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