Experiential Learning in Pyramid Club - Essay Example

Experiential Learning in Pyramid Club Experiential learning in Pyramid Club SECTION Introduction and Background to the Organization Experiential learning involves supporting students in applying their knowledge and understanding in real-world situations, and this is what I found at Pyramid club. It happens in the presence of an instructor who facilitates the learning process. I found the library, classroom, and laboratory in a school can serve as appropriate settings for this learning process. It can occur through interrelated activities like experiments, art projects, problem-based studies, and guided inquiries. It is true that learning becomes convincingly powerful when students are given opportunity to learning in original and natural environments. From the first instance, I found out an individual should engage in authentic, formal, guided, and real experiences to acquire a range of skills and insights to influence learning outcomes. Importance of Experiential Learning Experiential learning remains inevitable in modern society because it imparts skills and knowledge that ensure students remain competent to achieve real world success (Beard et al., 2006). Today, people are clamoring for education that gives students competencies for real world success. Experiential learning provides a valuable opportunity to prepare students for future careers and professions. The mission of education is bridging the gap between theory and practice, and this is achievable if the learning environment creates a powerful connection between experiential and formal curriculums. Experiential learning is associated with student motivation (Beard et al., 2006). Today, modern society is preoccupied with identifying and isolating incentives to encourage learning and reading. Many models continue to fail, but curriculums employing experiential learning provide conditions to support student learning maximally. Increasing children motivation to learn is done through engagement in the learning experience as witnessed in experiential learning. Moreover, experiential learning provides students with the opportunity for feedback and practice, which are critical factors in motivating children. Finally, experiential is the only means of creating life-long and self-directed learners (Beard et al., 2006). At childhood, learning reinforces its impact on children in the future. Students are exposed to unfamiliar experiences and situations, but through interacting with the environment, they manage to develop new concepts and skills to handle their unfamiliar experiences and situations (Nevid, 2009). In the Experiential Learning Model (ELM) proposed by Kolb (1984), the learning process is composed of four distinct, but related elements namely observation and reflection, formation of conceptual ideas, concrete experience, and testing experience in new environments (Sharan, Shachar & Levine, 1999). As they noted, the learning cycle can begin in either stage and should be considered a continuous spiral. In learning, an individual must possess four abilities that include reflective observation abilities, concrete experience abilities, abstract conceptualization and experimentation abilities. It is normal for people to develop strengths in one of the four poles, but rare to find individuals who develop all strengths. However, the learning process and its adaptation to changing circumstances in the environment relies on concrete experience and feedback in altering theories and practices (Sharan, Shachar & Levine, 1999). In his Learning Style Inventory used to measure people on a spectrum between abstract conceptualization and concrete experimentation; reflective observation and active experimentation, Kolb identified four distinct learning styles. These learning styles led to four distinct learners namely convergers, divergers, assimilators, and accommodators. Convergers were powerful in application of ideas in real situations with objectivity. It is because of their narrow interests and deductive reasoning. However, divergers are better at seeing events from varying perspectives through strong imaginative abilities and broad cultural interests (Sharan, Shachar & Levine, 1999). Assimilators contrast convergers because of their inductive reasoning skills that prioritize conceptual ideas. Finally, accommodators are exceptional at doing things thus risk takers. They have ability to solve issues through intuition and can react to emergencies. Organization Background: The American School in London The American School in London is a leading independent and coeducational center for at least 1200 international students from kindergarten and through to grade 12. The educational institution is located near Finsbury Park, at the heart of London, and provides students with opportunities to take advantage of the awesome city by engaging in its cultural, artistic, and historical venues. Moreover, at The American School in London, students are introduced to experiences and backgrounds that will create international citizens in the future. The school provides equal opportunities to students through a single American curriculum taught by a competent faculty in one of the great cultural centers in the world. The institution manages its cultural diversity by insisting on extra-curricular activities in assisting students discover and develop talents. From arts to athletics, community service and language study, the range of programs from high, middle, and lower schools create avenues for student success. Mission Statement The educational institution strives in developing intellect and character of every student by teaching outstanding American curriculum with a worldwide perspective. Education Philosophy The American School in London has a range of principles and guidelines that influence its activities and operations to comply with educational standards in Europe. An important philosophy at the school is superiority of American education system. The administration argues many educational systems in modern society only improve the intellect of students, but fail to develop their character. An American curriculum influenced by liberal principles encourages experience learning that develops individual character to improve learning outcomes in various situations. Therefore, the school does not limit learning ability to one dimension such as intelligence, but offer opportunities for student to learn and improve their learning through experience in different situations. The American School in London also focuses on providing education with a global perspective. Today, the spread of globalization due advances in technology, transport, and communication is increasing cultural diversity in the world. Therefore, an educational curriculum should strive to impart real life skills and abilities to enable students adapt and survive in various world situations. Organizational