An Acton Academy
Media Recommendations
The decision to open a school took over a decade of active research. Since college, both Justine and Chad have been actively engaged in the research and implementation of the best practices, newest trends, and biggest course corrections in education. Below is a variety of media that we encourage you to read/view to gain a better understanding of the contemporary state of education, as well as the foundation of the educational philosophy behind The Seeds Academy.
Courage to Grow, Sanderfer
This is the personal account of the founders of Acton Academy. It details why they started their journey, and why and how they packaged it for others to follow in their path (and thus create their own paths).
Creative Schools, Robinson
The late great Sir Ken Robinson said it well, "In education we need to have high standards, but that doesn't mean education needs to be standardized. Quite the contrary, it needs to be personalized."
Coddling of the American Mind, Haidt
Haidt examines parenting and educational trends that impact learners and families from elementary education to post-secondary.
Cultivating Genius, Muhammad
The central premise of this book is that each individual student identity needs to be acknowledged and valued in order for the educational system to work.
Unschooling Rules, Aldrich
Educational guru Clark Aldrich elaborates on core methodologies that are able to be accessed from a homeschool or alternative schooling approach.
The Element,
Robinson
As Robinson is known to have said: "Life is your talents uncovered." As public schools narrow their focus on standardized tests, many students whose talents lay outside of those perameters are left unfulfilled by their school.
Free Range Kids, Skenazy
Lenore Skenazy discussing the effects of helicopter parenting and the sterilized environment that children are growing up in. Since the publication of her book, she has been working with psychologists and educators alike to begin a movement to allow play, independence, and freedom back into a child's life.
Out of Our Minds, Robinson
In this text, Robinson examines what the end goal of an educational system should be. It becomes clear that there should be great concern in focusing on key, tested content areas (or standards), and giving them preferential attention over all else.
Defies Measurement, Documentary
This is an older documentary that still carries a lot of weight for anyone working in education. It is the story of an amazing school that offered experiential learning and the opportunity to build a close knit community. As No Child Left Behind was passed and testing became routine, the spirit of the school crumbled.
Cult of Pedagogy,
Gonzalez
The Cult of Pedagogy is a podcast with a wide ranging overview of educational trends and practices.
From the perspective of the Acton Model, there is a lot more flexibility in the Learner Driven Model to allow for new ideas and practices to be implemented seamlessly.
Community,
Block
This is one of the foundational texts of a movement gaining traction in public schools called "Restorative Practice". Many of the community interventions at The Seeds Academy are based off of this work, which encourages relationship management and communal discussions that allow for each member to be heard and valued.
RP Handbook
This handbook is a go-to manual for interventions when prioritizing health of the community and educational space while uplifting learners.
The Gift of Failure
Overparenting has the potential to ruin a child's confidence and undermine their education, Lahey reminds us. Teachers don't just teach reading, writing, and arithmetic. They teach responsibility, organization, manners, restraint, and foresight - important life skills children carry with them long after they leave the classroom.
The Let Grow Program
​
Let Grow is leading the movement for childhood independence. We believe today’s kids are smarter and stronger than our culture gives them credit for.
...In fact, kids are “anti-fragile” — built not just to withstand some challenges, but to grow stronger once they do.
