ERIC EJ860949: Ecological Stewardship and Gifted Children

2009·1.2 MB·English

by  ERIC

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Gifted Children
and
By Roberta J. McHardy, Pamela B. Blanchard, and Catharina F. de Wet
I
n even the earliest studies of giftedness in young children (Burks, Jensen, & Terman, 1930;
Hollingworth, 1926), researchers noted distinct character
traits among gifted students, which included global aware-
ness, sensitivity to complex issues, and a tendency to worry
about injustice and dangers that often are beyond a child’s control.
Dabrowski and Piechowski (1977) described what they called emotional
overexcitabilities that can be observed among gifted students as great depth and
intensity of emotional life expressed through a wide range of “feeling, attachments,
compassion, heightened sense of responsibility, and scrupulous self-examination”
(p. 287). This sensitivity of students is one of the positive gifts they bring to a classroom
and the world. Yet, characteristics of sensitivity in gifted children can sometimes frustrate
or annoy classmates and, unfortunately, some teachers who do not have the same sense
of global awareness and responsibility. It can be difficult to reassure young gifted students
that solutions will be found to complex problems without patronizing them or minimizing their
concerns.
This article describes ways in which gifted students explored issues of
ecological concern through a description of student projects that
addressed coastal erosion and habitat reduction in mean-
ingful ways. Through projects such as these, children
who were impacted by Hurricanes Katrina
and Rita became empowered to help
restore their environment.
16 fall 2009 • vol 32, no 4
Ecological Stewardship
The Need for Action helping.” (M. Herbert, personal accepts significant answerability
communication, May 20, 2008) to society. Ecological stewardship
One of the most heartbreaking focuses on the living components
aspects of the devastation caused by Fortunately, several ecological of an ecosystem, while keeping
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita has been programs were already in place in in mind larger ecosystem and
the impact on children in the coastal Louisiana and Mississippi that could environmental concerns. Thus
regions of Louisiana and Mississippi give children the means to play a part ecological stewardship projects
in the recovery efforts. As quickly can generally be grouped into
(McHardy, 2008). Uncertainty about
as teachers were able to access the plant-based and animal-based
what was happening during the evacu-
resource personnel who designed these projects. (p. 269)
ations, and in some cases, separation
programs, assistance was provided to
from family members, threw the chil-
either restore activities that had been Connecting Ecological
dren involved into turmoil. Children
underway before the storms or to Stewardship to Environmental
suffered further trauma when those
Education Theory
begin new activities in schools that
who could return to their houses
were looking for a meaningful way to
were faced with the long-term task of
meet their students’ emotional needs. In planning ecological steward-
rebuilding their homes and their lives.
ship projects, it is useful for project
Thus, uncertainty about the passing
Ecological Stewardship organizers to keep two frameworks
storms was replaced by uncertainty
in mind: Roth’s (1992) Four Stages
about the future. Mona Herbert, a Defined
of Environmental Literacy and Kolb’s
fifth-grade teacher of the gifted in New
(1984) Learning Cycle. In a paper
Orleans, LA, described the dilemma The U.S. Environmental Protection
outlining the evolution of the term
this introduced to classrooms: Agency (2005) defined environmental
environmental literacy, Roth postulated
stewardship as:
that while there is some variability in
I really saw on the part of the
the sequence, people’s development
children . . . this sense of helpless- the responsibility for environ-
of environmental literacy progresses
ness . . . I almost resented people mental quality shared by all
through four levels: awareness, con-
saying that the children were those whose actions affect the
cern, understanding, and action. See
resilient. And that they were just environment, reflected as both a
Table 1 for a detailed description of
going to bounce back . . . [They value and a practice by individu- Roth’s four Stages of Environmental
would say,] “My mom and dad als, companies, communities, Literacy.
were laying new floor last night, and government organizations. In order for students to develop
so I didn’t get a chance to do Positive stewardship behavior environmental literacy, they first need
my homework,” and they were demonstrates acceptance of a certain level of awareness and fac-
pushed out of the way some- this responsibility through the tual knowledge about the context of
where else and they couldn’t help. continuous improvement of the stewardship activity. Ultimately,
(M. Herbert, personal commu- environmental performance to the stewardship opportunity will
nication, May 20, 2008) achieve measurable results and become a significant activity within the
sustainable outcomes. (p. 8) “action” stage of the participants’ jour-
But teachers found that their students ney. Therefore, managers of ecological
very much wanted to and needed to Worrell and Appleby (2000) defined stewardship projects, whether they are
help. Herbert noted: ecological stewardship in similar terms: teacher-driven or agency-driven, must
recognize these four stages and plan
Because gifted kids see into the Stewardship is the responsible activities that will provide students
future, that’s the problem. They use (including conservation) of with the opportunities to move from
get so affected; they get caught natural resources in a way that one stage to the next.
