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Summary:
Schoolyard-Enhanced Learning shows how the school grounds—regardless of whether your school is in an urban, suburban, or rural setting—can become an enriching extension of the classroom. In this comprehensive handbook, Herb Broda blends theory and practice, providing readers with practical suggestions and teacher-tested activities for using the most powerful audio-visual tool available—the outdoors.
Emphasizing the practical, this innovative book offers teachers step-by-step guidance to help ensure success when they take a class outside. It provides:
Background that helps present the case for outdoor learning: educational theory that supports the concept; overview of the terminology; research on the benefits related to student achievement; alignment of outdoor learning with current teaching practices.
Ideas for making the schoolyard an effective outdoor classroom: the planning process; enhancing and maintaining the site; developing gardens and attracting wildlife; finding community resources and funding.
Advice on working with a class outdoors: garnering administrative and parental support; considerations before going out; making the most of your outdoor time; using GPS as an educational tool; building on the outdoor experience back in the classroom.
An array of proven activities that utilize the schoolyard: activities related to specific subject areas; activities that teach process skills; activities that encourage initiative and build community.
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. Schoolyard-Enhanced Learning can help teachers unlock the powerful learning experiences that exist just beyond the classroom door.
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Schoolyard-Enhanced Learning, Using the Outdooors as an Instructional Tool, K-8 By Herbert W. Broda
A Book Review by Gordon T. Maupin, Executive Director of The Wilderness Center
First my disclaimer: Herb Broda has been my friend and mentor for over 26 years. He serves on my board of directors and has been a valuable addition to The Wilderness Center's leadership for even longer than the years I have know him.
Next: I need to tell you what this book ISN'T. Herb holds a Ph.D in Education. This book is NOT the typical dense treatise of educationese whereby inherently simple concepts are buried under layers of complexity and jargon until they become incomprehensibly complex.
Now: Here is what the book IS. It is a PRACTICAL step-by-step guide to encourage classroom K-8 teachers to take the children outdoors. It is designed to take away the teachers' fear. It encourages teachers to step off the path of least resistance and into the real world where the sun shines, birds sing, insects crawl and flowers bloom.
The practicality of this book stems from Herb's life. While he is currently a college professor of curriculum and instruction, this position is the end point of a long career in real world education. Herb began as a sixth grade teacher. He continued his education and advanced through the education bureaucracy to become an assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. Upon retirement, Ashland University snapped him up to enhance their education faculty. Throughout his career he was a leader in the Environment Education Council of Ohio (EECO). He is practical because he knows what it is to face pupils every day. He knows what a teacher must say to a principal to obtain the blessing for taking children outdoors. He knows how a principal may view out of the ordinary requests. He knows how fellow faculty may negatively view instruction outside the walls of the school. This book shares that wisdom.
The wisdom is found in chapters on: Making the School Grounds an Outdoor Classroom, Taking Your Class Outside: The Nuts and Bolts, Developing Process Skill in an Engaging Environment, Teaching Content-Area Concepts Outdoors and Beyond the Schoolyard.
This book can be useful to nature center education staff. From time-to-time we are all challenged with questions and challenges this book can address. When a school asks a nature center to assist with creating an outdoor learning area, this book can be a valuable PRACTICAL reference. When a school administrator needs encouragement and justification for outdoor learning, this book can provide PRACTICAL support.
In summation, give serious consideration to adding this book to the nature center library used by your education staff and volunteers.
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