Dewey and Louv

After reading Louv articles in the Colloquium Reader, I felt two things: relaxed and flustered.

First off, I felt relaxed because all the talk about nature and how it can be calming and relaxing. I have always been a big fan of it, but I never thought about the powers that it really had.

The second feeling that I experienced was frustration. I hear on the news about how parents wish their children would go outside more, how dangerous it is to go outside, how they wish they would stop playing their video games and watching T.V. etc, etc. It seems like they are always placing the blame on something or someone else; even to some extent their children. Personally, I feel if you don't want your children to be constantly playing video games, THEN DON'T BUY THEM! If you want them to go outside, take the games away, or turn off the T.V.. Maybe not buying them is taking it to the extreme, due to rainy days and what not, but at least put a restriction or time limit on them. I think that Louv has a good point when he says that nature can help students with ADHD, and any and all other students (Louv).

Being an education major, I also found that I was able to connect with Dewey's writings in the University Reader. Throughout my courses we have been taught to make learning meaningful to the students and provide them with educational experiences to help them grow academically. One important thing that I would really like to point out is that Dewey stressed quality experiences. It is not a matter of just throwing the students in an experience, but planning one this will actually help them connect with what they are supposed to be learning.

Overall, I think that I was really interested in the Dewey and Louv readings. I feel that they were directly connected with my education courses and will help me as a teacher.