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Engaging All Learners
in the School Garden
Karen Wolfgang & Isabel LaCourse Independence Gardens | Portland, OR
January 2014 © Independence Gardens LLC
What We’ll Cover TodayWho are we?
Independence Gardens • Works with households and organizations (including
schools) to grow food in integrated landscapes by building edible garden infrastructure, coaching & consulting, and providing organic land care
And… • Isabel has taught in various contexts for the past 13 years;
she was the Garden Coordinator at Sabin School in NE PDX for 4 years, and is now Environmental Education Coordinator for Tualatin Riverkeepers
• Karen managed the PSU Learning Gardens Laboratory and served an AmeriCorps term as Garden-Based Education Team Leader, and through the business continues to work with learners of diverse ages, cultures, and abilities
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What We’ll Cover TodayComments along the way
Got Questions? Please ask as we go along.
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BRIEFLY: • Your name • Where you’re coming
from (region, role) • Who you work with
(what type(s) of learners)
What We’ll Cover TodayPressing questions
Quick draws (3 hands) • Why you chose this
session OR • Big bad question you
are really looking to have answered
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What We’ll Cover TodayWhat does engagement look like?
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Family & community
• The students in your class are not the only users of/learners in the school garden environment
• Garden programs present many opportunities for broader community-building
• Support from family and community is integral to sustained student engagement
• Maintaining the school garden as an environment in which learners CAN engage over time requires broader community support
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Background challenges
• Structural factors • Historical factors • Specific concerns
– “My mom says gardening is stupid” !
NOTE: Every community has a different story. Create opportunities for listening in YOUR community, rather than assuming that any particular concern exists (or doesn’t exist).
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Gardening is awesome. It can also be complicated.
Responsiveness
• Community agreements inform strategy • Objectives(s):
– Academic/curricular connections – Job skills – Health & wellness – Food production – Mindsets
• Respect for food & self, empowerment – Experiences
• Connection to land, place, environment
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Best practices
• Build a collaborative team with strong leadership • Focus on broad community engagement/celebration
– Who participates in planning process, and who is missing?
• Prioritize awareness of diverse experiences • Ensure consistent communication
– Continued outreach and invitations to participate are critical
• Don’t put too much responsibility on the garden coordinator/educator
• Don’t assume that “if you build it, they will come”
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What We’ll Cover TodayWhat does engagement look like?
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Goals
• Families and community members recognize and support the relevance of garden activities
• Everyone feels safe & respected • Expectations are clear • Students are on-task • Self-managing group activities
leave time for one-on-one interactions
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Context + content
• Routines are important – Where are you? What facilities are available? – What are the rules? Does everyone know what they are? What
“backup” do you have? – When do your students come? How often? – How do you communicate your expectations? How consistent are
you able to be?
• “The garden” is different from moment to moment • Curriculum and lesson plans should be flexible enough to
adapt to evolving student and garden needs
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Motivators
• Fun • Outside time! • Emotional safety/reward • FOOD: cooking, eating • Contributing to
community • Caring for/growing things • Healthy lifestyles • Good grades • Job skills
KWL’s What don’t they (know they) want to know?
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Some factors to consider: • Age(s) • Number at a time • Commonalities? • Differences? • Experiences with gardening
(personal, familial, cultural)
• Disconnect between expectations and realities
• Someone is uncomfortable — their needs are not being met
• Better strategies don’t exist for dealing with discomfort, either personally or in the class context
• Our best bet for reducing acting out: create a reward-based system
“Behaviors”
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Strategies
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• Acknowledge learning styles/capacities
• Refer back to expectations that are shared with parents, classroom teachers, etc.
• Use classroom management tools that your students are familiar with
– Call & response attention-getting tools