"At a time when children's natural curiosity about the outdoors is eclipsed by the demands of busy schedules and the ever-present glow of video screens, schools may be the only place where they are encouraged to interact with nature."
"Herb Broda, a natural teacher for over forty years, offers this wonderful prescription for every school, a practical, inspiring guide to creating the outdoor classroom and giving children the gift of nature."
"Herb's done the fieldwork so we don't have to...he dismantles every roadblock and provides clever dynamics for motivating staff, parents, and students to connect with the outdoors and improve learning."
Herb is a professor of education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Ashland University...
Read more »Schoolyard-Enhanced Learning and Moving the Classroom Outdoors explore how the school grounds can become an enriching extension of the classroom...
Read more »Anyone that interacts with children and introduces them to the wonder and complexity of nature is a teacher!
Read more »The school grounds can be used as a source of content, or as a venue for learning. At Lancaster High School in Ohio a courtyard has become the venue for displaying an innovative art project that encourages creativity while building a sense of unity. Art Instructor Suzy Rogers teaches the […]
As a new school year unfolds, help students quickly see that outdoor learning is going to be incorporated into your teaching this year. Remember that the school grounds can be used in two ways: As a content source to provide concrete examples of abstract concepts (e.g. finding parallel lines in […]
Question: What makes a school site a rich teaching resource? Answer: A diverse collection of plants and small critters! I’m a fan of low cost/no cost site enhancements that encourage plant and animal diversity on a school site. On a recent visit to the children’s area of the Cleveland, […]
May has been designated by the International School Grounds Alliance as International School Grounds Month. Quoting from its website, “The non-profit INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL GROUNDS ALLIANCE (ISGA) is a global network of organizations working to enrich children’s learning and play through improving the way school grounds are designed and used.” The […]
Yes!! Spring is here! Although outdoor learning works in any month of the year, warmer days definitely tempt us to think more about how to weave the schoolyard into the curriculum for a welcome change of pace and place. Always keep in mind that outdoor learning activities do not have […]
