next week’s public demonstration is fast approaching:

photo (144)photo (143)

Story lines and critical thinking are stressed below.

photo (142)

Near the end of the afternoon, two Eagles demonstrate their game prototypes and receive formal critiques.

The end of the day discussion asks what advice our Eagles would offer to the Silicon Valley entrepreneurs.  Is “hard work” or “fun” more important for creating the right learning environment?  Which should be stressed first?  Should the approach in the elementary school be different than the middle school?

No two students can agree.  And that’s exactly the point.

Intuition, Martian colonies, and expensive scissors

Communications, Core Skills, Culture, Film, Hero Story, Hero's Journey, Journalling, Smart Goals, Socratic, ,

What are the differences between logic, emotion and intuition? Can you imagine circumstances where you’d be wise to use one over the other to make the very best decision?
After pondering these questions in a Socratic discussion, Eagles dove into their core skills work, paying extra attention to their SMART goals tracking as they prepared their end-of-week wrap-ups. Jack won our Friday journal reflection contest, with his response to “What’s the hardest thing you did this week?” (finishing the production leg of The Bandit film; he was lauded by peers for his excellent word choice, details, and dash of humor).

The morning ended with a debate about whether or not humans should colonize Mars, a la Elon Musk’s long-term vision for SpaceX. Eagles implemented terrific discussion skills: “Building on what Mason said, …” “I STRONGLY disagree with Charlie…..”, “I agree with Jack, and I’d like to add….”. One usually vocal student stayed silent until the end: “At first I didn’t have a strong opinion one way or the other, but after listening to the points everyone’s been making, while I really see the value in what Charlie’s saying, I agree with Mason, because…”
It’s inspiring to observe these young men and women listening intently to one another, learning from their peers, and ultimately forming their own opinions.
photophoto
While most of the Eagles played outdoors during free time, two – then three- then four as the desire to pitch in spread- stayed in to surprise their classmates with a pop-up dance and cupcake party, complete with streamers and helium balloons!
This session’ s theme of celebration seemed to have struck a chord. Special thanks to Ellie and Ana for their thoughtfulness.
photo
After lunch, special guest filmmaker Brandon Dickerson joined us for an editing workshop- not a teacher lecturing to class about how to edit, but a professional bringing in his current project for a hands-on work session.  The Eagles prepared by reading over the bit of screenplay (Scene 41) that corresponded to the footage they were going to watch, and examining a set diagram to imagine how the actors would move through the scene.  After introducing his fancy new editing software while reminding us that all editing tools are basically “expensive scissors”,  Brandon screened his footage.  (Heated, of course) discussion ensued regarding which takes to use and how to cut them together to best tell the story.
photo
Afterwards, during an abbreviated version of our usual Friday game time, a guide became so involved in an intense Boggle match that she forgot to keep an eye on the clock…. fortunately one of our student leaders realized it was five minutes past time to clean up for the weekend, and the Eagles worked together to get the job done.
Cooperation, respectful disagreement, spirited competition, and community celebration made for a fabulous Friday at Acton Academy!

photo

Anxiety versus fear

3D Game Lab - Probability, Core Skills, Culture, Hero Story, Hero's Journey, Quests

How does a hero differentiate between healthy fear and anxiety?  That was the subject of today’s launch, and a continuation of our exploration of risk as we ask: “Does the past determine the future?”

We started with video from Gavin DeBecker, the world’s leading expert on predicting violent behavior; an adviser to Presidents and celebrities and author of The Gift of Fear, one of the best books I have ever read on any subject.  Here’s the link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgNuw-YlBxA

The basic messages:

  • Trust your instincts.  If you sense danger, respect that warning.
  • Fear is in the moment; the prospect of serious and immediate harm.
  • Anxiety is worrying about the future; a waste of time and energy.

