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The Infinite Classroom: Expansive Learning through Nature Journaling by Dacia Jones

9/28/2023

0 Comments

 
In an age where the education space is rapidly evolving, Expeditions in Education is catalyzing a movement to bring nature journaling into classrooms worldwide. This initiative is inspiring students and educators from North Carolina to Florida to Tennessee to California, and beyond, to venture beyond the conventional classroom setup and embrace the boundless learning opportunities offered by nature. Nature journaling acts as a gateway to authentic learning, enabling students to engage with the environment and expand their horizons across a multitude of disciplines.

A Journey Across States
Students from various states are stepping out of their classrooms to explore and imbibe lessons from nature. Young minds are witnessing the wealth of knowledge that nature has to offer. This involves participating in activities like Solo Sits and utilizing the “I Notice, I Wonder, It Reminds Me Of” approach to reflect upon and internalize their experiences.

Through these excursions, students are not merely observers; they interact, question, wonder, and relate to the natural world around them, offering a richer, more multifaceted learning experience. The unique textures of each state’s landscape provide a diverse palette of learning experiences, allowing students to appreciate and understand the variances and similarities within ecosystems.

The Power of Authentic Learning
Nature journaling is more than a reflective activity; it is a vessel for authentic learning. Authentic learning occurs when students engage in activities that require application of knowledge and skills, are relevant and meaningful, and integrate different domains of learning. Nature journaling encourages students to intertwine observation, emotion, reflection, and intellectual thought, enabling a holistic learning experience that resonates on a profound level.

One might recall Dash Goff, the writer character from a "Designing Women" episode, saying, “We don’t write good because we don’t talk good.” Although originating from a fictional source, the essence of this statement rings true. Expressive writing requires expressive conversation and expressive thinking. Providing students opportunities to write about their experiences, particularly those close to their hearts, is crucial for developing their expressive capacities.

Connecting Hearts and Minds
As the acclaimed naturalist and author John Muir once said, “In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” Through nature journaling, students are able to connect deeply with their surroundings, find resonance and meaning, and translate these rich experiences into words. By absorbing the myriad lessons that nature imparts, students cultivate a refined sensibility and a heightened awareness of the interconnectedness of all living things.

When students pen down their observations, thoughts, and feelings, they are not merely documenting; they are conversing with nature, fostering a connection that is simultaneously intellectual and emotional. It is through such connections that learning transcends textbooks and classrooms, becoming a lifelong journey of curiosity and discovery.

