Page 61 - spaces4learning, Fall 2024

learn new things. Moving education beyond the classroom can help
teach students that learning happens everywhere, curiosity doesn’t
have a beginning or end, and studying something new can be fun.
Some of my own favorite outdoor learning experiences:
Part of my graduate thesis work on stream restoration includ-
ed taking students from Fort Worth’s Stripling Middle School
to a local stream. We explored
what was living in the stream,
the water flow, and what that
meant for the water quality.
Then, the students figured
out how to help improve the
water—skills and knowledge
they could take back and do on
their own campuses.
During my time as the
Education Coordinator at the
Botanical Research Institute
of Texas, I had the honor to
collaborate with botanists to develop a new educational pro-
gram and space, now part of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden.
With the freedom to think innovatively, we sought to redefine
traditional learning approaches that provide student visitors
the opportunity to learn in unique settings. Today students
will find a pocket prairie, a crafted natural area with native
grasses and wildflowers behind the main building. Here, stu-
dents can walk through the space using socks to mimic the
natural movements of bison and other native animals histori-
cally involved in seed dispersal.
THERE’S SOLID RESEARCH
THAT SHOWS TAKING THE
CLASSROOM OUTSIDE
CAN BE A GAMECHANGER,
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS
INTRODUCED EARLY TO OUR
YOUNGEST LEARNERS.
Creating learning oppor-
tunities and connections with
nature improves cognitive de-
velopment as well as mental and
physical well-being. The bene-
fits of taking education outside
are numerous and start with re-
imagining outdoor spaces as dy-
namic environments that invite
exploration, discovery, and cre-
ative thinking for learning that
takes advantage of those spaces.
Former science teacher and outdoor learning curriculum expert
Brenda Swirczynski is a Certified Accredited Learning Envi-
ronments Planner (ALEP) and educational facility planner for
Pfluger Architects.
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