Experiential learning, simply defined, is the process whereby students “learn by doing” and by reflecting on the experience. Experiential education offers students learning opportunities to “perform, share, analyze, connect, and apply new information” and is a way we can enhance students’ critical thinking (Spector 2015, 284). With advances in technology, teachers have more resources at their fingertips than ever to create experiential learning opportunities for their students. Yet, teachers are still frustrated when implementing these resources and cite a lack of time and training as issues (Common Sense Media, 2013). School librarians are in a prime position to provide professional development to teachers about what experiential learning is and how they can infuse technology to create this type of learning experience for their students! Programming can include makerspaces, integrating mobile technology, gaming, coding, and so much more.

Organize a Teacher Makerspace

There are a plethora of online resources to teach yourself a craft or skill, and start designing professional learning opportunities for your teachers that are innovative, hands-on, and help drive their own creativities. Organize a Makerspace just for teachers that provides safe opportunities for teachers to develop their own experiential learning opportunities for students. Let it be known that the school librarian is instrumental in emerging trends, teaching and learning new skills, and a partner when exploring developing technologies and new ideas.

Get Them Gaming

The past 40 years have brought around massive changes and innovations in the video game world with simulations and augmented reality. Today, educational gaming and simulations offer engaging experiences that provide opportunities to build background knowledge, develop problem-solving skills, foster creative thinking and provide experiential learning experiences. Gaming also provides a collaborative environment that can promote teamwork, cooperation, and problem solving.

For school librarians, this is another opportunity to engage teachers in professional learning by offering teachers time, space, and games to explore and gain an understanding of the value of educational gaming. No time for gaming? Brown bag lunches can include a low-key time for teachers to explore gaming options in the library, informal learning labs provide times for teachers to discover new educational games, and a simple pot of coffee or dish of candy can offer enough incentive for teachers to walk through the library door for a few minutes to start to play. Librarians can also offer online gaming clubs, establish an online gaming forum using tools such as Edmodo (http://www.edmodo.com) for teachers to discuss gamification in the classroom, develop and share ideas, and simply share concerns.

Integrate Apps

Apps can also be a great resource for creating experiential learning experiences. AASL Best Websites for Teaching and Learning and AASL Best Apps for Teaching and Learning offer a plethora of professional vetted online gaming and coding opportunities that are free. All of these sites and apps can be integrated into curricula activities to enhance classroom learning and should not be isolated learning experiences; hence, students can build context, master content, learning 21^st century skills, and gaining an understanding of information literacy. The majority of these sites and apps offer training materials to help with organizing professional development and foster teaching and learning. One example is Game Star Mechanic (http://gamestarmechanic.com/) where students can learn how to design their own video with engaging online quests and game-based courses with access to professional game designers for help.

Keep It Real

“Am I ever going to use this in the real world?” is a comment often heard from students. Experiential learning activities provide an answer to this by offering students a chance to apply their knowledge and conceptual understanding to get involved in solving real-world problems and develop a civic mindset. There are many apps and websites that you can promote and provide professional development on for the teachers at your school. Examples include: Garbology (http://www.naturebridge.org/garbology.php), which invites kids into the world of recycling and compost and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s iCivics (http://www.icivics.org/), which provides civic learning experiences in an engaging gaming environment.

Students learn content by doing, collaborating, and sharing. When students see the relevance of what they learn, they have increased motivation. And don’t forget the reflection piece of experiential learning! Providing students time to reflect on their experience is a critical part of experiential learning, and there many technologies that can be utilized for this, for example keeping a learning journal utilizing the SeeSaw app, or blogging about their experiences.

In our role as professional developers, school librarians need to step up and lead the way in promoting engaging learning opportunities for today’s learners. School librarians can greatly support teachers in utilizing new and exciting technologies to create such experiences. Be the catalyst in your school and start providing teachers the support and training they need to motivate students with experiential activities that make them participants in their own learning!

Works Cited

Common Sense Media. “Teaching with technology: The promise and reality of the U.S. digital classroom.” https://www.graphite.org/blog/ teaching-with-technology-the-promise-and-reality-of-the-us-digital-classroom (accessed July 5, 2015).

Spector, J. Michael, ed. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Educational Technology. 2 vols. SAGE Publications, 2015.