A Brief History of ELA

The Experiential Learning for All program was first conceptualized when founder and director Luke Hartzell was teaching in the upper grades classroom at Sola Fide Lutheran School in Lawrenceville, GA, a suburb of Atlanta. Based on personal introspection, classroom experimentation, the ideals of experiential learning (Dewey, as cited by McDermott, 1981; Hahn, 1962; Louv, 2005), and the experience that came with taking students on experiential learning trips, the ELA program was born. During his time in Lawrenceville, Hartzell designed and conducted experiential learning trips for 3rd-8th grade students ranging in destination from the remote mountains of North Georgia, the sun drenched beaches of South Carolina, the suburbs of Atlanta, and many places in between. While in Lawrenceville, Hartzell met and worked with Scott Gostchock, then a professor of education at Brenau University in Gainesville, GA, who mentored Hartzell during his first few years as Principal at Sola Fide. Gostchock’s work became a key component in broadening and developing the ideas behind ELA and in writing grants to secure funding for the program. When Gostchock began serving at Pilgrim Lutheran in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a new door was opened for the ELA program—the ideal implementation site for ELA had been found. The predominance of low income, underprivileged students at Pilgrim made it an ideal place to implement a program like ELA that would give the students experiences that they would otherwise most likely never have. (Banks, 1994; Campbell, 2000) Hartzell and Gostchock continued research and development of the program and Hartzell accepted the position as the first Director of Experiential Learning in January of 2009. Today, the program continues to grow and flourish in the Minneapolis area and around the country, touching learners hearts, minds, bodies, and souls through the theories and practices of experiential education.

ELA Theory and Philosophy

Programmatic Overview

ELA stands for Experiential Learning for All. It is an experiential learning curriculum designed to supplement the regular classroom curriculum in a K-8 school. In a nutshell, the program consists of:

• Eighteen core ELAs (Experiential Learning Activities) plus additional on/off site opportunities designed for grades K-8—An ELA is essentially an expanded and enhanced field trip which has been designed to
1. show students how classroom learning connects to everyday life in an experiential, hands-on way,
2. allow students to use inquiry to encounter their world in a natural, meaningful way,
3. fulfill and enhance specific learning objectives in the written curriculum of the school/state/nation,
4. expose students to a whole new world of experiences in order to broaden horizons and build schemata^[1],
5. help students to build a greater appreciation and understanding of their role in the world

• An ELA Satellite Implementation Director (SID) who will work in conjunction with classroom teacher(s) to:
• facilitate student planning of the ELA
• connect the ELA with the classroom/school curriculum
• conduct pre/post experience assessments and activities
• A detailed, organized system of pre/post cognitive and affective assessments to help measure student ability and achievement.

Rationale

ELA is an essential addition to our schools for these reasons:

1) There is a strong secular research basis supporting education through experience

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Brain research has shown better retention of information and improved learning through experiences

• Caine, R. N., & Caine, G. (1990). Understanding a brain-based approach to learning and teaching. Educational Leadership, 48(2), 66-70.
• Gardner, H. (1983). A critique of the theory of multiple intelligences. Frames of mind. New York: Basic Books.
• Jensen, E. J. (2000). Brain-based learning: A reality check. Educational Leadership, 57(7), 76-80.
• Smilkstein, R. (2003). We’re born to learn: Using the brain’s natural learning process to create today’s curriculum. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

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        Experiential learning reaches all learners, touching the lives of students who may be ill-served by other educational methods

• Banks, J. A. (1994). An introduction to multicultural education. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
• Banks, J. A. (1994). Educating citizens in a multicultural society. New York: Teachers College Press.
• Barkley, Elizabeth F, Cross, K. Patricia, Major, Claire Howell (2005). Collaborative Learning Techniques. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
• Campbell, D.E. (2000). Choosing Democracy: A Practical Guide to Multicultural Education. 3^rd Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
• Cress, C. M., Collier, P. J., Reitenauer, V. L. & Associates (2005). Learning through serving. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, LLC.
• Dewey, J. (1981). The philosophy of John Dewey. (John J. McDermott, Ed.). Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.
• Dunn, R., Dunn, K., & Perrin, J. (1994). Teaching young children through their individual learning styles. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
• Dunn, R., & Griggs, S. (1995) A meta-analytic validation of the Dunn and Dunn model of learning-style preferences.Journal of Educational Research, 88(6), 353-362.
• Fender, G. (2004). Learning to learn. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications, Inc.
• Given, B. K. (2002). Teaching to the brain’s natural learning systems. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
• Kavale, K., & Forness, S. (1987). Substance over style: Assessing the efficacy of modality testing and teaching.Exceptional Children, 54(3) 228-239.
• Levine, M. (2002). A mind at a time. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
• Louv, R. (2005). Last child in the woods:Saving our children from nature-deficit disorder. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
• Payne, R. K. (2005 revised). A framework for understanding poverty. Highlands, TX: aha! Process, Inc.

