There' s a school in them there Woods. Matt Schlein raised the funds to purchase 260 acres of land and open the Walden Project- an innovative high school where class is held outdoors (except for when they have it in a motley-looking tent). The curriculum is based around Thoreau's writing, but by no means is no means limited. The NPR article notes:
"There's no need to go out in the hall or grab a new book. That's because everything is related, so class discussion about the recent primary vote in neighboring New Hampshire is just another aspect of the school's simple mission. Like Thoreau, students are supposed to be exploring their relationship to self, their relationship to culture and their relationship to the natural world."
This sounds quite similar to all the edu-talk about creating authentic learning environments through the use of global personal learning networks and other technological tools. The Walden Project doesn't utilize technology (though, as a joke, their tent has a satellite dish), but yet it sounds like authentic learning is taking place. One student is managing a corner of the forest. He's selectively culling some trees to determine if he can increase the biodiversity of plant life.
Personally, I'm drawn to the Walden Project model- I love the outdoors and would love to get to spend my days teaching in such an environment. I realize this isn't a feasible solution for the vast majority of schools and students. However, I do find it interesting that while many of us edu-bloggers are talking incessantly how technology can create authentic, interconnected learning, here's an example of a completely different solution that seems to basically have the same goals in mind. Perhaps technology is just a filler for those of us who don't have 260 acres of land to teach on...
From NPR :: via Treehugger
Photo credit: Storm Crypt via Flickr
Great post! Although your last statement may not have been intended as completely serious, I actually agree with it. Many (most) schools in the US don't have access to land like that and for students to be able to see life beyond the city borders, technology is required. I live at the end of a dead end road surrounded by hundreds of unoccupied acres and if I had to choose either or, I'd rather have my children learning there than at a computer. However, I have the wonderful privilege of having the best of both worlds - wireless internet and multiple computers in a house on lots of land 🙂 You might be interested in this book that I'm reading "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder" by Richard Louv. I'm thoroughly enjoying my time exploring online learning and networking, but time spent outside is priceless.
@kolson As an Earth & environmental science teacher I would definitely take teaching every class outside over technology. Why sit and look at a screen to help learn about ecosystems & nutrient cycles when you can look around and actually see it happening?
As a teacher, I strive to help students become independent learners & thinkers. My decision to focus on technology as the tool to get them there may simply be an effect of not having the same resources the Walden Project has. I thought the story was a good reality check: technology is a tool to achieve a greater end; technology is not an end in itself.