up in it . . . They are almost takes full and balanced account In summarizing recent neuroscience
paralyzed at times because . . . of the interests of society, future research into the way the human brain
they see it as doom . . . I wanted generations, and other species, learns, Zull (2002) wrote that learning
continued on page ??
the kids to be able to say, “I’m as well as of private needs, and is physical. The structure of the brain is
gifted child today 17
Ecological Stewardship
Table 1 curriculum. These experiences may be
Stages of Environmental Literacy presented in a variety of formats such
as invited speakers, field trips (real or
virtual), picture books, videos, and
Awareness Perception of human/nature interactions and consequences in general
demonstrations. Students who exhibit
or around a particular issue.
high interest in the topics presented
Concern Perception of real or potential negative consequences of a set of human/
during Type I enrichment, and are
nature interactions and a feeling that some changes in those interac-
tions need to occur. eager to pursue questions regarding
these topics, are introduced to skills
Understanding Acquisition of detailed information about the present and future impli-
cations and consequences of current human/nature interactions and training, or Type II enrichment. Type
alternative interactions. II enrichment consists of group and
individual training in thinking and
Acquisition of thinking and decision-making skills and their use in pro-
feeling processes, learning-to-learn
cessing acquired information.
skills, research and reference skills,
Action Application of understandings to individual and corporate behavioral
and written, oral, and visual commu-
changes that alter human/nature interactions in what is perceived as
nications skills. These “how-to” skills
a responsible way that reduces or eliminates negative consequences.
are the kinds of skills students need
Note. From Roth (1992). to pursue their questions or areas of
concern about the topics introduced
the foundation of the structure of the Connecting Ecological during Type I enrichment. In their
learning cycle. Zull referred to David Stewardship to Gifted Education pursuit of answers to their questions
Kolb’s (1984) learning cycle frame- Theory and Practice or solutions to their concerns, students
work. The learning cycle has been may engage in Type III enrichment
described in a number of variations, Theorists concerned with learning activities, which are defined as first-
with the number of phases varying opportunities for gifted students agree hand investigations of real problems
from three to five across models (Atkin that such curricula and opportunities (Renzulli & de Wet, in press).
& Karplus, 1962; Bybee, 1997; Kolb, should be relevant to their experiences This delineation of Type III enrich-
1984), but all suggest that instruction and their lives; have a product focus; ment activities has had a great impact
can be sequenced into a series of teach- provide opportunities for them to apply on the field of gifted education in that
ing or learning stages or phases. For and extend what they have learned to it provides a rationale for and describes
a review of the history of the learn- the solving of problems, addressing of the means whereby teachers can men-
ing cycle, see Lawson, Abraham, and issues, and creating of products that are tor students in self-selected areas of
Renner (1989) and Lawson (1995). purposeful and meaningful to them; interest. Students assume the role of
Kolb’s four-part learning cycle has and allow, indeed require, students to a firsthand inquirer, seeking to answer
its roots in the theories of Dewey and use the concepts, language, materials, questions and provide solutions for
Piaget, and is based on the idea that and methodologies of professionals in problematic situations in their schools,
learning begins with concrete experi- the field (Tomlinson, 2005). neighborhoods, and communities.
ence. For learning to be complete, the A useful framework for providing One of the benefits of students engag-
learner must progress through four such opportunities to students has ing in Type III activities is the collateral
phases of action (Kolb, 1984): con- been described by Renzulli (1976). learning that takes place—learning of
crete experience, reflective observation, The Enrichment Triad Model proposes advanced content and skills necessary
abstract hypotheses, and active testing. that teachers and students engage in to complete these projects that are of
Zull (2002) suggested that each phase three types of enrichment teaching great interest to the student. This kind
of Kolb’s learning cycle takes place in and learning instead of traditional of learning might not occur in the gen-
a particular physical structure in the academic training for students and eral classroom and in general curricu-
brain. Furthermore, he argues that the traditional teaching by teachers. Type lum. The Enrichment Triad Model has
learning cycle is complete only when we I enrichment consists of exploratory been incorporated into the Schoolwide
have tested, or acted upon, our ideas. activities on a variety of topics, areas Enrichment Model (Renzulli & Reis,
Ideas without action remain lifeless and of interest, and fields of study that stu- 1997) and has become the framework
motionless until they are tested. dents may not experience in the regular for teaching in many schools. (A
18 fall 2009 • vol 32, no 4
Ecological Stewardship
research base detailing the effective- being damaged by coastal land loss and
ness of the Enrichment Triad Model storms (Roth’s Awareness and Concern
as well as the Schoolwide Enrichment Phases, as well as Renzulli’s Type I
Model is available at http://www. enrichment).
