Outdoor Learning/ Ed in age of Covid
I read an interesting article in the NYT about schools fighting plagues in the past by creating "open air classrooms". I think it was referencing the TB outbreak in the early 1900's in NYC. Long story short, it worked extremely well. Since studies have shown you are 20x less likely to catch Covid outdoors and other countries are all ready teaching students on playgrounds, sidewalks, fields and parks (i.e. Denmark). Why aren't we hearing about this type of approach in our schools? It seems like a no brainer instead of spending millions on wipes, plexiglass, etc... when the answer could simply be- send the kids outside as much as possible. If we want football, economic recovery etc... these are the type of creative solutions we need, that also don't break the bank. On a related note, I think I read somewhere that Stanford was planning on having many classes under tents.
I agree (though it certainly isn't viable for much of the country past October).
Solutions with an element of creativity ........ have honestly been lacking from both teachers and administrators.
I disagree. There are many outdoor ed programs outside everyday regardless of weather in the winter and summer. In the 1900's they used heated soap stones at the feet of the students... Today, maybe a space heater? And who are we kidding, some of the schools are in such ill repair that the classes are freezing in winter anyways.
Would you please give evidence to support the notion that teachers and administrators have lacked creativity?
I think you mean school boards. Administrators and especially teachers have their hands tied and have no voice.
This is the only “going to school” option my wife and I are considering for our 3 year-old. Luckily we have a school in our area considering it, although waiting another year is also an option for us fortunately.
I never liked when teachers would be like hey it’s nice outside let’s go have class outdoors. Oh great now I have to sit on the ground Indian style with no back support and no ac, holding books and pencils.
But if the desks were moved outside then sure might as well.
Agreed, but what if the other option is to contract Covid? Or not have school in person at all?
Well yeah then definitely. I wasn’t really commenting on the idea just reminiscing about the fact that I didn’t enjoy those days in school because while they seem fun and carefree on the surface they actually are a pain in the ass.
but yes if schools were setup and designed from the start of the year to be outside, then it makes sense and would be more enjoyable, even on a not as nice day.
Cross-legged, sit cross-legged.
Upvote for sitting Indian style.
The preferred nonenclature is crisscross applesauce.
Rain is a thing
Covid-rain too....it's coming for us
Not in California! The only obstacle here is that your outdoor classroom will likely be surrounded by brush fire by 3rd period.
that's if the mudslide or the rioters didn't take you out between earth quakes.
There were a couple of police riots in Oakland and SoCal a few weeks ago but those have died down. Here in Sunnyvale there are no mountains and the police department was abolished more than 50 years ago (replaced with a Department of Public Safety including fire and EMS), so the protests were lovely events for the whole family. I wish the rest of the nation had it this good. If the rest of the nation wanted to pay $900 per sq. foot.
There have only been a few "riots", and outside of Minneapolis they were pretty mild. Of course TV focuses on one burning police car over and over again to form a certain impression. The protests have been overwhelmingly peaceful, outside of instances of the police going way too far, which there have been plenty.
Are people supposed to just sit and tolerate the police departments continued march toward complete militarization? Tolerate cops acting with impunity? That is not their purpose, was never their purpose, but a certain sect of society seems perfectly okay with it, as it doesn't touch them directly.
didn't hundreds of cops get attacked and at least a dozen shot and/or killed in a number of cities? there were lots of riots, not just in minny.
here's a list i found in quick google search, but i'm sure there is other info:
12 shot - link: https://news.yahoo.com/12-police-officers-shot-during-100000431.html
Incidents include:
- Albany, NY – police officer hit by a brick on May 30; treated and released
- Asbury Park, NJ – police officer hit by a rock on June 1; condition unknown
- Atlanta, GA – police officer Maximilian Brewer struck by an ATV on May 30; recovering from surgery
- Boston, MA – seven officers suffered unspecified injuries; conditions unknown
- Brockton, MA – state trooper and multiple police officers hit by bottles and rocks on June 2; conditions unknown
- Buffalo, NY – Buffalo officer and two state troopers struck by vehicles on June 1, one of those troopers run over and suffered serious injuries; conditions unknown
- Champaign, IL – multiple officers suffered unspecified minor injuries on May 31
- Columbia, SC – three Richland County Sheriff’s deputies and 12 Columbia officers suffered unspecified minor injuries on May 30
- Chicago – 132 officers suffered unspecified injuries in multiple incidents over the weekend through Monday, June 1. One officer was seriously injured with broken bones on May 30.
