Out of the Classroom and into the World: Learning from Field Trips, Educating from Experience, and Unlocking the Potential of Our Students and Teachers

by Salvatore Vascellaro

Bank Street College of Education professor Salvatore Vascellaro is a leading advocate of taking children and teachers into a wider world as the key to improving our struggling schools.

Combining practical and theoretical guidance, Out of the Classroom and into the World visits a rich variety of classrooms transformed by innovative field trip curricula―showing how students' hearts and minds are opened as they discover how a suspension bridge works, what connects them to the people and places of their neighborhood, and as they come to understand the ecosystem of a river by following it to its source. Vascellaro shows, equally, that what teachers can offer children is fueled by their own engagement with the world, and he offers stunning examples of teachers awakened by their direct experiences with the social issues plaguing American society―from the flood-torn areas of New Orleans to the mining areas of West Virginia.

Based on the core principles of progressive pedagogy, and the wisdom gained from Vascellaro's experience as a teacher, school administrator, and teacher educator, Out of the Classroom and into the World is a direct retort to test scores and standards as adequate measures of teaching and learning―an inspiring call and major new resource for anyone interested in reinvigorating America's classrooms.

Genres: Nonfiction, Education

272 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2011

Reviews

[Magnus Ver Magnusson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly beautiful book. Vascellaro weaves several interlocking stories of how both educators and students benefit from hands-on experiential learning. In an age of slashed education budgets with an ever-narrowing focus, Vascellaro shows why it’s important for students to get outside the classroom and try to understand that they are part of a larger ecosystem: a community and world that they need to actively engage, listen closely to and discover how to learn from. This is a lifelong process for everyone involved. Beyond the low bar of producing pliant, capable workers, Vascellaro shows the importance of developing active, thinking and feeling human beings. Clear-eyed and deeply humane. Chocked full of great stories. The book itself is an artifact reflecting the very principals the author espouses, serving the narrative wonderfully. Can't recommend reading this book enough.

[Desy]

good