Comments on: Curing Nature Deficit Disorder http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/08/30/curing-nature-deficit-disorder/ Sun, 23 Nov 2008 13:16:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Moving at the Speed of Creativity » Blog Archive » More recess, fewer tests, structured activities, and homework please! http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/08/30/curing-nature-deficit-disorder/#comment-20561 Moving at the Speed of Creativity » Blog Archive » More recess, fewer tests, structured activities, and homework please! Tue, 10 Oct 2006 16:38:15 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/08/30/curing-nature-deficit-disorder/#comment-20561 [...] Today’s Associated Press article “Give kids more free playtime, docs urge” supports ideas I’ve blogged about before in my posts “Curing Nature Deficit Disorder,” “Increase retention and creativity with recess,” and “Let’s fight for recess.” (Thanks for the link, Devin.) According to the article: The American Academy of Pediatrics says what children really need for healthy development is more good, old-fashioned playtime…Numerous studies have shown that unstructured play has many benefits. It can help children become creative, discover their own passions, develop problem-solving skills, relate to others and adjust to school settings, the academy report says. [...] [...] Today’s Associated Press article “Give kids more free playtime, docs urge” supports ideas I’ve blogged about before in my posts “Curing Nature Deficit Disorder,” “Increase retention and creativity with recess,” and “Let’s fight for recess.” (Thanks for the link, Devin.) According to the article: The American Academy of Pediatrics says what children really need for healthy development is more good, old-fashioned playtime…Numerous studies have shown that unstructured play has many benefits. It can help children become creative, discover their own passions, develop problem-solving skills, relate to others and adjust to school settings, the academy report says. [...]

]]> By: Wesley Fryer http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/08/30/curing-nature-deficit-disorder/#comment-12668 Wesley Fryer Fri, 01 Sep 2006 04:50:02 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/08/30/curing-nature-deficit-disorder/#comment-12668 Diana: That is a great story. My wife's school in Lubbock had a grant that allowed them to bring many of the students (who were almost all from very low SES households) to Oklahoma for about a week of camp near the end of school, and that was a transformative event for all of them as well. I agree this is such an important story for us to tell, encourage others to act on, and act on ourselves. I remember when my own 6th grade teacher took our class out for a short hike on the outskirts of our town, in Manhattan, Kansas. It was great and SO memorable, and I had also been camping quite a bit with Scouts. We shouldn't underestimate the value of these REAL experiences for people of all ages, but especially students with more limited life experiences and schema. How much better our tax dollars would be spent today to send kids, teachers, and parents on natural field trips rather than flogging kids to death with standards and testing?! Diana: That is a great story. My wife’s school in Lubbock had a grant that allowed them to bring many of the students (who were almost all from very low SES households) to Oklahoma for about a week of camp near the end of school, and that was a transformative event for all of them as well. I agree this is such an important story for us to tell, encourage others to act on, and act on ourselves. I remember when my own 6th grade teacher took our class out for a short hike on the outskirts of our town, in Manhattan, Kansas. It was great and SO memorable, and I had also been camping quite a bit with Scouts. We shouldn’t underestimate the value of these REAL experiences for people of all ages, but especially students with more limited life experiences and schema. How much better our tax dollars would be spent today to send kids, teachers, and parents on natural field trips rather than flogging kids to death with standards and testing?!

]]> By: Gayle http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/08/30/curing-nature-deficit-disorder/#comment-12621 Gayle Thu, 31 Aug 2006 18:45:01 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/08/30/curing-nature-deficit-disorder/#comment-12621 Hi Wes! I'm subscribed to your podcasts and have been eagerly listening to them during my commuting time. I'm a school admin who's also in the dissertation stage of my doctorate in C & T at Teachers College in NYC. I wish you the best of luck in your new position. My apologies for not commenting on the content of your blog right now--will do so next time! Hi Wes! I’m subscribed to your podcasts and have been eagerly listening to them during my commuting time. I’m a school admin who’s also in the dissertation stage of my doctorate in C & T at Teachers College in NYC. I wish you the best of luck in your new position. My apologies for not commenting on the content of your blog right now–will do so next time!

]]> By: Diana http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/08/30/curing-nature-deficit-disorder/#comment-12572 Diana Thu, 31 Aug 2006 04:19:46 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/08/30/curing-nature-deficit-disorder/#comment-12572 I couldn't agree more. I live in a veritable outdoor playground 80 miles from the Grand Canyon and the kids don't go outside. There is a non-profit that the community supports called Grand Canyon Youth (www.gcyouth.org). The program assists in the cost of bringing students into the Colorado River Plateau and ecosystem. I organized a group of students that floated down the San Juan River in SE Utah last spring. We planned, we volunteered, we researched and then we floated. The transformation was unreal. Watching the students meet every challenge, work together, play and learn was one of my best moments in the past few years. As we piled back into school after four long, wonderful days on the river... a fellow teacher was there watching. She looked at me and said, "You can see it on their faces... they are different kids..." Then tonight I sat at school tonight for open house and who should waltz in but three of the river trip students from last year. They were in to catch up and see how the summer went (they are at the HS now and came in on open house night b/c they knew the old teachers would be there). Then they all looked at me and said, "Can we get on the trip next year... how can we do the trip again..." Now I could go on and on and on... I had a teacher take me camping in the 7th grade and it changed the course of my life. I love that I live in a community that supports a non-profit encouraging more time in nature. We also received a federal grant that pays teachers to work with kids in non-competitive athletic activities: hiking club, climbing club, mtn. biking, etc. There are ways, there are programs, there are people passionate about bringing it to the kids... but it certainly does not get the attention that it should. Please keep telling this story... it is oh, so wonderful! I couldn’t agree more. I live in a veritable outdoor playground 80 miles from the Grand Canyon and the kids don’t go outside. There is a non-profit that the community supports called Grand Canyon Youth (www.gcyouth.org). The program assists in the cost of bringing students into the Colorado River Plateau and ecosystem. I organized a group of students that floated down the San Juan River in SE Utah last spring. We planned, we volunteered, we researched and then we floated. The transformation was unreal. Watching the students meet every challenge, work together, play and learn was one of my best moments in the past few years. As we piled back into school after four long, wonderful days on the river… a fellow teacher was there watching. She looked at me and said, “You can see it on their faces… they are different kids…” Then tonight I sat at school tonight for open house and who should waltz in but three of the river trip students from last year. They were in to catch up and see how the summer went (they are at the HS now and came in on open house night b/c they knew the old teachers would be there). Then they all looked at me and said, “Can we get on the trip next year… how can we do the trip again…”

Now I could go on and on and on… I had a teacher take me camping in the 7th grade and it changed the course of my life. I love that I live in a community that supports a non-profit encouraging more time in nature. We also received a federal grant that pays teachers to work with kids in non-competitive athletic activities: hiking club, climbing club, mtn. biking, etc. There are ways, there are programs, there are people passionate about bringing it to the kids… but it certainly does not get the attention that it should. Please keep telling this story… it is oh, so wonderful!

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