Non-Academic Impacts of The Parks As Classrooms Program On The Behaviors, Attitudes, and Self-Esteem of Middle School Children
Parks are being used as classrooms and these programs have been shown to benefit the park community as well as student learning (EETAP, 2002). Parks provide lessons and ideas beyond the traditional classroom and an environment that enhances learning (EETAP, 2002). Depending on the teacher, the park can be used to teach science, environmental awareness, history, art, physical education, geology, and more (EETAP, 2002). The Great Smoky Mountains National Park provides classrooms for North Carolina and Tennessee schools (Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 2005). Programs such as "Parks As Classrooms" which includes Pi Beta Phi Elementary School and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, present the mission of conserving the park and providing learning experiences for all students grades K-8. Findings from program evaluations demonstrate that students enjoy the experience of learning in the park while they increase their knowledge and awareness of the park environment (Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 2005).
The effects the park environment on learning is exemplified by Jeffers (2004), who pointed out that different types of parks provide an educational experience for students and teachers with experiential learning. For example, the theme park is viewed as a place where cultural influences contribute to knowledge while the individual experiences pleasure. To further understand factors involved in experiential learning, Baer and Kaufman (2005) presented the Amusement Park Theoretical (APT) Model of Creativity. This theory states that there are environmental effects on the experience of learning. According to this theory, the amusement park is used as a metaphor to explain the notion that, as in the amusement park environment, to explore creatively there needs to be intelligence, motivation, a...