The Fresh Classroom by @PaulKelba

"...despite more and more teachers wishing to engage their students in educational experiences beyond the four walls of the classroom, many are unsure of how to begin. How can they use outdoors in a manner that minimizes paperwork and organizational time, while maximizing direct, hands on, learning experience?" - Beams, Higgins & Nicol   Current studies provide data where students are not experiencing the natural world independently or in the company of family or friends. Schools are capable change agents in this crisis and during the previous three + decades have implemented successful programming to deepen students feelings for the natural world. In a common '21st century classroom' a void has appeared within connecting instruction with the physical world. Well meaning educators struggle with creating educational activities students experience the natural world during school time. Alarm bells are ringing in academic literature, teachers are aware of the nee...

Educational leaders are in danger compromising amazing initiatives in education by shunning experienced teachers. Recently I have noticed an aggressive increase in the tone of many educational pros and fellow colleagues. Commonly, it is an outright dismissal of past teaching methods, an all out dismissal of previous methods of assessment, homework, technology and discipline ("adapt or get out"). These are opinions and facts that in many cases I agree with; nevertheless, over the last few years of classroom teaching, this tone turns experienced and in most cases older teachers on the defense no matter how amazing the reform could contribute to student development. Genuine relationships, even simple attempts to acknowledge each-others professionalism is drastically absent in circles online and in schools. We, and I speak as an educational reformer, must reflect on how we express our innovations as to not insult the past. The drastic change needed i...