Our 2nd Year, Session 2, Week 2
Iowa Testing!
We started out the week with the Iowa testing! Twice a year, Active Leadership Academy takes the Iowa standardized test. While it’s not a principal measure of growth here, it’s helpful to see the long-term growth of Eagles over multiple years. Standardized tests fail to measure what we care the most about: grit, perseverance, warmheartedness, tough-mindedness and the attributes of self-management and self-governance that make our studios hum with energy and learning.While we aren’t fans of standardized tests, it’s still reassuring to see how well a learner driven community can perform, even when there’s no teaching to the test, because there’s far more important learning afoot.
Mastery Learning
At Active, we use a mastery approach to core skills (reading, writing, math). All learners work at their own pace, and advancement to the next level of material requires mastery of the preceding level. This approach allows learners to take the time they need to understand the material they are working on. Some will advance more quickly, and others will need more time. In math, for example, some students might be working on addition and subtraction, while others are working on more advanced topics like multiplication or division.
Arts and Craft!
The Eagles got to make some Halloween lanterns and craft bats for Art this week!
Civilization!
In civilization, this session Eagles are discussing and exploring Medieval Times!The little Eagles got to explore and learn about England!
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Lemonade Standoff!
The Eagles’ challenge this week:
- Set up your lemonade stand to prepare for our Real-Time Lemonade Stand-Off! Here are some of your constraints:
- You’ll need to spend Studio Bucks for your materials, and only two of your group members may run the lemonade stand. Everyone else will play the role of customers for other stands.
- As a customer, you can spend your money at any stand except your own. Each customer will be given Studio Bucks of spending money by the Guide. Your customers will be spending Studio Bucks.
- The winner of the competition—the one with the most Studio Bucks from this challenge—will get not only the money they spent back; they’ll also win an extra $10 Studio Bucks!
This was their first major test as a company. For the next two weeks, the Eagles will make necessary changes to their business in the interest of improving sales at the Final Lemonade Stand-Off.
Memoirs!
The Eagles are continuing to draft their stories for Writers’ Workshop. This week they got to draft stories about a time where nothing really happened and about eating unusual things.