Inspiration for Educators and Students Alike
The essence of Expeditions in Education is to inspire. It serves as a beacon, illuminating the path for educators worldwide to integrate nature journaling into their teaching methodologies. By doing so, it empowers them to offer their students a more enriching, expansive, and holistic learning experience. It is a testament to the infinite possibilities that arise when we step out, explore, and embrace the boundless classroom that is the natural world.
​
In conclusion, nature journaling is not merely an educational tool; it is a bridge to the infinite classroom that surrounds us, a portal through which students and educators can traverse to experience expansive, multifaceted learning. The initiatives by Expeditions in Education are exemplary models of how we can harmoniously integrate nature and education, allowing us to foster a generation of learners who are attuned to the rhythms of the natural world and are eager to explore its limitless treasures.
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  • Home
    • About Expeditions
    • Our Staff
    • Our Board
    • Our Sponsors
    • Events Calendar
    • For The Parks
    • In the News
    • Support Us
    • Contact Us
    • Impact Stories
  • Our Services
  • Educators
    • Our Books >
      • Adventures of Marvin & Huck:
      • Lila & Toby: Into the Wild
      • Educational & Meaningful
      • Book Connections
    • Our Kits >
      • Family Outdoor Discovery Box
      • ParkQuest Engineering Kits
    • Expeditions in Education BLOG
    • Experience the Parks >
      • Experience Pullman >
        • Experience Pullman Blog
    • Great Lakes Odyssey >
      • Getting Started with GLO
      • Great Lakes Odyssey Travel Blog
      • Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial
      • Indiana Dunes National Park
      • Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
      • Keweenaw National Historical Park
      • Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
      • Voyageurs National Park
    • Math in Nature
    • Nature Pages
    • Preserve the Parks PBL >
      • Addressing Environmental Resilience in Puerto Rico
      • Protecting the Puerto Rican Harlequin Butterfly
      • Creating Sustainable Communities Inspired by Pullman
      • Combating the Green Crab Invasion in Acadia National Park
      • Enhancing Sustainable Trails at Big Cypress National Preserve​
      • Exploring the Green River's Impact on Water Purity and Cave Preservation
      • Protecting Crater Lake's Endemic Newts
      • Restoring Native Trees at the Lincoln Boyhood Home
      • Restoring the Elwha River
    • Backpack the Parks!
    • Park Pioneers
    • Ready to Go Lessons
  • National Parks Expedition Challenge
    • Expedition Challenge Full List
    • Acadia to Bryce >
      • Acadia National Park
      • Alcatraz Island
      • Amache National Historic Site
      • Amistad National Recreation Area
      • Arches National Park
      • Assateague Island National Seashore
      • Badlands National Park
      • ​Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site
      • Big Bend National Park
      • Big Cypress National Preserve
      • Biscayne National Park
      • Black Canyon of the Gunnison
      • Bryce Canyon National Park
    • Cabrillo to Dry Tortugas >
      • Cabrillo National Monument
      • Cape Cod (ONE) National Seashore
      • Cape Cod (TWO) National Seashore
      • Carlsbad Caverns National Park
      • Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
      • César E. Chávez National Monument
      • Chaco Culture National Historical Park
      • Channel Islands National Park
      • Crater Lake National Park
      • Cumberland Island National Seashore
      • Cuyahoga Valley National Park
      • Dayton Aviation National Heritage Historical Park
      • Death Valley National Park
      • Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
      • Denali National Park
      • Dry Tortugas National Park
    • Eleanor to Fort Pulaski >
      • El Malpais National Monument
      • El Morro National Monument
      • Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site
      • Everglades National Park
      • FDR Memorial
      • First State National Historical Park
      • Flight 93 Memorial Park
      • Ford's Theatre
      • Fort Laramie National Historic Site
      • Fort Monroe National Monument
      • Fort Pulaski National Monument
    • Gateway to Hot Springs >
      • Gateway Arch National Park
      • Gettysburg National Military Park
      • Grand Canyon National Park
      • Grand Teton National Park
      • Great Smoky Mountains National Park
      • Guilford Courthouse National Military Park
      • Haleakala National Park
      • Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
      • Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
      • Homestead National Historical Park
      • Home of Franklin Roosevelt National Historic Site
      • Hopewell Culture National Historical Park
      • Hot Springs National Park
    • Indiana to Lincoln Memorial >
      • Indiana Dunes National Park
      • Isle Royale National Park
      • Jewel Cave National Monument
      • Jimmy Carter National Historical Park
      • Joshua Tree National Park
      • Kenai Fjords and Alaska Coastal Parks
      • Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
      • Keweenaw National Historical Park
      • Lava Beds National Monument
      • Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail
      • Lincoln Home National Historic Site
      • Lincoln Memorial
    • Maggie to Pullman >
      • Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site
      • Medgar & Myrlie Evers Home National Monument
      • Mammoth Cave National Park
      • Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
      • Mesa Verde National Park
      • Natchez Trace Parkway
      • New River Gorge and Preserve National Park
      • Niobrara National Scenic River
      • Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum
      • Olympic National Park
      • Palo Alto Battlefield
      • Pearl Harbor National Memorial
      • Petroglyph National Monument
      • Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
      • Pinnacles National Park
      • Pipestone National Monument
      • Pullman National Monument
    • Redwood to Zion >
      • Redwood National and State Parks
      • Rocky Mountain National Park
      • Saguaro National Park
      • San Antonio Missions NHP
      • San Juan National Historic Site
      • Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail
      • Shenadoah National Park
      • Tidal Basin-NAMA
      • Tumacácori National Historical Park
      • Vanderbilt Mansion National Historical Site
      • Vicksburg National Military Park
      • Voyageurs National Park
      • Waco Mammoth National Monument
      • Wright Brothers Memorial
      • Yosemite National Park
      • Zion National Park
  • STEAM in the PARK
  • Crossing America