Structure At the school in Central London, there is a two-tier organizational structure. At the top of the organizational structure are the Board of Trustees and Board of Directors. The board of trustees is made of former and current parents charged with setting school policy. The board is organized and headed by a chairperson and consists of seven standing committees. The standing committees consist of Administration and Finance, Buildings and Grounds, Diversity and Management, Advancement, Investment, Executive, and Trustee Affairs. The Board of Directors consists of members of the Executive committee. They include head of school, director of finance, curriculum and instruction, operations, technology, advancement, and HS, LS, and MS principals. Below the two-tier system are employees in various department charged with duties and responsibilities in respective departments. SECTION 2: An Account of Your Experiential Learning  Carrying out experiential research in educational institutions is a lengthy process that involves a range of activities from preparation to execution and implementation. It was necessary to choose an appropriate school with complete and comprehensive pyramid programs before carrying out the experimental research. This factor influenced choice of the above educational institution. Correspondence was necessary, and I sent a letter to the institution requesting to carry out this research. The research was mutually beneficial because it would provide the institution with insights to reinforce the impact of pyramid clubs on learning outcomes (Sugar, 2002). Moreover, this research would significantly contribute to academic literature supporting experiential model in achieving an all rounded education by providing evidence-based research. After acknowledgement to carry-out research, I organized a meeting with relevant staff, especially teachers to explain the intentions and expectations of the exercise. It was necessary to bridge classroom learning with experimental learning in order to encompass teachers in the research program. In order to harmonize school activities with the research exercise, it was important to assign roles to participants in the setting. The research is based on observation thus the teachers and students are assigned different roles in the study. The research was timely because I found a new pyramid group. As a result, I engaged in numerous activities and was responsible for various tasks in the group. One important activity at the pyramid club was helping the students to choose the name of their club (Sugar, 2002). Moreover, I was also involved in generating the rules and guiding principles at the club. The second week at the club was full of activities. I was part of a team engaging in many games with children, such as sharing food, singing, drama and arts. For instance, the cycle time was a favorite activity at the club (Sugar, 2002). The circle time was not limited to games, but was important in solving challenges students experienced in school. I was part of a talking session where children were encouraged to find ways of addressing problems at school such as bullying and share with others their concerns and worries at school. Through the different roles and activities at the pyramid club, it was possible to interact and socialize with students from elementary school. The experiential research was in line with my personal development goals in the future. I love children and would engage in any activity to ensure their growth and development (Sugar, 2002). A career in child psychology in will offer an opportunity to assist this portion of the population in becoming better individuals in the future. By offering a broad framework to exploit their multiple intelligences, I will enable children to acquire essential skills and knowledge to overcome life challenges in the future. In realizing this career objective, it is important to develop personal and academic skills to gain relevant knowledge and experience. In improving my experience with children, it is important to join a child organization as a volunteer to gain relevant experience regarding child behavior patterns and predispositions. Moreover, I intend to pursue education and obtain a doctorate in psychology, especially clinical psychology to gain relevant knowledge to deal with this group. There are many learning theories that explain various ways people learn in the environment, and applied in various circumstances and situations. An appropriate theory supporting experiential learning is a theory of cognitive development. Theory of cognitive development was proposed by Jean Piaget and provided a comprehensive nature of human intelligence. According to Piaget, childhood was an important and vital stage in the growth and development of intelligence, and children learnt through exploring things by doing. This theory focuses on the belief, memory, reason, and perception. Even though it is considered a developmental theory, Piaget focused primarily on how knowledge was acquired, constructed, and utilized by humans. The process of developing multiple intelligences involved the reorganization and reconstitution of mental processes resulting from environmental and biological influences. According to Piaget, children constructed an understanding of their surrounding environment and experienced inconsistencies between the things they already knew and their discoveries in the environment. It provided an opportunity to engage in behavior to balance both the biological and environmental influences, and cognitive development was a determinant of this ability. In this theory, Piaget divided his cognitive developmental stage into four distinctive stages namely sensorimotor stage, pre-operational stage, concrete operational stage, and formal operational stage. During the sensorimotor stage, children and toddlers gain knowledge through manipulating objects and sensory experience while pre-operational stage involves students learning through play, but logic is used in making judgments about others. In concrete operational stage, children engage in abstract and hypothetical reasoning while formal operational stage they use deductive reasoning and engage in more reasoning that is logical. Here, they can understand abstract concepts, and it is apparent this theory is appropriate for experiential learning models. References Beard, C., Beard, C., Wilson, J. P., & Dawson Books. (2006). Experiential Learning: A Best Practice Handbook for Educators and Trainers. London: Kogan Page Ltd. Nevid, J. S. (2009). Psychology: Concepts and Applications. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. Sharan, S., Shachar, H., & Levine, T. (1999). The Innovative School: Organization And Instruction. Westport, Conn: Bergin & Garvey. Sugar, S. (2002). Primary Games: Experiential Learning Activities for Teaching Children K-8. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Read More