Dear editor,
I am writing this letter to inform members of the Lake Orion Board of Education of my support for the unique program offered to Lake Orion students through the Moosetree Nature Preserve.
There is a national initiative entitled, ‘Leave No Child Inside,? that encourages schools to reconnect children with the out-of-doors.
Richard Louv, in his remarkable book, Last Child in the Woods, states that children are spending more time indoors, and when they do go outside, they’re most likely on their way to soccer practice or some other structured activity.
The result, he says, is that kids are out of touch with fields, streams and woods. Louv calls this condition nature deficit disorder. (NPR, 2005)
Children are spending more and more time in front of the television, computer or handheld electronic screens, than they are in any other activity.
Exposure to nature in both structured and unstructured activities, develops a sense of wonder, curiosity, inquisitiveness, and delight for our natural world. It is a necessary and often forgotten component of our children’s development.
Moosetree addresses nature deficit disorder by nurturing and developing a child’s sense of wonderment about the natural world.
It also supports and provides concrete applications of the Michigan Science Content Expectations for Science.
Moosetree, through its exceptional curriculum, enhances classroom learning in ways that are impossible to replicate in the classroom or the school yard.
The facilities, the property, and the knowledgeable and dedicated staff at Moosetree make it a premier location for learning.
It would be devastating to see such an exemplary program suspended for the Lake Orion students.
Oakland University and Moosetree have developed a collaborative relationship that is win-win for both of our programs.
As one of the instructors for the OU Science Teaching in Elementary and Middle School course; we encourage our students to complete their required fifteen to twenty-five hours of science teaching at Moosetree.
Under the guidance of Jamie Rustowicz, our students learn how to develop and deliver quality lessons in an informal atmosphere.
Our presevice teachers credit the Moosetree program with gains in confidence, classroom management skills, content knowledge, enthusiasm for teaching, and making teaching fun!
It is a phenomenal program for our preservice teachers! In addition, Moosetree offers weekend workshops and teaching opportunities that are not available elsewhere.
You have difficult decisions to make. Please consider the value and uniqueness of the Moosetree program as you face the task ahead.
Sincerely,
Betty Crowder,
Oakland University TDES, Special Lecturer MI Science Teachers Association President