…but it’s CODE inside!”
A BIG thank you to Mason for guiding Computer Science Club this session. The Eagles had so much fun and learned tons. They can’t wait for more Acton Academy CSC in the fall (pretty please, Mason??)!
Hearts and brains played pivitol roles in today’s events, literally and metaphorically.
The showdown between Hearts and Brains ended in a standoff: a Brain won first prize, but a team of several Hearts took second…. (royal flush?).
Both organs were put to good use in composing welcome emails to incoming students. Below, a glimpse of the focus. The excitement was palpable.
As always, the Middle School Eagles were fantastic hosts, and today’s guest felt the love from all of their beautiful hearts.
After 10+ months together, the Eagles are clear that gifts come in many shapes and sizes. For some, a two-mile jog is a walk in the park. For others, exhausting- mentally or physically. After their run this morning, the Eagles checked their heart rates, knowing they would compare them to their resting heart rates later in the day.
Making the choice to take good care of your body is part of being on a Hero’s Journey. And making the choice to know how to save a life is another- not for everyone, perhaps, but for this group, absolutely.
Congratulations to all 11 Eagles who passed the American Heart Association CPR test (for a school that’s not really into tests, it’s been quite a month- but viva the tests that matter)!
Heroes don’t need to actually be faster than a speeding bullet or more powerful than a locomotive, but our community is fortunate to be fortified with the knowledge that these scholars/adventurers are acquiring along the way. Effort, understanding, accomplishment.
Learning to know, learning to do, learning to be. Even in July.
Standardized tests for highly unique individuals? Hmm. Data gathering is interesting, and Eagles, parents and guides share curiosity as to how the learning that happens at Acton translates when compared to schools that “teach to the test”. The Eagles underwent zero prep for these tests, and are not used to working with a timer ticking down the seconds. “Is the point to understand the material, or to check a box before the timer runs out?” one Eagle wondered aloud. The vibe in the learning studio Monday morning was icky with stress.
Tuesday morning was better. A fun Othello craze swept the room during free time. Venting during debriefing discussions seemed to help. One Eagle who’d been in tears on Monday wore a relaxed smile on Tuesday.
But adaptability can be bittersweet. A Krishnamurti quote comes to mind: “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” A bit dramatic for these circumstances perhaps, but the worst part of the testing process from a cultural standpoint has naught to do with the tests themselves and everything to do with the disintegration of the disciplined independence the Eagles have so carefully cultivated over the course of the year. Heroes in charge of their own destiny reverting to asking permission to use the restroom? Alas. But one morning of testing was all it took (and we’ve got three). Fortunately, the days come fortified with afternoons as well- stay tuned for a more upbeat report on what’s been happening during the less robotic part of the week (hint: speaking of independence…).
Today was the conclusion of the Math Challenge, with three Eagles pitching to convince their fellow travelers to take either Algebra, Geometry or Trig next. (Thanks to Khan Academy, Eagles are free to pick and pursue an individual specialty in Math.)
Each Eagle described the history of their math specialty, how it could be used in real life, the level of difficulty and the “math heroes” who invented and added to it.
Following the presentation, a spirited Socratic discussion changed quite a few minds.
Then the final vote: Algebra wins! (Though each Eagle will be allowed to pick his or her individual path.)
Coach Carpenter made a special appearance in the Middle School Studio this afternoon. And wearing a suit (not talking about the Speedo Laura gave him after the Olympics)! The Eagles wondered: WHY?
“You just got back from a business trip?”
“You are heading to Ellie’s dance performance after this?”
Wrong, he informed them. The suit is for YOU.
After a year of working with these amazing young people- driven and highly competitive, yet kind. Empathetic. Honest, and able to applaud the best in themselves, their team mates and their competitors. After a year of this, Coach C came in with data both hard and soft, and certificates and medals for both.
Hard data: School-wide push-up champ knocked out 70 in one minute, which, more importantly, was an improvement of mega-percents over her own previous record. Similar stats for our 40-yd dash winner and our mile-run champ.
But the inarguable climax of the ceremony was when Coach invited the Good Sport winners of last semester to stand and deliver the trophies to the newest Good Sports. How appropriate to have Eagles deliver the news, as they all voted on the issue with no input from any guides.
