Nature+and+Education

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By Erin Haggerty

As students of Warren Wilson College, we are aware how valuable environmental literacy is. As a future educator, I hope to carry on this perspective and instill a love a nature within the children and young adults I come across. This is why I wanted to further investigate the application, importance, and benefits and barriers of environmental education. In order to feel confident in this field, it is crucial to have a combination of past experience as well as reliable sources including current educators and current studies within this program of study.

==//[|"Environmental Education Report: Empirical Evidence, Exemplary Models, and Recommendations on the Impact of Environmental Education on K-12 Students"]//==

==== Wheeler, G, Thumlert, C, Glaser, L, Schoellhamer, M, & Bartosh, O (2007). Environmental Education Report: Empirical Evidence, Exemplary Models, and Recommendations on the Impact of Environmental Education on K-12 Students. //Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction//. ==== **[ Reliability ]** This source seemed reliable since it came from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. This study is a compilation of 76 local, national, and international studies which investigated environmental and sustainable education. The description of this source further explained that "Each study was reviewed and specific pieces of information gleaned from the studies were entered into an Access database. To compare content among the studies, a set of criteria was developed to "grade" each study based on its methodology and outcomes. These criteria helped the team identify "gold", or most rigorous, and "supporting" standard studies. Subsequently, gold-rated studies received further in-depth review and are discussed in the Key Findings section of this report. This study uncovered a number of overall findings, as well as findings specific to each outcome area." Since this is a compilation of many different studies from over the world, it seems reputable and valuable.


 * [ Summary ]** This particular source had a huge amount of information and confirmed my beliefs that an education rooted in environmental education is valuable. For instance, research shows that nature-related programs can increase interdisciplinary academic achievement, self-esteem, engagement, motivation, and responsibility among students. These types of programs can even increase a student's odds of graduating. I expected to discover some downfalls of such an education through this particular study since it was so well researched, but no study was consistent in confirming //any// disadvantages. Environmental Education's overwhelming success is in part related to its ability to encompass a wide range of subjects which can lead to any of the advantages listed earlier as well as its ability to cater to many different learning styles and backgrounds. With more funding, it would be possible to begin a longitudinal study to track students over time and deeply investigate other interesting aspects of environmental education.


 * [ Relation to College Students ]** As I stated in the introduction to this page, it is usually safe to assume that students of Warren Wilson realize and accept the importance of nature and the environment in the development of quality education. With such an abundance of sources from around the world, this study further confirms the value of environmental literacy and will hopefully inspire future educators to consider this method in their own classes.

==//[|"Using Natural Settings for Environmental Education: Perceived Benefits and Barriers"]//== Simmons, D (1998).Using Natural Settings for Environmental Education: Perceived Benefits and Barriers. //Journal of Environmental Education//. //29//, 23-31.


 * [ Reliability ]** This study is from the Journal of Environmental Education, so since this topic is the journal's forte, I can assume that the author approached the subject with a great deal of background knowledge before developing this particular article. The last article was very positive when evaluating environmental education (though I do agree with them), but it would be refreshing to investigate the "benefits and barriers" of this type of education more deeply and hopefully discover some interesting aspects that I have not yet considered.


 * [ Summary ]** Through open-ended interviews, the author of this article took into consideration the opinions of four teachers when evaluating environmental education. (The majority of these teachers have taught for an extended period of time and completed a graduate degree in education, the remainder has completed at least some coursework in graduate school). The key aspects that were discussed were appropriateness of teaching setting, teacher confidence, worries, need for training, hazards, and difficulty of teaching this subject. The aspects of EE discussed were broken into multiple categories, so I will address them in a similar fashion.

-- //Appropriateness of teaching setting//: The teachers emphasized the importance that the teacher be highly comfortable with the setting, a positive attitude toward the experience (it is important that they considered it to be valuable), and a willingness to teach EE in that particular setting.

-- //Teacher confidence & Need for Training:// The teachers were in agreement that "if they were to take their students to the setting, they would know what teaching techniques to use, have adequate lesson plans available, know what to do with their students, have the appropriate background, and be well trained."

-- //Worries:// Any activity outside the traditional classroom must involve the willingness of authority figures (principal) and critical attention of safety.

-- //Hazards:// Again, with any activity outside the classroom, the teacher must be aware of the students' safety in terms of dangerous plants and animals and any allergies. Another aspect teachers often worry about is a student getting lost.


 * [ Relation to College Students ]** Before actually embarking on a task such as teaching environmental education, one must be aware of common worries and thoughts associated with the topic. It is easy to assume that you are capable of successfully leading an environmental education course or program, but one must always consider the hazards, needs, and appropriateness of the setting before bringing students into the activity.

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Michigan State Univ., East Lansing. Cooperative Extension Service.. (1996). //School Ground Habitat for People and Wildlife. Extension Bulletin E-2583// [Brochure]. Michigan: Glenn R Dudderar. =====


 * [ Reliability ]** Previous articles have emphasized the importance of environmental literacy among students, but would still leave the reader wondering how to apply such a topic. This source considers the application aspect of environmental education such as incorporating wildlife on school grounds, studying local plants, and even offers suggestions related to evaluation and budgeting. Though this is not an actual study, this guidebook offers useful, worthwhile information and is sponsored by the Forest Service in Washington, D.C, so I do not question its reliability. The author is a Wildlife Specialist and sources used by the author involve the Department of Agriculture, Department of Natural Resources, and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife.


 * [ Summary ]** There is a great deal of explicit information present in this guidebook about specific nature-related activities to implement within a traditional school, including information such as the benefits of natural plants s barriers of bodies of water, windbreakers, etc. Each topic considers the benefits not only to human needs, but to the environment and wildlife as well. There are also pictures and descriptions of exactly how to plant these. Specific instructions advise against mowed lawns and offer an eco-friendly alternative that makes the best of a school environment for children and wildlife. The key points this guidebook gives when considering a program at a school are consult local professionals, construct a plan and goal, make a list of what the project requires, and prioritize and divide the project into separate tasks.

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 * [ Relation to College Students ]** This information is hugely useful in the area of environmental education, especially when attempting to implement such a program within a traditional school. Specific information and advice is especially helpful to a new teacher or one on their path to teaching--it is important to have a basic knowledge of the techniques of creating a program from scratch.=====

==//**[|"A Review of Research on the Effectiveness of Environmental Education in Promoting Intergenerational Learning"]**//==


 * [ Reliability ]** This source was very well researched in that it combined multiple international studies to support its findings. The author Duvall is a doctoral candidate in the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan. Zint is an associate professor at the same school. Also, this article was published in the Journal of Environmental Education, so its information is being used by environmental educators everywhere.

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 * [ Summary ]** This article compiled the results of seven international marketing research studies from 1992 to 2003 suggesting that children have a substantial impact on parents’ knowledge, behavior, and attitude and can even influence the products used by the family from breakfast cereal to information technology. Using this information, it is reasonable to conclude that environmental education programs which target children can also be intergenerational and affect parents’ attitudes, knowledge, and behavior toward the environment. =====


 * [ Relation to College Students ]** It is important to have faith in what you are teaching and believe that what you are doing can make a difference. Sadly, when working with environmental issues, sometimes it feels as if you are not reaching people. This study supports the suggestion that if you teach young children about the natural world, that information is likely to pass on to their parents and affect the decisions they make. This information is very uplifting in this field.