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C&NN Natural Teachers Network

Information

Welcome to the virtual gathering place of the Natural Teachers Network. A Natural Teacher is any educator who uses the natural world as a powerful learning environment—whether the subject is biology, writing, art, or any other.

Website: http://www.naturalteachers.org
Members: 319
Latest Activity: Apr 27

Every teacher can be a Natural Teacher.

Think of this forum as a break room full of your peers ready for a conversation, a place where you can share ideas and ask for suggestions, where you can be engaged, creative, and encouraged. The subject: How to use the natural world as a classroom to improve your students’ health and well-being, including cognitive ability and attitudes toward learning. The objective: Inspire action, individually or in groups.

Like any meeting place where diverse opinions and concerns are shared, the discourse here must be civil. For further guidance on the “rules of engagement,” please see a set of Frequently Asked Questions located at http://childrenandnature.ning.com/page/frequently-asked-questions.
The goal of the Natural Teachers Network and this website is to encourage more teachers to connect their students with nature and to provide a forum where Natural Teachers can share their knowledge and views. Collectively, Natural Teachers can have a profound impact on improving the lives of children, and, in some schools and communities, that is already happening.

Please participate actively, and encourage others to join. Get together face-to-face as well.

You'll find tools and resources on the Natural Teachers Network home pages and throughout the larger Children & Nature Network website.

The Children & Nature Network Leadership Team will monitor this NTN Group web site from time to time, to respond to ideas and encourage action. Thank you for your commitment to children.

Discussion Forum

Nature Preschool Vancouver 5 Replies

I am working towards opening a Nature Preschool in Vancouver BC Canada.I am a Early Childhood Educator and believe that age 0-7 is the most important tie in a human being's life. I want to open a…Continue

Tags: #naturepreschool

Started by sarah emily slade. Last reply by sarah emily slade Apr 27.

No Child Left Inside 4 Replies

Imagine what it would be like if every K-12 school across the country made environmental education (EE) an essential part of the…Continue

Started by Tamra Willis. Last reply by Ken Finch Mar 25.

Please Define Green for Me! 1 Reply

What is a “green” school? Although heads vigorously nod approval to the phrase “green is good”, it’s often not clear what constitutes “green” in a school setting. The Green Schools National…Continue

Started by Herb Broda. Last reply by Ken Finch Mar 25.

A Global Perspective

There is so much to be learned if we look beyond our immediate landscape! The International School Grounds Alliance (ISGA) is a wonderful organization that attempts to serve as a link and…Continue

Started by Herb Broda Mar 24.

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Comment Wall

Comment

You need to be a member of C&NN Natural Teachers Network to add comments!

Comment by Rosie Emery on May 12, 2010 at 6:00pm: Hi John
My goal in writing songs for kids about nature is threefold - one, because catchy songs are fun and bring a celebratory aspect into play; two, many of the songs impart information that is pertinent to the species and three to spark curiosity and provide an additional way to teach science. My weekly Blog offers ideas for ways in which educators can incorporate songs into curriculum.
I am also a fan of Howard Gardiner's Multiple Intelligence Theory
http://www.howardgardner.com/
recognizing that individuals learn in different ways - so the songs incorporate Music Smart and Nature Smart - and if you add in some movement, then also Body Smart!
As you say, the people who share on this site are as diverse as they come, and that is the beauty of it! Each one offers an aspect that contributes to the fabric of teaching and inspiring children to be curious about nature.
The Little Earth Charter program http://www.littleearthcharter.org/ provides a framework from which teachers can develop ideas based on the 8 principles; in the News section teachers around the world share how they have used these principles to launch learning activities.
I offer these into the mix and am happy to be of help, if I can.
Cheers
Rosie

Comment by John Thielbahr on May 12, 2010 at 4:03pm: Hi Rosie,
Thanks for your post. I love the creative way you reach kids, and probably adults too. The people who share on this site are as diverse as they come, both in backgrounds and in what they do to connect kids with nature. Please continue to share your experiences. What is it exactly that kids relate to in your music and other art forms? How can others weave what you do in their own work? We don't want to replace what anyone is doing, we want to weave the children and nature story into what is already being done so well in so many place. Please keep sharing. John

