Studio Time at TSS Kelly Campus

By Judy Fisher,
Graduate Student

When I hear the word “studio” I envision a huge room with lots of natural light and room to move freely creating artistic expression. The studio space at Kelly Campus has amazing natural light and the best view in the Kelly valley of the prominent white frosted rock spires of the Teton Cathedral Group. The Spur Ridge classroom, a new addition to Kelly Campus, was designed with the thought of a space for the Graduate students. The classroom is located near Ditch Creek at the base of Spur Ridge.

For two weeks, Team 2 spent time with John and Kevin in an action studio developing new teaching strategies. Over winter break we were given a book to read call Theories of Childhood by Carol Garhart Mooney. This book illustrated the 5 different educational theorists who contributed to the progressive movement of education, an easy and exciting read. John Dewey, Maria Montessori, Jean Piaget, Erik Erikson and Lev Vygotsky all promoted “learning by doing” philosophies. The action studio time spent during class facilitated learning by doing in style.

With presentations on the mind to delve into the theorists foundations of child development, John and Kevin took us on a time travel through the history of environmental and nature education. It started with Darwin’s origin of species in 1851 and finished with Al Gore’s documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” in 2006. In conclusion the 60’s and 80’s prove to be the busiest time with events in environmental awareness occurring every year starting with the Vietnam War and ending with the Valdez Oil Spill. Throughout those years the wake up call to help save our planet came from events such as the story by Dr. Seuss called ”The Lorax”, Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring”, Outward Bound, NOLS, Woodstock, Edward Abby’s writings, the creation of EPA, and the Endangered Species Act. The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970, the year the Vietnam War ended. Thank you to JFK, Johnson and Nixon, Ford and Carter for helping to save the planet! Now we can take our awareness of the environment and proceed to take action in, of and for environmental education.

Back in the studio scene we began to delve into the learning process. Kevin turned us into a neurological synapse, so we could understand what happens in the brain during a thought. Prior knowledge is essential to learning and emotions help make powerful memories, the brain is a mighty tool, use it well. Questioning helps to tap into that prior knowledge, creating a memory synapse to connect and hopefully focus your attention. How do you make sense of this? What do you notice? Could you put that in your own words? The tops of conifer trees present a metaphor about questioning strategies. Pines have divergent crowns pointing in many directions, so the question can have many answers. Spruce trees have a very pointy summit, which ensures a convergent focus for one answer AND they can shed snow as a winter adaptation.

Next time you ask a question, think about the kind of answer you want to get. When you have an “Ah hah!” moment, feel that synapse happen as 1 of the 1 billion neurons in your brain has an electrical surge! Oh, and those funny games you used to play to make sure you were coordinated on both sides, like rubbing your belly and patting your head at the same time, that is supposed to wake up both sides of your brain. Go outside and play, I can guarantee you will learn something new, because we don’t remember days, we remember moments.