gifted.uconn.edu/sem/semresearch. After a scientist’s visit to Mona
html). This model will be used to Herbert’s school in New Orleans, she
analyze three ecological stewardship debriefed students to gauge interest
programs described in this paper, and in pursuing the goals of the Coastal
can provide a framework for creating Roots Program. Not surprisingly, her
similar projects across the country. students overwhelmingly chose to par-
ticipate in the Coastal Roots Program
Figure 1. Students at an elementary
The Coastal Roots based at their school (see Figure 1).
school digging trenches to install
Wetlands in Louisiana have a num-
Program—Preserving
their school’s plant nursery.
ber of important functions, such as
a Coastline
flood mitigation, storm buffer, and
Photo by Pam Blanchard, LSU.
juvenile fish habitat. Teachers connect
In the Coastal Roots Program, the hands-on stewardship activities in
designed by Louisiana State University the Coastal Roots Program to appropri-
(LSU) professor Pamela Blanchard ate classroom lessons so that students
(2007), students from more than are able to put their new knowledge
25 schools across south Louisiana into action through a meaningful out-
grow native seedlings in tree nurser- door learning experience.
ies located on their school grounds.
This program was designed to engage Coastal Roots is important to me
teachers and students in critical coastal because my house flooded from
environmental issues such as ecologi- Hurricane Katrina. I hope the
cal stewardship, wetlands functions/ Coastal Roots Program will help
values, wetland loss, habitat restora- protect us in future storms or
tion, and conservation, while at the hurricanes. (Caitlin Leiva, fifth Figure 2. Middle school
same time teaching basic geologic and grade) students planting marsh grass
horticulture concepts and skills. The on a hurricane protection
purpose of Coastal Roots is to provide I feel that the CR program will levee near Montegut, LA.
a program based upon active learning stop my home from flooding
about coastal erosion and restoration again during a hurricane. I also Photo by David Bourgeois, LSU AgCenter/Louisiana
Sea Grant College Program.
issues in Louisiana. Fourth-grade feel that if the wetlands disap-
participant Karen Wang stated that pear there will be less delicious
These students are learning how to
“Coastal Roots is an educational and seafood for the locals to enjoy.
germinate and grow seedlings that can
fun program. Every 45 minutes one (Mason Varuso, fourth grade)
help restore the damaged ecosystems
football field of wetlands is lost. I feel
(Roth’s Knowledge Phase and Renzulli’s
really good about planting trees at a Students in the program planted
national park where lots of people will their restoration seeds in “can yards” Type II enrichment), and how to plant
come to visit.” during the early spring and tended their seedlings in an area in need of
Representatives of the Coastal Roots their seedlings over the next 9 months habitat restoration (Roth’s Action phase
Program disseminate information about as they grew in the school nurseries. and Renzulli’s Type III activities). They
the program to schools in a variety of The following fall, students trans- come to understand effective ways to
ways, including visiting schools to ported their seedlings and planted sustain marsh habitats, maintain habitat
describe the ecological issues involved them at a partner restoration site that diversity, and provide food for coastal
(Type I enrichment). Through this proj- had been established to protect the animals and birds. This type of steward-
ect, elementary, middle, and secondary fragile wetlands and forests of south ship project is a year-round, long-term
continued on page ??
students learn about how ecosystems are Louisiana (see Figure 2). project, and the type of project that is
gifted child today 19
Ecological Stewardship
in which they chose to participate. One of the things that coastal
Important hallmarks of Type III proj- residents learned after the recent hur-
ects were students pursuing questions ricanes was that our coastal forests
of particular interest and concern to provided an important wind break to
them personally, engaging in activities the hurricane-force winds that swept
that they personally found stimulating, over southern Louisiana. Students in
and creating a product or service of the LSU Coastal Roots Program are
their own choosing. The Coastal Roots helping to replant some of the coastal
Program allowed students to engage in forests that were severely damaged dur-
a variety of activities and produce dif- ing the storms.
