So, the private, Christian school I went to for the last few years of high school is trying to get accredited, and they need alumni statements about how the program helped them succeed in the rest of their lives. My statement will be one of the only ones that involves graduation from a secular university leading to a projected career path that does not include Christian ministry.
Thinking about that got me wondering what other people who used this program ended up doing later in life. So, if you find this through the tags and used Accelerated Christian Education curriculum, I’d love to hear about your post-PACE life.
For those of you unfamiliar with the curriculum set-up (everyone), instead of working in a traditional classroom setting with discussions and a teacher, students are seated along (facing) the wall, with enclosed desks to prevent interaction/distraction. (Dividers were installed between students, similar to blinders.) In order to translate to both homeschool and group settings, the work is set up to be self-instructed. Each subject is made up of a series of workbooks in which the student reads a few paragraphs, answers questions by taking words straight from the text (the questions are always in the order they appear in the text), then taking a test made up of the same questions. A final test is taken at the end of each 20-50 page book from questions throughout the book, then the material is not brought up again. (There are no cumulative tests.) This is seen to be beneficial because students can work at their own pace (and the books are called PACEs, so there’s a pun there) instead of the fastest slowing down to accommodate the slowest and the slowest foregoing understanding to keep up with the fastest. The grades were wonked out too: anything below 80% was a fail, but if you memorized the questions from the in-book tests, there could be no surprises on the final test.
Here’s the statement I gave for the accreditation:
After graduating from ***, I got my AA in History and English from ****, my BA in History from *****, and am pursuing my MA in History of Decorative Arts from ****. Since grading at *** was results based rather than participation based, I learned effective test taking techniques that translated well into my experiences at *** and ****. The uninterrupted focus on work at a desk helped me learn to concentrate on a task at hand for extended periods of time without distraction.
While it’s true, it’s not complete. Below is a more accurate account of how it actually was. If you’ve used the curriculum, I’d really love to hear whether you agree or not.
Things ACE helped with:
- Test Taking
- Memorization
- How to answer to please the grader
- Sitting silently for 7 hours straight
Things ACE did not help with:
- Long-term retention
- Critical thinking
- Literary/historical/contextual analysis
- Participation in discussions
- Essay composition
- Unbiased presentation
To disprove Evolution, Louisiana Educators teaching that Loch Ness Monster is Real
“It sounds like a plot dreamed up by the creators of Southpark, but it’s all true: schoolchildren in Louisiana are to be taught that the Loch Ness monster is real in a bid by religious educators to disprove Darwin’s theory of evolution.”
Umm…. they also promote sectarianism and the good aspects of the KKK. Yeah. I don’t see an issue with this….
Read more: To disprove Evolution, Louisiana Educators teaching that Loch Ness Monster is Real
Louisiana Private Schools Teach Loch Ness Monster Is Real In Effort To Disprove Evolution Theory
huffingtonpost.comSo, I used to go to two private schools that were a part of of Accelerated Christian Education, AKA ~School of Tomorrow~. (And my mom used the program when I was homeschooled.) I’m laughing but I’m not surprised. Worst education program I’ve ever experienced. (If you can call it education.)
To disprove Evolution, Louisiana Educators teaching that Loch Ness Monster is Real
“It sounds like a plot dreamed up by the creators of Southpark, but it’s all true: schoolchildren in Louisiana are to be taught that the Loch Ness monster is real in a bid by religious educators to disprove Darwin’s theory of evolution.”
Umm…. they also promote sectarianism and the good aspects of the KKK. Yeah. I don’t see an issue with this….
Read more: To disprove Evolution, Louisiana Educators teaching that Loch Ness Monster is Real
18th National Student Convention, Cagayan de Oro City (October 2010)
I’ve never been quite the same since that convention.
I’ve stumbled a lot, yes. I’ve failed God plenty of times since then. I’ve tripped and fell and got back up with bruised knees. I’ve run, fell flat on my face, then continued the path on baby steps. It hasn’t been easy. It hasn’t been smooth sailing all the way. There have been bumps along the road, and I see a lot more coming up.
But my God is with me. Jesus is with me. And nothing will ever separate me from His love. I am weak, but He is strong. My mind is tame, but He is the source of true knowledge and wisdom. I am a sinner, but I am saved. And by the grace of God - and only by His grace - I will live for Him.
Advancing educational outcomes through Education for Enterprise in a Maori/Pacifika school: The case of Nga Kakano Christian Reo Rua Kura Part ONE: Strategic development issues
Nga Kakano Christian Reo Rua Kura (Nga Kakano) is a small private school based in Auckland, New Zealand. In October 2011, a team of business students from Unitec Institute of Technology (Unitec) presented a workshop introducing pupils at Nga Kakano to the principles of business finance and law. The highly interactive workshop engaged the school pupils to such an extent that the Principal, Te Rangi Allen, invited Unitec teacher Peter Mellalieu and his student Aroha Vause to explore how business education could be introduced into Nga Kakano’s educational programme.
As a precursor to pursuing the initiative for introducing what later became known as ‘Education for Enterprise’ (E4E) into the school, Vause and Mellalieu conducted an assessment of the broader development issues facing the school, informed by the principles of Strategic Audit (Mellalieu, 1992). This article presents the issues as identified in October 2011, and outlines the subsequent progress towards addressing several issues through implementation of selected strategic development initiatives.
