In an ever-changing teaching environment, one thing stands out for many educators today: getting students involved in projects that have a meaningful impact on the society that they live in, while at the same time meeting established core curriculum and educational goals. In their article “Environmental Eduction in Action: How Expeditionary Learning Schools Support Classroom Teachers in Tackling Issues of Sustainability,” Meg Riordan and Emily Klein note the view of environmental education  as a ‘”creative and dynamic process in which pupils and teachers are engaged together in a search for solutions to environmental problems”‘ (120) and that teachers as well as students must be supported in this process. In addition, they note that this support comes in the form of professional development in areas such as “interdisciplinary planning, active investigation of local issues, and robust participation-with students- in activities around environmental improvement” (120).

In support of this model of teaching and teacher support, Riordan and Klein note two case studies in which this type of teacher support was offered, and how it effected student’s learning. One case study, conducted in a 7th grade class, looks at a class asking the question ‘”what sustains us?”‘ while the second case study, conducted in a 9th grade class, examines a class considering ‘”the value of resources”‘ (124). In both case studies, multiple teachers across various educational disciplines play a role in guiding the students to their ultimate objective, as “expeditions involve other teachers as an ‘integral part of it'” (125). Because of challenges such as these, and the ever changing dynamics of a modern day classroom, Riordan and Klein draw several conclusions from the case studies. First is the “importance of real world experiences” (129) and exposing both teachers and students to this type of learning. Additionally, “the content knowledge and instruction strategies needed to be an effective science teacher are not static” (130), and because of this, teachers must continually undergo professional development to ensure both they and their course are relevant. Finally, “research suggests that teacher professional development should involve participants ‘in the active investigation and amelioration of the real world problems of relevance to the communities in which they teach”‘ (132). If all of this is taken into mind, Riordan and Klein argue, teachers can provide, and continue to provide, “rich inquiry based experiences” (135) to their students for years to come.

Both John Dewey and the Expeditionary Learning program place an important emphasis on stimulating students intellectually in order to develop them into contributing and useful members of society. As someone who grew up experiencing both a standardized-testing classroom environment, where memorizing answers was stressed over understanding principles, and an environment in which creative learning and doing what interested me, I strongly agree with the principles put forth by John Dewey and Expeditionary Learning which stress creative learning in topics that interest the student. John Dewey especially stresses this in his work “My Pedagogic Creed” where he writes that “the stimulation of the child’s powers [is a product of] the social institutions in which he finds himself” (93). This is important to note, as Dewey demonstrates that a child’s intellectual growth is directly related to the way and environment in which they learn. From personal experience, I can attest to the fact that it is not only more fun to learn when an environment of discovery and creativity is fostered in the classroom, very similar to that promoted by Expeditionary Learning. Ron Berger from Expeditionary Learning notes that work from students should be “meaningful, valuable, and beautiful”. This emphasis on the quality of work, and how it is completed is a refreshing change from the culture of standardized testing fostered in many traditional classrooms today. Not only does an emphasis on quality and stimulation help students learn and remain interested in their work, it also benefits society as a whole. Ron Berger notes this when he describes some of the projects that students have done, such as compiling the stories of World War Two veterans for publication. John Dewey also notes the benefits of intellectual stimulation to both students and society when he writes that “education is the fundamental method of social progress and reform” (99), demonstrating to his audience the effects of education on both individuals and society. From personal experience, the writings of John Dewey, and Expeditionary Learning, intellectual challenges and stimulation within the classroom not only create brighter students, but a brighter future as well. It is because of this that we must institute more engaging lesson plans for students, breaking away from the culture of memorization and standardized testing.

This is a practice post.