A Perspective on Learning that Matters:
Bringing Experiential Learning to Life to Push forward Learning that Matters
Great to meet with you all. Highlights for me:
- To engage students in "deep learning" they need to be fully engaged in the "real world" of activity (like driving a car) around something they really want to do and learn (again, like driving a car), in all the messiness and complexity of the activity (see https://www.the74million.org/article/after-school-students-are-playing-the-whole-game-in-activities-from-drama-to-sports-to-debate-backers-of-project-based-learning-ask-why-cant-all-of-education-look-like-th to read more about this – and David is highlighted in this article!
- If given the opportunity to do something kids truly care to do and be meaningfully engaged in it, you'll be surprised at what they can do!
- Everything is an experience – but it is the "quality" of experience that determines the learning outcomes. Such as: is the student "genuinely" engaged in the topic and activity?; afforded the examples and nuanced "mentoring" to get better at something?; are they helped to "think" and "perceive" differently to be better at the work/activity (think the counsel you give someone learning how to drive, or do anything really); are they afforded examples of good, modeled behavior and thinking in the activity; is there a REAL purpose to doing something (not writing a 5-paragraph essay for the the TEACHER but writing an op ed to the local paper, or doing good in the world that truly benefits someone else;
- What's the point?: to assist students to develop knowledge, skills, and competencies that are truly actionable and of use that they can employ to actually make a difference in the world; to explore their potential interests and passions; to come to know what they can DO!
- It's one thing to have students engaged in a lot of cool, good projects and experiences – but we really need to be overt and explicit with them about what they are learning and why and how that learning is of true utility so that it "sticks" over time and it is explicitly reflected upon as something they are learning and can be applied and of use BEYOND school! To that end, if I were to stop a student in the hall or the library or anywhere and ask, "What is that you are learning at this school?", what would they say and what EXAMPLES would they be able to provided me of their learning THAT?
- A theme from our conversation: How can I make a difference in the world? What is the difference in the world I want to make?
- Finally .... THINK BIG, but start small. Most importantly, START! Begin to think about your next steps to getting to some new ideas you think can have a big impact on both your students and school community.
To explore more along these lines and the schools I work with, you can review this website: https://www.youcanchangeeducation.org
Here are some of the schools I referenced during the talk.
You can also investigate them a bit more on this website (look under Schools and Programs under "Inspiration" in the header of this site), including watch more videointerviews from the students at these schools.
IowaBig: https://iowabig.org . (And here is the video I shared about the project pool: youtu.be/xpRhalH-Uvc)
BVCAPS: https://bvcaps.yourcapsnetwork.org
One Stone: https://onestone.org
Lyndon Institute January Term: https://www.lyndoninstitute.org/academics/january-term
Mount Vernon Institute for Innovation: http://www.mvifi.org
You can also investigate them a bit more on this website (look under Schools and Programs under "Inspiration" in the header of this site), including watch more videointerviews from the students at these schools.
IowaBig: https://iowabig.org . (And here is the video I shared about the project pool: youtu.be/xpRhalH-Uvc)
BVCAPS: https://bvcaps.yourcapsnetwork.org
One Stone: https://onestone.org
Lyndon Institute January Term: https://www.lyndoninstitute.org/academics/january-term
Mount Vernon Institute for Innovation: http://www.mvifi.org
Here is the video I shared with you
Finally ... I highly recommend this online Blog for keeping up to date with all that is on the leading (progressive) edge in K12 education ... at least here in the states: https://www.gettingsmart.com
One article you might find of great interest, as a private school always trying to "market" you "signature" self is this: https://www.gettingsmart.com/2019/09/why-schools-need-signature-learning-experiences
If you wish to stay in touch, you can reach me here: [email protected]
You can also follow me on Twitter here: twitter.com/chris_unger
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