My M.A.T Orientation Experience: A Safe Learning Environment

The EL (formerly Expeditionary Learning) model supports students by giving them a purpose for their learning. I found that in “student hat” I felt motivated to find information to support my group’s stance. By focusing on one perspective, I was able to more easily organize the points from our perspective and counterpoints from the other perspective. Having a clear purpose helped me to focus on the task at hand, while also being able to synthesize information from several sources and perspectives. As students, we were given the opportunity to gather information from multiple sources of different formats and perspectives. It was also made more engaging because we were dealing with real world, local issues. As a student, I felt confident that I knew what we were learning and why.

Above all, I think the most inspirational aspect of our EL Slice (MAT Orientation) was how much of a safe learning environment was created. I really appreciated the way that so many people were able to share their ideas and talents in a comfortable space. We were also given the opportunity to read, write, speak, listen and even share our own specific talents, such as drawing or acting.