ferent end products. Students involved
in this project began their participation Hurricanes such as Katrina,
from the first day by helping install Gustav, and Rita affected New
the plant nurseries (see Figure 1). At Orleans with devastating force.
school, they planted the seeds and If we keep planting saplings, they
Figure 3. Tree protectors tended the seedlings. will grow into towering trees that
decorated by students. will act as our first line of defense
Coastal Roots is important not from these natural disasters. My
Photo by Deborah Schultz, Barataria-Terrebonne only for the effect it has on the class and I have been learning
National Estuary Program. environment but also the impact about erosion and hurricanes’
on the children who participate effects on us. It was actually fun
recognized by environmental educators in it. Planting trees made me
to go out and be stewards by
as the way to make a real difference in feel like I, at a young age, can
planting over 700 trees to help
students’ thinking and actions (Barnett do something about our envi-
Louisiana. (Andrew Souther,
et al., 2006; Basile & White, 2000). ronment and how to save it. It
fourth grade)
When students were asked to reflect on feels awesome to make an impact
their experiences, the impact on their on our environment. (Shelby
Paddlefish Incubators
thinking was clear: Dwyer, fifth grade)
to Preserve a Species
Coastal Roots is important The Coastal Roots Program also
because it is saving our coastline provided the opportunity for out- A second example of environmen-
and that is helping to save the of-state students to partner with a tal stewardship is the Native Fish in
world, one tree at a time. To me, Louisiana school by conducting penny the Classroom Project supported by
Coastal Roots isn’t just a school drives to raise funds to purchase tree the Louisiana Department of Wildlife
project; it is an opportunity to protectors (see Figure 3). and Fisheries (Capello, Somers, Bihm,
raise awareness for Louisiana’s These slim tree protectors are & Smith, 2005). In this project, stu-
coast and every little piece helps. needed to protect young seedlings dents at schools in central Louisiana
(Sarah Rogers, fifth grade) from the appetite of hungry nutria are helping to restore populations of
(large semiaquatic rodents native paddlefish, a threatened species living
The CR program challenged us to the area). Children from a New in the sluggish bayous and streams
mentally where we learned about York school, who wished to become that cross the coastal plain of south
the wetlands and challenged us involved with children in Louisiana, Louisiana (Kolb’s Action stage and
physically where we had to a lot decorated the tree protectors with per- Renzulli’s Type III).
of digging and physical work. manent markers and shipped them to a In the past, paddlefish have been
We did this to help the world Coastal Roots school to use when they harvested for their eggs, which are con-
be better little by little. (James install seedlings at the restoration site. sidered “American caviar.” The species
Konen, fourth grade) The drawings on the tree protectors is threatened due to overharvesting and
often showed students’ understanding the disruption of their nesting grounds
This type of project also provided of the problem and solutions to coastal during the hurricanes. Children at
students with a variety of activities land loss in Louisiana. schools in central Louisiana near
20 fall 2009 • vol 32, no 4
Ecological Stewardship
Figure 4. Thomas Blanchard
Figure 5. Thomas Blanchard checking wood duck eggs
showing an elementary
in a nest box he maintains in the Atchafalaya Basin.
student how to put
sawdust into a wood duck
Photo by Pam Blanchard, LSU.
box that he made.
Photo by Pam Blanchard, LSU. the last 100 years, natural predators, snakes from climbing up the pole to
the harvesting of trees, and increasing get to the nest in the box.
farmland acreage have significantly Maureen Mabile, a pre-K teacher in
Alexandria and Ville Platte, with the
reduced the number of wood ducks in Pierre Part, LA, incorporated the wood
help of Louisiana Department of
southern Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin. duck nesting project into her unit on
Wildlife and Fisheries agent Angela
Wood ducks, which migrate more than forest animals. She invited local resident
Capello, are raising paddlefish in their
and avid hunter Thomas Blanchard, Sr.
