Every one of our students deserves the opportunity to engage in experiences designed to ignite a passion for learning beyond the classroom.
What might this look like?
When learning about the environment, climate, or ecosystems, students have the perfect opportunity to experience discovery beyond the classroom when their teachers connect with outside experts, such as environmentalists, nature conservationist officers, or even an ecologist that is willing to email, skype, or perhaps meet with the class to share their knowledge, experiences, and expertise in their field, and how it affects everyone, including the students. Teachers modeling the skill of networking while providing their students with a relevant, engaging opportunity to extend their knowledge can become a priceless experience for everyone.
Following lab experiments, or perhaps a time of researching moral dilemmas in science, is a time when student discourse empowers students to engage in creative thinking, purposeful collaboration, high levels of critical thinking, and formal communication with their peers regarding their predictions, misconceptions, victories, and challenges in their learning process. Student discourse also allows students to learn the value of reflective thinking and responding to new knowledge not only for themselves, but also for one another, in and out of the classroom.