History In The Making - Year 3, Week 20
This week our Learners watched on as the 46th President took office, reflected on their time management skills and continued their quest towards engineering bridges and paths for the community!
spark studio
“The new dawn blooms as we free it
For there is always light,
if only we're brave enough to see it
If only we're brave enough to be it” - Amanda Gorman
A portion of the poem written by Amanda Gorman reminds us to continue taking steps forward as we learn to live across lines of difference. Be the light!
We continue to make progress as we move forward and are focusing on goal setting and time management. Time management may be our biggest hurdle as we first must learn and understand how to tell time. What if we could work without wondering what time it is? Could this be the goal? That we become so involved in what we are doing that we forget about the time. Are we in our comfort zone, challenge zone, or panic zone? How does one find a happy medium? This takes time and effort and as we grow we begin to understand how we feel and find ways in which to equip ourselves for success.
elementary studio
Be the change that you wish to see in the world. - Mahatma Gandhi
This week heroes witnessed history being made as we watched the Inauguration of Joe Biden and the very first female, a woman of color, Vice President. As we talked about what we saw, heroes were asked what they thought this meant for our country, and does it mean anything at all. The answers ranged from, “It shows women can do anything men can do” to “Now maybe people will be nicer to each other, because girls are usually nicer!”.
After going through the Presidential Quest earlier this year, the elementary heroes felt they had more skin in the game, and ultimately came to the conclusion that we should support whoever our president and vice president are because they are our leaders and are here for all Americans. V.P. Kamala Harris stood up to the quote above, and became the change she wants to see, and inspired millions of girls around the globe.
By watching this historical event, many of the elementary girls are now wondering what it takes to be president and feel like it’s an actual possibility that they may one day stand on that same stage to be sworn in as the leader of the free world. I can’t wait for my Inauguration Invitations!
middle school studio
It can be frustrating to be a parent of a learner who is struggling to direct their own learning. The simple premise of The Forest School is that we can't learn for others; it's a responsibility they must claim for themselves. Many learners are still early in developing the skills they need to direct their own learning. Here's what we have found helpful in building these skills:
Start with the end in mind. When your learner thinks about the future, what kind of life do they envision for themself? What skills and abilities have they developed? What kinds of tasks do they feel capable of achieving? What kinds of practice will be needed to develop those skills and abilities? It's crucial that learners can identify the "why" in The Forest School approach.
Let the learner own the plan. We, as Guides, can lay out the work learners need to accomplish to finish their Middle School Badge Plan and help them think deeply about strategies and pacing, but the plan has to be their own. What do they want to accomplish by when? What resources might they need to complete this plan? What incentives or consequences will motivate them? What obstacles are they likely to face? What are some ways to overcome those obstacles?
Celebrate successes. Make a big deal out of small wins. This pays huge dividends in building a learner's sense of what they can accomplish.
Encourage a diverse set of resources. What do we do when we get stuck? It can be helpful to have a pre-made list of "go-to's," which can include the best peers to reach out to as well as links to helpful websites, Youtube channels, or articles. Resourcefulness is a key trait of self-directed learners, but sometimes some scaffolded supports toward resourcefulness are needed.
Let learners experience natural consequences. We make no judgement on a learner who is behind on their Badge Plan. In the Middle School, we show learners how their current pace carries over to the timeline for entering High School. Some learners may choose to transition to High School behind schedule, but it's our bet (and experience!) that learners shoulder more responsibility for their learning as they sit with the consequences of their choices.
We're strong believers in our learning model and we take the view that self-directed learners are made, not born. It may take time, encouragement, guidance, and consequences, but we think all learners can get there. It can be really frustrating to take on responsibility for someone else's learning — we know from experience! That is why we encourage you to continue to push the responsibility toward each learner. One day, they'll step up and own it for themselves.
high school studio
From Martin Luther King day to Inauguration Day, this week in high school heroes watched as the 46th President and the first African American and Asian Woman Vice President took office. What a monumental moment in history it was for them.
This week, heroes reflected on their CWRA results and compared them to last year’s results. As we reflect from year one and look at where it has brought us in year two, we know that we are doing something right.
In addition, heroes continued pushing forward on graphic novels as they began the drawing and digital aspects of their novels. During Quest, learners worked out a rough draft of a potential budget for the golf cart path and continue to progress towards the round robin tournament to see who presents to the city council. Civilization was interesting as always. Heroes created genetic engineering catchphrases, global guidelines for genetic modification, and pitched a movie idea regarding cloning.
Self-directed learning is truly the future of education.
-Onward
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