Without a doubt there is a growing trend for schools to incorporate the outdoors into instruction. I coined the term schoolyard-enhanced learning to emphasize the idea of using the area surrounding the school as an outdoor classroom. Field trips are great– but many schools are cutting back on these because […]
Every content area has its own unique set of knowledge, skills, and values, but there are certain process skills that cut across content lines and are important in most all fields of study. For example, being able to analyze data, information, or situations is just as important in social studies […]
Recently, a teacher showed me the amazing wordless picture book, Window, written by Jeannie Baker. This powerful work depicts how a child’s view from his window gradually changes from lush natural landscape to a congested urban cityscape as he grows from infancy to adulthood. The book is a touching illustration […]
To maximize the use of time outdoors and to make the schoolyard practical as an instructional site, it is important to have some type of seating area that can accommodate a class of students. This teaching/meeting area clearly identifies the location as an outdoor classroom, and makes for an easy […]
A current trend in many states is to close smaller neighborhood schools and consolidate operations into larger buildings serving broad geographic areas. Usually, the closed building remains as a too quiet, deteriorating sentinel of the past. In Mansfield, Ohio, a closed elementary school has taken on an exciting new life […]
