However, the demonstration of those skills revealed to us that the class as a whole wasnt really progressing at a rate that we felt would be possible. Acton promotes authentic relationships through written promises and covenants that form a tightly bound community around four character traits: Acton learners hold themselves accountable with public exhibitions at the end of each quest and a portfolio of quality work. We are so pleased and confident it is a great fit! Freedom is earned or lost by meeting certain expectations, and in the middle and high school studios, higher freedom levels are not given to those with low peer 360 reviews. Also, we have found that there are sometimes drastic differences in the quality of education at different locations of Acton. The first location we attended was wonderful. . Hands-on Quests for Science, Entrepreneurship and the Arts prepare children for Apprenticeships and real world challenges. I want to end with a positive so that it is clear that we were very happy with Acton. You empower kids to an unparalleled degree. Founded in Austin in 2010 by Laura and Jeff Sandefer, Acton Academy now has more than 250 affiliate schools in 31 states and 25 countries. Socratic Discussions and self paced challenges equip children to be independent lifelong learners. In the morning, learners of different ages are dropped off and have some free time to prepare for the day. Acton Academy admits learners and affiliates of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students via online school presence. We are a private edu. Watch a video about how Acton is transforming education. In essence, self-directed learning has long been discussed as an alternative to incentivized learning, and the two cannot co-exist. With an international scope, Acton manages a robust publishing and events outreach that argues for a moral foundation to the . Their confidence improved. Students set their own goals, manage their own projects, and hold themselves and other students accountable. This is the most amazing school ever. . Acton Academy is in the lower right corner, and you can click here to explore the whole interactive map. Click here for the 2022-2023 Acton Academy Tyler Calendar. However, we didnt feel confidence that our kids kept pace with public school. There were instances of kids lighting things on fire, looking up girls skirts, throwing garbage everywhere, and disrespect to children and adults. They were happy and challenged and built valuable skills. Thus, let's learn from them. Indeed, decentralization of authority and an elevation of the individual is at the root of Acton Academys broader mission. Please, The Forest School: An Acton Academy Reviews. For example, kids that work for months and still have no idea how to actually GET a badge. HOW LONG IS ACTON ACADEMY IN SESSION THIS YEAR? A belief in one's own personal Hero's Journey provides Acton students with a purpose for being and a motivation to continue through setbacks and failures. One of the ways Acton keeps costs low is to utilize education technology for Math and English Language Arts, so that no expertise is needed by educators for what they call core skills learning. Our own public school kids should be enjoying quests driven by their own world-changing passions. To begin the enrollment process please begin by submitting an inquiry. Teaching by lecturing or issuing instructions is not allowed at Acton. As strange as it may seem, ed-tech, health-tech, and futures trading are all enmeshed in one another. The owners of our school and founders of Acton told me normalizing feedback was valuable; and, if Acton was not a good fit, there are other schools for my kids. Acton Academy Cy-Fair is based in northwest Houston. I hope they don't have any employees taking the subsidized Metro to work, or drive to school on publicly funded roads. The school really doesnt like comparing progress to public school or other kids in general. Acton is a unique school where students self-learn the things they need to be successful as adults. The schools in those areas will immediately start populating below. We moved from NYC and right before the school year started, we heard about Acton Academy. Joining the Acton Academy Tribe Acton Academy Joining the Acton Academy Tribe from Acton Academy on Vimeo. Home Explore our Main Campus Find a School Elementary School blog Middle and Launchpad Blog Parent Blog Launch an Acton Join the Learning Revolution Turn Learning Upside Down Adaptive game based programs for core skills Socratic discussions to strengthen critical thinking A fantastic GPA didnt provide me with the skills for self-motivation, or curiosity, as I had been guided by getting the grades. The start-up was not just a school, but also an education technology company looking to create a personalized learning product to sell. The Lip Dub is a full-length music video, with a well-known song "dubbed over." Eagles are responsible for 100% of the process. Our unique approach challenges learners through real-world, collaborative, hands-on projects and experiences, combined with the latest in adaptive-technology. Acton Academy and the Sandefers are featured in the screenshot below, but I encourage you to get acquainted with the overall landscape. When we went for our initial visit to see the school, we werent allowed to go during times when the school was open, so we always felt like we didnt understand what was really happening on a typical day. Each Acton affiliate is founded by entrepreneurial. Owners gain access to detailed guidebooks and over 20,000 pages of learning challenges. The kid immediately came back to the parents crying because they tried to do their chores and the wheel was broken and they needed mom to fix it. They matured, learned to overcome obstacles, and they made friends. Acton learners earn Servant Leader Badges that celebrate the development of heroic character and signify earned freedom and responsibility. Extra time off, low prep, awesome