Our Dream
Alternative Schooling in Brisbane, is currently extremely hard to come by. There are very few alternative schools, and they are all clustered in little pockets, making commuting unrealistic for many families.
This leaves many Brisbane parents feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to their children's education.
They don't want their child in the mainstream schooling system, but they can't access alternatives.
Homeschooling sounds appealing, but they have to work at least part time, and many co-ops require parents to stay.
That's where Arcadia ALC comes in.
We've worked to make a self-directed learning co-op that's working parent friendly.
How?
We offer a multi-day, drop off, facilitator lead co-op, where children will be able to attend up to 3 days per week.
Families will be able to choose the days that best suit them, which may or may not include Forest School days.
This leaves many Brisbane parents feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to their children's education.
They don't want their child in the mainstream schooling system, but they can't access alternatives.
Homeschooling sounds appealing, but they have to work at least part time, and many co-ops require parents to stay.
That's where Arcadia ALC comes in.
We've worked to make a self-directed learning co-op that's working parent friendly.
How?
We offer a multi-day, drop off, facilitator lead co-op, where children will be able to attend up to 3 days per week.
Families will be able to choose the days that best suit them, which may or may not include Forest School days.
So what is an ALC?
An Agile Learning Center (or ALC) is a grassroots self-directed educational model, that has the flexibility to be used across a huge variety of settings - from a full time "charter" or alternative school, to a weekend camp. It takes inspiration from the Agile business model, incorporating Agile Management tools as a way to develop structure, accountability, set learning goals, give feedback and create change.
Whilst no two ALC's are ever the same, there is a common set of concepts, tools and practices ALC's use to help learners and facilitators flourish.
Watch this video for a quick overview of the ALC concept
ALC's use a metaphor of a tree to illustrate the ALC educational model more clearly.
The Agile Learning Tree
The soil we grow from is trust: in students, in each other, in you. The four assumptions—roots—which ground us are as follows:
From there ALC's recognize twelve guiding principles as tree branches which communities refer to when developing new tools and practices.
Tools and practices are the leaves of the Agile Tree. As a group they help the tree nourish and feed itself; however, no individual leaf is essential to the health of the tree. Some may be useful on a daily basis. Others get pulled out only a couple times a year. And they change! Like leaves, tools and practices have seasons of relevance: they are used when they’re useful, changed when what’s needed of them changes, and set aside when they are no longer of service.
examples include using Kanbans as a way to plan or youtube channels to document, holding spawn point meetings, using a talking stick, having standing meetings, or having a culture committee.
Whilst no two ALC's are ever the same, there is a common set of concepts, tools and practices ALC's use to help learners and facilitators flourish.
Watch this video for a quick overview of the ALC concept
ALC's use a metaphor of a tree to illustrate the ALC educational model more clearly.
The Agile Learning Tree
The soil we grow from is trust: in students, in each other, in you. The four assumptions—roots—which ground us are as follows:
- Learning: Learning is natural. It’s happening all the time.
- Self-Direction: People learn best by making their own decisions. Children are people.
- Experience: People learn more from their culture and environment than from the content they are taught. The medium is the message.
- Success: Accomplishment is achieved through cycles of intention, creation, reflection and sharing.
From there ALC's recognize twelve guiding principles as tree branches which communities refer to when developing new tools and practices.
- Infinite Play
- Agility
- Amplifying Agency
- Culture Creation
- Visible Feedback
- Facilitation
- Support
- Respect for each other's time and space
- Relationships
- Full-Spectrum Fluency
- Shareable Value
- Safe Space Making
Tools and practices are the leaves of the Agile Tree. As a group they help the tree nourish and feed itself; however, no individual leaf is essential to the health of the tree. Some may be useful on a daily basis. Others get pulled out only a couple times a year. And they change! Like leaves, tools and practices have seasons of relevance: they are used when they’re useful, changed when what’s needed of them changes, and set aside when they are no longer of service.
examples include using Kanbans as a way to plan or youtube channels to document, holding spawn point meetings, using a talking stick, having standing meetings, or having a culture committee.
What Is Forest School?
Forest Schooling is a philosophy that comes out of Europe - particularly Germany and Scandinavia. In forest school nature acts as the classroom, inspiring all aspects of learning. What happens each day is very much dependent on the weather, some days may include long hikes, others muddy play or shade seeking activities. Rain and seasonal changes influence what flora and fauna is around, changing the inspiration and sparking different interests with the children. Here's two videos showing what forest school is all about in more detail
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV6YYfQl3RI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9ADLZv7jms&t=175s
At Forest School all participants are viewed as:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV6YYfQl3RI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9ADLZv7jms&t=175s
At Forest School all participants are viewed as:
- equal, unique and valuable
- competent to explore & discover
- entitled to experience appropriate risk and challenge
- entitled to choose, and to initiate and drive their own learning and development
- entitled to experience regular success
- entitled to develop positive relationships with themselves and other people
- entitled to develop a strong, positive relationship with their natural world
This learner-centred approach interweaves with the ever-changing moods and marvels, potential and challenges of the natural world through the seasons to fill every Forest School session and programme with discovery and difference. Yet each programme does also share a common set of principles, aimed at ensuring that all learners experience the cumulative and lasting benefits that quality Forest School offers. www.forestschoolassociation.org/what-is-forest-school/
At Forest School, learning to negotiate risk is a key component, and children are invited to climb, use real tools, build primitive weapons, and use fire, all with training and supervision. When children are given the opportunity to explore risky play, they learn to make their own risk assessments and quickly start to identify and understand risk better in all facets of life. They also build confidence and a sense of accomplishment. The long periods spent in nature at Forest School provides children with vitally important sensory and vestibular input that is sadly missing for many children today, as well as instilling a love of nature and sense of stewardship.
Interested?
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