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Catch the Spirit of Experiential Learning
April 13-15, 2007
UNC Charlotte, Venture will be hosting the 2007 AEE regional conference. This conference is designed to provide a direct experience of one of the early models of experiential education as set forth by Outward Bound, by involving the conference participants in actual experiential learning activities.
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The Conference Agenda:
We will start Friday evening at the new U.S. National Whitewater Center, with an exploration of this model of experiential learning, followed by a brief description of the “circles of growth” and then use a progressive series of mouse trap challenges to demonstrate the model.
Saturday we will offer opportunities for conference attendees to participate in two half-day, in-depth, experiential learning events chosen from a variety of activities.
Saturday evening we will gather again at the Whitewater Center to share dinner, a keynote address, and entertainment.
Sunday morning (again at the Whitewater Center) the focus will be on the reflection stage of experiential learning. We will offer two sets of debriefing sessions in small groups. Each group will have an experienced facilitator who will lead you and your group through the processing of your experience, as well as sharing some specific tools.
The first group of debriefing sessions will be based on one of the activities you participated in on Saturday, for example –the rafters, or the climbers, or... The focus here will be on what you experienced, and what you learned about yourself or others, or about learning…
The second session will be with others from the same type of professional setting as you - for example those working with youth in therapeutic settings, or in middle schools or … The focus here will be on how you can apply what you have learned this weekend to your particular educational niche. Again, there will be a skilled facilitator to help guide you through this process.
By the end of the conference, you will have experienced a complete experiential learning process: from the framing of the experience on Friday night, to the actual experience on Saturday, to the reflection and processing of the experience on Sunday morning.
You will leave with: a clearer sense of the spirit of experiential learning, specific models you can use, knowledge of specific activities that are available in the Charlotte area, some specific debriefing tools, probably some new friendships and hopefully a sense of satisfaction and a smile on your face. And don’t forget, the mouse trap, to remind you of how you can continue to step up to the learning edge.
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The model is:
Take a learner – that’s you- each of the attendees of the 2007 SE AEE conference.
Place him/her in a unique physical environment – one that contrasts with his/her normal environment. This may include a human-made white water river, a gently flowing natural river, a downtown urban setting, deep woods, a team high ropes course 35 feet in the air, a rock face of a cliff, etc. We encourage you to choose at least one of your two options to be outside of your familiar surroundings.
And into a unique social environment – all of the activities will be done within small groups - large enough to include individuals with varying behaviors and styles yet small enough to find common ground.
Present them with challenges. The list may include rafting (or kayaking for those competent in class 3-4 rapids) down the human-made river, sea kayaking on the gentle river, climbing the rock face, orienteering through the woods, traversing the high ropes courses, completing a scavenger type hunt in the inner city, etc. In each case, you will be faced with decisions to make, and will be responsible for your actions which will bring real consequences. (Remember to choose at least one activity that is at least somewhat outside your comfort zone. You might base your second choice on an activity you can imagine using in the future with your students/clients/participants or with your family.)
Which can lead to stress/anxiety with three possible outcomes; succumbing to the stress, coping with it or thriving in the face of it. This is the learning edge.
To which one adapts by developing competency or mastery and learning to thrive through: ones own motivation, alertness to the environment, support from the group and instructors, and the design of the challenges which are structured to facilitate mastery.
All of which has the potential to alter self-concept and build self-awareness, increase self-esteem and increase acceptance of others.
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Highlights:
- Tour the U.S. Whitewater Center (an Olympic training center) see http://www.charlottewhitewater.com
- Paddle in a raft (or kayak) down this human-made whitewater river
- Climb on the biggest climbing wall on the East coast (at the USNWC)
- Mountain bike (at USNWC)
- Sea kayak on the Catawba River (along the USNWC)
- Experience an Odyssey Team High Challenge Course. (http://venture.uncc.edu/highteampictures)
- Conduct a rescue scenario on a Team Development Course (at UNCC )
- Experience roped tree climbing in hard wood trees
- Try running- even if you're a non runner- ala Girls on the Run http://www.girlsontherun.org/
- Find Geo-caches with GPS units
- Explore social justice and diversity issues
- View and interact with the fountains of Uptown Charlotte.
- Partake in a mini Adventure Race put on by Doug Gray of Action-Learning
- Rock Climbing Training put on by Fox Mountain Guides & Climbing School www.foxmountainguides.com
- Be immersed in an experiential learning activity.
- Observe experienced facilitators guiding small groups in processing an experience.
- See old friends and colleagues and meet new ones.
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Pre-conference events:
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Sandy Kohn
Venture - UNC Charlotte
9201 University City Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28223
sakohn@email.uncc.edu
(704) 687-2495.
Get connected with the Association for Experiential Education, a leader in the adventure education field. http://www.aee.org/
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