Experiential pedagogy education (EE) occurs naturally in the course of the design student collaboration. This form of learning, collaboration, which I will define and discuss later, requires that specific conditions be met. Absent are long periods of valuable classroom time listening to the soporific teacher lectures, doing rote tasks, spreadsheets, or suffering through sweltering flashy segments of reading textbooks. EE, as I found out in my classroom, engage students - even those with a history of being disruptive and / or non-participation. EE percolating with chemistry student individuality and beliefs, it integrates academic learning with the development of social skills.
There are two ideal framework for EE in the K12 age group. One is an organized outdoor. A camp where certain types of EE activities are a good example. The second type is a K12 classroom, and this may also be an excursion outdoors. In both environments, there must be opportunities to perform design student cooperation activities, which have five stages, which I will discuss later.
Come experience teaching education right
Most importantly, students need to be on board to use EE. It may sound redundant, but to the extent that teachers struggle with classroom management, chances are they will have to contend with EE also. Why? EE moves the majority of the activity from teacher to pupil. The teacher takes on a role of moderator instead of a wise sage. In a classroom where there is mutual respect between teacher and students, there will be little cooperation from the students - much less curiosity about learning.
From my experience and what I understand from interacting with other K12 teachers, there is little chance EE can germinate in a classroom where the teacher, 1) does not consistently define and enforce clear processes and procedures, 2) fail to praise the students' behavior as much or more than the attention paid to disruptive behavior, and 3) lacks the ability to thoughtfully manage a group or individual discussion by using questions to carry out specific learning objectives. With the right teacher involvement and pedagogy, the "trouble maker" students break the mold, as they dive into learning and work effectively with other students. I have been enjoyable experience more than once with my own eyes and ears.
Establishment of EE require the right type of lesson plan, but I want to offer a warning to teachers. It is not wise to throw your class with a heavy EE session when you are introducing this type of student collaboration work. You know your students - their strengths and weaknesses - in academics and social skills. You recognize the aggressive individuals, those who are conservative, and those of the familiar, but afraid to talk. You will find the alchemy of EE would change students real over time. But throwing them in the group, which overwhelms their social and professional skills can make them tired and delete self-confidence. Start your EE strategy with small projects and simple tasks that allow you and students to test the water without being swamped.
Tools necessary to perform experimental teaching
Let us examine the basis of EE - the lesson plan. A vein. With a sturdy OAR a class can be managed in the right direction. The litmus test for EE projects, whose results are not implemented as OAR to be adjusted. Period. There is no mystery whatsoever at this point.
Objective (s)
Clear and precise explanations must be posted where students can see them in class. I use questions instead of statements, but if you can do that will depend on your school policies. Mine is written on a small white board that I hang on the front wall of the classroom. After we have finished examining the questions, I will upload 'me to the poster paper and hang' me on top of the walls. I have been told by students that helps them to organize the concepts that we uncover.
Activities and assessments
An activity is the student performs in order to examine the data, drawing conclusions, making / produce something, and sometimes present it to the rest of the class. When students work on their first EE project, I have the tasks they need to do an activity written on the blackboard. When we have done some of the projects I stop delivery of the tasks and ask students to provide information about the tasks they completed, which took them to their conclusions or products. When we make a "same-different" exercise, I will prompt students to review the functions of different groups out. It opens the door to explore the concept (s), we are studying together to discuss how the groups might think differently, the same thing, and why.
There are different ways to make formal assessment and non-formal evaluations used during EE. You will discover what works best for your class and students. A few examples of non-formal: the teacher actively monitors group work and learn to have conversation with someone in a group or with the whole group, with different types of reflections, student presentations, giving students the time to do "tickets out of door, "and so on. There is always the predictable formula assessment: multiple-choice test, essay test, or criteria reference test (CRT). Or, my favorite, using a rubric designed for this specific project to evaluate students' work.
Resources: The materials required to complete specific tasks.
EE projects can be very liquid and have a good grip on your OAR will keep the lesson from unraveling. I keep three ring binders to keep my gold - my daily lesson plans. At each level I write OAR detail. I scribble notes on it at lunch and the end of days when I discovered what worked, what did not work and what I need to adjust. I will be the first to concede that one lesson, including EE projects do not always go as I expect. I know that being quick on his feet to keep up with the students is required. But my ability to sense that unexpected shifts smoothly and handle it means I'm learning too, which is a demonstration to the students that learning never stops, nor thinking.
I am a big fan of critical thinking. Fellow teachers, we have all been taunted with, "Why do I need it, we study later in my life?" My answer is something like: "Are you going to think later in life? Is it possible you will enjoy becoming a better thinker when you are older?" Then I will take a few minutes to specifically point out how project, lesson or task, we did want to build special thinking they can use later. I can not teach what I do not think. If I can not see a student in his eye, and to articulate her / him with 100% sincerity, how they'll benefit later in life from what we do today - so I do not have to teach. That is why I always choose to respond to those who teases with specific information about critical thinking - all can benefit from better thinking.
