1. Experiential Learning & Self-actualization
Carl Rogers
Experiential Learning & Self-actualization  

2. Carl Rogers American Psychologist
Humanistic approach to psychology: investigates human existence in terms of meaning, values, freedom, responsibility, spirituality, self-actualization, etc.
People are basically good.

3. Background Studied agriculture and religion before psychology
Doctorate from Columbia University
University of Rochester
Ohio State University
University of Chicago
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Lectured, taught, set up counseling centers, worked with “troubled” children, wrote books on his research

4. Carl Rogers
Experiential learning: learning by doing and reflection on doing
Self-actualization: “…man's tendency to actualize himself, to become his potentialities.” If one’s needs are meet, a person can achieve to their full potential.
Rogers believed open communication and empowering an individual was key to self-actualization.
Source

5. Learner-centered teaching
Teachers facilitate learning. You cannot teach directly.
What is taught must be relevant to the student, otherwise no significant learning takes place.
“Open-mindedness” must be encouraged, otherwise experiences or materials that challenge the organization of the self will be rejected. This is done more easily if there is no perceived threat to the self.
Source:

6. Unconditional positive regard
Accepting a person without negative judgment of a person’s basic worth
Conditional positive regard can only lead to positive self-worth when the individual meets conditions that have been laid down by others.

7. From Harold’s PPT last week
These things cannot be accomplished without open-mindedness, unconditional positive regard, empowerment, and open communication.

8. Implementation of Rogers’ Theories

9. Examples of student based learning and traditional methods
By the end of this unit you will be able to build a scale model of a dinosaur.
What songs would you like to learn to play on the guitar?
Would you rather do a poster about the life cycle of a plant or maybe role play?
Traditional methods:
This unit will cover dinosaurs.
We will be learning the chords and a beginner song that most students learn first.
Your homework is to make a poster of the life cycle of a plant.

10. Important tools for student based learning
Group discussions/activities
Portfolios
Debates
Field trips
Peer mentoring
Journaling
Student choices

11. Learning is stressed as opposed to “teaching”.
Students build on prior knowledge to develop lessons in a way that most interests them.
Students directs the flow of the lesson, while teachers take the role of facilitators.
Testing is done in non-traditional ways, such as final projects that show what the students have learned.

12. Flaws in Rogers Theories
Students for the most part are not used to this type of interaction with their teacher.
Parents are sometimes uncomfortable; they think the teacher is not teaching.
Teacher has to be confident and comfortable with these methods.
Students need to be focused on learning, or the results may not be desirable.

13. Summary Student centered, teacher facilitated
Unconditional positive regard
Learn by doing
Build on prior knowledge
Use non-traditional assessment methods
Encourage self-actualization
Students must be on task, yet they must have some control over class direction.
Open communication is a must.