Over the last couple of weeks of Acton from Home, Acton Elementary has had a tradition of scavenger hunts following discussions throughout the day or after close. These scavenger hunts initially began with guides asking all learners to find objects meeting certain criteria, for example, “blue and round.” However, learners quickly took the reins of the scavenger hunts, making more and more complex criteria for items, such as “multi-colored and oval-shaped” or “purple and from nature.”

Over time, we began to see that learners were taking this scavenger hunt framework and turning it into an opportunity to share pieces of their lives with the group. When one learner asked everyone to find a metal disk, another learner quickly pulled out a coin from Romania, wanting to tell the group about the currency and her connection to that country. Another learner challenged the group to find and share a favorite t-shirt, resulting in each learner (and guide!) explaining the favorite shirt’s significance.

Then the challenges became even more specific and geared toward sharing objects of significance or connected to passions. One learner challenged the group to find something three feet long and carved out of wood, and since no other learner had an item that fit the description, that learner took the group on a virtual tour of his workshop, culminating in a view of his brand new longboard that he carved and put together himself. Another used the scavenger hunt opportunity to take the group through his home and outside to share the stash of walking sticks that he plans to turn into a booth for the business fair. 

This week the studio reconvened after a relaxing and rejuvenating break, jumping back in with a tough question: what is the difference between effort and motivation? Learners agreed there was a difference, but that effort and motivation often feed into one another. One learner posited that effort involves more of a constant push toward a goal, while motivation centers around passion and excitement for an activity. Another learner added to this idea with an example from sports, saying that effort is important during practice and matches, but that the motivation changes and ramps up when you are facing an opponent and the stakes are higher.

Learners then turned to the question of whether effort or motivation is more important in life. Though most agreed a combination of effort and motivation is necessary to achieve goals, when asked to take a stand and pick the more important of the two, learners were split. Some argued that motivation is more important because it can make you want to put in more effort, while others responded that it’s more important to focus on effort because motivation is sometimes difficult to find for certain activities.

Throughout Quest and Writer’s Workshop this week, learners faced challenges that required consistent effort while also leaving room to find deeper motivation. For instance, on Tuesday learners were tasked with adding to their world cartography factbook as they ventured to Europe. While learners were tasked with researching coordinates, major cities, languages, and political leaders, the country within Europe that they conducted this research about was entirely up to them. Further, if they chose, learners were challenged to dive deeper and research border disputes between their chosen nation and its neighbors. One learner found an article about border disputes having to do with native reindeer populations.

On Wednesday, in the midst of our fourth week of Acton from Home, our studio launched the day with a discussion on motivation. The guide started off by putting the learners in the shoes of a track runner finishing off the last leg of a 400-meter dash:

This week, the elementary studio entered uncharted territory: beginning a whole new session remotely. And although there’s no replacement for being in the studio together to embark on a new adventure, guides and learners worked together to use technology to get creative.

Follow the Learners

Entering week two of Acton from Home, learners were faced with a big question: how can we hold an exhibition while at home? Without a studio, we have no space to decorate and welcome parents to. Without being physically together, how can we celebrate another successful session as a group? And without having physical pieces of work, how can we exhibit what we’ve done?

So, the guides posed the question directly to the learners. What would be the best way to hold our Session 5 exhibition?