>>>
>>> IT'S
>>> IT'S NOT YOUR REGULAR CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE.
CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE. >> SOME OF US SAW VIOLETS TODAY
IT'S WHERE MRS. GENERAL SWAPS
OUT CHAIRS FOR BOULDERS AND
WHERE CLIMATE CONTROL IS NOT.
>> WE DO MONDAY, TUESDAY
THURSDAY FRIDAY TRADITIONAL
CLASSROOM LEARNING.
CLASSROOM LEARNING. WE HAVE TRIED TO COME UP WITH
WAYS FOR MORE HANDS ON LEARNING
IN THE CLASSROOM.
>> ON WEDNESDAYS IT'S THIS.
ACTIVITIES, NATURE AND OUTSIDE.
>> I'M SO LUCKY.
>> FOUR YEARS AGO NOT EVERYONE
WAS ON BOARD WITH WILDERNESS
WEDNESDAYS.
WEDNESDAYS. HIGHER SAYS SHE STARTED SMALL
LIKE BEING BEAR FOOT.
>> ONE OF THE BOYS LOOKED AT ME
COMPLETELY SERIOUS AND SAID
THIS IS THE WORST DAY OF MY
ENTIRE LIFE.
ENTIRE LIFE. AND I SAID I DON'T WANT TO BE
BEAR FOOT OUTSIDE.
>> SHE SAW THE DISCONNECT WAS
EVIDENT BUT PERSISTENCE WILL
OVERCOME RESISTANCE AND SHE
SLOWLY SAW WHICH I THINKS IN
HER STUDENT STUDENTS.
>> THE THE END THAT SAME
STUDENT SAID THIS IS THE BEST
DAY OF MY LIFE AND CAN WE DO IT
MORE?
MORE?
MORE? AND
MORE? AND THAT'S HOW WEDNESDAY'S CAME
ABOUT.
ABOUT.
ABOUT. >>
ABOUT. >> NOW IT'S NOT JUST HER CLASS.
IT'S THE WHOLE SCHOOL TAKING IN
WHAT NATURE HAS TO OFFER.
KINDERGARTNERS AND FOURTH
GRADERS TODAY BUDDYING UP TO
BUILD INSECT HAS BEEN TETS.
>> I FOUND THE CENTIPEDES
TODAY.
TODAY.
TODAY. >>
TODAY. >> IN SOME WAYS THE CLASSROOM
IN THE SUN IS NOT SO DIFFERENT
FROM A CLASSROOM IN THE SCHOOL.
>> REMEMBER, YOU HAVE TO SHARE.
>> KIDS WILL BE KIDS AND TRULY
THAT'S REALLY ALL SHE WANTS.
>> KIDS WILL GROW IN AND OUT OF
LOVE WITH THEIR TOYS AND
TECHNOLOGY.
TECHNOLOGY. BUT NATURE IS FOR EVERYBODY.
AND THEY WON'T GROW IN AND OUT
OF NATURE.
OF NATURE. IT'S FOR EVERYONE.
.
.
. >>
. >> I
. >> I SO
. >> I SO BELIEVE IN THIS AND I
WAS HAPPY TO HEAR FROM YOU A
FEW MONTHS AGO.
THE KINDERGARTEN TEEPER SENT ME
AN EMAIL AND SAID HEY LISTEN,
I'M PROUD OF OUR SCHOOL AND I
WANTD TO HIGH LUTH YOU AND I'M
GLAD SHE GOT A CHANCE TO COME
OUT.
OUT.
OUT. WHACK TO THE KARE 11 BACKYARD.
FOR TEACHERS WATCHING OR PEOPLE
THAT CARE ABOUT THIS THAT HAVE
KIDS AT SCHOOL AND A LITTLE BIT
OF SPACE, YOU DON'T NEED A LOT
OF SPACE.
OF SPACE.
OF SPACE. >> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE A
FOREST AND A CREEK AREA BUT WE
DON'T USE THE FOREST AND CREEK
EVERY WEEK.
EVERY WEEK. WE USE THE SIDEWALK AND THE
GRASS AND THE FIELD AND ANY
OUTDOOR SPACE IS POSSIBLE.
