acton academy palm harbor private school charter microschool
acton academy palm harbor private school charter microschool
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    acton academy palm harbor private school charter microschool
    acton academy palm harbor private school charter microschool
    Find a Calling. Change the World.
    • About 
      • Our Approach
      • Blog
      • Apply
    • Studios
    • Family 
      • Parent Tribe
      • Calendar
    • …  
      • About 
        • Our Approach
        • Blog
        • Apply
      • Studios
      • Family 
        • Parent Tribe
        • Calendar
      Schedule A Tour
      acton academy palm harbor private school charter microschool

      You know you’re at Acton when...

      The joys of a learner-driven studio.

      Are you wondering what's inside an Acton Academy Studio?  

      You know you are visiting an Acton Academy Learner-Driven Community when:

      You see and hear:

      1. Evidence of the Hero’s Journey

      • Frequent references to the Hero’s Journey and callings
      • Use of Growth Mindset language
      • Acknowledgment of the necessity to fail early, cheaply and often to learn
      • Parent Meetings at least 3x per year, focusing on parents’ own Hero’s Journeys

      2. Self-governance and self-management

      • Studio Contracts visible on the walls
      • Eagles set daily SMART goals
      • Eagles hold each other accountable to Contract promises (Eagle Bucks, Growth Mindset language) and take their community issues to Town Hall
      • Visible schedule with large blocks of time

      3. Accountability and celebration of progress and hard work

      • Public Exhibitions at the end of every session
      • Badges approved according to “Standards of Excellence” 
      • Weekly points and SMART goals
      • Customer satisfaction surveys at least twice per month shared with Eagles and parents

      4. Eagles “Learning to Do”

      • Hands-on Quests to discover gifts
      • Socratic discussions in launches and Civilization
      • Khan, Dreambox and other game-based tools to allow Eagles to learn at their own pace
      • Eagles choosing to “drop everything and read” (DEAR)
      • Writers’ Workshop and peer-reviewed writing
      • Apprenticeships in upper studios

      5. Eagles “Learning to Learn”

      • Overarching Question posted on the wall
      • Journey maps posted on walls (Quests, Writer’s Workshop, Civilization)
      • Eagles learning clear processes for getting things done, often posted on walls (writing processes, critique processes, conflict resolution processes, etc.)
      • Public posting of work and comparison of world-class examples
      • Feedback systems and deliberate practice
      • Nest Cams to capture visual patterns over time

      6. Eagles “Learning to Be”

      • Character Callouts 
      • Servant Leader Badges or another way to intentionally develop heroic habits
      • Squad Leaders or Running Partners/Teams
      • Collaboration Cards or another system for purposeful collaboration
      • 360 Peer Reviews or another system for feedback on Eagle’s warm-hearted and tough-minded character development

      7. Socratic Guiding

      • Guides only respond to questions with another question or a choice
      • The flow of the studio doesn’t revolve around the Guide; Eagles don’t look to Guides as their primary help 
      • Guide can disappear for extended periods of time, and nothing changes
      • Studio isn’t organized around a teacher desk
      • No examples of: Teaching or lecturing by Guides, Grades or grading by adults, Shaming behavior or language or a condescending tone, Fixed mindset language, Guides making announcements in front of the studio

      8. Language that affirms the method

      • Young people referred to as “Eagles” (mascot), “Heroes,” or “Learners,” and not as “students,” “kids,” “boys and girls,” or any other form of the diminutive
      • Adults referred to as “Guides” and not “teachers”
      • No reference to grade levels (“fifth grade”)
      • “Learn to Learn, Learn to Do, Learn to Be” instead of edu-speak like “developmentally appropriate,” “classroom,” “instruction,” “gifted & talented”
      • “Learning” instead of “teaching”

      A Note: “Excellent” work meets one of these standards: (1) Is this your best work?; (2) Is it better than last time?; (3) How does it compare to a world-class example?; or (4) Has it won an outside competition? Badges largely approved by peers or upper-school Mentors instead of Guides.

      Ready to read more?  Check out:  FREEDOM AND STRUCTURE: A SYNCHRONOUS PAIR 

      Freedom and Structure: A Synchronous Pair by Laura Sandefer

      https://www.actonacademyparents.com/freedom-and-structure-a-synchronous-pair-at-acton/

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