families, amazing kids, laid-back vibe, more freedom than traditional school (in many ways) Cons. They talk to a few students, and get confusing and contradictory instructions. In addition to the core skills being covered, students also have to prove mastery in things like gratitude, creativity, and empathy to show they are truly ready to face the world. When I found it, I was intrigued. Demand for learner-driven education is growing. Loud and hard to get any work done. I hope that in some way my words can build upon the strong foundation they have laid. After leaving the University of Texas Austin, Sandefer launched his own private business school, interestingly enough with Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson as a partner. The first Acton Academy was launched in the U.S. in 2009, serves grades K-12, and has graduated several senior high school classes. through deep socratic discussions about history, heroes, and self governance. Open Your Own Acton Academy within a year from today. We believe each person who enters Acton Academy will find a calling that changes the world.. We are a tightly knit community of life long learners who are finding a calling to change the world. Acton Academy San Diego East uses the latest technology in a self-paced learning environment that is designed to foster responsibility, goal-setting, and teamwork. To start an Acton school, there is a $10,000 entry fee which gets you access to the tools, the name, and the network. Acton Academy East Bay joins a growing network of Acton Academy Schools worldwide. The school uses a self directed learning approach. You may opt-out by. Start typing in the city or country in which you are interested. As of 2022, there are 200+ approved affiliates on 6 continents worldwide. And, while all of these things are amazing, the absolute best part is our daughter LOVES going to school. Our Jersey Village location is at 8350 Jones Road 77065 in a two-story building at the back of The Foundry Church's campus. The Forest School gives its students an experience that they wont get anywhere else. CEO Approval. They ask the adult guide and the guide just sends them back to ask the other students. They were disappointed to discover that classroom and behavioral management consumed much of the school day, and a rigid curriculum stifled their childrens curiosity and creativity. Just waiting for the kid to finally say enough is enough and jump in. In the end, we felt like we were mostly flying blind about our kids academic progress, and we were in for a surprise when we brought them back to public school and found out that they were behind. We just opened enrollment for 2022-2023 for ages 4-16 and have extremely limited space available in our Elementary and Spark Studios. Instead, they grabbed a camera and started goofing around until they got it. Jeff Sandefers fortune came from oil drilling. Over the winter, I put together an extensive map of individuals and organizations in Texas that are operating in ed-tech, social impact, bio-tech, and human capital finance spaces. They gain skill sets that apply to where we are today in the world and are encouraged to dream, explore innovative ideas, and how they would go about accomplishing them.. Acton's primary model, what they are most known for,is that learners are completely independent with only rare interventions from adults. That robust promise has activated the Austin microschool for a decade. Acton Academy is dedicated to inspiring each child to see life as a Hero's Journey, where someone with curiosity and character can find a 'calling', using his or her most precious gifts, in a way that brings great joy, to solve a deep burning need in the world. That's deep learning and brain changing, and arguably the most important tool he will keep for the rest of his life. I can easily see how it would work well with many learners on a daily basis and would lead many of those students to find deep rooted passions which they could hopefully translate into careers. Acton is the leading example of four important trends in learning: This is a BETA experience. Acton learners practice critical thinking and powerful writing and speaking through deep Socratic discussions about heroes, history, and self-governance. Acton Academy Fort Lauderdale is a non-traditional K-12 private/alternative school based in Fort Lauderdale and with a sister school in Prague. Real World Skills Self-Paced Learning Growing Character Is your family ready to reinvent education and embark on a fun and life-changing adventure? Between the non-traditional learning styles, the administration, and the staff, the school is a breeding place for independent, aware, and prepared citizens of the world. Acton Academy Santa Cruz offers a truly different approach to school- one that puts young people in the driver's seat of their own learning. The school is now Ark Acton Academy (Image: Google Maps) Ealing Council 's chief member for education has said she could "write a book" about some of the things that happened at Acton High School before it became an academy and that some of what went on was "frankly pornographic". Acton Academy at Serenbe 255 Prom Field Rd Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30268 770.463.0081 . On the day I visited The Wilder School, a bright, colorful and welcoming classroom in a standalone, home-like building behind the church from which Gregory rents the space, I got a glimpse of how a day at an Acton Academy operates. Heroes will begin to . Ill put it simply: We cried the last day our kids went to school at Acton. Acton students are told they have a minimum number of lessons to do online for math and ELA. Through this, they have begun to question why school remains so similar to their own experience and how this format will prepare their children for jobs that have yet to be created, spurring droves of families to depart the public school system in search of more effective, flexible alternatives, she said. Acton Academy KL