“Achieve your potential. Pursue your passion. Fulfill your responsibility.”, is the official mission statement at my former school. As teachers we keep the mission in mind in order to support student learning. I see many of the pedagogical approaches being implemented. However, I could not help but see the importance and connection between student experiential and project-based learning being supported by the professional development of teachers in the area of experiential and networked learning.
Many experiential learning opportunities are supported at my former practice. There are four areas where this is done quite well. Examples are clearly evident in:
Opportunities are provided to support reflection through the means of a ‘portfolio, presentation, essay or report’ (Schwartz, 17). However, in order to support Harward Gardners multiple intelligences – students are also provided opportunities to document their reflections through audio files, blogs, video blog, or artistically. As an example, the Personal Project follows John Zubizarreta’s format of organizing the contents of a student’s portfolio. (Schwarts, 18 & 19)
The role of the teacher is as a ‘guide, a cheerleader, a resource, and a support’. (Schwartz, 9) Ultimately the teacher is a facilitator/coach.
These same activities also apply with project-based learning with our students. An example, which I did not include in my mind-map, is the Business in School project. Students create product prototypes, compete, and present to a banking firm. This is done in both Grade 9 and 10. As this is an activity initiated by the teacher and the products are proposed by the student, the activity is sponsored by an outside organization. (Hutchison, 2) The aim is to develop 21st century habits of mind, which also assists in retaining content knowledge. (Hutchison, 2)
Unlike the challenges expressed by Hutchinson, the lack of experience with inquiry based teaching approaches is not the case at my school. (Hutchison, 2) The challenge lies in helping students seeing the value of doing this type of learning. Many times students have expressed the tasks onerous and longwinded. Teachers need to work on aiding students with their thinking to see that such tasks could allow them to tap into their ‘passions’ and to really demonstrate their ‘potential’.
Teacher learning is also vital in the process of facilitating experiential and project-based learning. At our school, teachers are encouraged to partake in ‘action research’ and support co-teaching partnerships to facilitate their own experiential learning. As demonstrated by Kolb’s learning cycle, teachers engage in reflective observation, conceptualization, and then actively experiment in the class. (Experiential Learning, 3) Along with this PD, teachers are also encouraged to use networked learning. They engage in ‘e-quality, inclusion, critical reflexivity and relational dialogue’ in areas of technology, service learning opportunities with the community and how to develop flexible classroom relationships with other schools. (Hodgeson, 293)
Many experiential learning opportunities are supported at my former practice. There are four areas where this is done quite well. Examples are clearly evident in:
- CAS: Community, Action and Service (Field-based experiences)
- Grade 10 Personal Project (Field-based experiences)
- Grade 10 Month in an Unfamiliar Environment (Field-based experiences)
- Across various subject work through ‘classroom-based experiential learning’ such as ‘role-playing, games, case studies, simulations, presentations and various types of group work’. (Schwartz, 3 & 4)
Opportunities are provided to support reflection through the means of a ‘portfolio, presentation, essay or report’ (Schwartz, 17). However, in order to support Harward Gardners multiple intelligences – students are also provided opportunities to document their reflections through audio files, blogs, video blog, or artistically. As an example, the Personal Project follows John Zubizarreta’s format of organizing the contents of a student’s portfolio. (Schwarts, 18 & 19)
The role of the teacher is as a ‘guide, a cheerleader, a resource, and a support’. (Schwartz, 9) Ultimately the teacher is a facilitator/coach.
These same activities also apply with project-based learning with our students. An example, which I did not include in my mind-map, is the Business in School project. Students create product prototypes, compete, and present to a banking firm. This is done in both Grade 9 and 10. As this is an activity initiated by the teacher and the products are proposed by the student, the activity is sponsored by an outside organization. (Hutchison, 2) The aim is to develop 21st century habits of mind, which also assists in retaining content knowledge. (Hutchison, 2)
Unlike the challenges expressed by Hutchinson, the lack of experience with inquiry based teaching approaches is not the case at my school. (Hutchison, 2) The challenge lies in helping students seeing the value of doing this type of learning. Many times students have expressed the tasks onerous and longwinded. Teachers need to work on aiding students with their thinking to see that such tasks could allow them to tap into their ‘passions’ and to really demonstrate their ‘potential’.
Teacher learning is also vital in the process of facilitating experiential and project-based learning. At our school, teachers are encouraged to partake in ‘action research’ and support co-teaching partnerships to facilitate their own experiential learning. As demonstrated by Kolb’s learning cycle, teachers engage in reflective observation, conceptualization, and then actively experiment in the class. (Experiential Learning, 3) Along with this PD, teachers are also encouraged to use networked learning. They engage in ‘e-quality, inclusion, critical reflexivity and relational dialogue’ in areas of technology, service learning opportunities with the community and how to develop flexible classroom relationships with other schools. (Hodgeson, 293)