- Davenport, IA – undercover officer in unmarked vehicle shot in ambush on June 1; condition unknown
- Denver, CO – three officers struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run incident on May 30; two have been released from the hospital, condition of the third unknown
- Harrisburg, PA – two Pennsylvania Capitol Police officers suffered unspecified minor injuries on May 30
- Huntsville, AL – one officer suffered a minor injury to his head by a thrown object on June 3
- Jacksonville, FL – a police officer’s neck was slashed by a rioter; condition unknown
- Las Vegas, NV – Las Vegas Police officer Shay Mikalonis was shot in the head during a protest on June 1; currently on life support in critical condition. Twelve other officers injured on May 29; conditions unknown
- Los Angeles, CA – 27 Los Angeles police officers injured in multiple incidents, one suffering a fractured skull
- New York City, NY – at least 33 officers injured in multiple incidents; conditions unknown. One officer struck by a vehicle in intentional hit-and-run; hospitalized in stable condition. One officer stabbed in the neck and two others shot in ambush; conditions unknown
- Oakdale, CA – two officers suffered unspecified minor injuries breaking up a fight between protesters and counterprotesters
- Oak Lawn, IL – three officers suffered unspecified minor injuries on June 1
- Oakland, CA – End of Watch May 29 – Federal law enforcement officer David Patrick Underwood was shot and killed in a drive-by ambush outside the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building where he and another officer were providing security. The other officer was also wounded and is in critical condition.
- Philadelphia, PA – at least 13 officers suffered unspecified minor injuries in multiple incidents
- Pittsburgh, PA – nine officers suffered unspecified minor injuries from thrown objects on June 1; treated and released
- Prince William County, VA – four county officers hit by rocks and other objects in the overnight period of May 30-31; one hospitalized. Virginia State Police reported 10 troopers injured.
- Providence, RI – eight to ten officers were hit by bricks on June 2; only minor injuries reported
- Richmond, VA – two Capitol police officers hit by baseball bat and beer bottle on May 30; recovering. Two officers struck during exchange of gunfire with rioter
- Sacramento, CA – seven officers sustained minor injuries when hit by objects on May 29
- Salt Lake City, UT – 21 officers injured on May 30, including one hit in the head with a baseball bat; all treated and released
- San Antonio, TX – three officers hit by thrown bricks and bottles; conditions unknown
- San Jose, CA – multiple officers struck by rocks and bottles on May 29; one officer hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries
- Santa Ana, CA – two officers hit in the head by flying objects, possibly fireworks, on May31; both hospitalized
- St. Louis, MO – End of Watch June 2 – Retired police Captain David Dorn was killed by a gunshot fired by a looter, as he was checking on a store owned by a friend. Four other officers were shot on the same day when an unknown shooter took random shots at a police line; wounds were not considered life-threatening.
- Washington, D.C. – approximately 50 agents and 11 police officers injured by bricks, bottles and Molotov cocktails on May 31. Most injuries minor, but one police officer will require surgery for broken leg.
- Wichita, KS – three officers hit by rocks, bottles and cinder blocks; treated and released
and FWIW, you can bet i support peaceful protests as it relates to issues of skin with xtramelanin.
I didn't realize that single incidents of violence amount to a riot nowadays.
As I see it, there were three, maybe four incidents that could accurately be described as a "riot". And at least one of them were very borderline, IMO.
Minneapolis, L.A., I guess NY, and ATL. Where else were there actual riots? I mean real riots, not incidents where a few people did some very bad things.
