4 minute read
A Cure for Nature Deficit Disorder
Photos courtesy of Polly Browne
BY LANCE SCHWARTZ • DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL COMMUNICATION
We, Minnesotans are a hearty, winter-tolerating bunch. Snow and cold don’t bother us much. It seems even those who find their way to Minnesota from warmer climates end up, at the very least, learning how to cope with a Northern Plains winter. But occasionally, the winds blow a little stronger during a Minnesota winter, and at times the temperature dips below zero for more than a few days. The 21st Century terms for these types of weather phenomena are Bomb Cyclone and Polar Vortex.
The winter of 2018-19, at first, set itself up to be a season that wasn’t going to be all that memorable. The air temperature on January 15 was 33ºF and very little snow was on the ground. And then something in the atmosphere changed about ten days later. The official low temperature on January 30, 2019, was -28ºF, although many thermometers showed even lower. And then there was the relentless February snow—33.5 inches in total in Mankato.
One might be led to believe that even the most seasoned winter veterans would be convinced to revise their outlook for outdoor activities during a stretch like the one we experienced.
But, despite the harsh weather conditions two weeks prior, a group of Bethany education students led by Professor Polly Browne climbed inside a college-owned van on February 12, 2019, for a trip to Minneopa State Park—a beautiful piece of land just minutes outside of Mankato. The purpose, according to Browne, was to show these future educators that “we can all enjoy winter and not be cooped up when the weather turns colder,” with the ultimate goal of demonstrating ways to help kids get much-needed playtime regardless of the time of year.
Every winter, for the past ten years, Browne’s Education 315 Teaching Health and Physical Education class has taken to the outdoors for a lesson in winter activities and play, forsaking the comfort of the warm underground tunnels leading to the dining hall in exchange for exploring nature with a brown bag lunch eaten while sitting beside a creek in the snow.
So, what exactly is it that makes Browne, and the class of college students go out, into the cold and snow, every year for this experiential learning event? “I believe that today’s children suffer from something I’ll call NDD—nature deficit disorder. This trip is to get my students thinking of ways to cure NDD.” “Arriving at Minneopa and entering the world of pristine nature, I hear laughter, excitement, joy, happiness, enjoyment, and I have the opportunity to witness young adults learning about how play can be incorporated into their future lesson plans.”
Browne explained that much of the value in the outdoor experience is about “understanding the sense of wonder young students naturally have, and how these aspiring teachers will be helping to stimulate that sense of wonder in their own future classrooms.” “One of the first sentences I heard stepping out of the van that day was ‘I wonder what we’ll see today?’ And, discovery is a very powerful tool. My goal is to help the students to understand how to open up your senses, and to be aware of your surroundings.” By all accounts, the lesson was well received. Grace Rysdahl (’19) was among the students on the day trip said, “I had never been to Minneopa (State Park) in the winter, and I was amazed at how different it was from the spring or fall. I think I was able to better understand that school and learning are so much more than English or math. This was an experience that was so different from what I had done before, and I would love to do something similar to this with my future students. I think it is important to experience and appreciate nature. Our day at Minneopa was a hands-on lesson of this. I will definitely use this experience in my own teaching.”
Experiencing the beauty and serenity of God’s creation also has a way of keeping things in perspective. Rysdahl continued, “I think my favorite thing was the sense of calm that I felt. While we were walking around I wasn’t worrying about anything.”
Noah Battenfeld (’19) was with the group in 2018 and was equally impressed. “Being in the classroom is valuable, and you learn a lot about how to teach children, but, being outdoors and learning more than just in the books and articles means so much more. I learned how to take in nature and teach nature at the same time. Being outdoors and having the hands-on experience is so beneficial and important to me and others, I’m sure of it. “I will use this experience to help me in my teaching career. I learned a lot, and most importantly I learned to let children play. Play is so important for the growth of children. Children are just not getting enough of it these days whether it be from increase in technology, or higher standards and requirements. Being outdoors is so important, and I can’t stress that enough."
Experiential learning is a powerful tool. Professor Polly Browne is well aware of the impact first hand experiences can have on young minds whether that’s a third grader at recess or a college student learning how to make recess fun.
Browne explained, “I would call this trip ‘mindfulness training’ because it teaches students to be aware of the sights, sounds, or smells of God’s creation. And ultimately, that’s our purpose in training Christian teachers, we want them to value His creation. It’s a huge lesson with far-reaching impact on a variety of levels.”
Clockwise from left: Dr. Polly Browne, Brianna Waknitz, Josh Arvidson, Grace Rysdahl, and Jane Michaletz.
Discovering some interesting ice formations with Jane Michaletz.
