Giving Compass' Take:

• The Philadelphia Wooden Boat Factory is a great example of programming that engages young people in hands-on learning activities that will help develop new skills, focus attention and apply a new understanding. 

• How can educators adopt more hands-on learning techniques into school systems? Is edtech already doing this?

• Read about Brookings thoughts about hands-on learning and how engagement is a key component to this style of teaching. 

At the Philadelphia Wooden Boat Factory, boatbuilding is an intentional strategy to help young people develop socially and emotionally. Hands-on work is the vehicle to get there.

When you engage in craft [work], the materials give you feedback in real time. You develop an authentic sense of competence.

The boats at the Philadelphia Wooden Boat Factory are constructed with nine planks on each side. “There’s a lot of opportunity for repetition,” said Emma Bergmann, a social worker who is clinical director and director of operations.

The first plank the students construct may not be made well. The next plank gives them a chance to do it better. As they repeat the planking process, students can see the mistakes and figure out how to fix them. Repetition is a built-in method for gaining and improving their skills.

The California 4-H Youth Development program describes a five-step approach for experiential learning, a more precise term for hands-on education: Experience, share, process, generalize, apply.

According to the organization, experiential learning engages young people by:

  • direct hands-on activities or projects
  • open-ended questions that elicit discussion and interaction
  • active reflection and discussion
  • making connections with “real-world” ideas or skills
  • applying the new understanding to other situations.

Read the full article about hands-on learning by Stell Simonton at Youth Today