Discovery Year 8. Session 1. Week 2

Week 2 picked up where Week 1 left off: back in front of the camera for more lip dub filming, critique, and a surprise special addition. Discoverers and Explorers watched their own footage, named what wasn't working yet, made adjustments, and ran it again. The same pursuit of excellence that defined the first week, now with a little more practice behind it. Once they did their final run through they voted on their best work using their rubrics and now the editing is in the hands of the oldest Explorers!

From there, the week turned toward the tools and systems that will carry the studio all year. Learners launched their snack system, starting with a conversation about how food fuels a day: what habits around snack support focus, and which ones get in the way- highlighting that they are empowered to listen to their body and refuel when needed.

Squads took on a tech challenge, recalling the SMART Tech Guardrails together and signing a contract before access to their Chromebooks became an option. From there, Discoverers were introduced to SMART goals- Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Tough- the tool they will use every day to break big badge goals into small, daily steps. To launch their goal-setting practice, they met Richie Parker, a man who learned to drive a car, use a computer, and design parts for a race car team with his feet as he was born without arms. Using his story as inspiration for a hero who strived towards independence, they discussed what autonomy means to them.

Later in the week, they learned about the concept of the Caged Tiger vs the Jungle Tiger, and set Jungle Tiger goals! They discussed about what it means to learn at the edge of your ability instead of staying where it's comfortable. Then they set their first goals, worked, and reflected on how it went at the end of each work cycle.

Much of the week was spent deciding what kind of community this studio will be. Learners began the Contract Game, inspired by Thomas Edison's ten thousand experiments- proposing promises, trying them out as a studio for a few days, and voting on whether they earn a permanent place in our Studio Contract. They established their founding Rules of Engagement for Socratic discussion, held their first Town Meeting, and learned our conflict resolution process. Discoverers role played the conflict resolution process with a guide, using a bit of improv to see what it actually looks and sounds like when two people work through a conflict and both walk away feeling understood.

In art, learners were introduced to Discovery Mountain, the game that will track our journey this year, and began designing the game pieces that will represent them on the board by asking themselves what animal, object, colors, or shapes capture who they are as a hero right now.

In PD (Physical Development) Coach Becca and Coach Reine introduced volleyball! This week they started on learning the warm up and on drills to build basic skills. In the coming weeks they’ll begin playing matches.

In Writers' Workshop, they launched their Poetry Quest with a SOLE (self-organized learning environment) exploring one big question - What is poetry? - and began working with metaphors, the tool they will carry into the free verse poem, limerick, and ode each of them will write this session. To discuss the importance of word choice, they paired up, faced opposite directions and one partner described a picture of a dog to the other partner who attempted to draw it based on the description. Their approaches were varied and so were the results!

There was plenty of play woven through it all this week. Discoverers learned a game called Positive Reinforcement, where one person steps out, the group decides on an action for them to perform, and the only feedback they get when they return is the group's clapping. They also played animal charades and eye tag, and closed the week with squad meetings and character call-outs. Finally, they welcomed back their guide, Ms. Ellen, and the Peak learners who were in Fort Davis this week on their inaugural trip!

Two weeks in, the systems are taking shape and so is the culture that will carry the year in this learner-driven space.