Learning Design
A behind-the-scenes look at how Acton turns learning upside down.
Learning Design is 21st-century learning made up of four parts:
Core Skills
Core Skills like reading, writing, and math are the foundation for deep learning, and most Heroes spend several hours each day choosing which Core Skill to improve.
Reading: Heroes love to read and love to learn. We encourage Heroes to start by reading anything they enjoy – even comic books. Over time, we trust they will tackle increasingly challenging books, and this has proven to be true.
Writing: Our primary communication focus is on writing, but Eagles experiment with film, photography, speech-making, apprenticeship sales pitches, and many other forms of communication.
Math: Math skills are delivered by game-based adaptive programs like Khan Academy, Dreambox, ST Math, Manga High, and Alex.
Quests
A four to seven-week series of learning challenges and role plays, bound by individual and team-based gamification and a compelling narrative, ending with a high-stakes exhibition designed to deliver 21st-century skills.
The best Quests measure and track outcomes in a way that mirrors the real world. For example, if building a bridge, the costs are calculated based on the time and materials consumed. Examples of Quests include the World-Changing Speech Quest, in which Eagles know from day one that during the Exhibition, they will stand on stage for six minutes to present, and the Detective Chemistry Quest, in which Eagles solve a crime using forensic science.
Integration
Integrative challenges use Core Skills to deepen learning through Socratic Discussions and hands-on projects.
Socratic Discussions: Each morning, mid-day, and afternoon, Eagles circle up for mini-Socratic discussions focused on priorities for the day, studio needs, and new processes or heroes to introduce.
Civilization: Twice a week, Eagles dive into history, politics, and economics by putting themselves in the shoes of historical figures at critical turning points in history and debating real-life decisions.
Outdoor play: Eagles have between two and three periods a day of free time outside, breaks that are important because they allow for the release of nervous physical energy.
Visual art: Twice a week, a local artist leads art projects, usually related to the Quest.
PE: Twice a week, Eagles dive into athletics and fitness in PE, followed by a Socratic discussion on sportsmanship, endurance, etc.
Potential Integrations: Many other activities strengthen and unify the Learning Design. For example, Music, Theatre, Yoga & Mindfulness, Community Garden, Sports Teams, Field trips or excursions, etc.
Learn to Be
At Acton Academy we promise Eagles will find a calling that will change the world by:
Learning to learn;
Learning to do; and
Learning to be.
Learning to learn means finding the recipes, processes, and algorithms that help us make better decisions and more deeply embed the right habits of critical thinking.
Learning to do means making practical decisions in the real world to accomplish great tasks as a way to change the world.
But however important the tasks of learning to learn and learning to do, the most important part of finding the Grail in the Hero’s Journey is not the Grail itself but how the hero is changed in the process. This is the essence of learning to be.
We want Eagles near the end of a successful, satisfying, and fulfilling life to have answers to three important questions:
Did I contribute something meaningful?
Was I a good person? and
Who did I love, and who loved me?
As such, we continually stress the connection between daily tasks and “learning to be” or the process of becoming who you were meant to become.