So who won? Speculation crossed the room; names thrown out, it could have been anyone. It could actually have been anyone. They’re that good.
Congratulations to all the Eagles on their efforts, improvements, and sportsmanship this year- and congrats to Ana and Mason for being….drum roll…. Good Sports of the Semester!
And a HUGE thank you to Coach Carpenter for being a great role model, setting a high bar for the Eagles, and guiding them to value sportsmanship even more than winning… or at least act that way:).
Thanks to the Eagles’ fantastic sportsmanship, everybody won.
(Except the Spurs, unfortunately….)
We launched this morning with a Sal Khan video on the beauty of Algebra, a first step in helping Eagles choose between Algebra, Geometry and Trigonometry as their next math challenge.
The speed at which the group is mastering PreAlgebra is impressive.
So is Khan Academy’s ability to track each Eagle’s progress, including each question, each answer and the time to complete each problem.
As the math becomes more difficult and increasingly conceptual, the Khan videos will become even more important.
Later in the day, the Eagle run Journal Contest asked: What will you choose as your next math challenge? Here’s what one Eagle wrote:
“No question; no doubt; no maybes: Algebra. Algebra is one of the most useful tools in the world because it covers so much. Trig uses variables. Geometry uses variables. Algebra can write formulas to solve almost anything.
You saw the video this morning. You heard what Sal said. Isn’t it incredible how two completely different real world problems can be solved using the same equation?
Algebra can help us span the gaps in our understanding of the universe. Math is the universal language and Algebra is its sub language and best friend. I look forward to getting to know it better myself.”
Learning new math skills is important. Knowing why learning a math skill matters to your life is more important; and knowing that math can be beautiful, matters even more.
A relaxing summer day at Acton. Sure beats video games (at least some of the time.)
One of this session’s projects is: “How do I choose what to read next?”
Eagles were asked to select favorite subjects, genres, time periods and heroes that might assist in choosing a “next book,” as well as being introduced to ways to analyze titles, first sentences and table of contents as a guide to style and voice.
Then, silence. Not much energy. Little interest.
“Why go to so much trouble,” one Eagle asked, “when you simply can read what you enjoy?”
“What about when you need to learn to do something?”.
“Usually it’s easier to watch a You Tube or try a simulation,” came the reply.
Our Eagles read a lot. Half the class are voracious readers; the other half just avid readers. So this seemingly lackadaisical approach was puzzling.
“What about the classics?,” a Guide pressed.
“We hate the classics. Those are books that teachers used to make us read, so no one likes them.” Many heads nod in agreement.
“What about books like Animal Farm, To Kill a Mockingbird or Frankenstein?”
“Those aren’t classics, those are books we enjoy because they help us on our Hero’s Journey.”
Enjoy. A word like “flow.” It doesn’t mean easy, it means to be delighted or pleased. Like when you love to learn, even if learning is sometimes hard.
Around June 1st, most schools begin to dismiss for the summer. Not at Acton Academy, where we see the summer session as a time for individual learning projects, reflection on lessons learned during the last ten months and a time for celebration.
The map above reflects our journey for the next six weeks. Much of our energy will be focused on completing the Independent Learner and Running Partner badges and inspiring every Eagle to master Khan’s Arithmetic and Pre-Algebra before school starts again in September.
We’ll also have a “What do I read next?” project that explores how using Amazon, Shelfari and recommendations can help Eagles select and prioritize a powerful reading list.
Eagles also are breaking into teams to tackle one of three mini-projects:
The Math Challenge – for Eagles who have completed pre-Algebra to explore the history, heroes and practical applications of one of the three following areas: Algebra; Geometry or Trigonometry. The Eagles choosing this mini-project will pitch their specialty to the class, and the winner will be the person who convinces the most classmates to choose their particular area of study.
The Scoreboard Challenge – a rapid prototyping exercise to develop and test the displays and tracking tools we will use to set goals, provide inspiration, incite competition, determine priorities and ensure accountability for next year, when we’ll have 26 middle school Eagles.
The Portfolio Challenge – this group will be choosing formats, designing processes and curating blog posts – as well as crafting journal questions — that will allow each individual Eagle to reflect on all that he or she has learned and assemble a powerful online portfolio.
So while many students are at home watching television, our Eagles will be designing 21st century learning tools for next year’s class.
Our Hero's Journey 