"Practice doesn't make perfect. Practice makes myelin, and myelin makes perfect." ~Daniel Coyle, The Little Book of Talent
Current research is showing us that talent has more to do with the brain's development and less to do with innate genetics. But HOW does this occur? Myelin serves as an insulator which wraps around the wires of our brain (like electrical tape around electric wires) containing the signals, making them stronger and faster. A hundred years ago, scientists considered myelin to be inert and did not appear to react to any stimulation. Now we know they were wrong.
As we continue to delve into our annual theme: The Power of Voice, readings, quotes, current events, and discussions are utilized during Leadership Breakfast to cultivate individual understanding of personal voice.
I recently read the Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin (aka the author of The Happiness Project). I was so intrigued by her insight into personalities and the ways we tend to meet (or not meet) expectations or follow rules…
At ATA College Prep, we begin the year with student orientation where students engage with one another and begin to build an understanding of the culture, content and climate. We introduce the annual theme, which guides us on our learning quests, and we organize lessons and practices that will strengthen each.
This year we are contemplating the Power of Voice. How do we identify our voice, individuate it, cultivate its clarity, join it together with others', and use it as a tool for change?
Learning takes place when a student engages and interacts with new information. They either construct new neuro-pathways through engaging experiences or connect new knowledge to previous knowledge. Sometimes, however, challenges can occur in the processes of learning.
"I just don't get it!"
"My teacher isn't very good."
"I guess I'm just not a good math person..."
A frustrated student can get caught up in these kinds of thought processes, especially when they are feeling challenged by new information. But parents and teachers, acting as caring guides, can help move them forward by…
Congratulations to Bailey on being commended as one of the 3.3% of highest-scoring students in the nation on the 2017 PSAT. His selection index of 223 is remarkable and 11 points above this year's selection index cut-off of 212.
We are all born curious. We are intrigued to make sense of the world around us and within us. The challenge then, of a great education, becomes to NOT educate this curious creativity out of our children, but instead to inspire and nurture it.
Einstein said that his successful theories came from…
Katie Houston, Senior Environment Artist for Bluepoint Games, spoke to CP students on Monday as part of our Guest Speaker Series. In her 20 years in the video game industry, Houston has designed vehicles for C.A.R.T. Fury (arcade)...
Bryan Rutherford, ATA College Prep’s Math and Science Lead, has spent his life learning and helping others learn. From west Texas to Rice University, to Oakland and Austin, Bryan tirelessly soaks up what he can about the world and shares it with those around him.
“I have always been curious, and I’ve always really liked for things to make sense and be comprehensible,” Bryan said. “Galileo said something to the effect that “Nature is an open book, written by God, in the language of mathematics,” and that’s what appeals about the sciences to me: rigorous observation and mathematical description make the workings of the world around us understandable.”
Building a Path from Here to There
Autonomous learning requires self-regulation of knowledge, and skills to prioritize and monitor thoughts, attention, information, time, and procedures. These are the goal-oriented enterprises of executive functioning, and are instrumental in the transfer of knowledge across domains, and preparation for the advancement of future learning. Students with high metacognitive knowledge, who are aware of the purpose and value of learning, become better problem-solvers because they utilize effective executive strategies to self-regulate, strategize, and adjust their behaviors in order to reach a determined goal.
At College Prep, we recognize that brains, much like bodies...
Are we helping students take advantage of powerful tools of technology, or losing them to entertaining pleasures of distractions?
This question haunts me day and night. Yet, the answer already seems clear. Increasing research assures us that the screen-entertained brain begins to rewire and become complacent, and links addictive screen time usage to decreased self-esteem, focus, motivation, test scores and physical performance. This so-called "Smart Revolution" is, in reality, creating a numbingly dumb and under performing generation. Bright, creative, potential-rich students fall prey to the beeping and buzzing poisons of cellular fixations.
Humans are wired to seek...
What is the POTUS supposed to do? What actions make a good president? What characteristics make a good president?
These were the questions posed in Monday morning’s Leadership in honor of President’s Day. Led by Mr. Rutherford, the discussion began…
"What is POTUS?” many students asked. POTUS is the abbreviation for President Of The United States. Little known fact: the acronym began as a telegraph code in the late 19th century.
With that clarification, students began postulating answers...
The digital divide in tech is growing rapidly and cities nationwide are looking for creative solutions that entice kids to code. While there are a number of apps and platforms that aim to do just that, most of them focus more on "gamifying" coding, and less on writing actual code. Once a student understands her first coding concepts, there are few kid-friendly tools that teach a specific language (Python, Javascript, etc.). That’s where Kiwi Compute comes in...
Each morning during Leadership at College Prep, we contemplate lessons of life through current events, significant readings, or quotes from the great minds of significant worldly and spiritual leaders. In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday, last week we set new goals and reflected on this idea:
Life’s most persistent question is, “What are you doing for others?”
Within each of us lies a profound purpose - our life’s mission. It is enlivened by our experiences, our friends, our mentors, our teachers, our parents. These are the elements...
As part of the ATA College Prep Guest Speaker Series, Michelle Segovia, Communications Director from the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance (TOSA), recently spoke to CP students about saving lives through organ transplants.
The Austin Tennis Academy players, parents, and coaches participated in the annual Walk For Water event on the ATA campus yesterday afternoon as part of the 2017 Playing For Glimmer campaign.
A foundational principle of the Austin Tennis Academy culture is giving back. The staff works to surround all students with opportunities to participate in and contribute to the world around them. Last week, ATA College Prep and recent Notre Dame graduate...
ATA College Prep senior Annika Pandey has been named a Commended Student in the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program, placing her in the top 5% of more than 1.5 million students who entered the competition.
Over the first week of school, the ATA College Prep community combined their efforts to try to make a small positive impact amid a large and ongoing tragedy. After thousands upon of thousands were displaced from south east Texas following Hurricane Harvey, the CP community focused on families heading to Austin.
Dear ATA College Prep,
We can’t do everything, but we can do something.
One of our goals is to produce citizens of significance, not just accomplishment. Being a good citizen means being a good neighbor.
The 2017-2018 school year at ATA College Prep kicked off late last week with two fun-filled days of orientation. Beyond the standard class schedules and syllabus discussions, the time together was packed with everything from Woosh. Bang. Pow., to tangled human knots, to zip-lining through the Texas hill-country. Here are a few pictures from the fun.