What is your position on what's currently happening in Portland?
hi timmaay,
i think you are parsing the definition of 'riots' way too thin. you get that many cops shot and injured, those were riots, not peaceful protests.
i have not spent time getting up to speed on the portland deal. what i read was that folks are upset b/c they are arresting people in unmarked units. well, with my old unit, that's how we rolled all the time. nothing bad about that as long as they have PC (probable cause) for the arrest. obviously we'd all need to be up on the specifics to comment intelligently on the specific arrests. and isn't portland suffering from some of the same silliness that seattle did, some type of self-proclaimed autonomous zone?
I definitely disagree, almost entirely. I will leave it there.
and i respect you such that i would be genuinely interested in hearing the 'why' of the disagreement, but maybe some other time/forum.
My goodness. Between all the unknowns and the hyperbole and...well the unknown truth of how all these issues came to be. And who exactly was attacking those who were covering these happenings-so that, in fact, the facts could not be reported??? And who were the instigators/perpetrators here??? You, of all people, defending the indefensible...come on man.
My goodness. Between all the unknowns and the hyperbole and...well the unknown truth of how all these issues came to be. And who exactly was attacking those who were covering these happenings-so that, in fact, the facts could not be reported??? And who were the instigators/perpetrators here??? You, of all people, defending the indefensible...come on man.
Luckily you’ll already have your mask
Is there tents for sun cover? What are temperatures like? How do you make sure the students stay comfortable? Internet/computers or paper/book work. If paper/book how do pencils get sharpened? Trash? Rain/other bad weather?
Just a lot of things to deal with/figure out.
Tents- maybe, Trees, yes. Temps- depends on the weather. Comfort- have you ever been in many of today's schools? Temps are very hot in classrooms many without AC and cold in the winter. Internet- many classes don't require internet connections. Pencils- we can figure that out. Trash- take it with you. Rain/bad weather? Dress for the weather, but if very bad, stay in that day?
there are many more issues to figure out, but if other countries have done it (including us in the 1900's), why can't we figure it out now?
Anything past October? Fuck no. This generation of kids are pussies and are patented by people waiting to put a lawsuit on anybody that accuses their kid of anything!
Truer words have never been spoken.
I beat the shit out of a 6 year old the other day, she couldn’t even get a punch in
Freaking wusses
Since studies have shown you are 20x less likely to catch Covid outdoors and other countries are all ready teaching students on playgrounds, sidewalks, fields and parks (i.e. Denmark)
I teach PE...I think I could make that happen.
My kids go to a cooperative school here in Seattle, which basically means parents run the school and put work shifts in at the school. We are planning to go with a heavy outdoor curriculum for the fall. Limited classroom time mixed with an hour or so of online at home. We are incredibly fortunate to have this option. And I’m well aware that this crisis only deepens the gap between families that can afford these alternatives and those that cannot.
Here’s the story. I cannot see today’s kids outdoors even in winter. Being cold, even indoors, was a thing in 1918.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/history/ct-opinion-flashback-open-air-schools-tuberculosis-20200501-phyphmoe4vhhnelpjj2sck7fmi-story.html
The one thing many have forgotten about amidst all the Coviding is the push schools have been making towards increased security. My school, for example, is in a perpetual soft lockdown with classroom doors closed and locked during instruction and of course all exterior doors. I’ll be curious to see how willing administrators will be when it comes to setting up shop outside. Personally I’d love it despite having to change my teaching style somewhat without a few tech gadgets.
I've heard of outdoor spaces being considered and tents being purchased.
Still... I suspect this week we'll start seeing school districts decide to start school online. It's becoming inevitable (see the recent, lengthy post by the Ann Arbor public school teachers union - it's on facebook, probably other social media).
My school has been pushing for more outdoor education even before COVID. Our PE classes have been held largely outdoors all year. Teachers try to get their kids outside for lessons all year too, but some things are not practical when it is wet, snowy or super hot. For all those people commenting on how kids today are pussies, how many office workers would be willing to work outside 7 hours in the rain/snow/heat. What equipment would you need to make that work? Are you willing to pay for that to make the same solutions work in schools? I’m guessing they wouldn’t do much better.