Examples, Templates, Prompts, and Exercises

If you are a student at a traditional school you have a list of classes you can take and clubs, activities, and sports you can join. If you are lucky enough to attend a well-funded and large school, you might have many options to pick from. As a student on a Learning Journey, your menu of choices is even greater. The down side is that those options aren't always obvious.

Here are some ideas of places to look for Learning Opportunities.

This is going to sound strange but … if you are looking for Learning Opportunities you can always start by exploring what is available at your local public high school.

We can't speak for every state or every district but it is not uncommon for a student to be able to take a single class or participate in an activity or club at their local high school. Rules vary so make sure and check with an official at your local school to see what is allowed.

Perhaps you want to be able to take a photography class or you want to do chemistry with a fully stocked lab. Perhaps you want to try out for a play or join a choir.

It might be possible to do that through your local high school without having to become a full-time student at the school. Again, the rules will vary. Some schools might have rules you have to follow. Some activities might require you to be a full-time or half-time student. Sports and other competitive activities might have strict rules that are dictated at the state level. But it is worth exploring if that is something that interests you.

The first step would be to talk to a counselor at your local high school and explore what options are available.

You might find that having the freedom to decide what parts of the public school experience you want to engage with is exactly the right strategy for your Learning Journey. There is nothing wrong with tapping into traditional schooling, if it makes sense for you.

You can also explore private school options and homeschool groups in your local area. They might not be as open to making individual classes and activities open to you but it might be worth a shot. Start with their admissions office and ask what options exist.

If you have a local community college, you can look into what classes are available for high school students. Typically community colleges have programs that allow high school students to take classes before they graduate high school. The rules will vary by area but it is another idea worth exploring, if it interests you.

A community college might have rules you need to follow such as: the student needs to be at least 15, needs the permission of a parent and/or counselor, they are not eligible for financial aid, they can only take a certain level of classes, etc.

Be prepared to do some research and figure out what is required for a current high school student to take one or more classes at your local community college.

Taking a college level class at a community college is a good opportunity to dive deeply into a subject that has meaning to you or to challenge yourself with a college level class.

Because community colleges often serve non-traditional students; working students, commuting students, and older students they often offer classes in the evenings, on weekends, in compressed formats, and online. You can explore any of those options if they make sense for you and your family.

If you have a college or university in your area, you can explore whether they have opportunities for high school students to take classes. Traditional colleges and universities might not be as open to high school aged students as community colleges but it is worth exploring.

You can start by searching the college's website or contacting the admission's office. The experience of taking an on campus class at a university alongside other college students can be very valuable.

In addition to the content of the class, you can gain confidence in yourself, get a taste of what an on campus class experience is like, and complete a Learning Opportunity that will demonstrate to yourself and others that you can be successful academically and socially in a campus classroom.

In addition to in person classes, many public schools, community colleges, or universities make online classes available for high school aged students. If you are in a community that does not have easy access to a community college or university, this might be an option to explore. It also could be an option if your local schools do not offer a class that you would like to try out and you can only find it outside your area in an online format.

Many states have online public school programs for students in that state. You will need to explore what the opportunities are available for taking individual classes without being enrolled as a full-time student. You could start by contacting a counselor in your local school district or searching the internet for online high school options in your state. Just read carefully, there are many private online schools that make it seem as if they are part of the public school system but they are not.

Both in person and online classes are more or less traditional in their approach to learning. They are teacher-led. They happen over the course of a semester. They are graded. The main difference is that you are only taking the classes you want in an ala carte manner rather than as a full-time traditional student.

There are some good reasons to take some traditionally taught classes whether in person, online, at a public high school, or at a college.

One, it gives you experience in a traditionally structured class. If you are planning to head off to college eventually, the odds are good that the college you attend will offer most courses in a traditional format. Taking a few traditionally taught courses during your Learning Journey will give you experience and confidence learning in this format.

Two, when you apply to college and they see the non-traditional path you took on your Learning Journey, they might wonder if you can succeed in a more traditional environment. Taking a class or two can help answer that question.

Three, you will have an opportunity to work with teachers and students that you might not otherwise interact with. You might find another person who shares your interests or passions. You might find a teacher that you enjoy learning from or people you enjoy learning with.

Four, in your Learning Journey you have the opportunity to explore topics in a manner that works for you. That is a great advantage and a great way to learn. But academics don't always explore topics in such an open manner. It might be helpful for you to understand how traditional academics approach a topic, even if you find their approach too limiting. There might be some value in understanding their perspective.

There are a lot of opportunities in your local community that might not look like a traditional class but can still offer good Learning Opportunities for you. A lot of communities have what are called "community education classes" or "enrichment classes" or “non-credit classes” through libraries, community colleges, museums, historical societies, etc.

These community classes might be structured like a traditional class, they often meet in a classroom, lab, or workshop. They are often teacher-led. They meet regularly over a fixed period of time. But they aren't graded and they don't typically give you "official" credit for completing them. They are meant for people who just want to take a class for their own enjoyment. The students in these classes often have a wider range of ages and a wider range of reasons they are taking the class.

