The Development of Computer Strategies to Facilitate the Infusion of Environmental Education for 3-6 Educators in the Marshfield School District

Abstract

The Information Age presents unique challenges for the citizens of the twenty-first century. The students in today's classrooms will become that new society. It is the responsibility of the schools to equip those students to deal effectively with increasingly complex issues of environmental health and developing technologies. In an already crowded curriculum, creative techniques need to be applied to provide for emerging content areas. In the School District of Marshfield, teachers were looking for effective and efficient ways to accomplish these goals. If the infusion of environmental education and technology could become an integral part of the classroom curriculum and techniques to accomplish this were shown, teachers stated they would infuse environmental education more often. To facilitate the infusion of these two areas, a three-part approach was taken. First, a District Directory of Computer Software was compiled. To implement software the teachers needed to know what was available and how it could be used. The second part of this project was a set of sample lesson plans for environmental education and technology. If the teachers experienced an activity they were more likely to do it. The final part of the project involved holding a ten-hour staff development workshop showing how computers can assist with the infusion of environmental education. The staff development was attended by seventeen participants. Teachers applied what they learned to a classroom lesson. Comments from the participants were very positive. Analysis of the data showed a significant level of knowledge was gained, but attitudes tended to change more slowly.