__________________________________________________________________________________
“If we continue to look at education as if it’s about coming to school to get the information and not about experiential learning, empowering student voice, and embracing failure, we are missing the mark” -Diana Lafenberg
The Internet has changed the way the human race develops, works, and interacts…why has it not changed the educational system? This TedTalk is a brilliant explanation of why the techniques used to teach students needs to change. Decades ago there wasn’t access to information surrounding everyone at all times. Today, there is yet we still are learning in the same way we always have. Teachers stand in front of a classroom, spit out information, point students to a textbook, and have them spit the information back. Tests are given out and you either get a question right or wrong, then move onto the next topic of study. Instead of teaching information that could be found by one Google search, school should be a time to teach students how to learn and how to use their creativity that thrives in youth. The educational systems need to allow the learners to use their own voice and speak for themselves not regurgitate what someone else has said. Allow students to play, create, acquire, go out into natural areas, experience learning for themselves, fail and try again, and gain meaning behind their learning. Don’t test by asking a true or false answer. Test by asking students to explain the learning process and explain their thoughts. Allow them to speak for themselves and be surprised at the intelligence they have and their willingness and passion to learn. We spend a good majority of our life in school—make it count. In my educational past I have learned. There are moments in schooling I remember as if it happened a year ago, as the rest has faded away.
Experiential learning
– Fours years after I took environmental science in high school I could not repeat one fact I was tested on throughout the class. I worked hard and produced test answers that my teacher and the AP council wanted to see. I knew the information for that test, but didn’t see any importance in it. I didn’t know I would need that information as I went into college courses, so once the summer hit at the end of the class the information was gone. I got credit for the course, which was my only goal as a 17 year old. That is what the educational system taught me to do—work hard so you can look good to others that viewed your credentials. During that class, we had a chance to do a mini-internship in place of one of our tests. Not being a high-test taker I took the internship opportunity in hopes it would help my grade. I worked for three weeks for a waste treatment facility. Even though I was forced into that internship so did not enjoy it at the time, I remember so much information about the facility and waste treatment in general. Being placed into a situation in which you are thinking, coming up with solutions to problems, and exploring the topic is what learning is. If I learned so much in a position I didn’t want to be in imagine what I would have learned if I got to choose where I worked.
Empowering Student Voice
– Exploring masses of information and choosing what you think is important. Fourth grade we had to choose a state in the US and produce an artistic project of our choice on information of our choice. Never having freedom in my work I thought the project was ridiculous. There was no rubric, no specifications of what the final project had to become. I was outraged and when up to the teacher with no idea where to start. She answered by telling me to use my imagination and creativity. I didn’t know what that meant. To me, being creative was when I was playing at my house. I didn’t associate creativity with schoolwork. I finally threw myself into the project choose North Carolina as my state and produced a showcase of the outdoors of the state. I had a collection of sand, pictures of birds and plants that can be found in the area, and a play dough geographic map of the state. I put tags in the mountains and labeled the lakes and rivers. I got to take information I found and use my hands to create a school project. Playing in play dough turned into one of the greatest learning experiences of my elementary years. I learned how to think out of the box and take information and put it together in a meaningful way. I could still tell you exactly where Mt, Mitchell is in the state due to the amount of times I had to reshape my model.
Embracing failure
– In seventh grade we had to find a certain Supreme Court case and create a slide show to explain to the class. I do not remember what case I had, but I do remember what I learned from the experience. Students were supposed to give one every week throughout the year starting on the fourth week of school and of course on the first day of class I was chosen to go first. We wrote the date down in our agenda and never spoke of the assignment again. When the day came, I was unprepared. As an already nervous seventh grader when my teacher called my name I froze. It had not crossed my mind that I had a presentation on this day. This was worth a large part of our grade AND I FORGOT ABOUT IT. As I began to shake out of fear I told my teacher what had happened. She didn’t reprimand me, instead said I had ten minutes to create a presentation that I would share with the class. I stood at her computer, typed the case into Google and clicked on the first source I saw. I read it as quickly as I could and wrote down what I would share with the class. As the class got silent waiting for my presentation I began. Everyone clapped after, and my teacher said it was good, but there was one mistake. I used a blog website for information, not arriving at an accurate description. My presentation was wrong. My teacher told the class why I was wrong and what you have to look for when looking up information. I received full credit for the project. I learned about learning, I learned about myself. I have been able to find information better since learning from this failure.
– Larissa
——————————————————————————————————————————————
A Day in the Life of a NWC Landscape & Livelihood Student
This video is a glimpse into a typical day of a student enrolled in Northwest Connection’s Landscape & Livelihood experiential learning program. The curriculum is a two month, intensive semester in field conservation sciences. As an alum of this program, I can attest to the facts that this program is as magical and fun as the video makes it look, and that the education gained from Northwest Connection has made me a better ecologist and naturalist.
__________________________________________________________________________________
The Children & Nature Movement
Does preschoolers on antidepressants, and children obesity rates rising ring a bell for anyone? The solution is simple and essential.
Give your children the freedom they need—put them in an area where they can explore the biggest playground known, the natural world. Whether you need support and have to lean on a camps and nature groups or have the space to lead your child into nature yourself, don’t forget how important it is. Lets join this movement and give children back their lives. Lets allow them to develop how they are meant to. Lets disconnect the TV and reconnect exploration.
-Larissa