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Reflective Essay

Personal Qualities

Ask almost anyone in my class, anyone who has been immersed in this community for a good amount of time, ACLC is not a school, it is a family. I have ACLC to thank for fostering one of my most valued personal qualities, that is standing up for what I believe in, an important quality that I intend to continue developing in college and the rest of my life. Just like many other young learners, I started out at ACLC as a relatively quiet kid; everything I saw was in some form intimidating. However, over time the ACLC community facilitated the development of my voice. Whether it was the growing feeling of community, that everyone was willing to listen, or the devices such as Leadership and JC, whose sole purpose was to allow for greater student voice and involvement, I found myself gradually more in tune and concerned with the workings of what was no longer my school but rather my family. I was transformed from someone without much to say, to someone willing to stand up for others and someone ready to openly voice my opinion.

 

New Basics

I think at ACLC the “new basics” I’ve learned are the skills I need to effectively communicate and cooperate with a diverse group of individuals.Learners come to ACLC as per ACLC expectations, leave with an understanding of what it is to be self-directed, self-motivated, quality oriented, an active team participant, an effective problem solver, and an active community member. I think that it’s both fun and challenging that throughout my years here group and collaborative projects were a constant. Learning to work with a diverse group of people is most definitely a basic skill whether it’s in classes or even with ACLC’s Ultimate Frisbee team.

 

Critical Thinking and Reasoning

A huge part of ACLC is teaching learners how to use critical thinking and reasoning. Often times people will then look at the content that we use for project based learning such as elaborate engineering projects in math or science, for example cardboard boats, solar cookers, bridges, etc. And not to say these are not important, but I think people underestimate the thinking and reasoning that ACLC teaches in terms of organization and management of things other than projects. I’ve always thought that at ACLC, one of the principal values that get drilled into you is how to effectively manage your time and resources. This is especially important for the aforementioned projects and a skill that I think I’ve acquired from my experience here.

 

Interpersonal Ability

Interpersonal ability is one of my favorite topics for Learner Led Conferences. Often times I like to reflect upon how older learners made my early ACLC experience for me and that I hope to do the same for the younger learners that come after me. Group projects are one thing but being generally supportive and encouraging, creating a comfortable atmosphere for younger and older learners to collaborate and coexist is what I strive for and mixed grade field trips and Hannah Camp helped me to increase this ability.

 

Technology

Technology is without a doubt one of ACLC’s signature aspects. Often times there is always a computer within arms reach and facilitators consistently try to integrate forms of technology into their lessons to enrich and enhance the experience. With the PiE robotics team at ACLC I was introduced not only to an great team but an enlightening program as well. As part of the task we had to carry out, the program introduced me to programming. Although today, ACLC’s technology might not be the top of the line, the facilities and facilitators have effectively taught me how to use technological resources to their fullest.

 

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