An outdoor educator whose teaching position and field center were eliminated reflects on the importance of publicizing the value of outdoor education in developing ecological understanding and promoting student connection with the natural world, both of which are essential to learning to live a sustainable lifestyle. (LP)

Argues that student field trips should provide students with learning experiences rather than entertainment. Gives examples of science demonstrations that engage the student in the scientific process using hands-on experiences. (MDH)

Reports on a field trip by secondary school history students to Fort Malden National Historic Site in Canada. Describes the use of primary sources and battlefield sites to help students understand historical perspective and interpretation. Includes discussion questions for students and recommendations for implementation. (CFR)

Explores emotional and spiritual bonds to the land as they are expressed through poetry, song, or visual arts. Describes four principal components of a sense of place, based on conversations with the Chipewyan Dene and Caribou Inuit (natives of the Thelon Game Sanctuary in Canada's Northwest Territories) and various forms of experiential learning.…

Proposes that students learn about their environment by taking field trips into their own schoolyard. Students observe, classify, hypothesize, infer, predict, and measure aspects of the schoolyard. Engages the students in discussion to process their experiences. (MDH)

Maintains that the need for music educators to provide services for adult learners is increasing. Discusses modifying music teacher education programs to meet this need. Reviews theories of developmental education and the special needs and concerns of older learners. (CFR)

The director of Northwestern University's Institute for the Learning Sciences describes software that creates simulated environments in which learners focus on skills rather than facts. Also addressed are learning motivation and learning style issues. (SK)

Describes a program to bring farm animals into the classroom. Topics discussed include using the senses, health and safety for both children and animals, and rewards of using animals in special situations. Talks given include "Similarities and Differences of Living Things"; "From a Sheep to a Ball of Wool"; and "Food from…

Describes evolution and structure of the four-year leadership curriculum at Southwestern College (Kansas), whose model promotes personal development, interpersonal growth, and service leadership through class work, field trips, conferences, and practical experience. Students work on projects throughout the program as teams, mentored in the early…

Resident outdoor environmental education (ROEE) is a camp-based extension of the classroom for two to five days, promoting student independence, interpersonal skills, and ecological awareness. Advantages and disadvantages of the "camp as innkeeper" and full program-provider models are given. Program development guidelines cover expenses,…

The president of the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) discusses the current state of environmental education and suggests several key issues to address when designing programs: (1) the basis of the program must be sound, unbiased science; (2) critical thinking must be at the core of the learning experience to make it effective and…

Argues that classroom art experiences that recognize the roots, and routes, of individual identities help form pathways for understanding ourselves and others' experiences. Talks about a trip to a Paiwan aboriginal community in southern Taiwan and the lessons learned about the integration of art with cultural life and identity. (DSK)

Presents a classroom trial exercise in which student teams representing the plaintiff and defense provide calculations of economic damages. Argues that because the exercise replicates actual activities by economists in trial settings, it is a credible exercise for motivating economics students in general and pre-law students in particular. (DSK)

Anecdotes about adventure experiences illustrate how an "artist"-facilitator seamlessly applies scientific methods while in the moment to best enhance student learning. Adventure educators can be artists by creatively framing, constructing, and debriefing the experience while not being central to the experience themselves, thereby…

Community leaders employ a blend of tangible tools, but the effectiveness of these tools depends on leadership skills. Describes five leadership qualities (purpose, values, talents, resources, and vision), and presents questions on each for leaders to reflect upon and answer. Sidebar describes a community leadership activity based on an adventure…