Category: Uncategorized
-
ALC Network Annual Reports
I’ve been producing the ALC Network Annual Reports since 2018, and it’s interesting to see how the focus and key functions of the network have changed over time. The process of assembling the reports typically starts in the fall, when I put out a call for content and photo contributions from facilitators across the network.…
-
Spoonflower Sidequest
As long as the sidequest isn’t just a procrastination or avoidance tactic (ahem), I always try to lean into it! Doing so over the years has been key to keeping myself creative and stretching. Often the sidequests are related to my work. I scope out prospective field trips, write resource guides, learn skills I can…
-
First 30 Days of School
It’s year… 13. And I’m grateful to have new staff in both schools prompting me to reflect and share more about the foundations of facilitation. For myself, I used to keep a notebook with checklists for each phase of the school year, but I upgraded to using Trello in 2016. I have a “Run [Org.…
-
Summer 2024 ALC Gathering Reflections, Part 2
Reflections are in from some of the 35 folks who gathered at ALC-NYC from July 11th through July 19th for our summer programming! We used the structure of 3 open space practice days, 1 rest day, and then 5 days with kids from the school community running a Bonus School experience. Folks were, as in…
-
Summer 2024 ALC Gathering Reflections!
In June, 23 people gathered for an 8 day learning lab at the Heartwood Agile Learning Center. The hosting team included adults from Heartwood and from ALC-NYC, as well as 3 kids from Heartwood. My pre-covid summer gatherings were designed as 3 training days + 5 practice days with local ALC kids joining to do…
-
The internet is for cats (?!)
Usually I take a break by switching tasks. What I have lined up to switch to as I prep back-to-school documents is a somewhat more creative writing task: crafting reflection documents about the ALC events I just wrapped up. This is the next ideal task. I love to make sense of fresh, recent insights just…
-
Agile E-Book References and Resource Recommendations
In posting the audio versions of each chapter of my Self-Directed Education and the Agile Learning Approach e-book, I realized there was no good way to make sure folks could find the people I was citing without literally spelling out each name and title…so I copied the recommendations at the end of each chapter here…
-
ALC Blog
My ALC blog is abbyo.agilelearningcenters.org. I’ve copied over a lot of content, but some student-focused posts are only online there. I also contribute most of the posts on instagram.com/agilelearningcenternyc/ which ALC-NYC staff use to share shots of our school days, and instagram.com/alcnetwork/ which is currently mostly re-posts from across the ALC Network.
-
Always evolving.
I would say I’m a facilitator, organizer, and learner. Spotify says I do education and philosophy. Pick who you believe?
-
Questions on Repeat
One of the practices from my time in conventional classrooms that still serves me is that of listening for signs that I wasn’t clear enough in communicating. One such sign is when I’m getting the same questions repeatedly; sometimes it means our group isn’t practicing listening very well yet, but 98% of the time it…
-
ALF Page Jan. 2018 Update
How does someone even end up at alf.agilelearningcenters.org? I honestly am not quite sure. What I know is that the page used to essentially be a flyer for the ALF Summer super-programs in Charlotte, NC. As we started to see other ALCs hosting various retreats, trainings, and workshops starting in 2016, the page morphed into…
-
Network Membership Update
“What does it mean to be a member of the ALC Network?”* This question has been following me a lot for the past few years. In the past 13 months, I’ve given it a bunch of intentional thought–often aloud and in dialogue with others similarly exploring it–and I’ve reached enough clarity that I finally edited…
-
“I’m Bored” Toolbox
@catmooy and I opened this old draft blog post and asked people to help us finish it. We asked what people do when they’re B O R E D and they (@kirkorovfan @thewitchqueen908 @serenagermany @simoneboss @theanchor @heartabby @aidenstarwars) helped us come up with this list: Read a book. Play with stuff that’s here. Look at…
-
Naming the Silence
Margins of planners. Notebooks. Arms. Chairs. Bookshelves. Trees. Rocks. Napkins. Any blank space as an invitation for my pen. I scratched out song lyrics and lecture highlights, webbed thought-explorations, inked out feelings I wanted to examine, captured quotes from all my favorite authors, promised friends that I loved them, tested forms and the boundaries of…
-
External Brain
This summer I worked some days at an adventure playground. I was there Saturdays, with two other adults and sometimes volunteers. It was work I really enjoyed, and I have lots of thoughts about it, but the biggest impact it’s had on my ALC-NYC school year life is that it’s where I started keeping a day…
-
A Day-Trip: Franklin Institute and Bresslergroup Debate
Last Thursday morning, most of the ALC-NYC crew headed towards East Harlem for a day of philosophy, visitors, Japanese, wrestling, music, and more. Meanwhile, I texted with my co-conspiritors and packed a notebook into my field trip bag. Learning is natural and happening all the time. I’m generally a fan of our foundational principles at…
-
Earworms
This one is for @thewitchqueen908 @yapyapwizard @pigcraft8 and everyone who went “HUH?” when I used the word earlier… We have our own ever-evolving language at ALC-NYC, and much of it is comprised of earworms. PenPineappleApplePen MakingBaconPancakes I’mNeverGonnaDanceAgain, TheWayIDancedWithYou Cuz,BabyYou’reAFirework It’s a real word. Wikipedia has my back: An earworm, sometimes known as a brainworm, sticky…
-
The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of the Kanban
“Individuals and interactions over processes and tools…Responding to change over following a plan…” When I was first looking for information on Agile Software Development, I found these lines and smiled. It makes so much sense: meet people where they are, pay attention to relationships and dynamics, have tools but don’t get attached to them, plan but…
-
I need a nap ;)
Started the week like this: (Thanks @abram) Mittwoch like this: (Thanks @creeperclaws @heartabby @starwars @beths10 @muffinsthecutest and @pigsfly!) Ended it like this (with woodworking and Minecrafting and improv games and cooking and and…):
-
This week!
It’s very exciting to set up new students with blogs 🙂 Especially when they jump into writing independently, leaving me 10 minutes to write alongside them! We had three students visiting this week. They jumped right into offerings and games with other kids, which was great to see. I spent a lot of time working…
abbyoulton.com 