Introduction to Experiential Education

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Introduction to Experiential Education

• The Theory and the Practice

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What is Experiential Education?

• Experiential education is learning by DOING.
• You will gain knowledge and acquire skills in
  real world settings and then reflect on your
  experiences.
• Through this analysis, you will grow and change,
  applying this new learning to the next
  experience.

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Why do we do internships?

• Prepares you for life, not just for college.
• Provides holistic education for you by offering
  many diverse experiences for learning, including
  experience out in the real world.
• Gives you new opportunities to discover what you
  enjoy and what you are not interested in before
  making any decisions about a college major or a
  career.
• Provides support as you encounter difficult
  worksituations because the advisor and site
  mentor are present as educators, not as bosses.
  

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Internships

• Creates a safe place to make mistakes and learn
  from them.
• Develops problem-solving and critical thinking
  skills that apply to life, not just to a
  textbook.
• Helps to prepare you for being a college student
  and gives you confidence and direction as you
  enter the professional world.

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How is each year designed?

• Each year of the program, students gain
  independence and more choices for their
  experiential work.
• You are challenged to take more initiative and
  self-direction witheach year.
• You are also challengedto think about your role
  within the community and how you can contribute
  to the world around you.

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What does the advisor do?

• Works as an advocate for you.
• What is an advocate?
• Helps keep track of how you are performing both
  academically and experientially.
• Helps to supervise at experiential site.
• Helps to facilitate the experiential curriculum.
  
• Your parents can contact the advisor with any
  questions or concerns about you.
• Has the fullest picture of how you are
  progressing through the program.

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What is advisory?

• Time for you to do work with your advisor on the
  experiential curriculum and other school-wide
  initiatives such as the e-Portfolio.
• Time to reflect on experiential work through
  journaling and discussions.
• Time to build e-Portfolio.

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Advisory

• Your advisor and you can connect and share what
  is on your minds, whether it is related to
  classes, experiential work, or personal
  situations.
• Allows staff to know each one of you very well
  and support you in your education.
• No falling through the cracks all of you will
  be known and guided along the way.

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What is Sakai?

• A free, collaborative, and open source learning
  environment
• A web-based program used to facilitate the
  experiential curriculum.
• Students respond to questions on-line and
  complete assignments through Sakai.
• Tracks internship progress.
• Allows facilitation of an entire class through
  the program.
• Sakai can be accessed from any computer that has
  internet connection.

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How should you dress for an experiential day?

• Depends on the site
• Construction
• Child Care
• Business or Organization
• All school policies apply at experiential sites.

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Other FAQs

• What paperwork is necessary?
• What if I miss an experiential day?
• Is lunch offered at experiential sites?

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Thank you.

• Questions or concerns?