Education without a wall: A lesson from a first-grader class
Hello everyone,
After passing my oral examination on Monday, I did what I would like to do for a long long time; volunteering in my son's class. My wife and I had signed up for this a month before.... Actually we felt a little bit guilty that we'd never volunteered in my son's class since he'd been in school. So all of us were excited.
On Tuesday, my son and his classmates would have their field trip to a national park for the whole day. So my wife and I woke up early to prepare lunch for everyone.... It was fried pork with sticky rice, my son's most favorite food...
We dropped him at his school, and met with his teacher briefly to get some info about where would we meet with the group in the national park.
We drove to the park and waited for the kids at the visitor center... When they arrived, we drove our car following the school bus to their "classroom".
It was a remote place in the park which also was a hiking trail. At the site, there were 4 more park rangers waiting for the group... The 60 first graders were divided into 4 smaller groups, each group would rotate from "one class" to another.
The teacher in each station was the park rangers assisting by school teachers and volunteers. All of the volunteers were grandparents or parents of the children--- My wife and I included....
The ideas of the classes were to point out about relationship between living organisms in a foodchain (or cycle of life)... Using examples of the ecosystem in the park to encourage learning and curiousity of the children, the group and the teacher walked through the hiking trail looking for "lessons and teaching material"....
"Teaching material" included variety kinds of poop (shit) which had its technical term as scat... There were lots of scat all along the trail... Cayote's, elk's, deer's and so on...
Of course, all of them had their own characteristics. The teacher would describe what they had seen and foretold that that particular animal was in good health or not.
Stopping from time to time, they also learned about how to prepare themselves for hiking. What tools and stuffs they should be preparing before going for a hiking. What were the reasons why those stuffs should be taken along?
Lastly, they learned about interconnection between lives in the park... How each species could sustain others and how we, humans, could live sustainably with them.
After that we had a lunch break and drove back to our city. The whole trip took around 5-6 hours. The kids looked very happy and enthusiastic about what they saw, learned and experienced by actually watching and being taught by real specimens, teaching material and people who really knew about that...
For me, I learn something about a classroom which is not necessarily to have books or a wall... Just having knowledgeble people and their real working environments, these would be far more effective to stir curiosity from the students than those conventional books, humdruming disciplined teachers and a blackboard.
I really like your writing skill, Khun A.T. Moreover, I also enjoy reading your articles and comments. Your English is exceptionally outstanding and I am very jealous how warm of your family is. Best regards to them and have a great weekend na krab.
I love to go to ทัศนศึกษา "_" when I was a student. I still remember the time when I went to camping and did activities with my friends which more than ten years ago.....
โดย: The phu IP: 58.9.185.243 27 พฤษภาคม 2549 23:45:10 น.
l love field trip with the kids. It was fun to see them having a good,educational time outdoor.
เข้ามาเก็บความรู้ที่ blog อาจารย์ amatuer translator ครับ
I learn to appreciate you more and more ( a bit jealousy somehow 55555) every time reading your articles, ครับอาจารย์ amatuer translator !!
No comment on writing professional as you show a superb skill as usaul. ###################### ####################### อาจารย์ amatuer translator ครับ thank you so much for your kindly concern " And, thank you for sharing krub K. แฟนหวง.
PS. I'm wondering that why your girlfriend has to think of you that way... You should be a decent guy, aren't you? :) "
555555555555 แฟนหวง is what my closed-friend sometimes called and reminded me when I lost in a space somewhere ครับ !! ########################## I am now at hotel in Union Square, San Francisco, while writing you a message.
My intention is to share my thoughts and experiences with everyone... Secondly, I would like to be your friend... So I wouldn't mind if you would like to add my blog into your list...
Hi! Khun A.T. I'm not Phitsanulok native then, I born in Chiang Mai and graduated from university in Bangkok before working at Phitsanulok krub. Thanks for visiting and leaving the massage.
What's a fun way to spent time with your children!
I was a chaperon for my daughter's field trip once to the Liberty Science Center. I was a bas chaperon indeed. I could not help waiting outside while everyone enjoy their lessons about snake since I am a snake phobia!
But I am looking forward to do it again. Hopefully this time they would go somewhere that has no snake!!
================================= Note: My life has been intertwined with works and many others. New responsibility has emerged, resulting less and less time for my ordinary life. Although, a love to write is still intact... But having less time is related to having less imagination.... Therefore, I could not come up with new writings for quite some times.
It might be a good time for me to leave this forum for moment.... Please take it as Mr. A.T. is having a sabbactatical leave or something like that....
As noted above, my love to write is still the same... and will not be changed. Sometimes somehow, I hope I could come back and give some thoughts in this blog once more.
Cheers, Mr. A.T. June 6th, 2008
=================================
Hello,
My pen-name in Pantip is amatuer translator. Actually, I'm a lousy translator with lame translation. My pen-name is somewhat misleading, I have no background in linguistics what-so-ever. Anyway I love to read, write and communicate with people...
Reading is my most favorite hobby. I read everything from shopping bags to articles in theoretical physics. I do research and teaching for my living. So, reading, writing, thinking and doing research works are my everyday routine.
I would like to define myself as a person who is accepting new ideas and adopting those into my way of life.
I believe in power of knowledge/education. I think every society can be a better society with knowledge. Ignorance can be dispelled by it. Humanity can live sustainably and harmoniously with each other along with its biosphere with understandings in the nature surrounding it.
Apart from my philosophical thoughts reflecting who I am, I can tell you something I like or love in particular;
I love dogs.... Particularly, labradore retrievers.... One day, I would like to spend my time and life with them as a big part of my family.
Zhuge Liang is my hero. With his wisdom and faithfulness, he led a tiny army to a mighty and formidable kingdom. He left his humble residence with a hope to come back. But, sadly, he had never returned and died far far away from home in a horse carriage in a battle field. If I could choose where I would, I would say where-ever my lovely wife was nearby.
I value happiness and my family as my first priority. My profession and my philosophy come in the second. Pursuit in wealth has never been in my desire.
I'm glad to be your friend, and look forward to seeing you around krub.
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