I've said it before and I'll say it again, these e-learning programs are powerful! I've watched these programs take children from zero phonetic awareness to reading BOB Books in 3 month's time, fill gaps for older struggling readers who are now reading full chapter books, and gamify math, turning even the most resistant young hero into an enthusiastic master of multiplication and division! This week one of our learners completed the entire Nessy math program and will now be moving on to Khan Academy math, something that only 5 months ago wasn't possible as she was barely able to read. Much more importantly than the academic progress is the confidence they're gaining each time they proudly ring that bell and post a badge to their crest, and each day as these skills grow.
Powerful as it is, technology is just one of the tools we use at Acton Academy - one piece of the puzzle. There's plenty of research on the benefits of putting pencil to paper; the physical act of writing leads to improved retention of recently learned concepts.
This week our heroes arrived to morning launch and were greeted by two stacks of Jenga blocks. They were given an "imagine this..." scenario, in which they were a builder and had to choose to build on top of one of these structures. Which would they choose and why? They examined each stack and counted the number of blocks. Interestingly, each stack used 18 blocks, but one was much higher than the other. They decided they would build on the shorter structure as it didn't have any gaps and was much stronger.
"Learning can be a bit like this too," I said. "Our e-learning programs are incredibly powerful, and we've all gone such a long way with them. In order for us to solidify these lessons we must slow down and put pencil to paper, the other important piece of this puzzle, so we can have a solid foundation going forward."
The analogy was well received and we moved into our second core skills block (now deemed "screen-free" time for core skills) with renewed interest and a deeper sense of "why". To help solidify the lessons from their e-learning programs, we've added a new tool to our toolbox; the much loved Waseca program for spelling. In addition to that, we'll continue with our Mammoth Math Blue Series for math, and the Pencil Pathways curriculum for handwriting. The image above of the two Jenga stacks will have a special place in our studio, to serve as a reminder of the importance of slowing down and building that strong foundation we'll need to succeed.
Spark Play continues to be such a special time of day; whether they're playing at the riverside, building forts indoors, or cozying up with a friend and a good book, one thing is certain - their minds are alive with creativity, curiosity, and collaboration. There's laughter and tears, cooperation and clashes, moments of chaos and calm. It's in these very real human experiences, when children are bumping up against one another, where the big learning to be happens. Where they practice empathy, giving an apology, the art of negotiation, compromise, teamwork, holding each other accountable to promises, and so much more. All while engaged in free, unstructured play.
Anyone who's read Laura Sandefer's beautiful book, Courage to Grow, will know that the founding Acton Academy heroes decided on an Eagle as their school mascot. I wanted to honour our young tribe, our founding families, with the same opportunity to decide on the Acton Academy Nanaimo mascot. We began by defining a mascot as something that embodies the qualities and character traits of the "team" it represents. Then we brainstormed what character traits we aspire to at Acton Academy Nanaimo. Together they came up with brave, courageous, warm-hearted, quick-witted, strong, and smart. We then brainstormed different animals and creatures; owls, wolves, cougars, ravens, deer, bears, orcas, koalas, hummingbirds, dolphins, elves.....everyone had ideas to contribute! Each hero was sent home with the list of creatures they brainstormed. The assignment: choose one and provide your reasoning as to why you feel it is the best choice for our mascot. The next day, everyone came in with completed homework and we went around the circle voicing our choice and giving our reasoning. One very interesting reason that came up multiple times was "because this animal lives and works in groups". What a fantastic reason!
Through a democratic process involving only the heroes (no guide votes allowed!) they narrowed it down to wolves, dolphins, and owls. They'll be making their final decision this week and I can't wait to see what they decide! This mascot will be a physical representation of our identity going forward. It's a big task, and I know these heroes are up to it.
In the wise words of the Nobel prize winning poet, Pablo Neruda, "All paths lead to the same goal: to convey to others what we are."
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