is part of the Acton Academy network a growing network of learner-driven . The small innovative school with a big promise is catching on. I was told to trust them and that these systems were being used wisely. After reading, learners lead a Between the Lines literary critique. It is merely to share my observations of what Acton is really like. This principle extends to allowing students to determine discipline issues of their classmates. in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, It seemed to INCREASE personality conflicts dramatically because they were always trying to catch each other in a mistake. The Forest School is a great alternative to traditional schools. Owners enroll their own children and pay a $15,000 fee and 3% of ongoing revenue. We really had no sense whatsoever of if our kids were progressing nicely, or falling behind. I soon realized Actons framework is in strict contradiction to self-directed learning. His love for learning has returned as well as his confidence in school. I remember the first time we had a family event planned on a school day. Just as the search was getting too overwhelming and hopeless, I saw an ad for a start-up school that said all the words; it was going to be as intimate as homeschooling but in a mixed-age classroom. The big difference between Acton and other networks like Summit or Big Picture is that Acton is focused on micro-schools and seems primarily designed only for smaller private or charter schools. After seeing this, I sent an email to the owners of our school with evidence I have accumulated from professors in my Masters work which demonstrated feedback, especially personal feedback, does not have the desired positive outcomes, and induces shame responses. Im proud of the students my learners are becoming. The push for growth coupled with that for-profit nature are particularly a reason for pause. Some kids will feel stressed when the burden of their growth is placed on their shoulders. Acton Academy Claimed 2201 Alexander Avenue, Austin, TX 78722 Contact info Website Private schools are not rated 7 reviews Private school ? A student or teacher with a fixed mindset ignores constructive criticism, instead relying on what they think they already know about themselves. It is more of an "unschool" and thus scaling will be harder. Because at Acton, the focus is not on quality or engagement. I knew this was the right model for our family because it supports whole-child development, valuing equally the real-world application of leadership and academic skills, she said. The Wilder Schools Gregory thinks that the growing interest in private education stems from remote learning during school shutdowns that gave parents a close-up look at what their children were learning. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Knowledge is power. This video provides a peek at life at Acton, focusing on Acton . A guides role is to model behavior that leads to self-directed learning. Acton Academy Columbus is a secular, private, project-based learner-driven elementary school. My children were offered engaging learning opportunities and were supported through the learning process. Free market economics and global competition among human avatars and AI will ensure the lowest possible wages are paid for gigs, generating robust profits for investors in human capital and owners of automated factories and robot-rental firms. We believe children learn best by doing. We felt the kids were left on their own to self-learn to such an extreme that they werent being encouraged to produce their very best work. Organizing learning as skill sprints, projects, and dialogs rather than discipline-based courses; Growth community: a commitment to individual and collective growth; and. A big afternoon block gives learners a chance to take on questschallenging hands-on projects that give Acton learners the opportunity to apply skills. We launched in 2018 and currently serve grades 1 to 9, with plans . We are so impressed with his ownership of his academics and personal responsibility. We believe it is the most nurturing, deep . Guides may offer a morning, midday and afternoon launch, a short inspiration, challenge or introduction to tools or processes. Our first year was a little unexpected due to the pandemic however, it didnt hinder our learner because, virtual learning was already a part of the schools academics. Welcome to Acton CE Primary Academy. Seriously, when my family and I walked out of a tour of the school in the city we moved to, we all literally cried. Acton Academy Bucharest - Home +4 0726 699 808 joomla vector social icons Home About Us Acton Academy uses the latest technology in a self-paced learning environment designed to foster responsibility, goal-setting, and teamwork. Soon after, I started to learn about the agenda for 21st century education, and I saw overlaps with what I was experiencing at our Acton school. I can best illustrate this with a short story. The intentionally limited role of guides encourage self-directed learning and yields a low cost staffing model that keeps the school affordable for many families. The school, an Acton Academy affiliate, was founded by Matthew Clayton, who studied under the late Clayton disruptive innovation Christensen, worked as an analyst for Goldman Sachs, and was recruited to help build the Acton Academy brand. As a parent, I couldnt ask for anything more. Its HUGE (like Texas). archive.is. After a morning of self-paced, learner-directed academic work, the children take a long lunch break and spend ample time outside before reconvening for collaborative, project-based work in the afternoon. This is NOT the school discussed below, but I think my commentary provides useful context for this mothers open letter. Our son is thriving in this learning environment, where kids are encouraged to think outside the box, are allowed to move around as needed, and can have a say in their learning. 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