You can search the internet for community enrichment classes in your area and see what is available. You can examine the websites of local museums, libraries, community colleges, even public schools and see if they list classes aimed at the broader community.

In a similar manner to enrichment classes, libraries and museums and the like, often have community events and workshops. These are typically shorter in duration, perhaps a single day event or a couple of weeks in a workshop. They might revolve around a guest speaker or an annual event. Just because these events are shorter doesn't mean they aren't valuable.

Remember a Learning Opportunity doesn't have to be any particular length. It might serve as a good introduction to something you want to explore deeper on your own. It might be a chance to meet other people interested in something that you are interested in. It might be a chance to learn about something that you know nothing about but you are willing to be open minded.

These type of events and programs are happening all of the time but you might need to do a bit of research to know they are out there. You can search your local newspaper or library. You can look for postings on bulletin boards at coffee shops. These types of events happen all around you; you just have to be open to noticing them.

There are often community groups that you could tap into. Community theater, community choir, music, sports that you could participate in. There are community groups that meet regularly around a particular topic like reading clubs, gardening clubs, mystery writers, model airplane enthusiasts, astronomy clubs, historical societies, and many more. These, of course, will vary by your community but it might make sense for you to join a community group as part of your Learning Journey. It will allow you to plug into your local community and meet other people who share a common interest.

Social learning is a very powerful way to learn. You benefit from the lived experience of those around you and you learn in a way that isn't competitive or stressful but is instead collaborative and cooperative.

Most communities have places for learning that aren't structured at all like a classroom. Museums, zoos, libraries, parks, monuments, markers, trails are all places that are meant for learning but in a less structured way. They are open ended. You can engage with them at your own pace and manner. But they are there for you to learn.

Many places like museums and zoos change during the year with new exhibits, guest speakers, workshops and classes. Keep your eye on them, even if you visited once, you can always go back for more. You could also look at taking day trips to other communities and exploring the libraries, parks, and museums that they have available.

The existence of these places as "forms of learning" are a good example for your Learning Journey. The statement "Not all learning happens in classrooms" isn't that controversial, there are places all over your community that "teach" in all different kinds of ways. So when you are thinking about your Learning Journey and Learning Opportunities remember and be inspired by the fact that the world is full of things that don't look like classrooms but are still in the business of learning and teaching.

Even places that aren't explicitly about learning like parks and trails and nature can be part of your Learning Journey. Whether you are getting exercise, practicing mindfulness, experiencing awe, finding a quiet place to read, or breathing fresh air, the world outside is something that is worth including in your Learning Journey.

There are other ways of learning online that don't look like a traditional class.

MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Course. They are typically free. They typically have thousands of students in them. They often are self-paced. They often cover college-level material and are often repurposed college courses.

You can find MOOCs that cover a wide range of topics. The material can be equivalent to the material in an undergraduate college course but these classes are usually not graded. They are designed so that as many people around the world have access to the class material as possible.

The advantage to you is that you have access to some of the world's best content. The disadvantage is that it is up to you to engage with the material and motivate yourself to finish. For a self-directed learner, MOOCs are a wonderful resource. But, to be fair, the vast majority of students who signup to take a MOOC never finish the material. That doesn’t mean you should avoid them. They are an option worth exploring.

There are other types of online learning that aren’t structured like traditional classes at high schools and colleges.

There are commercial providers of training classes that are typically aimed at developing specific skills. While they are presented much like a class, they are not really academically focused but instead aimed at developing skills. Many are aimed at technical skills like programming, graphic design, productivity applications, databases, etc. There are also classes aimed at art skills, music skills, crafts, etc. You will find them from providers like Lynda.com or Skillshare.com. It is not unusual for your local library system to license with one of these types of online training providers. You might find that having a library card gives you access to these classes for free.

There are apps and websites that you can visit, download, or purchase that can make for a good Learning Opportunity. You can practice a language using something like Duolingo, Mango, or Rosetta Stone. You can learn to play or compose music or learn music theory. You can learn to type, learn to program. You can learn via gaming and play. Learning via apps and games is very different than learning via a class. This type of learning is more hands on, less teacher-led. They are a good option to include in your Learning Journey.

There are also lots of even less formal ways to learn online. Youtube is full of lectures, presentations, documentaries, and other educational material. Some of it comes from formal institutions and some of it from amateurs who want to share their passion. There are reading lists, discussion groups, encyclopedias, and every manner of content you can imagine. It might not be structured in such a way that it feels like a class but it doesn't mean it can't be a part of your Learning Journey. You have the freedom to engage with material online and pull it together in a manner that works for you.

Your community and the internet is full of pre-built, ready to go Learning Opportunities. Your Learning Journey can include some things that are more traditional in structure.

What if you can’t find a Learning Opportunity that speaks to you or you are the type of person who likes to do it yourself. Can you just invent your own?

Yes.

Visit the next section and explore ways to make your own learning opportunities.