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By: Ritch Hochstetler
Chief Ideation Trailblazer at ULEAD Inc.
Goshen, IN
Before I even knew it, I was a believer and practitioner of constructivist learning theory. I grew up in a small town, and I remember Saturday mornings – hopping on my bike and going on adventures with my friends. Seeds were planted that motivated me to explore the world as my classroom. Years later when my career took me into youth work, I knew that I wanted to expose youth to learning experiences that connect to their lives and make learning relevant. Constructivism was embraced by John Dewy, an educational reformer. It’s a theory that says learners construct knowledge rather than just passively taking in information. As people experience the world and reflect upon those experiences, they build their own representations of reality and incorporate new information into their pre-existing knowledge (schemas).
Based on years of experience working with youth, I would agree with the survey respondents who stated that 4 out of the 5 best learning experiences in life happened outside the classroom. I would go on to say that they’re not only talking about whether or not their bodies are inside or outside of a literal classroom; rather, moments of “high def” learning came into focus when the culture they’re living in said “Welcome!” “Explore!” “Think!” “Dream!” “Create!” “Get curious!”
At ULEAD, we are wildly committed to creating transformational learning experiences that open space for these high-definition moments to flourish. ULEAD was created with the belief that people of character who practice servant leadership are the most effective agents for positive change. Our trainings are designed to invite youth and educators alike to discover their purpose, grow their skills, and then use their competence and abilities to inspire others to serve and make the world a better place. Our “Why” is tied deeply to our value of people as the greatest asset and driving force of every mission, movement, or organization.
For this reason, our programs and tools are designed through the filter called the GRABBS Modality tool. Taken from the world of experiential education, it stands for the following:
Goals: How does the activity relate to goals that have been set?
Readiness: Is the group ready? Do they have the skills to complete the activity?
Affect: What is the feeling of the group? What is the baseline for empathy or caring for one another?
Behavior: How is the group currently acting? What interactions are happening that affect the group positively or negatively?
Body: What kind of physical condition are group members in? What is their body image?
Stage: Which developmental stage are they in? What is the stage of group dynamics?
(Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing)
This intentional focus on people as the central building block for efficacious and meaningful learning means the training elements and curricular tools we employ are designed and sequenced in ways that create maximum engagement and ownership in the learning process. This design process is part brain science and part emotional intelligence, and it moves from mixers that open limbic systems to activities that prime learning content to challenges and initiatives that scaffold content and require social interaction and risk-taking. Our commitment to this process means that there is literally nothing left unscrutinized as we seek to facilitate a learning experience that both engages and inspires co-creation.
Ultimately, if we want students to be engaged, to be motivated, or to be successful learners, we need to be creators and stewards of classroom cultures where comfort zones are stretched, opportunities to fail are plentiful, and strengths and limitations are discovered. Students are like plants – they need the right environment in order to grow.
The reality is, students don’t get curious by filling out a curiosity worksheet…they get curious by asking questions and doing things that incite wonder and welcome exploration. Students don’t learn what it means to serve others by reading a book…they learn to serve when they engage in service-learning experiences and then reflect on what they notice – how it made them see with new eyes or feel their hearts beating with compassion for the needs of others.
Research shows that students need learning environments that include the following attributes:
Respect
Safety
Empathy
Acceptance
Belonging
Exploration
Relevance
Challenge
At ULEAD, we build (through much affective perspiration and intellectual strain) these cultural attributes by designing training experiences that intentionally focus on the needs of the learner. In essence we have such a total commitment to design, innovate, and ideate training that will engage our participants it sometimes feels like our brains will bleed from the work. This is why we also have a deep connection with Project Based Learning as a process that naturally gestates meaningful learning in the lives of students. The reason PBL is such a powerful incubator of meaningful learning is that it invites students into a story that they have a hand in writing. The story, in fact, cannot be written without their creativity, vocabulary, passion, and intellect. As Heather Wolpert-Gawron puts it, “Teaching with PBL is the difference between the atmosphere at Disneyland and Six Flags…At Disneyland, you are submerged in the story of each ride from the time you enter the line. The walls, the ceiling, the ground on which you tread as you advance to the actual ride, ALL (ULEAD’s emphasis) support the end result. Teaching with PBL is much the same way. It couches lessons in a tale – a tale about a problem that must be solved or an activity that must be developed. The learning happens along the way towards the presentation of the solution.”
At the end of the day, when we’re asking students to give us their attention, we are asking for something of inherent value. They have an incredible number of things and people vying for it! We need students’ attention, passion, motivation, and creative juices to flow in order to move from achievement that’s all about performance and competition, to mastery where a love of learning is nurtured. This will only happen by inviting them to co-author their learning story, and by engaging them in challenges that stretch their skills and release their imagination.
As educators who are committed to transforming the lives of youth, not just raising test scores, we believe a primary commitment must be made to culture building. A healthy, vibrant, and generative classroom culture takes work, but the rewards are legion. When students value content and are taught in ways that promote processing, social interaction and life relevance, grades, rigor, academic achievement and social-emotional growth will rise up like a lush garden.
For more information on ULEAD programs designed to help you build a vibrant classroom culture, email experiences@uleadinc.org
Check out these other resources ULEAD offers as well!
ULEAD Cards-Check out this PBL Simplified video to see how to use these cards to get students to collaborate in your classroom : How do I get my learners to collaborate
Ritch Hochstetler works at ULEAD Inc. as their Chief Ideation Trailblazer. Ritch has innovated and delivered training experiences for youth and adults for over 30 years. Most recently, Ritch has blazed the trail for ULEAD’s staff and board to radically embrace their identity and mission as a mobile training organization. When Ritch isn’t dreaming up new ways to stretch people’s comfort zones, he loves his kayak and his amazing Martin guitar. Ritch is a graduate of Goshen College and of Fuller Seminary, with additional certifications in personal, leadership, and team development strategies.
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