METHODSEnvironmental education is a valuable and often overlooked resource. It provides an incomparable opportunity to build a lost connection between humans and the environment through hands on, interactive learning in the great outdoors. Scientific research supports the notion that spending time outside is vital to a child’s healthy development. In the case of our project specifically, gardening with children provides an opportunity to help them connect to the natural world in a physical and emotional way. Caring for plants as well as the other life that inhabits a garden is an exercise of empathy, responsibility, and environmental stewardship. Our team used a variety of teaching tools and methodologies in the construction and implementation of our lesson plan sequence, in order to give the material the greatest possible value while also addressing students as the unique individuals they are. |
AWARENESS TO ACTION
Outlined in the Tblisi Declaration of 1977, the “Awareness to Action” framework is core to our garden curriculum: Awareness of the relationship between humans and natural systems Knowledge of the natural processes that occur in a garden system (pollination, pollinators, weather, habitat, food production) Attitudes of reciprocity, stewardship and responsibility for the garden environment Skills of critical thinking, problem solving, and observation in regards to the environment Action in engagement with gardens in school and community The goals of environmental education achieved by this framework are as follows:
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ENGAGED PEDAGOGY
As teachers, we strive to practice an engaged pedagogy, which requires teachers to participate in the learning process as fully as they ask their students to. By participating alongside students, teachers allow themselves to be viewed as whole individuals on their own path to self-actualization. This holistic approach honors both students and teachers as complex individuals. To prepare ourselves to teach children in all of the ways mentioned above, we practiced routines that strengthened our own relationships to the natural world. We sat for a time in nature, each in our own special spots, observing and tuning in to the natural cycles that occur both within us and around us. For ten weeks, we learned not only from books, but from ourselves, our peers, the world around us, and from individuals already practicing engaged pedagogy in environmental education. The effect that this teaching style had on us as students further reinforced our desire to teach in this manner ourselves. We felt the difference that having an engaged educator makes, and we have been inspired to do the same for others. |
NAAEE GUIDELINES
The North American Association of Environmental Education states that curriculum should be/have: Fair and Accurate: in describing environmental problems, issues, and conditions, and in reflecting the diversity of perspectives on them Depth: foster awareness of the natural and built environment, an understanding of environmental concepts, conditions, and issues, and an awareness of the feelings, values, attitudes, and perceptions at the heart of environmental issues, as appropriate for different developmental levels Skill Building: build lifelong skills that enable learners to address environmental issues Action Oriented: promote civic responsibility, encouraging learners to use their knowledge, personal skills, and assessments of environmental problems and issues as a basis for environmental problem solving and action Instructional Soundness: rely on instructional techniques that create an effective learning environment Usability: well designed and easy to use |