John Locke had a theory- Tabula Rasa. Tabula rasa means “blank slate,” derived from the latin word, tabula, which means wax tablet. The wax tablet was a reusable tablet which was heated and smoothed in order continuously take notes on the same piece of wax. John Lock stated in his Essay Concerning Human Understanding that the importance of learning through experience is directly correlated to the growth and development of one’s knowledge. He believed that people acquire knowledge about the world through the senses, rather than solely being taught what to think.
The somewhat controversial, yet fast-growing practice of experiential learning, which is similar to tabula rasa, has become a growing trend in many places. For example,Think Global School is a four year traveling high school that holds classes in a new country each term. How do you feel about your student experiences new cultures, museums, religions, natural habitats, workshops, languages, foods, and more? Or, some schools take a more natural approach, such as the Dawson School in Boulder, Colorado. They devote two weeks each year to visiting natural sites, canoeing, biking, backpacking, etc…
Experiential learning can be applied in any form of education, whether it is an MBA business school or a kindergarten class. Students are not the same as they used to be and are not interested in the small range of subjects that most high schools and the standardized tests push them to excel at. Students should not be pushed to be ‘standardized.’ They are more creative, more liberal, more entrepreneurial, and have more thought-freedom than the generations before them. Students, especially developing middle school and high school students, want to learn through hands-on experience.
Though the process to bring experiential learning into most public schools will probably be a slow one, we have seen more opportunities pop up. Young adults will be enabled to do more and to innovate. Course Pioneer, for example, is an entrepreneurial/Leadership program that teaches students business-related skills for the future. Students can choose from a range of short to medium length classes that focus on one singular part of business at a time.
I believe that experiential learning is the future of learning. Though, of course, we need students to learn math, science, English, social studies, and the other essential subjects, we can push to make those classes reflect a more ‘real-world’ outlook. Until the bureaucratic bubble that surrounds so many schools is popped, we will continue to fall behind in the educational system.
Let’s continue to learn, teach, mentor, innovate, and create.
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