Bell Quiz- Think about this… You are new on this job site and are tasked with learning how to properly put on and attach your harness. What resources/training do you want the company to give you so that you can learn this new skill?

Learning from Experience AGSC 405 Facilitating Complete Secondary Agricultural Science Programs

Today YWBAT… 1. Explain how people learn from experience 2. Relate the concept of experiential learning to the three components of the agricultural education model 3. Examine your own preference for experiential learning

How do we learn? Deep learning, learning for real comprehension, comes through a sequence of experience, reflection, abstraction, and active testing. -James Zull

The Brain It’s not an ‘empty bucket’ Connections between knowledge Concrete Experience Reflective Observation Abstract Hypothesis Active Testing Sensory Integrative cortex Motor James Zull

Learning from Experience Experience: Initial or Experimentation ReflectionGeneralization Initial Focus Next Iteration of Cycle Roberts, T.G., 2006 Roberts, T.G., 2006

Kolb’s Model of learning

4-H Experiential Learning Model

Classroom/ Laboratory Instruction Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) FFA An outstanding Ag Science Program Operates Here The Ag Ed Model

Agricultural Education & Experiential Learning Historically focused on learning from experience Learning to do Doing to learn Earning to live Living to serve Supervised agricultural experience

So how do we connect the pieces? Classroom FFA SAE

FFA & SAE= Experiential Learning How is SAE experiential learning? List specific activities How is FFA experiential learning? List specific activities

Remember!!!!!! It should all connect Don’t count on your students making the connections without your help

Let’s Examine Your Preferences for Experiential Learning

Kolb’s Nine Learning Styles

Nine Learning Styles StyleStrengthsWeaknesses Initiating Seeking new opportunities, influencing and leading others, committing yourself to objectives Controlling the impulse to act, listening to others, impatience Experiencing Building deep personal relationships, strong intuition, open to new experiences Understanding theory, systematic planning, critical evaluation Imagining Awareness of peoples thoughts and feelings, listening with an open mind, imagining the implications of situations Decision making, taking leadership

Nine Learning Styles StyleStrengthsWeaknesses Reflecting Understanding others points of view, seeing “what’s going on”, converting intuitions into explanations, gathering information Taking action, rumination, speaking up in groups Analyzing Organizing information, being logical and rational, building conceptual models Risk taking, socializing with others, dealing with lack of structure Thinking Logical analysis, rational decision making, analyzing quantitative data Working with people, keeping an open mind, ‘lost in thought’

Nine Learning Styles StyleStrengthsWeaknesses Deciding Problem-solving, evaluating ideas and solutions, setting goals, making decisions Thinking out of the box, sensitivity to people’s feelings, dealing with ambiguity Acting Combining technical knowledge and personal relationships, focusing on getting things done, leading work teams Taking time to reflect, solving the right problem, gathering and analyzing information Balancing Flexibility in moving around the learning circle, ability to work with diverse groups of people, creative insights Indecisiveness, jack of all trades master of none, sustained commitment

References Roberts, T.G. (2006). A philosophical examination of experiential learning theory for agricultural educators. Journal of Agricultural Education, 47(1), Zull, J. (2002). The art of changing the brain. Sterling, VA: Stylus.