Many parents are asking me about the philosophy of Agora Prep and likening it to Montessori or Waldorf. Truth is, we espouse many of the philosophies with so much more. We are based on a collective theory of learning. Vygotsky, Piaget, Montessori, Reggio-Emilia, Waldorf, Technology, STEAM, and 21st post-modern life skills like Financial Management, Entrepreneurship, Critical Thinking and Innovation. We aspire to become the first learning environment in Ontario to deliver true Inquiry Based Learning which is backed by science and places the student at the helm of their learning. Coaches, not teachers, are hired on to the team of specialists that will learn with the student and instruct them on how to use proper research methodologies. The environment is flexible, open yet still structured for students who require a routine. It is hard to imagine but it is possible. Schools like these have tremendously succeeded in Europe and parts of Japan.
Now imagine a school where the child is in control of their learning. A unique place with access to technology and all sorts of experiences. If a child is interested in understanding electricity, they will learn about it and create and build a circuit board. If children are interested in plants, then they can explore gardening, aquaponics or hydroponics. During this intense engagement, because it interests them, the coaches can guide them to think about the ‘science’, ‘math’, ‘language arts’, ‘arts’, ‘music’ and ‘history’ content behind it. It is through direct engagement that children can learn. Please read this article for more information on the model:https://phys.org/news/2019-05-inquiry-based-children-real-world.html?fbclid=IwAR3SA5Cgk3JaWIAsk4CkVyrI45PKh7nJZuPTRUK7PuI9Um8ofa2f_rauLK0
However, this is not all. It is important to note that children spend their entire childhood in school. Which means 16+ years of following rules, schedules, and chasing after grades and GPAs. This is not necessarily the main indicator of learning and many students fail to understand themselves by grade 12 when asked to choose their post-secondary study for their careers. Ask yourself, how many times did a current genius and innovator drop out of traditional school?
Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin, Bill Gates, Albert Einstein, John D. Rockefeller, Walt Disney, George Burns, Colonel Sanders, Charles Dickens, Ray Kroc, and Princess Diana are all high-school drop-outs. Please note that many of them are well-known for thinking out of the box. How many schools allow for that now? Are we truly celebrating our children’s potential or limiting it? We are producing generations of convergent thinkers who are all learning one answer to the same question at the same time. We need to focus on developing divergent thinkers with the ability to mentally process and innovate multiple solutions through their innate creativity and imagination. Watch this video to learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmBf1fBRXms
So in my attempt to incorporate 20 years of educational and learned personal experiences, I have amalgamated the approaches in one neat and tidy package. An OPEN and FLEXIBLE CURRICULUM that will still adhere to the objective of each grade level expectation from the MINISTY OF EDUCATION then layer on experiences and an environment that will empower children to learn as fast and as much as they like. This is Agora Prep and I wish I had another 15 pages to tell you about it! If you are interested in enrolling your child or know someone who is looking for an intellectually stimulating and amazing way to learn, kindly share this post! I appreciate you and your opinions. Our website is www.AgoraPrep.com and we are available to enroll students grades 1-8 in our Aurora Campus now.
Please provide your feedback about this philosophy and how you felt in “school” while growing up!
