Edutopia

The Edible School Yard

The Edible School Yard is a classroom that is outside which takes the shape of a garden. They are middle school students who follow their instructor. They can do it all! They plant,grow, harvest, and cook.

The thought behind this is that students can learn by experiencing. This is very true. When they get together in their garden they bring subject matter from almost all their other classes and make it have meaning. They learn skills that at one time were taught in the home such as cooking, team work, communicating, how to build a community and to rely on on another. Not saying that they are not still taught in some homes.

I actually enjoyed this clip. In this day in age the classroom is all about standardized test. I will try to incorporate a garden in my own classroom, but unfortunately it will be at most pots with plants in them or a class activity that they have to take home.

A Night in the Global Village

This program helps people to understand those who are less fortunate. In the group there is a pregnant woman, a two year old, and elder, and a person without a hand. The groups go to different third world country's and are not given everything they need for their overnight adventure. It really is a wake up call.

The middle school students really proved themselves. It was amazing to watch them ration like real adults. I believe there are always going to be you maturing middle school students, but this bunch was far from that!

I loved this activity, but I do not think I will be able to do these same activities. These seem very time consuming and I will be working with elementary students, not middle school. I will recommend A Night in the Global Village to others who seem to think they live a hard life when they really don't!