Experiential Education Revolution

Micah Watson, B.S.

bored student

Close your eyes and think back to when you learned your greatest lessons in Life.  Was it from books or in a classroom, or was it while you were doing something?  Was it easy or difficult?  Was it from a perfect score or from many mistakes?  Was it told to you or was it sparked by curiosity?

When I think of school I think of obscure facts of small significance and taking tests.  I remember myself at a desk with my head stuck in a textbook reading then answering questions at the end of the chapter.  This did spark my brain to work but not in the way my teacher intended.  I looked for shortcuts; learning that the bolded words were most likely the answers and the questions followed the sequence of the chapter.  So instead of reading, my eyes were scanning and copying words that carry no meaning besides bringing me closer to having “free time” to do what I wish.

Things are changing.  There is a greater focus on learning how to learn.  With the great advances in technology the problem isn’t finding information anymore but sparking curiosity and the desire to “disrupt” traditional methods.  We are learning that more skills are needed in life than just what can be found working in a classroom.

Experiential Education is not a novel idea, with Montessori creating a method, but EE is now catching fire in mainstream learning environments.  This idea redefines the roles of teachers and students. It provides direct experiences and hands-on learning environments to teach content.  Direct experience leads to immediate feedback.  It is more intense and increases knowledge and skills.  Schools and programs that focus on Experiential Education encourage experimentation and allow children to make mistakes.  From reflection upon these mistakes they learn wonderful lessons.

Gever Tulley is a self-taught software engineer who discovered a passion for learning.  He started with designing a summer camp for children in 2005 called “Tinkering School”, where children have the opportunity to work together to dream up and create large projects such as a working rollercoaster, a rope bridge made out of plastic grocery bags, and a three-story tree house.  Gever, in a TED talk given in 2007 describes “5 dangerous things you should let your kids do”. Some of which are to play with sticks, have a pocket knife, and under controlled circumstances drive a car.  He advocated that these experiences help to increase knowledge and brain development. 

Diana Laufenberg, loves to see students make mistakes because she knows it is a powerful method of learning.  Diana has taught students 7-12 grades in social studies and is known for designing projects where students are inspired, take charge, and work together.  Instead of teaching from a textbook about American Government she designed a project around a local election where students made pamphlets, were out in the community interviewing secretaries, and organizing a large community meeting at the school centered on important issues in the community.  She said concerning the meeting that her students really took charge and were prepared.  She reports that all she did was “sit back and watch it unfold.”

Finally, Experiential Education is a method to get students involved in the community and thinking about their vocation, and to develop Executive Functioning skills.   Internships, Apprenticeships, and Mentoring are ideas that add substantial value to both the student and the business.  Businesses and organizations where students are learning and sharing ideas are often at the cutting edge, by giving to the future, they are also inviting the curiosity and ideas of the next generation.  Skills learned in project style course translate more directly into a working environment, and better prepare students for real life. 

Child Sawing

Childhood Obesity and Cognition

Childhood and adolescent obesity has become an epidemic in industrialized countries around the world, including the United States. The prevalence of obesity, defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) at or above the 95thpercentile, in school-age children and adolescents in the U.S. has tripled since 1980. According to a study conducted in 2010[1], 17 percent of youth are obese and over 30 percent of U.S. high school students are considered overweight or obese. Children and adolescents who are overweight or obese are more likely to develop serious medical conditions, including hypertension, dyslipidmia, back pain, type II diabetes, impaired glucose homeostasis, bone and joint disorders, sleep apnea and intracranial hypertension.[2] They are also more likely to face stigmatization and to develop emotional and psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and low self-esteem.

What you might not know is that obesity may also negatively impact your child or adolescent’s brain and cognitive development. While overall evidence is still inconclusive, there is growing data that suggest that there may be a correlational relationship between overweight/obesity and poorer cognitive performance in youth. For example, in 2008, a group of researchers administered several cognitive assessments to a sample of over 2000 children between the ages of 8 and 16.[3] Compared to normal-weight children, those who were overweight performed significantly worse on measures of visuo-spatial organization and general mental ability. Another study found that preadolescent children who were obese performed significantly worse on a test measuring inhibition, working memory and cognitive flexibility.[4]

So what can be done to help your child reach their cognitive potential? One of the best things you can do is make sure your child receives regular exercise. This not only is helpful for weight management, but exercise has also been shown to improve executive functioning (which includes the ability to plan, organize, control emotion, and inhibit inappropriate behavior). A randomized control trial of 94 sedentary, overweight children found that participants who received 40 minutes of aerobic exercise 5 days per week over the course of 15 weeks had better planning abilities at the end of the intervention as compared with subjects who were assigned to the no-exercise condition.[5] In addition, aerobic exercise also has been shown to have a positive effect on children’s academic achievement and school performance.[6]

It’s important to work with your child’s pediatrician in order to devise an exercise plan that is right for him or her. And make sure your child is involved with physical activities that they find fun, engaging and are likely to want to continue doing, such as sports, hiking, biking, walking the family dog, or playing Dance Dance Revolution! Be creative, and keep it fun and playful- exercise does not have to be a chore!



[1] Ogden, C. L., Carroll, M. D., Curtin, L. R., Lamb, M. M., Flegal, K. M. (2010).Prevalence of high body mass index in U.S. children and adolescents, 2007-2008. Journal of the American Medical Association, 303, 242-249.

[2] Must, A., & Strauss R.S. (1999). Risks and consequences of childhood and adolescent obesity. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 23, S2–11.

[3] Li, Y., Dai, Q., Jackson, J. & Zhang, J. (2008). Overweight is associated with decreased cognitive functioning among school-age children and adolescents. Behavior and Psychology, 16, 1809-1815.

[4] Kamijo, K., et al. (2012). The negative association of childhood obesity to cognitive control of action monitoring. Cerebral Cortex, 2-9.

[5] Davis, C.L., Tomporowski, P.D., Boyle, C.A., Waller, J.L., Miller, P.H., Naglieri, J.A., & Gregoski, M. (2007). Effects of aerobic exercise on overweight children’s cognitive functioning. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 78, 510-519.

[6] Fedewa, A.L. & Ahn, S. (2011). The effects of physical activity and physical fitness on children’s achievement and cognitive outcomes. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 82, 521-535.

Introduction

MISSION
It is the Mission of the NeuroAssessment and Development Center to provide high value Psychological Testing through a client-centered approach, in less than a month of the referral. Although NADC is based in Utah, we provide testing, or referrals for testing, anywhere in the country.

VALUES

  • Accountability - We anticipate the needs and exceed the expectations of the professionals and clients that we work with.  We provide recommendations based on Accurate Assessment. To assure Quality, we have a system of review for each assessment.
  • Client Focus – Every client comes to us with needs and challenges that affect their life on a personal level. We honor that they come at a moment of crisis but searching for answers, therefore we always schedules clients in less then a month of the referral.  We remain available to clients, even after the assessment, to provide answers and resources that are specific to a client’s ongoing needs.  We believe in assessment is an intervention and therefore we educate, guide, and advocate for our clients.
  • Teamwork – We work collaboratively with consultants, doctors, therapists, and educators, in the best interests of our clients.
  • Continuous Learning – We focus on the development of our core asset, our expertise of psychological and neurological Disorders.  We engage in research and continuous education (CEUs). We develop resources for for other professionals based upon our research and experience. We use evidence-based testing and recommendations.
  • Ethics and Non-Discrimination - We abide by the Code of Fair Practices. We use Evidence-based assessments and treatments to help our clients. We work only within our scope of expertise, and refer clients when necessary.