{"id":1651,"date":"2022-02-03T17:38:22","date_gmt":"2022-02-03T17:38:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/schools.wrdsb.ca\/pathways\/?p=1651"},"modified":"2022-02-03T17:38:22","modified_gmt":"2022-02-03T17:38:22","slug":"four-reasons-why-experiential-learning-is-great-for-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/schools.wrdsb.ca\/pathways\/2022\/02\/03\/four-reasons-why-experiential-learning-is-great-for-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Reasons Why Experiential Learning is Great for Students"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to the different ways of educating students, one thing is true \u2013 students learn best from doing.\u00a0 To promote that, the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) provides experiential learning opportunities that expose students to potential career paths well before they graduate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is experiential learning? It is the process of teaching whereby students \u201clearn by doing\u201d and then reflect on the experience. Traditionally, these types of teaching activities included hands-on laboratory experiments and field trips.\u00a0 Today, it includes co-op classes and placements where students enter the workforce to learn the key skills that will enable them to excel in the future. Through experiential learning, students mature both emotionally and socially.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are the benefits that students can take from experiential learning opportunities offered through the WRDSB?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Independence and emotional maturity.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As students participate in placements, they gain some of the communication and teamwork skills that become necessary later on in life. They learn how to discover answers on their own, rather than relying on provided materials. Students develop interpersonal skills that can\u2019t be learned in a textbook including conflict resolution, communication, negotiation, diplomacy, and creative thinking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Teachers in classrooms can impart this knowledge, but many students feel they have more to gain by confronting these challenges in real life, within a structured and supportive learning system. Experiential learning provides these opportunities with the guidance of mentors and instructors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Learn about the workforce before entering. &#8220;Try before you buy!&#8221;<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Through placements, students gain real-world experience early, helping them understand what\u2019s required and expected when entering the workforce. As they take on new skills, they understand how to learn while working and discover their own strengths and weaknesses. Because they\u2019re under the tutelage of an experienced tradesperson, they can feel empowered to experiment,\u00a0 and to decide if this path is truly for them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Past experience will educate future decisions.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Experiential education provides many opportunities for students to face situations that will occur once they are out in the \u201creal\u201d world. With that know-how under their belts, students will find more satisfaction in their future careers and have a greater ability to creatively solve problems.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Increases engagement levels.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Students who learn through experiential education develop collaboration skills while learning from others on-the-job. Actively engaging with their surroundings creates a sense of ownership when problem solving with colleagues and customers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Waterloo Region District School Board engages students in experiential learning through programs such as Technolological Education, Co-operative Education and the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program.\u00a0 Learn how you can jumpstart your education by talking to the guidance staff at your school. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When it comes to the different ways of educating students, one thing is true \u2013 students learn best from doing.\u00a0 To promote that, the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) provides experiential learning opportunities that expose students to potential career paths well before they graduate.\u00a0 What is experiential learning? It is the process of teaching [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\" role=\"complementary\"><a href=\"https:\/\/schools.wrdsb.ca\/pathways\/2022\/02\/03\/four-reasons-why-experiential-learning-is-great-for-students\/\"><strong>Read more about<\/strong> <cite>Four Reasons Why Experiential Learning is Great for Students<\/cite> &#187;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7577,"featured_media":1652,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,2,45],"tags":[48,19,7,37],"class_list":["post-1651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-co-op","category-oyap","category-pathways","tag-apprenticeships","tag-co-op","tag-oyap","tag-skilled-trades"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/schools.wrdsb.ca\/pathways\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1651","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/schools.wrdsb.ca\/pathways\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/schools.wrdsb.ca\/pathways\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.wrdsb.ca\/pathways\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7577"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.wrdsb.ca\/pathways\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1651"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/schools.wrdsb.ca\/pathways\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1651\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.wrdsb.ca\/pathways\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1652"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/schools.wrdsb.ca\/pathways\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.wrdsb.ca\/pathways\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.wrdsb.ca\/pathways\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}