Welcome! Please Introduce Yourself
Welcome! Please Introduce Yourself
Teaching In the Dirt: Designing Outdoor Classrooms
I am thrilled that you are here and want to welcome everyone to Outdoor-Classrooms.com and our virtual classroom. I hope you have taken a tour of our members area and making yourself comfortable. This course, Teaching in the Dirt: Designing Outdoor Classrooms is the course I wish I had when I was first starting to create an Outdoor Classroom at my children’s elementary school. I also wish I had the lessons learned for Sustaining our beloved Outdoor Classroom. This on-line virtual classroom is ideal for those that enjoy a self paced learning environment. I am a firm believer that whatever you put into this course, is what you will get out of it. At this point, I would like to invite you to virtually introduce yourself to the group. Imagine we are all sitting in a circle under a tree sharing a bit about our vision for our Outdoor Classroom.
Please post a little something about yourself and your hopes for this class below. Share a little about your Outdoor Classroom story, if you have one. I highly recommend getting involved in the conversation and sharing the progression of your Outdoor Classrooms
If you are feeling brave…take a picture of your Outdoor Classroom space and share it with the group here.
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31 Comments
Hi! My name is Margi Bhansali. I am a PreK teacher at Chicago Public Schools. My building has an open green space, which I have gotten permission from my admin to make into an outdoor classroom! I love the idea of being able to take learning outside, but not sure where to begin, which is why I’m here!
Hello. My name is Patricia Alvarez in San Antonio, TX. Several reasons and hopes for this class. Professionally, I assisted School Districts operating the National School Lunch Program and several have expresses interest in starting gardens, the Texas Department of Agriculture is encouraging the idea of farm to school. I’m hoping I’ll gather resources to assist them and provide some additional technical assistance. In the past, I started a garden with an afterschool program that sadly died when I left so I am excited to learn about the sustainability portion. I am every much interested in outdoor spaces and outdoor classrooms and hope to one day pursue more of that in my career. Personally, we just moved and would love to create an outdoor learning space for my son in the backyard now that we have space for it.
Welcome Patricia!! I am thrilled that you are here and can’t wait to learn about your programs in the schools and also how you might use this class to inspire you in your own backyard. Please let me know if you have any questions along the way. I am here to guide and inspire you on this very exciting journey!
Hello,
My name is Chantal Cool and I have been teaching grade 6 French Immersion in New-Brunswick Canada for close to 10 years now. I am also the mother of two little angels ! My daughter is almost 3 years old and my son is 9 months so life is very busy but I’m loving every minute of it ! I have never seen an outdoor classroom before so this is all very new to me but ever since I had my first child, I knew that I wanted to learn more about this subject because I think it is soooo important to go outdoor and learn about nature and we don’t have outdoor classrooms here. I am very excited to get started and please forgive my spelling mistakes, English is not first language hehe 🙂
Welcome Chantal! I am thrilled you are here and admire your explorations for this topic. I can’t get enough of it. I am constantly learning and seeing all different types of Outdoor Classrooms. I truly believe that if we can reconnect children with Nature–many of our teaching and learning issues will be resolved. Enjoy!
Hello,
My name is Kasia Kubara and I am a grade 1/2 teacher in Ontario. I am one of the teachers leading our Eco-Team at our school and we are in the early planning stages of designing an outdoor classroom. Looking forward to learning about effective outdoor classrooms. 🙂
Welcome! Looking forward to learning more about your program. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions at any time.
Thank you Victoria!
🙂 Looking forward!
I’m so excited to join this community of learners! I teach 3rd grade in an independent school in Massachusetts (Victoria- I’m sure it’s quite familiar!). We have a new building that included outdoor spaces for each grade level. I’d like to get out there more, and so would my students! I’m a home gardener, so have some basic veggie/flower gardening experience.
Looking forward!!
Moira
Hello Moira!! Welcome to our virtual classroom and community!I am thrilled you are here. Please let me know if you have any questions. Spring is right around the corner! I am chomping at the bit.
Hello all,
My name is Peter Dargatz and I coordinate a nature kindergarten program in a public school just outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I am always open to learning new things and trying out new ideas so I can lead by example and inspire my fellow teachers to take it outside.
Welcome Peter!!