After listening to DeBecker, we role played various encounters with strangers.  Did it have an impact?  Just ask your Eagle about the risk versus reward of getting into a “soundproof metal cage” (an elevator) if your instincts suggest otherwise.  Or ask how you should handle an approaching stranger, if something doesn’t seem right.

Some schools build walls and create a virtual prison.  That’s unlikely to deter determined criminals, and just makes students feel like helpless victims.  Our goal is to empower courageous leaders to make difficult choices in the real world, and especially when the stakes are high.

Lots of hard work in Core Skills followed, then a Skype “hero call” with Scott Rogers (shown below), one of Hollywood’s most famous stunt men, to continue the theme of “risk versus reward” in the real world.

photo (141)

The room was buzzing with energy in the afternoon, as Eagles worked on Gamestar Mechanics to design, build and play test their creations, in preparation for the Game Expo in less than three weeks.

Rumor has it that the Acton Elementary Eagles are confident that their games will triumph – a challenge not taken lightly by the Middle Schoolers, who have redoubled their efforts.

Showing up

Culture

Last night we held an information session for those interested in joining Acton Middle School.  The room was packed.

Without being asked, current MS Eagles and parents showed up in force.  Some of the Eagles had gone home to dress up; others stayed after school to prepare the classroom.  All the Guides were all in attendance too; eager to answer questions.

During the session, several Eagles gave beautiful and honest testimonials – a courageous act in a roomful of strangers; a number of parents gave direct and moving testimonials too.

Afterwards, in the classroom, MS Eagles were showing their work to interested parents and applicants.  All without anyone asking them to do so.

Why?  Because they care.  Because it’s their school, and it matters who we allow into the community.  Because they know they are going to change the world, and that means every admissions slot is precious, and should be treated as such.

If you want a glimpse inside AA MS: http://youtu.be/-jotk4mhQOU?hd=1

What an amazing group of human beings, and an honor to work with them.

Learning to set your own standards

Critiques, Culture, Excellence-Best You Can Do, Town Hall, , , ,

photo (135)

At Acton Academy, we turn over the governance of the classroom to Eagles.  Above, the past Council met with its recently elected replacements to discuss ways to inspire their fellow travelers to even greater heights.

Why do we trust the setting, encouragement and enforcement of maintaining incredibly high community learning standards to a group of students?  Because they govern themselves far better than if lorded over by adults.  And because we want our Eagles to be leaders, not rule followers.

So how does a beginning author or artist or game designer set their own standards of excellence?  By looking at world class examples and comparing those to his or her first attempts.

photo (136)

Below, photos of Eagles creating and comparing prototype games.

photo (134)

And most importantly, the criteria they developed to judge whether or not a game is “world class.”

photo (137)

photo (138)

Here, an example of a group critique in action.

photo (133)

Because if you can learn to set your own standards; set them high; judge your progress draft after draft, gathering honest critiques as you move towards excellence, you are well on your way to the mastery of any skill, craft or art.

“Is that the best you can do?”

Civilization, Culture, Excellence-Best You Can Do

What do the lottery, Will Smith, El Dorado, Edgar Allan Poe and the question: “Does the past determine the future?” all have in common?

Answer: A day in the life at the Acton Academy Middle School.

Our focus this next few weeks is celebrating all that we’ve accomplished, as we prepare for the spring.

We started the morning with a launch that contrasted lottery winners – who against all the odds win millions, and then all too often are miserable afterwards, with Will Smith, an actor who through hard work and “loving life” became an international star.

Why does someone choose a Hero’s Journey and “loving life?”  What causes someone else  to choose a “small life” instead?  Is it genetics?  Upbringing? Or personal choices?

The theme continued in history, reading the story of El Dorado and the Spanish conquistadors in South America, Edgar Allan Poe’s El Dorado story and how people can spend their lives seeking the ultimate treasure of gold, true love, happiness or success in vain – the lure of seeking gold/quick money/winning the lottery/ can lead to despair (at best.)

How do we help someone choose to “love life” rather than “mail it in?”  The Eagles decided it was asking each other: “Is that the best you can do?,” and not being satisfied until the answer is “yes.”

