Out of the 32 students on the trip only one had something negative to say about the experience. In particular the one student didn't enjoy climbing down the steep terrain with old shoes. He was afraid, which was reasonable. However, overwhelmingly students were active, exploring, immersed, inquiring, and having fun. The above picture was taken right at the end of the experience and immediately after that student walked over to me and said: "You know, a lot of what we saw today could be done at our school." I responded with, "Yes, absolutely! What would you like to do?" Then she said, "well I think we could easily have a worm compost in our classroom." The experience had already opened her mind to the real of possibilities and she was already thinking of taking action on her own to make her community serve her better.
From the outset, my students were far more engaged than in the classroom. At Craigleigh Gardens every student immediately walked to the edge of the forest and stared off into the trees as when they were given free time. Their curiosity drew them to investigate and wonder what was out there. Immediately they were asking what lived there; are any of the animals dangerous?; why do certain trees looke different?; were we going to be able to explore in the forest? Their imaginations and curiosity came alive!
Walking down through the forest also woke up a wonderful communal cooperative spirit within the group. Hiking down the trail wasn't easy and everyone took on responsibility to ensure each peson was safe and happy. They formed supports, waited to lend a hand, gave directions to the safest routes, gave encouragement, and as a group felt accomplished when they all made it down safely.
All along the walk students were asking questions and pointing out things of interest. At one point I saw a Sumach tree and told a student that you can eat the berries. He didn't believe me. So I ate one. Then he asked if he could eat one. He did, and he liked it. From that point on he was sharing his new found knowledge with the rest of the class. By the end of the trip about 10 students had tasted the bitter sour flavour of un-ripe Sumach berries.
While in the greenhouse all my students got their hands dirty. Some were reticent at first, but after watching the group get their hands dirty and hold live worms, they jumped right in. Everyone wanted to find a worm and hold it in their hand. They kept telling me how weird and awesome it felt. They asked why the worm kept trying to get between their fingers. They had observed the behaviour that worms show when they're trying to get away from light. I asked if they could think of why, and we got into a great discussion about the life of worms!
Throughout the trip I saw more students smiling, playing, encouraging each other, exploring, directing their own learning than I ever saw in the classroom.
By bringing my camera I also gave students the opportunity to explore the adventure through the lens - from an artists perspective. I can honestly say that the best pictures from the trip were taken by students. They saw and captured the beauty of the experience. The pictures below are good examples.
The final cherry on the cake was the feedback I got from one student on the subway ride home. We were standing silently next to each other, and after I asked her what she thought about the day, she turned to me and said, "Mr. Magee, this is the kind of trip that you will remember for a lifetime."
I had kind of expected that the trip would have an immediately positive and profound impact for some of my students, but I wasn't sure how that would translate into their final projects. However, all the projects that were submitted showed a desire for green space and sustainable design.
One student wrote: "If you really think deep enough what's peace and harmony without the physical and natural environment. The environment plays a significant role in our lives and that's why we must use it and preserve it at the same time. In this community, the green space and human architecture are balanced."
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