Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/experiential-learning-at-an-un-conference/5021182/
Think about the last time you saw a child really engaged in the act of learning:• What can you recall about the context and setting for this learning?
• Was the child working alone or with someone?
• Was the child active or passive?
• Was the child exploring his own interests or someone else’s?
• Was the child rushed or relaxed?
Now, think about the last conference you attended. Did your experience match that of the child you were just thinking about? Or, rather, did you spend hours walking from room to room, listening to presenters, viewing PowerPoint presentations, and hearing about things that didn’t hold your interest? When it’s all said and done, for all the excitement of the conference, you may have taken little, if anything, of meaning away with you. According to Brookfield (1988), meaningful and useful adult learning is dependent upon six important factors:
1. voluntary participation
2. mutual respect
3. collaborative spirit
4. reflection and action
5. critical reflection
6. self-direction.
Meaningful learning for children looks like this, too. So, why do we create adult learning experiences that contradict these? Consider instead creating an ‘un-conference’ event.
What is an ‘Un-Conference’ and Why is it Valuable?
As opposed to a regular conference �" one that shuttles learners from room to room ...