Friday, March 8, 2002
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Friday, March 8, 2002 |
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New program would use environment as learning tool Fulton County schools may soon be part of a unique educational program. The state of Georgia has been selected to model an innovative educational reform program that uses the environment to teach students by doing project-based learning in their own communities. The State Education and Environment Roundtable will now partner with Georgia in the program, known as EIC (Using the Environment as an Integrating Context for Learning). The state Board of Education approved this partnership at its meeting last week. Developed by Gerald Lieberman, Ph.D., and SEER, the EIC program is based on evidence from 60 schools in 13 states that students learn more effectively within an environment-based context than within a traditional educational framework. EIC is nationally recognized as an effective approach to improving student achievement, reducing classroom discipline problems and increasing community involvement. With data collected in 60 schools since 1996, proponents say that EIC has had significant and measurable positive effects on academic achievement and classroom behavior. In 458 schools nationwide, 1,378 educators have already been involved in the program. Georgia is the 16th state to join the SEER network, which was established in 1995 and is sponsored by the PEW Charitable Trust and administered by the Council of Chief State School Officers. Information about SEER can be found at: www.seer.org. Applications are now being mailed out to schools throughout Georgia by the Department of Education. Applications must be postmarked by March 20, to the DOE. Additional information will be posted on the Environmental Education Alliance site and at www.EEinGEORGIA.org. SEER will work with 10 geographically and demographically diverse education partnerships in Georgia. Each partnership will consist of a school and a community organization that work together to improve student achievement by putting learning into a context with real world applications. The EIC program has two primary goals: To increase overall student academic achievement. To positively impact student environmental literacy. In April, advisors and the committee will select these ten education partnerships from those applying to model the program. Georgia's EIC committee includes representatives from the state Environmental Protection Division's Land Protection Branch, the state Department of Education, the Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia and the University of Georgia as well as other organizations. Each partnership will include four teachers, one administrator and one community organization representative. Community organizations can be represented by governmental as well as nongovernmental agencies. Also, institutions such as local, state or national parks, or museums, nature centers, zoos, botanical gardens, corporations, universities and nonprofit organizations may participate. Schools will be selected from all categories urban, suburban and rural as well as all grade levels elementary, middle school and high schools. In May, the 10 schools that have been selected will be announced. In the fall of 2002, the program will be initiated at these 10 schools for five years and will be followed up with regular meetings and reviews. Modeling the EIC program will allow teams of teachers to develop inquiry-based learning experiences using hands-on and minds-on activities. Students will be involved in project-based learning which adapts to their needs and interests. Using the communities natural surroundings, students can find learning to be more relevant, meaningful and exciting. This program allows the traditional boundaries between curriculums to be broken so that interdisciplinary integration of subject matter can take place. For information phone Deron Davis, environmental outreach coordinator for the Georgia EPD at 404-627-2092 or e-mail Deron_Davis@mail.dnr.state.ga.us. You can see the executive summary of the new report, "Closing the Achievement Gap: Using the Environment as an Integrating Context for Learning" at their Internet site www.seer.org.
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