"Each week we choose a theme and put together different kinds of stories on that theme." Sound familiar? If so, it's because I borrowed it from Ira Glass' weekly radio show This American Life. No, unfortunately IslandWood isn't being featured in an episode. However, our Environmental Education: Theory & Practice course this quarter has followed a very similar mantra.
Each week we've been assigned readings that correspond to a particular "theme" or "topic" that we'll explore in detail.
Week One: The Challenge of Environmental Education
Week Two: The History of Environmental Education
Week Three: Play & The Design Of Games That Teach
Week Four: What Makes Education Environmental?
We just wrapped up week four. In the photograph above our professor is helping to dissect an enormous whiteboard full of our comments based on one of our readings. Without spoken words, we were directed to document our thoughts through "silent conversation" prompted by the questions, "What are Lieberman and Hoody implying regarding method/desired outcomes?" and "What does this mean for you?" (Lieberman and Hoody wrote an Executive Summary titled "Closing The Achievement Gap: Using The Environment As An Integrating Context For Learning.").
With 30 minds combing through our material it's interesting to see how differently each individual can interpret an author's words. An article that resonates with one person can have a completely different impact on another. Yet, through these discussions we are able to delve deeper into each topic and choose what we plan to use in our own individual craft.
It's the differences we find amongst one another that provide the richest content.
Riley
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