Comment by Rosie Emery on May 12, 2010 at 12:00pm: Hi Everyone
I am new here too, so just getting to know what everyone is doing. I am a singer/songwriter/educator and new media producer and I use the arts to teach ecology. I loved the ideas for using Willow, Juliet! Very cool. I write a weekly Blog on using songs & stories to teach ecology and also am the co-creator of the Little Earth Charter - an animation program that uses animation and music to teach sustainability. Not sure how to get the hyperlink working in this comment box - (I just tried and it didn't work) - but you can link to all my different programs through my Myspace page at:
http://www.myspace.com/iirainbowdolphin
Looking forward to reading more about what everyone does!
Thanks
Rosie

Comment by John Thielbahr on May 12, 2010 at 11:30am: Hi Wolfgang, and thanks so much for your post and especially for the work you do so far away.....at least from where I live anyway. While this site is for "teachers" to share ideas and suggestions...and frustrations...., the reality is that we are all teachers to one degree or another, whether or not a piece of paper says we are. The biggest example of that, of course, is parents and grandparents, and other caregivers. We all can teach our children about the special bond with nature. I encourage all teachers on this site to connect with Wolfgang in Cameroon, and find out about the partnerships and networks he talks about. Glad to have you with us, Wolfgang.

Comment by Wolfgang on May 12, 2010 at 10:53am: Hi, nice to be here. I am not a graduated teacher but I am teaching. I am a expert in nature. Together with my team we establish environmental education in cameroonian schools. And... least not last, we support school partnerships and networks. Please join us too. Many children and teachers here are waiting for YOU.

Comment by John Thielbahr on April 24, 2010 at 10:42am: These are great pictures of natural play spaces, Jennifer. I will be going to a training session for child care professionals in Tacoma, Washington on Monday and will reference these pictures. The training is being conducted by staff from Children, Nature and You from the San Francisco area. Click on www.childrennatureandyou.org for more information. This training will be followed up by technical assistance coaching by staff of the Washington Child Care Resource & Referral Network. There is a simlar network in every state that The Children & Nature Network is hoping to partner with to introduce the importance of connecting children in child care settings to the natural world. Thanks, Jennifer, for continuing to bring your wonderful ideas and resources to this site. John

Comment by Jennifer Kable on April 23, 2010 at 7:08pm: Hi everyone. I just found an album of wonderful natural play space photos that I thought some of you might enjoy:

http://picasaweb.google.ca/vanceboys/NaturalElements#

Comment by Dave Sandersfeld on March 25, 2010 at 9:13pm: Homeschooling is a good call. Make do with less; but Nature Near Us provides ample oportunitiy to study science, math art and poetry. We just nee to recommend inspiring spots near by.

I live in Oregon & here's my ongoning "hot List" or must sees. Maybe a role model for other states?

http://www.examiner.com/x-35373-Oregon-Nature-Examiner

Comment by Juliet Robertson on March 13, 2010 at 7:38am: Hi Suzie

I think the new blog is a useful addition to the C&NN site. Thanks for the mention - completely unnecessary but very kind of you. Here's to the continuing success of C&NN and nature educators and activists everywhere.

Best wishes
Juliet

Comment by Suz Lipman on March 12, 2010 at 11:59am: Hi Everyone, I wanted to let you know that a newly designed C&NN blog launched today, thanks to Amy Pertschuk and team. The blog will continue to feature an article by Rich Louv each month, and it will also now include news briefs about the movement.

One of those first briefs features the Natural Teachers Network and highlights many of you. Thank you John, Juliet, Chip, Ashley, Stephanie, Carmen, Jean and Nancy for sharing some of your activities and passions with me. They are very exciting and I wish I could have written even more. We will certainly continue to highlight this group and members.

To see the new blog, visit http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/

To see the post about the Natural Teachers Network, see: http://www.childrenandnature.org/blog/2010/03/10/cnn-launches-natur...

Thanks again for the stories and inspiration.