Go Get Them Hands Dirty
A glance at experiential learning
The times — They Are A-Changing! Well, not really. It helps to learn by doing. For me, that is the only way to learn. Even my mother told me I only learned the hard way. And she was right. I don’t learn a whole lot from being told. Truth be told, it sometimes goes in one ear, and falls out of the other.
Experiential learning — it’s a concept that has always existed. I mean, when was the first time someone said teach a man to fish, and he will have fish for a lifetime? That saying was around long before I took my first breath. I’m sure the cavemen did it (if there was such a thing as a caveman). That is the best way to learn. And what’s so beautiful about it is that you really don’t need a teacher to do it. Project-based learning is the form that is most suitable for me. Projects allow one to put one’s hands on the material. It allows one to create and get the feel of creating. When one makes a mistake, one starts over — trial and error. We learn through repetition.
With Soulchap.com, I had to reflect on the feel of my site. I had to reflect on where I saw myself in the future. In so many ways, I had to interview myself. I had to figure out what I was good at. I know I can create videos. I know I can create a podcast. But those can also be time-consuming. So I had to experiment in ways to speed up the process. I had to put the pedal to the metal. That was the only way to create content. But I want quality content. I had to determine what I wanted to say in my content. I watch the videos and reflected. It was a hands on process.
If I fall, I know I can get back up and try again. And that’s what it’s about. Getting back up.
This is why distant learning has become so popular. Give the student the information, and let him do his thing. With distant learning, there is not a whole lot of hand-holding. Many times the teacher is in a different state than the student. The student is forced to take a hands on approach. Traditionally, vocational schools has a hands on approach, but they also meet face-to-face in a classroom. I enjoy out of the classroom much better. I feel like I have more control of the final product. And that’s what matters to me — control of the final product.