Design your experience pedagogical training project
In the case with most endeavors in life, you have to have a plan before embarking on an EE project. These five are the measurable steps I use to segment work: setup, investigation, manufacture a product, critical thinking and reflection. Configuration step sets the tone and prepares the students with what is expected of them and have a drill to explore concepts and ideas they can use in the next phase. The study process students undertake tasks to gather information that ultimately leads to making a product. The critical thinking phase, perhaps most importantly, gives the students time to analyze their performance based on specific teacher asks. Student reflection is useful to reinforce learning, and are easy to implement. For example, "Write down three things you have learned and the two questions you have on what your group included in the project work today." After I review their answers, I return them.
The next step is to identify the activities and tasks for use in phases. To start, let us look at some common cooperation activities: discussions, take notes, computer work (web quest, case study, online games, virtual worlds, slide presentations, create web page), or making a product (poster , a book, foldable, Skit or play short video). Once you know the activity of a phase you can define the task (s) students will do. These tasks, at least some of them will be used in your rubric that assesses the group's work.
I keep my boxes pretty simple, I typically include a maximum of five or six tasks for grading. Because you are a facilitator now, no sage, during the project, you want to support students build their skills in gathering information, communicating with employees, and analyze the results to solve problems. When students ask a question instead of answering it, you might consider rewording the question and look for another student in the same group. Or repeat the question and send it to another group. Since the whole class hear the discussion, then everyone benefits from the center. The goal is to promote student discussion and verbalizations of ideas. As time passes, your skill in this incentive to be more comprehensive, so you can tie points from the previous class work and future class work in the question that helps students to combine the basic concepts.
I have an operational note on running discussions through questions. When you ask a question, be sure to wait and let the students answer - or let other students help to answer the question. It's easy, and robs the students to think and cooperate, to ask a question and then keep talking. I know I've done that too many times. It's harder to ask a question and then - be quiet - gives plenty of time for students to answer. It takes time to find the map for this kind of questioning and as you walk the students will travel with you.
I found that staying organized is a useful tool to reduce confusion. When I was in business plans were always required. When I came into teaching to make plans forward. In the students' project work, I keep my level close to, most likely it will always need some fine tuning. Below is a sample project timeline that I want to share, along with a sample rubric. I know that nothing is set in stone, but plans to establish direction and reference points.
Timeline
To look at the timeline view the article on http://www.educationreporting.com/article-how-to-teach-with-ee.htm.
Planning an effective project, means to remember that a driving force in delivering prisoners student awareness lesson material as they deem appropriate. For example, you may wonder about the relevance of EE project example. In brainstorming segment that I am up students to explore ideas they can use later in the project by asking them to write down two processes, two different patterns, and two features that contributed to the dismantling of the neighborhood around the school. They had to stop and consider the neighborhood in a familiar yet industrious manner.
Rubric
The score earned by rubric assigned all students in a group. Students need to understand that from the start. And you need to implement a policy of being a student is absent. My policy was that when students miss a session / day, they start again in a new group when they return with the other missing students. Yep, it's a tough policy to deter is missing, and it works. Students make an extra effort to get to class on project day.
Problem: Brain storm session
1 point: Does not produce three results
2 points: Produced three results
3 points: Produced three outcomes and all group members participated
Problem: Four living factors
1 point: Not completed within the prescribed period
2 points: Completed on time and not all white table format was followed
3 points: Completed on time, all students participating, and the white table format was followed
Assignment: Class presentation
1 point: Do not completely white board
2 points: Completed white board presentation
3 points: Completed white board in the proper format, all group members wrote the board, all members of the group spoke at the presentation
EE is propelled with a comprehensive learning design that traditional teaching does not contain. EE projects properties include 1) building skills in conducting investigations and drawing conclusions, 2) building communication and argument / discussion skills fill in complicated conversations - discerning ideas and facts - and seen in public by presenting their product to the group peers, and 3) preparation of a product with peers, offers skill building in developing creative ideas. Have done hundreds of EE projects with classes, I've seen quite amazing transformations occur very naturally in the students during a school year. Based on my successful project management career with Fortune 100 companies, EE project work preparing students with valuable 21st century job skills.
Summary
I have never gone into a K12 class thinks the student is a blank slate and ready to learn. The whole idea is so old school and off course for today's classrooms. But students have the curiosity and energy to maintain something that they decide to engage in. I think that EE projects are the secret to achieving that commitment. From my teaching experiences, I know every teacher who really practices EE in their teaching, will see a positive difference immediately. These types of projects are matrixed social and learning situations, a perfect occasion to inspire the key cognitive skills and positive behavioral habits that grow lifelong learners.
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