EDUCAT ION IN AMER ICA AND THE NAT IONAL PARK SERV ICE
LEARNING IN THE 21ST CENTURY
NPS ADVISORY BOARDEDUCATION COMMITTEE
• 28 Members• Leading Academics, Practitioners, National
Association Directors• Formal and Informal Education• Learning: Dr. John Falk, Oregon State & Dr. Ana Houseal, U. Wyoming (chairs)• Technology: Dr. Allison Druin, U. Maryland
& Keith Krueger, Consortium for School Networking (chairs)
NPS ADVISORY BOARD EDUCATION COMMITTEE
• Partnerships: Deb Yandala, Cuyahoga Valley; Lois Adams-Rodgers, CCSSO • Research: Martin Storksdieck, National Academy
of Sciences; Jessica Thompson, Colorado State U. • Professional Development: Carol Stapp, George
Washington U.
THE CHANGING WORLD OF EDUCATION
• Higher Bar: College- & Career-ready • Global Competition• Changing
Demographics• Technology &
Internet
SCIENTIFIC & CIVIC ILLITERACY
• 28% of American adults qualify as scientifically literate.*
• 83% of American adults failed a basic test on the Nation’s founding.**
* Jon Miller, University of Michigan** American Revolution Center
21ST CENTURY LEARNERS
• Personalized Learning• Digital Learning
Anytime, Anywhere• Connections
with Peers, Experts• Authentic,
Place-Based Experiences
OUT OF SCHOOL TIME: THE 95% SOLUTION
• Americans spend less than 5% of time in classrooms
• “40 years of research: out-of-school opportunities are major predictors of children’s educational achievement.”
Falk, John and Lynn Dierking. “The 95 Percent Solution.” American Scientist, Volume 98. Nov-Dec (2010): 486-493.
21ST CENTURY SKILLS: COLLEGE & CAREER
• Information Literacy & Communication • Problem-
Solving, Systems Thinking• Collaboration,
Teamwork• Self-Direction,
motivation• Creativity
NEW ECOSYSTEM OF LEARNING
• Blended: Face-to-face & Online• Information
“always on”• Schools• Home• Museums• Libraries• National
Parks
NATIONAL PARKS: CRITICAL ROLE IN REDESIGN OF AMERICAN EDUCATION
• Authentic science and history• Create programs with
audiences• Deliver with many partners• Learning in and through
Parks using technologies• Civic engagement skills:
service learning
REACH OF THE NATIONAL PARKS
• 280,000,000 visitors• 57,062 school
programs• 2,929,310
students reached (on site); 7 million with partners• 75% of NPS Sites
Within 50 Miles of Students
*based on FY2012 data
PLACE-BASED EDUCATION
• Place-Based Education Evaluation Collaborative (PEEC)
• Project-focused • Relevant to communities• Effective for all students• Provides foundation for all
subjects• Increases engagement and
enthusiasm about learning
OPERATION EXPLORE NEW YORK
• New York City’s largest environmental education program
• Gateway National Recreation Area and Park Partner lands
• Students explore and document interrelationships between farm, forest, and marine ecosystems
GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL PARKS
• 65,000 youth served annually
• Crissy Field Center• I-YEL Environmental
Youth Leadership• Urban watershed HS
program• Rob Hill
campground• Next: Presidio Youth
Collaborative
BIOBLITZ
• 24-hour species Inventory• 1st – 12th grade
students work alongside scientists • For many, 1st
experience in a National Park
RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS
• More than 40 National Parks in partnership with local non-profit organizations• Two-day overnight to multi-day programs
FEDERAL COLLABORATIONU. S.
Department of Education
• 2012 Memorandum of Understanding:
DOI and ED• Resource Sharing• Professional
Development• Co-Host Informal
Education Summit
Smithsonian
• New Partnership with Smithsonian
• Water• Civil War to Civil
Rights• Migration and
Immigration
NATIONAL COLLABORATION
• Department of State
WHAT IF?
We gave small grants to our best science and history teachers and National Park education staff to curate Gooru collections of online resources using National Park and other sources on key themes?
WHAT IF?
We asked our best scientists and historians to teach massive online courses (MOOCs) using these resources?
OPPORTUNITIES
1. Document models & best practices:
Learning in the National Parks book/website
2. Digital strategy: Map, curate, tag & promote online lessons, experiences
3. Deepen in-person, place-based programs: Residential programs, youth campuses, environmental camps/schools
4. Teacher professional development: NPS-based courses, expand Teacher-Ranger-Teacher
5. Research on longer-term impact of intensive NPS experiences
6. Business planning to map opportunities, priorities, schedule, costs, fundraising