Term 4 Week 8: Camps & Opportunities Week

-

We talk about the value of Camps and the success or failure of the learning opportunities attached to them. If we look at the theory of experiential learning, and transfer that approach to our camps, we may find a basis to use this time as an effective learning process.


Experiential learning is a powerful way to address individual growth and potential, which is commonly a much neglected approach to teaching and developing people of all ages.


Experiential learning is adaptable for individual style, preferences, strengths, direction, etc. As such it is more likely than conventional prescribed training or teaching to produce positive emotional effects, notably confidence, self-esteem, and a sense of personal value and purpose.


People need learning which is adaptable for them as individuals, and also the traditional prescriptive teaching and training focused on external needs, typically of the organisation, or to pass exams or gain qualifications.


It is important to use the best sort of learning and development methods for the given situation. Only a balance of methods can satisfy organisational and external needs, and also help the individual grow as a confident and contented person.



Martin Thompson provides 15 Principles for us to consider.


  1. Learner is central. The learner is central to the process throughout, the facilitator provides the learner with a service.

  2. Facilitation must be light and subtle. Individuals can and do learn without facilitation. Learners learn experientially by reflecting on their experiences, developing personal insights and understandings through involvement in intellectual, emotional and physical activity.

  3. Find/create experiential learning opportunities. A facilitator should help create learning opportunities and enable others to recognise and make good use of these opportunities.

  4. Reactions to experiences vary so don't pre-judge. You cannot predict the learning an individual will take from an activity. Because individuals are personally involved in experiential learning individuals can take very different messages from a single event.

  5. Single events can enable several different learning effects. There is potential for the learning to be at several levels.

  6. Build confidence before addressing attitudes and behaviour. Developing basic skills in a supportive environment is relatively simple, changing day to day behaviour is another matter.

  7. The activity must be real and engaging - not based on artificial impact. A learning activity is a means to an end, not an end in itself. The purpose of an experiential learning activity is to create an opportunity for valuable and memorable personal leaning.

  8. Ensure activities allow adequate and meaningful reviews. An effective activity provides the opportunities for learning with as few distractions as possible.

  9. Carefully reviews of activities are crucial. The learning review is a vital stage of every activity. It should be planned as part of the design, not left to chance. Reviews can take many forms but all must engage the learners.

  10. Accentuate the positives. Concentrate learning and reviews on the positives more than the negatives.

  11. Use stimulating questions in reviews, especially for groups discussions. A review discussion is an opportunity for learners, helped by the facilitator, to develop their own understanding and draw their own conclusions.

  12. Resist temptation to give answers - ask questions only. Don't tell people what they should learn.

  13. Have faith in people's ability to learn for themselves. Believe in the learners: they can and will make experiential learning opportunities work for them.

  14. It's about them not you. Forget your ego. Your success is individuals capitalising on their personal learning.

  15. Get started




Experiential Learning Activities - Concept and Principles, Martin Thompson and MTA, 2008.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Term 4 Week 6: Collective & Individual Intelligence

-
Thank you for your collective contribution to the discussion on Friday – it had me thinking about the power of collective thought which led to this article: Is Collective Intelligence Like Individual Intelligence? by Tom Atlee (2003). The article follows. The capacities I explore here are perception, communication, memory, reflection, problem-solving, creativity, implementation, and feedback. They are listed in a loose order (we perceive first, then think about what we saw, then implement what we decide, etc.). Keep in mind, however, that these capacities are not really separate or linear. Most of them are deeply involved in each other's functioning. But I think you will find it interesting to explore them separately with me here... PERCEPTION - Seeing, hearing, feeling, etc. -- these are different ways we absorb information from our environment, or gather it from within ourselves. This information is the foundation for everything we do with our intelligence. HOW DO WE DO THIS CO...
Read more

Classroom Focus: Learning Styles, revisited

-
As teachers we recognize that each person prefers different learning styles and techniques. Learning styles group common ways that people learn. Everyone has a mix of learning styles. Some people may find that they have a dominant style of learning, with far less use of the other styles. Others may find that they use different styles in different circumstances. There is no right mix. Nor are learning styles fixed. Students can develop ability in less dominant styles, as well as further develop styles that they already use well. Traditional schooling tends to use mainly linguistic and logical teaching methods. It also uses a relatively limited range of learning and teaching techniques, although this paradigm is changing as we move forward. Many schools still rely on classroom and book/document/website sourced teaching, much repetition, and pressured exams for reinforcement and review. A result is that we often label those who use these learning styles and techniques as "bright....
Read more

Classroom Focus: Making considered choices

-
Taking action in ways that address identified issues. This competency is about being actively involved in communities. Communities include family, whānau, and school and those based, for example, on a common interest or culture. They may be drawn together for purposes such as learning, work, celebration, or recreation. They may be local, national, or global. This competency includes a capacity to contribute appropriately as a group member, to make connections with others, and to create opportunities for others in the group. Students who participate and contribute in communities have a sense of belonging and the confidence to participate within new contexts. They understand the importance of balancing rights, roles, and responsibilities and of contributing to the quality and sustainability of social, cultural, physical, and economic environments. The future of this competency is to reflect on the sorts of learning students might need to access if they are to be and become "confiden...
Read more