Years of educational research have had experts waffling between theories on what’s important in the world of learning and why. Several decades ago, a wave of thought emerged professing that the key to raising and educating a child successfully was to immerse them in complex cognitive experiences from an early age; essentially, flood them with knowledge and do everything you can to push their IQ along. Do this, and you’ll grow a successful human being.
Well, they tracked the human beings reared and educated with this emphasis and, as it turns out, they found that what you know and how much you know has little, if anything, to do with your success trajectory. Rather, there are key traits that are essential to develop for a child to grow into a happy and productive adult. For years, the focus of our schools...our society...has been on the wrong aptitudes. Cultivating the soft skills that comprise ‘character’ is a far better predictor of overall success. THIS is the ‘WHY’ of Acton Academy Marietta. Why is our program so different? It’s because our goals are kept front and center, and our learning design is deeply committed to prioritizing development of tools for success. We look to cultivate - Competency - a learner’s knowledge and behaviors that equip them for success. Community - a learner’s awareness of and connection to the people and world around them. Character - a learner’s mental and moral qualities that will determine their habits, decisions, and destiny. Now, how do we do this? Acton’s learning design is made up of three elements that support the development of competency, community, and character. We do not have a rigid curriculum to be followed in lockstep, but a modular menu of choices so that our learners: ~“Learn to Learn” foundational skills along with processes, recipes, and algorithms. Learning to learn includes developing the skills of lifelong learners such as curiosity, grit, and resourcefulness. ~“Learn to Do” by solving real-world problems both independently and with peers. Learning to do includes project management, organization, and making practical decisions to accomplish great tasks. ~“Learn to Be” by forging the character that is the bedrock of a successful, satisfying, and fulfilling life. This means developing warm-hearted and tough-minded character traits while searching for a calling that will bring joy and fill a need in the world. Building competency starts with Core Skills and moves through Socratic discussions, Civilization explorations, and Quest challenges. Building community involves self-governance, studio maintenance, and a deep connection to others. Building character is woven into every moment of the day; whether it’s finding grit to push through a math problem, using empathy to help friends work through a disagreement, or channeling curiosity to dig deeper in a learning task. With a clearer picture of our ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ I’d love to share a personal note. I’ve recently been considering my ‘Why’ as an Acton founder, director, and guide. The large majority of Actons are started by parents looking for something different for their families. My children are grown, so what connects me to this group of pioneers? At first I thought my ‘why’ was to find a learning space that felt more relevant and less restrictive. But I realize now that the ‘why’ that fuels my passion for AAM is so much more. Our AAM children… ALL children...deserve an environment that sets them up for success. I’m so glad we are teaming up to make that happen! Go Deeper with this article on 7 Traits Kids Need to Succeed (and even deeper with the book How Children Succeed; Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character).
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