>> YOU ARE TEACH K ALL THE
CLASSES, YOU CAN TEACH
EVERYTHING OUTSIDE, RIGHT?
>> YEAH, THE VERY FIRST YEAR I
TRIED TO GET THEM OUTSIDE.
WE DID SCIENCE AND I'M LIKE HEY
LET'S TRY MEASUREMENT AND
PUMPKIN ROLL RACES AND SEE HOW
FAR THE PUMPKINS ROLL AND WE
BROUGHT MATH OUT THERE AND NOW
WE BRING WRITING.
WE'RE WORKING ON SOCIAL SKILLS
AND DMUN OCCASION,
COLLABORATION AND CRITICAL
THINKING.
THINKING.
THINKING. THE SKILLS THAT CAN BE
DIFFICULT TO TEACH IN THE
CLASSROOM.
CLASSROOM. >> SO TRUE.
WHEN I DID THE STORY I WAS
BLOWN AWAY.
BLOWN AWAY. WHEN I RED THE BOOK AND LEARNED
ABOUT IF KIDS AREN'T OUTSIDE,
THEY LITERALLY IN L NOT
EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS
BUT THEY DON'T REALIZE IF YOU
WALK ACROSS THE LIMB IT'S
PROBABLY GOING TO BREAK AND YOU
WILL FALL IN THE CREEK.
THEY HAVE TO FIGURE THESE
THINGS OUT ON THEIR OWN.
>> YES, WE'RE SEEING RISK
MANAGEMENT TAKEN AWAY FROM THE
KIDS.
KIDS.
KIDS. THEY DON'T HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITIES TO FIGURE OUT
RISKS.
RISKS.
RISKS. IF
RISKS. IF THEY DON'T HAVE THOSE
OPPORTUNITIES AT THIS AGE WITH
THE SMALLER CONSEQUENCES, THEN
THEY GET OLDER AND THE
CONSEQUENCES OF THE RISKS ARE
MUCH BIGGER.
MUCH BIGGER. >> ISN'T THAT AN INTERESTING
STATEMENT THAT YOU MADE.
SO YOU WENT OUT TO JACKSON HOLE
FOR NINE DAYS AND YOU RECEIVE
AID HUGE AWARD FOR THIS.
TELL US ABOUT IT.
> YEAH, IT WAS THROUGH AN PLY
OCCASION, THE PRESIDENTIAL
INVASION AWARD FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATORS, A
MOUTHFUL.
MOUTHFUL.
MOUTHFUL. THEY HAVE AN APPLICATION
SITUATION WHERE YOU PUT IN
ABOUT A 40 PAGE APPLICATION.
IT HAD ADMINISTRATORS LETTERS
OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND TEACHERS
PARENTS, I HAD TO SUBMIT LESSON
PLANS AND PHOTOGRAPHS AND NINE
ESSAY QUESTIONS.
ESSAY QUESTIONS. >> AND YOU WON.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> CONGRATULATIONS.
>> CONGRATULATIONS. FOR TEACHERS OUT THERE, DO THEY
HAVE TO GET CLASSES OUT WEST
LIKE YOU DID OR CAN THEY LEARN
FROM WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED?
HOW WOULD THEY LEARN HOW TO DO
THIS?
THIS?
THIS? >>
THIS? >> THE BIGGEST THING IS JUST GO
OUTSIDE.
OUTSIDE.
OUTSIDE. THERE ARE SO MANY TIMES, ONE OF
MY COLLEAGUES AND I, SHE JOINED
THE PROGRAM TWO YEARS SAG AND
WE GO WITHOUT A PLAN EVERY
WEDNESDAY AND EVERY WEDNESDAY
IT CHANGES.
IT CHANGES. THERE'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT
HAPPENING DEPENDING ON WEATHER
AND IF THE KIDS FIND TRACKS.
THERE WAS A TIME WE FOUND
ANIMAL FUR AND BLOOD EVERYWHERE
IN THE FOREST AND THE LESSON
STOPPED AND A REAL AUTHENTIC
LESSON HAPPENED.
LESSON HAPPENED. >> THE CIRCLE OF LIFE RIGHT
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. >>, WE TALKED ABOUT PREDATORS
AND PREY AND PLAY AID GAME TO
SUPPORT THAT.