Children are not spending enough time outdoors and it is leading to a wide array of health problems. Richard Louv's book Last Child in the Woods, Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder is a seminal source of information on this topic. One of the causes of the trend is children's increasing use of screen based media in homes. Students are also increasingly using screen based media in classrooms. A movement is happening in the United States, but also in other countries, to get children back into the outdoors, which is very good for their health. A handful of schools are starting to use the environment as an integrated context for learning. Initial studies are showing that these "EIC" schools have better results on both student health and academic performance on standardized tests. As a part of this effort, the use of technology in the form of cameras and nature apps such as iNaturalist have been shown to increase student motivation and involvement in natural settings. But, as Deborah Chavez stated in her 2009 study Youth Day in Los Angeles: Connecting Youth and Nature with Technology, there is a need for more data. I hope to add to the data that shows how integrating digital devices into outdoor education may be beneficial. In my study, I plan to study how my class of 22 third graders interact with nature and each other on two field trips. On the first, no hand held devices will be used. On the second, students will be allowed to photograph plants, insects, and animals with iPads and/or smartphones. I will measure student engagement on both field trips. Observers will record % of students engaged during different parts of each trip. We will also do two nature reports based on each trip. One will integrate the photos the students take at Pepperwood Preserve, and the other will use their drawings and/or paintings. I will measure the quantity and quality of information and language in these reports as well as record student participation/engagement during their making. I hope to discover if the integration of handheld devices enriches students' experience during outdoor experiences. I also hope to discover if subsequent use of images recorded during the trip improves student motivation and quantity/quality of work in related nature reports.
4 Comments
Megan Burton
11/4/2019 01:40:42 pm
Your methodology seems solid, with specific targets in your observations and variables. It will be interesting to see how students' understanding and motivation are impacted as the influences of nature and technology converge in your project.
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Jeremy Smith
11/4/2019 07:10:17 pm
Thanks, Megan. I think it's somewhat solid, but I need to still work on it. I'm not a very "data driven" kind of person, I guess, and I feel like my data will be kind of "blah" or not very illuminating. I need to re-read the latest chapters and search for additional insights in how to get solid, relevant data points.
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Melissa Newman
11/5/2019 11:03:23 pm
Hi Jeremy, I think connecting kids with the outdoors is a great concept. I think that it's also a little sad that kids are missing out on exploring this natural resource. I can see the data collection side of this research could be frustrating. Have you thought about a survey before, and after asking about thoughts, knowledge about the outdoors? Scavenger hunts could also be a good way to introduce your students to nature, too.
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Peter Abboud
11/27/2019 07:58:33 am
I think it's interesting that we are looking at the possibility of technology engaging kids with outdoor activities. It's not necessarily super intuitive to me, but I like it!
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AuthorJeremy Smith teaches third grade at Calistoga Elementary School. Archives
July 2020
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