 As I write this we are approaching year two of the pandemic. Teachers are still in and out of the classroom, with distance learning becoming the reality again, at least for the time being. Educators are looking for ways to motivate students to work effectively, productively, and independently from home. But how?
With self-directed project based distance learning experiences, of course! But HOW? How can you not only coordinate and facilitate project based distance learning experiences, but do that smoothly and effectively?
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Innovative final products can really help spice up a project or project-based learning experience. Rather than the tired poster board or slideshow presentation, kids can get really creative with final products.
Now more than ever, either because of project based distance learning needs, interest in building tech literacy, or the desire to go paperless, educators are in need of digital final product options. This blog post is an extensive catalog of digital final product ideas for demonstrating learning in innovative and creative ways.  What is an authentic presentation?
Some of my favorite projects over the course of my teaching career have been those that have truly embraced the idea of sharing work with a relevant and meaningful audience; those that have included an authentic presentation. 
Do you ever wonder how to use experiential learning in the classroom, and not just in any classroom, but in YOUR classroom? In YOUR school? In YOUR homeschool? How do experiential learning schools, homeschools, or programs, do it? How do they structure the day, the week, the year?
 Relevance and real world learning in the classroom or homeschool is so important for students, not only to engage in learning but for them to care about the content.
Fostering an authentic learning environment for your students is critical. Focusing on concepts that are part of the life and the real-world, part your students' lives beyond the walls of the classroom, helps them find purpose in the experience, which is at the heart of experiential learning. But what is an authentic learning experience, and how do you plan an authentic learning experience that engages high school students in real world and relevant topics? 
I don't know about you, but pretty soon here (in Minnesota) it is going to get outrageously cold outside, so I am always on the hunt around this time for fun, but challenging, winter STEM activity ideas to get through it!
January is notorious for its stinging, cutting, numbing, eyelash freezing, breathtaking (literally), bitter cold temperatures. By "cold" I mean -20 degrees F for weeks at a time. That kind of cold makes it difficult to want to go outside to grab the mail let alone go out for a nature walk. So here we are. With questionable weather and winter break on the horizon, parents and educators are going to be scrambling for some fun, stimulating indoor activities. Winter STEM activity ideas are the way to go. 
YES! Winter break is upon many of us, the holidays are in full effect, and you want to spend this break, well, taking a break! So planning a New Years activity for your experiential learners when you all return is not even something you can wrap your mind around right now. Your goal is to get a break! I completely get it.
The experiential learning process is very specific. So, the experiential learning approach is similar regardless of age group, skill level, subject area, and learning environment.
My classroom teaching experience is with high school life science students at a small charter school. I am now home with my own young kids and use the same principles of experiential learning with them as I did with my secondary students. This blog post is all about how I do that; how I adapt the experiential learning process to work for all ages.  Implementing service-learning projects for high school students is so important on so many levels. As an experiential educator, I have found service-learning to be experiential by nature, as students get involved in real-world, community-based issues that are personally relevant, meaningful, or interesting to every student.
The learning experience is even more profound when it is self-directed; when students choose their own topics or issues that impact their local communities, examine community needs associated with the topic or issue, brainstorm ways that they themselves can serve to fill the need, and coordinate and execute those service experiences. 
This time of year can get a little crazy, but the energy that leads up to this string of holidays and the impending break can be a good thing if channeled in the right way. I engage students in experiential learning activities for the holidays that are fitting for the time of year.
Yes, this time of year can be a little chaotic, but it is also one of my favorite times of year in my high school classroom and home learning environment with my own children |
Blog IntentTo provide innovative educational resources for educators, parents, and students, that go beyond lecture and worksheets. AuthorSara Segar, experiential life-science educator and advisor, curriculum writer, and mother of two. 
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