How do we motivate young learners to embark on a hero's journey and learn at a much faster pace than a normal elementary school? By standing on the shoulders of 400 years of leadership theory. The work of Taylor, Skinner, Maslow, Herzberg, Jung (my personal fav), and McGonigal represent a wide gamut of individual/group and intrinsic/extrinsic types of motivation. At Acton Academy, we believe in ALL the theories of motivation and offer a bit of each. We make time to invest in relationships and nurture the identity of the community, emphasizing the idea that we’re all on a Hero’s Journey. Constantly, there are choices proposed, and those choices have consequences. Gamification is used in a fun way for each studio to work together. Starting in the Elementary Studio, there are badges to earn and freedom levels to achieve.
During week #3, we layered in an Acton accountability system in the Elementary Studio: Eagle Bucks, a system that allows learners to use a bit of extrinsic motivation to hold one another accountable.
In short, Dominick and I have the pleasure of being on a never-ending search for the perfect combination of extrinsic and intrinsic inspiration for each individual. The growth that comes as a result is priceless.
