The Acton Academy promotes self-governance and personalized learning, fostering a love of learning through real-world work and gamification.
Acton Academy empowers students to be active participants in their education, including decision-making processes and shaping their own curriculum.
The Acton Academy utilizes a system of badges and peer evaluation to assess student progress, fostering responsibility and excellence.
Acton Academy values collaboration and individual talents, providing opportunities for students to work together and make a positive impact on the world.
Deep dives
Creating a Unique Educational Model
The Acton Academy is a unique educational model that emphasizes self-governance and personalized learning. Students are encouraged to see themselves as geniuses with talents that can change the world. The curriculum combines real-world work, play, and gamification to foster a love of learning. Reading skills are developed by starting with comic books and magazines and gradually progressing to more challenging literature. The community holds high standards of excellence, and students are evaluated through peer reviews and public exhibitions. Toxic behaviors are addressed through audits and guidance from the tribe. The model cultivates both warmth and toughness in students, resulting in a vibrant and successful learning environment.
Embracing Freedom and Responsibility
Acton Academy promotes freedom and responsibility by giving students the autonomy to pursue their passions and self-govern their learning. The school encourages students' participation in decision-making processes and allows them to play an active role in shaping their education. Students learn to manage their own healthcare, engage in real-world apprenticeships, and take on important work within the community. The Acton Academy recognizes that children are capable of far more than traditionally believed and provides a supportive environment for their growth and development.
Utilizing Badges and Peer Evaluation
The Acton Academy utilizes a system of badges and peer evaluation to assess student progress and achievement. Badges are earned through effort, progress, and meeting high standards of attainment. Students pitch and recommend books for reading badges, contributing to a culture of literary exploration. Peer reviews and audits ensure accountability and maintain the integrity of the evaluation system. The emphasis on peer evaluation and constant improvement helps foster a sense of responsibility and encourages students to strive for excellence in their work.
Supporting Individual Talents and Collaboration
Acton Academy recognizes that each student possesses unique talents and strengths. The curriculum encourages collaboration and provides opportunities for students to work together to solve real-world problems. The focus is not on competition, but on cooperation and positive contribution to the tribe. By creating a culture that values individual talents and celebrates collaboration, Acton Academy empowers students to discover their own calling and make a positive impact on the world.
Emphasizing the importance of resilience and overcoming obstacles
Resilience and the ability to overcome challenges are key traits that lead to success. It is important to recognize the three monsters that can stand in our way: resistance, distraction, and victimhood. By taking the first step and focusing on what is valuable to us, we can overcome resistance. If distraction is an issue, taking smaller steps and prioritizing focus can help. And when facing victimhood, practicing gratitude is essential.
The benefits of experiential and self-directed learning
The Acton Academy promotes experiential and self-directed learning in its educational approach. Students engage in real-world quests and challenges, such as diagnosing diseases or learning about death, to acquire practical skills and knowledge. They also participate in apprenticeships to gain hands-on experience and discover their interests and passions. This approach fosters autonomy, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, preparing students for success in the real world.
Challenging the traditional model of higher education
The Acton Academy challenges the traditional model of higher education by focusing on competency rather than prestige. It emphasizes the importance of competence and practical skills in the job market. Many Acton graduates enter industry directly, relying on the skills they have developed through apprenticeships and real-world challenges. This shift challenges the notion that a college degree is always the best path to success.
Helping individuals discover their calling in life
The Acton Academy is experimenting with a moonshot project to help individuals discover their calling in life. They have developed a series of challenges and quests that allow participants to explore different areas of interest and develop a vision for their future. Through this process, individuals can learn more about themselves, identify their values, and determine their next great adventure in life. The aim is to replace the traditional college experience with a personalized and meaningful journey towards personal and professional fulfillment.
Dr Jordan B Peterson and Jeff Sandefer discuss the k-12 education machine, its origins and failures, and how the Acton Academies are making leaps to correct the system.
Jeff Sandefer is an entrepreneur and Socratic teacher. He started his first business at 16 and graduated from Harvard Business School. Jeff has started and runs many successful companies, his most recent being Sandefer Capital Partners, an oil and gas investment firm with several billion dollars in assets. He has also started multiple academic programs and schools, such as the Acton School of Business, whose students were named the “most competitive MBA’s in the nation” by the Princeton Review. This has since extended into k-12 with the Acton Academy, a cutting-edge program that blends a one-room schoolhouse, the Socratic Method, and 21st-century technology to empower each student to change the world.
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