2) ELA is vital in an educational system, and is a key component in reaching and teaching ALL students. ELA is one of the few educational programs in existence that is intentionally designed to include students from all ethnic backgrounds, socioeconomic strata, and academic abilities. ELA will result in increased standardized achievement test scores and better longitudinal results for educational achievement and accomplishments (higher GPA, college degrees, higher paying jobs, etc…).

3) In order for our schools to continue to grow and thrive in carrying out our mission, we need to use innovative programs like ELA to better serve our students, families, and the communities surrounding us. ELA is a very attractive program for families and assists us in providing high-quality education. By providing this program, an educational system appeals to more families and students resulting in increased opportunities to carry out the school’s mission.

4) Through the experiences provided by ELA, we are laying foundations for our children’s success in real world situations and scenarios. With the learning provided by ELA, we have a chance at truly making a difference in how we prepare our children for decisions they will make affecting our future and that of their children.

5) In a day and age when children’s perceptions of the world are increasingly shaped by “virtual” experiences (internet, video games, MP3 players, TV, movies, etc…), ELA provides a strong link to reality based education. ELA allows the “real” world to be a greater influencing factor in children’s lives—teaching better interpersonal skills and broadening worldviews along the way.

Philosophy/Ideals

ELA is founded on some very important principles that set it apart from other programs based on traditional field trips and other experiential learning programs:

1. ELA is a supplemental program. It is not set up in opposition to a traditional classroom nor is it designed to stand completely on its own. It is designed to make classroom education more effective for the student it serves and the student, in turn, more effective in the classroom of which he/she is a member. (Cornelius-White, Harbaugh, 2010)
2. ELA is founded on the cornerstone principle that the basic modality of human learning is lived experience (Dewey, as cited by McDermott, 1981). We can read about how to do something or listen to instructions, but until we actually do it—until we actually live it—it hasn’t truly been learned. To think of it another way: The learning hasn’t had a chance to demonstrate itself. Learning something—anything—by actually experiencing and living it leaves a much deeper neural imprint on the learner and therefore has a much better chance of becoming a permanent part of the students schemata.
3. The well-known experiential educator Kurt Hahn spoke of “spectatoritis” (Hahn, 1962) (closely related to the idea of learned helplessness). This condition results from students simply being talked to about subject matter rather than involved in subject matter through lived experience; they are afraid to actually get their hands dirty in the learning process. The experiences incorporated by each ELA program need to be, as much as possible, true experiences. For example, in a true Experiential Learning Activity a student should actually wear the clothes, do the work, and sleep in the bed of a soldier in the Civil War, not just listen to a tour guide at Gettysburg explain it all in flowery language. Really? Really. Its takes more work. It takes more diplomacy. It takes more planning. But it’s worth it. Like anything else, ELA is not a magic bullet. It just gives a new idea of where to spend your effort—making experiences possible that will truly change your students’ lives.
4. Experiential educator, philosopher, and reformer John Dewey (as cited by McDermott, 1981) proposes a pattern of inquiry that is the framework of all true learning:
   • Problem—an “indeterminate situation” is reached—one characterized by an uncertain, disturbed, or unsettled quality.   These situations become problems when the student recognizes the qualities above and begins to apply “brainpower” to the situation. These are not teacher imposed problems like “2+2” or “What was one of the greatest inventions of the 1800s?” These are problems that are perceived by the student to be relevant to his/her life.
   • Plan—Variables are investigated and consequences of various courses of action are anticipated. Through the process of reasoning and the use of logic, the student picks the course of action that is most likely to yield the desired results.
   • Experiment—The plan of action is put into action. The results occur and are noted.
   • Reflect—The consequences of the action are compared with the original situation and variables. Conclusions are drawn and plans for future courses of action are influenced by the results in the case at hand.
   • • When learning experiences are designed around a real world question or problem and this pattern of inquiry, the learning experiences become much more meaningful and learner-driven. Each ELA should be based on this pattern of inquiry to help students better see the “why” behind each experience. When the pattern of inquiry is used, education becomes a “process of living not just preparation for future living.” (Dewey, as cited by McDermott, 1981)
5. When ELA is implemented, students are no longer simply observers and recipients; they become involved in every aspect of each ELA. Based on the ideas already presented, students are asked to participate in many aspects of the actual planning of the experiences. There are so many critical thinking and life skills to be learned and practiced when planning for an excursion! Phone skills and manners, diplomacy, politeness, communication skills, meal planning, shopping, writing letters, writing emails, approaching and talking to someone who is your superior, and writing thank you notes are just a few of the skills that students practice when planning for an ELA. Another rather novel thing happens when students have decision making rights, responsibilities, and ownership in the planning of an experience: management becomes almost a non-issue during the actual experience learning activity. When students plan the trip, it belongs to them and they have invested themselves in it. They want it to succeed! They then take steps to make sure that it does.

Conclusion

After reading this page, you probably have more questions about ELA than answers. The remaining pages of this website and the ELA Handbook will answer your questions and give you all the detailed information you desire about ELA!