500 miles through Louisiana, normally
classrooms. Each spring, students are
to help children learn about wood duck
lay their eggs in naturally occurring
given harvested paddlefish eggs, which
nesting habits, their predators, and
are large enough to be seen with the holes in trees. Unfortunately, preda-
current efforts to sustain their popula-
naked eye. Students feed and maintain tors, including raccoons, snakes, and
tions in the Atchafalaya Basin (Roth’s
the fish in circulating system aquari- humans, find wood duck eggs an easy
Awareness and Concern phases and
ums in the classroom until they are meal. This pressure on successful egg
Renzulli’s Type I). He brought a wood
finger length in size. Then the fish are hatching has reduced the number of
duck caller, male and female wood
taken back to the Booker Fowler Fish wood ducks in the Atchafalaya ecosys-
duck decoys, and a wood duck box he
Hatchery, where they finish growing tem to dangerously low levels.
built. He showed a homemade video of
and are eventually released by Wildlife In response to this problem, the
baby wood ducks flying out of the box
and Fisheries biologists into local Louisiana Department of Wildlife and
(Roth’s Knowledge phase). Ms. Mabile
streams to help sustain the paddlefish Fisheries, as well as many environmen-
let her students show what they had
populations in the region (Capello et tally concerned hunters, have built and
learned through their drawing and art
al., 2005). deployed wood duck boxes through-
projects, dictation, and journal writing
out the Atchafalaya Basin and most
in the various learning centers around
Wood Duck Boxes to
of southern Louisiana to help sustain the classroom (Roth’s Action phase; see
Preserve a Habitat the wood duck population. The wood Figures 4 and 5).
duck boxes are built of cypress or red An appropriate extension of this
A third example of appropriate eco- cedar and are attached to a tall pipe. lesson that would provide students
logical stewardship for young children The boxes usually have a predator col- the opportunity to participate in
continued on page ??
is the wood duck nesting project. Over lar attached to prevent raccoons and stewardship themselves (Renzulli’s
gifted child today 21
Ecological Stewardship
Type III activities) might be complete their project. Materials
. . . even very
to have students help build or might be donated by community
decorate a wood duck box in groups concerned with the same
one of the learning centers in young children issue, or the professional orga-
their classroom. They could nization partnering with classes
arrange the wood shavings involved in the project. Consider
are able to
in the box and help install it writing a grant for funding the
on their school grounds. A project.
parent might film the instal- engage in
lation of boxes the students Step 5: Establish Roles
made as they are placed in and Responsibilities
meaningful
the Atchafalaya Basin. This
project demonstrates that Engage students in the plan-
even very young children are and helpful ning process to establish material
able to engage in meaningful and people needs and a time-
and helpful stewardship proj- line for the project. Help them
stewardship
ects. Abdi, Taylor, and Freilich delineate responsibilities or jobs
(1998) provided more ideas needed to complete the project
for such science projects suit- projects. and allow them to choose which
able for young children. jobs and responsibilities they
might wish to assume.
community for possible ecological
A Framework for
issues.
Step 6: Help Students
Creating Ecological
Master the Skills Needed
Stewardship Projects Step 2: Help Students
Become Informed
in Your School
Ask your professional partners to
provide the how-to training in skills
Utilize resources to provide students
Teachers can create opportunities students will require to successfully
with information according to Roth’s
for their students anywhere in the complete their project (Type II train-
Awareness phase and Renzulli’s Type I
country to engage in ecological stew- ing). These skills should approximate
enrichment.
ardship projects using the framework the skills professionals in the field
described below. would use.
Step 3: Debrief Students
Step 1: Find Appropriate Projects Step 7: Help Students
After completion of Type I expe- Carry Out the Project
Use local newspapers and govern- riences, hold discussions to identify
mental agency literature, as well as those students who exhibit Roth’s This meets Roth’s Action stage and, if
community resources, to identify eco- Concern phase, or what Renzulli students are engaged in pursuing a part
logical threats and endangered animals (1976) refers to as “excitement and in the project based on their individual
and/or habitats in your area. Each state interest in the project” (p. 16). interest and concern, it also conforms
has a wildlife or natural resources to Renzulli’s Type III activities.
department that would be happy to Step 4: Establish a
invite students to partner with it in its Partnership With Experts Step 8: Find Audiences
preservation and stewardship efforts. for Student Products
An ecological stewardship project Both professionals and volunteers
does not have to part of a statewide or who are interested in the topic or Be sure to celebrate and advertise
national program. It can be as simple field of study can provide knowledge, the students’ progress at various appro-
as replanting and preserving indig- resources, and opportunity support for priate times. This will meet two goals:
enous plants on the school grounds. the project. They can help to procure It offers encouragement to students
Investigate your schoolyard and local the materials students will need to to remain engaged, and it provides
22 fall 2009 • vol 32, no 4
Ecological Stewardship
an authentic, real-world audience for dren. Dimensions of Early Childhood, McHardy, R. (2008). Hurricane Katrina’s
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