Hi there! I’m Colleen from Ontario, Canada. I am a kindergarten teacher who is leading a group through the process of creating an outdoor classroom. So far we have a vegetable garden with boxes for each grade. In the fall, we started a school-wide composting program. Excited to be taking this course, and gaining direction and inspiration!
Hello and welcome! I can’t wait to learn more about your program and visions for your outdoor classroom. Sounds amazing already!
Hi Victoria,
I’m looking forward to participating in this course. I’m currently working with two programs that are raising funds and overhauling dilapidated playgrounds to create outdoor classrooms.
Trudy
Welcome! Thrilled that you will be joining us. Excited to learn more about the programs you are working with. Please let me know if you have any questions along the way. Victoria
Greetings!
I began the online course “Designing an Outdoor Classroom” back in March. I finally finished the videos and received important insight into funding, streamlining, and practical tips.
I just finished my first year teaching 2nd grade at a private school in the Upstate of SC. I am now stepping out on faith to establish a non-profit outdoor classroom. I have an undergrad in Biology and a Masters in Elementary Ed.
I live on 36 acres with fields, woods, gardens, and a stream. I am a certified Adopt-A-Stream, Project Learning Tree, and Master Gardener. I long to enrich and integrate curriculum with nature!
I just added honeybees to the mix (passed the written test, and will take practicum this year) and soon chickens.
I look forward to sharing more…
Thrilled that you came back to this. Your property and ideas sound amazing! I would love to see pictures! We have just added honey-bee’s to our Backyard Learning Lab and my 12 year old son and I are having so much fun!
Can I post pictures to your FB page?
YES!!! That would be fabulous! Look under Outdoor-Classrooms.com. Can’t wait to see them.
I have a colleague that would like to take your course. She asked if you receive a certificate of completion for continuing education hours? Please let me know, so she can decide if she would like to register. Thank you!
Hello Cynthia,
Yes, I offer a certificate of completion at the end of the e-course. It is for 15 hours. Students interested in receiving a certificate need to write comments on all the posts so I can see their involvement. There is more information about his in the Tool Shed. This is a participation certificate. Your colleague will have to find out if it qualifies for continuing ed hours in her area. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Hello! My name is Jessica Siersma and I am an infant/toddler teacher with Head Start. I have had the pleasure of learning from two teachers who are very nature oriented and been in the business forEVER. Of course the kids teach me far more than I could ever teach them. Especially how to get in the leaves and get dirty.
I am looking forward to having fun with this class and getting out in nature more and trying out new ideas!
Welcome Jessica! I too, am looking forward to this course! Lot’s of goodies ahead!
Hi
Last winter (2014) after attending a workshop at Endicott College I signed up for this workshop. Unfortunately, I was not able to continue working on it. After seeing the email inviting me to attend the new Teaching in the Dirt Workshop I thought I’d give it another try. I am a past director, current preschool teacher and grandmother of a 5 and 2 year, old who currently live with me. I would love to get some ideas for setting up a space in my yard and also in the playground of the school I am working. I do not feel I have as much freedom at the school space but I love learning new ideas to bring children outside.
Thank you,
Mary Russo
Welcome back Mary! I am thrilled you are here. Please note that the weekly Garden Notes are in the Garden Shed. Can’t wait to here more about your Outdoor Spaces.
Hello my name is Cynthia. I am an eighth grade English teacher. I teach both in a school building and in the evenings I am a cyber English teacher as well. We have 4 grown children and 4 grandchildren. My hobbies are gardening, camping, quilting and writing.
Five years ago a colleague asked me to join her in developing a nature trail at our school. She has since retired and now I am working on this project on my own. We have done that, and have started taking it further into an outdoor classroom. I saw your website and and was so excited!! I can’t wait to read your ideas and hopefully use some in our outdoor classroom!
Welcome Cynthia! I love that your efforts in developing a Nature trail is evolving into creating an Outdoor Classroom. Can’t wait to learn more about your adventures and journey!
Dear Victoria,
I received a $1000. grant to add an Outdoor Musical learning station in my Outdoor classroom. I am so excited to add this component over the summer. The list is endless. Bringing the students & learning outdoors is amazing. I am also pleased to say that our classroom has been awarded an 2016 Excellence in Education Award.
I can’t wait to see where the future takes this the project!
Cynthia
CONGRATULATIONS!! I would love to feature your garden in The Seedling. Would you be interested?