Outdoor and Environmental Education - Defining Terms, Objectives and Purposes, Instructional Methods, History and Status in the United States and Abroad Outdoor education and environmental education are separate but closely related areas of study within the field of education. They share some common content and processes, although they are distinctive in other important ways. Various interpretations have appeared in the literature, but their original purposes have changed very little since their inceptions. This article will define the terms and show their relation to each other and to other related educational movements, describe their objectives and purposes, outline their commonly used instructional methods, briefly trace their historical development in the United States and abroad, discuss their status in American school curricula, and suggest several key issues, controversies, and trends. Defining Terms The term outdoor education emerged in the early 1940s to describe the instructional use of natural and built areas to meet student learning objectives in a variety of subject-matter disciplines through direct experiences. Summary
Why is Good Instructional Design More Important than Ever in the Modern World? Although instructional design as a discipline has been around for decades (and probably was at its height in the 1970’s and 1980’s as a profession, its application and use has diminished in the age of easy to use software and access to and use of Internet. This is partly because it is so easy to create a course of almost any type, add as many “bells and whistles” as you like and then widely distribute it to a given audience. But in paying less attention to instructional design than we should we have lost something important and it is therefore high time we recognized that it is more important than ever in the modern world. After all, instructional design is the approach which helps to keep the process of training, coaching or development of any kind (on or off line) to be well-targeted and on track to meet the needs of the individual(s) at which it is aimed. Related Resources
Site de l'Education à l'environnement pour un développement durable à destination du monde éducatif Pacific Education Institute — Home 10 Things You Don't Know About Formative Assessment Share with Friends 3KShares Assessments come in varied forms, and they’re executed for different purposes. While summative assessments attempt to measure mastery at the end of a learning experience, the best formative assessments illuminate the strengths and needs of learners throughout the experience, enabling teachers to respond in ways that are just right and just in time. Ready to ramp up your practice? 10 Things You Don’t Know About Formative Assessment 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Eager to learn more? TEAL offers this quick but solid formative assessment fact sheet, with some basic approaches.James Popham is a leading authority on formative assessment, and I’ve learned a great deal from his book, Transformative Assessment. Put more amazing content from Angela Stockman in the palm of your hand. The following two tabs change content below. About The Author angelastockman
Réseau Alpin d'éducation à l'environnement montagnard : AccueiL NH Field Investigation Models Using Field Investigations to Model Scientific Inquiry State and national science standards emphasize the importance of inquiry and problem-solving for today’s students. Field investigations offer rich opportunities for students to practice inquiry in engaging and authentic ways. Key steps in field investigations mirror the inquiry process. Beyond Data Collection Just as New Hampshire is gifted with abundant natural resources, so too do we benefit from plentiful scientific field investigations. Data collectedPrincipal investigators and primary contactsStudy begin and end datesResearch questionHow the data answers the questionSubset of data in a spreadsheetData collection protocolExamples of data analysis, including graphsExamples of questions for data analysisDefinitions and additional resources Maximum and minimum air temperature data collected at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. Field Investigation Model HB Max Min Air Temp.pdf HB Max Min Air Temp Data.xls Useful Links
10 Assessments You Can Perform In 90 Seconds Good assessment is frequent assessment. Any assessment is designed to provide a snapshot of student understand—the more snapshots, the more complete the full picture of knowledge. On its best day, an assessment will be 100% effective, telling you exactly what a student understands. More commonly, the return will be significantly lower as the wording of questions, the student’s sense of self-efficacy, or other factors diminish their assessment performance. This makes a strong argument for frequent assessment, as it can be too easy to over-react and “remediate” students who may be banging against the limits of the assessment’s design rather than their own understanding. It is a huge burden (for both teachers and students) to design, write, complete, grade, and absorb the data into an instructional design sequence on a consistent basis. Simple Assessments The word “simple” here is misleading. 1. Take a given topic—thesis statements, push-pull factors, the scientific process, etc. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Accueil | Réseau Ecole et Nature Educational Leadership:Informative Assessment:Feedback That Fits December 2007/January 2008 | Volume 65 | Number 4 Informative Assessment Pages 54-59 Susan M. Brookhart From the student's point of view, the ideal "script" for formative assessment reads something like, "Here is how close you are to the knowledge or skills you are trying to develop, and here's what you need to do next." The feedback teachers give students is at the heart of that script. But feedback is only effective when it translates into a clear, positive message that students can hear. Student Understanding and Control The power of formative assessment lies in its double-barreled approach, addressing both cognitive and motivational factors. Precisely because students' feelings of self-efficacy are involved, however, even well-intentioned feedback can be very destructive if the student reads the script in an unintended way ("See, I knew I was stupid!"). Good feedback contains information a student can use. Effective Ways to Deliver Feedback When to Give Feedback How Much Feedback?
Climate Change Resource Center (CCRC) USDA 'Climate Hubs' Announced Last week the USDA announced the launch of seven regional climate hubs, designed to deliver information to farmers, ranchers and forest landowners to help them adapt to climate change and weather variability. More information from the hubs will be coming soon! > Read More Climate change and North American rangelands This recent publication evaluates strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions on rangelands, and discusses actions that individuals, enterprises, and social organizations can use to adapt to climate change. > Read More Carbon Budget 2013 The Global Carbon Project aims to develop a complete picture of the global carbon cycle, including its biophysical and human dimensions together with the interactions and feedbacks between them. > Read More Carbon Management Issue - Sustainable Landscapes in a World of Change The papers in this Mini Focus issue of Carbon Management address many of the key issues for implementing REDD+.
5 Ways to Help Your Students Become Better Questioners The humble question is an indispensable tool: the spade that helps us dig for truth, or the flashlight that illuminates surrounding darkness. Questioning helps us learn, explore the unknown, and adapt to change. That makes it a most precious “app” today, in a world where everything is changing and so much is unknown. And yet, we don’t seem to value questioning as much as we should. To change that is easier said than done. How to Encourage Questioning 1. Asking a question can be a scary step into the void. 2. This is a tough one. 3. Part of the appeal of “questions-only” exercises is that there’s an element of play involved, as in: Can you turn that answer/statement into a question? 4. Obviously, we must praise and celebrate the questions that are asked -- and not only the on-target, penetrating ones, but also the more expansive, sometimes-offbeat ones (I found that seemingly “crazy questions” sometimes result in the biggest breakthroughs). 5.
Climate Education : CCRC : Climate Change Resource Center, Web Link Resources Curriculum Background Background The CCRC is developing an educational program to provide accessible information on climate change science. Three comprehensive education modules are being created using curriculum developed by the Forest Service. These education modules can be used to satisfy the Forest Service Climate Change Performance Scorecard Element One requirement for all-employee education Complete the first module on Climate Change Science and Modeling by selecting the Climate Change Module tab above. Modules are based on the best available science and have many interactive features, allowing users to take control of their learning experience. The modules are based on a curriculum developed by the Forest Service Climate Change Advisor’s Office, Climate Change Education and Training Team. Information, Documentation and Support Climate Change Science and Modeling: What You Need to Know, Module 1: Climate Change Module Description Learning Objectives How to Use the Module