Top five issues
The following strategic issues defined the ‘top five’ most important issues identified for confirmation and option generation purposes by the senior management, parents, and board of Nga Kakano. The initial set of issues were identified by Vause and Mellalieu through discussion following examination of the Business Plan for Nga Kakano (Vause, 2011, October).
Each strategic issue statement was intended to provide a succinct definition of a challenge faced by Nga Kakano as a basis for subsequent option generation, strategic planning and organization development. The challenge could be an organisation-wide threat, an opportunity, a weakness, a strength, or combination thereof. In framing the issue, care is taken to AVOID suggestion solutions, alternatives, or choices. Outlining alternatives and making strategic choice wasw to come later in the stratgic development process.
The top five issues facing Nga Kakano were identified in October 2011 as:
ISSUE 1: Broadening the funding base for a school with ‘special character’
ISSUE 2: Developing a suitable physical location to cater for expansion in the student roll
ISSUE 3: Embedding education for enterprise across the curriculum
ISSUE 4: Acquiring specialist staff who can harmonise with the school’s special character
ISSUE 5: ‘Right-sizing’ the adoption of teaching and learning technologies
ISSUE 1: Broadening the funding base for a school with ‘special character’
The school runs a tight budget with a balance sheet that provides limited support for investments in quality improvements, development, and growth. The school is funded currently through a modest level of school fees charged to parents. As a private school, the school receives around 10 to 15 per cent of its costs from public education funds. However, the school has a ‘special character’ in terms of its focus on a ‘low-decile’ Maori/Pacifika demographic and Christian values. Given its superior educational achievements for its targeted demographic there are likely to be several opportunities to gain public sector, private sector, and philanthropic cash and non-cash contributions to support the school’s development. One important source is public sector funding from New Zealand’s Vote: Ministry of Education for Schools of Special Character (such as the existing practice for Catholic private schools). This source could provide substantial funding towards a new building, equipment, and staffing costs. The challenge is to prepare the documentation necessary to support applications to these additional sources of funding.
ISSUE 2: Developing a suitable physical location to cater for expansion in the student roll
The current location (2011) of the school is within a light industrial manufacturing/service building complex. The space available limits growth from the current roll of 60 students, although the construction of a mezzanine floor is feasible. However, space is available in nearby units for rental. The current space is a pragmatic, cost-effective solution for the school, but is inappropriate as a long-term ‘home’ for the school. The location is near to a park where outdoor recreational activities can be conducted. Also nearby is Henderson’s Lincoln Road business district that includes light industrial, service, retail, and medical facilities. The current financial situation of the school inhibits the jump to the next stage of growth.
ISSUE 3: Embedding education for enterprise across the curriculum
Education for Enterprise (E4E) offers students feasible, alternative pathways to a ‘good job’ (Clifton, 2011) beyond traditional secondary school educational pathways focused on training for a technical trade or for professional/tertiary education. A three-hour pilot teaching module lead by business students of Unitec Institute of Technology achieved considerable engagement by many students in the Senior Class of the school. (The Senior Class is a mixed class combining students aged 13 through 17 years.) This positive engagement encouraged the Principal and School Administrator/Project Manager (Vause) to begin exploring how to embed education for business and enterprise (E4E) into the senior school curriculum. Consequently, the school became committed to learning and adapting lessons from E4E schemes such as Onehunga High Business School, the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES), and Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE). Coincidentally, a new national curriculum for business enterprise education is being rolled out through secondary schools in New Zealand. Several staff at Unitec Institute of Technology’s business school are willing and able to support the school’s adoption of E4E through its teaching and applied research programmes in E4E.
ISSUE 4: Acquiring specialist staff who can harmonise with the school’s special character
The school employs several general purpose educators and teaching assistants highly committed to the special character and values of the school. These educators are committed teachers giving time and effort far beyond the normal call of duty. However, there is an urgent need to enhance the existing capacity for Maori language teaching and new areas such as Education for Enterprise (E4E). The challenge is to devise arrangements to employ full and part-time people who can contribute specialist teaching whilst also contributing to the development of the school’s special character.
ISSUE 5: ‘Right-sizing’ the adoption of teaching and learning technologies
The school currently utilises a paper-based self-teaching system based on a US curriculum system, Accelerated Christian Education (ACE). The system is cost effective, and simple to implement given the wide age range and capabilities of students in the Senior Class. Furthermore, the ACE curriculum enables students to gain qualifications necessary to enter university. However, resources for learning and teaching are becoming increasingly powerful, interactive, and engaging through the application of digital computing and communications technologies. Furthermore, the work-place increasingly requires its employees to be ‘digitally literate’ in terms of using information technologies to plan and coordinate activities with others. The performance:cost ratio of information technology is improving. However, leaping onto the ‘treadmill’ of technology-enhanced learning presents challenges for the school in terms of maintaining technology. What are the best technology adoption pathways for the emerging ‘cloud‘-oriented post-Personal Computer world of digital technologies?
Developments November 2011 through March 2012
“Why would a fundamentalist school want kids to think dinosaurs might still be alive? They apparently believe this would somehow cast doubt on evolution, a well-established principle that fundamentalists have been at war with since at least 1925. The book in question, Biology 1099 published by Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) in Madison, Tenn., contains the following passage: “Are dinosaurs alive today? Scientists are becoming more convinced of their existence. Have you heard of the ‘Loch Ness Monster’ in Scotland? ‘Nessie’ for short has been recorded on sonar from a small submarine, described by eyewitnesses, and photographed by others. Nessie appears to be a plesiosaur.”
—In the words of Kelly Bundy, “The mind wobbles, doesn’t it?”
