Bright Spots
At the Oklahoma State University (OSU), they have a greenhouse that is also part classroom. The greenhouse at OSU is for hands on learning opportunities and has six separate greenhouses, a classroom, an office space, and a prep area. Reading about this made me think about the greenhouse space at the University of Vermont (UVM). It is a lovely space, and has some benches and tables where students can sit and do work. Some classes also go through and do whatever it is that those classes do.
I have been thinking, “How can I incorporate this into my job with my students?”. In the fall, we hold a class for first year students in our Outdoor Experience program. Why did we never take out students to the greenhouse on campus? What was stopping us from doing that? The greenhouse set-up at OSU is a bright spot for me, because they are doing for their students what I would want to do for mine. Using the greenhouse as an interactive learning environment and a classroom all at the same time. It is nice to take students through the greenhouse then go back to the classroom setting to discuss it, but why not hold our class circles and meetings within the space itself?
At OSU, students are able to do self-guided research and conduct experiments. As a bright spot, OSU is making me think about how I can change the structure of my class, and what is within my control to change. I cannot change how the greenhouse is run at UVM, but I can figure out how other classes use the space, and what that could mean for me. Start small, then work my way up. I thought about using the greenhouse the first time I visited it a few weeks back, but reading this article really solidified my desire to change the course just a bit to allow students a new and different experience.
There is the article that inspired me to write and think about this. Take a look at it if you want to know more about OSU’s practices.