What would you do?

Culture, Launches, Socratic

Morning launch is an important time at Acton Academy.

The AA campus opens at 8 AM; the launch of the day begins at 8:30 AM sharp.  Many Eagles arrive at 8 AM and play hard on the play field, but everyone is seated and ready for group no later than 8:29.

photo (132)

Launches are “brief huddles” – no more than fifteen minutes total —  that set the tone of the day.  Just a few sentences to connect to the last few days; a brief glimpse of one of the maps on the wall to locate “where we are” (the Hero’s Journey; our current Quest or the trajectory of a major project) ; and then a foreshadowing of the immediate challenges ahead.

Almost always the launch is framed in terms of a question; often connecting to the “overarching question” for the year, which for this year is: “Does the Past Determine the Future?”  Sometimes we show a brief video clip; other times we feature a governance question or behavior that’s challenging our community norms; more recently we’ve been focused on difficult ethical dilemmas.

For example, this week we explored the difficult question of how you would decide who lives and who dies, if faced with the choice of a speeding train that you could direct down one track or another.  Either way, someone will be killed, but by changing the scenarios, we explored the value of individual human life and how it differs for each Eagle.

What does this accomplish?  First, a focus on the difficult decisions our young Eagles will face as leaders.  Second, it sharpens their ability to reason and persuade, as we work hard to hone their Socratic process and rhetorical skills.  Often the discussion leader will pause to point out a Socratic technique that Eagles may want to use when they (soon) begin to lead discussions on their own.

Framing the day; putting the week, month and next six week sprint in perspective; reinforcing group learning norms; honing thinking skills; setting the tone for the day.

Quite an important fifteen minutes.

Inspiration, learning and storytelling

3D Game Lab - Probability, Art, Communications, Core Skills, Culture, Energy and flow, Guides, Journey maps, Quests, Storytelling

One of the biggest surprises about guiding Eagles has been the realization that people learn at a 10X rate when they are inspired, and hardly at all when simply instructed to do so.

Of course, this isn’t surprising when you think about your own learning.  Who cares about learning something simply because you are ordered to do so?  It also explains why most corporate training fails.  Training is for guinea pigs; human beings want to be free to accept or reject challenges, not to be trained..

As Guides, much of our energy goes into creating challenges that matter to Eagles. Difficult, meaningful – and yes, fun challenges.  Our goal is to “inspire,” a word whose root means “to breathe life into.”

Long lasting inspiration requires an important quest or journey – a clear path to a worthy Grail.   We need an end that matters to our Eagles and a map we can continually refer to update our progress as a group, as in “you are here” and “here’s where we are going together.”

Below is an example of such a map from this section of the gaming quest.

In the gaming project, Eagles have entered design mode.  To unlock the final challenge of designing a game for the Game Expo, this week students are working through a series of mini game creation challenges.

Yesterday they designed simple, single-player games of luck, and then manipulated the rules to make their games easier or harder to win.  Today they designed games of skill, then added an element of luck to these games to see which version playtesters enjoyed more.

 

Tomorrow Eagles will get a taste of online game design on Gamestar Mechanic.  Next week, students will choose whether they want to design an online or offline game for the Game Expo at the end of the session, at which they will pitch their games to parents and fellow eagles.

Is creating games a trivial skill?  Not in the 21st century.  Arguably, being able to weave a compelling story and keep people engaged may be one of the most important 21st century skills of all.

In storytelling, images can be even more important than text.  And in the Hero’s Journey story, dragons are not only possible, but to be expected.  That’s why Eagles have been working in Art on drawing dragons.  As they create, Eagles have been listening to “A Tale of Two Cities,” immersed in images drawn with words, as they create visual metaphors of the challenges each will face on their hero’s journey.

Here’s a sample of dragons in the making.

 

Inspiration, storytelling and maps – keys to learning in the 21st century.