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Author: tata Date: Mar 24, 2008 13:22
One day I was hiking a popular trail in the area when I came upon a
group of elementary schoolchildren and their teacher, who I presumed
was trying to bring the classroom outdoors for a change of pace. "What
a refreshing sight", I thought to myself, to let kids learn about the
beauty of nature and foster the natural aesthetic interest in the
natural world that kids naturally have.
But as I approached, it became obvious that they were engaged in
nothing more than identification -- this is a loblolly pine and this
is a hemlock etc. etc.
I'm not saying identification and analysis are not important tasks --
surely they are, if we want to understand how to solve difficult
scientific problems.
But why would we want to preserve nature to begin with if we don't
have an aesthetic appreciation for it? Is the teacher going to bring
them back into the forest and have them sit quietly and observe the
gray squirrels frolicking in the limbs above or listen to the sounds
of the kingfisher as he skims the surface of the water or smell the
sappy loblolly pine needles on the forest floor?
Does *everything* have to be a purely intellectual exercise?
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Author: Brian FletcherBrian Fletcher Date: Mar 24, 2008 17:06
> One day I was hiking a popular trail in the area when I came upon a
> group of elementary schoolchildren and their teacher, who I presumed
> was trying to bring the classroom outdoors for a change of pace. "What
> a refreshing sight", I thought to myself, to let kids learn about the
> beauty of nature and foster the natural aesthetic interest in the
> natural world that kids naturally have.
>
> But as I approached, it became obvious that they were engaged in
> nothing more than identification -- this is a loblolly pine and this
> is a hemlock etc. etc.
>
> I'm not saying identification and analysis are not important tasks --
> surely they are, if we want to understand how to solve difficult
> scientific problems.
>
> But why would we want to preserve nature to begin with if we don't
> have an aesthetic appreciation for it? Is the teacher going to bring
> them back into the forest and have them sit quietly and observe the ...
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Author: toolytooly Date: Mar 24, 2008 20:01
> One day I was hiking a popular trail in the area when I came upon a
> group of elementary schoolchildren and their teacher, who I presumed
> was trying to bring the classroom outdoors for a change of pace. "What
> a refreshing sight", I thought to myself, to let kids learn about the
> beauty of nature and foster the natural aesthetic interest in the
> natural world that kids naturally have.
>
> But as I approached, it became obvious that they were engaged in
> nothing more than identification -- this is a loblolly pine and this
> is a hemlock etc. etc.
>
> I'm not saying identification and analysis are not important tasks --
> surely they are, if we want to understand how to solve difficult
> scientific problems.
>
> But why would we want to preserve nature to begin with if we don't
> have an aesthetic appreciation for it? Is the teacher going to bring
> them back into the forest and have them sit quietly and observe the ...
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Author: zinniczinnic Date: Mar 24, 2008 21:57
On Mar 24, 7:06 pm, "Brian Fletcher" gmail.com> wrote:>> One day I was hiking a popular trail in the area when I came upon a
>> group of elementary schoolchildren and their teacher, who I presumed
>> was trying to bring the classroom outdoors for a change of pace. "What
>> a refreshing sight", I thought to myself, to let kids learn about the
>> beauty of nature and foster the natural aesthetic interest in the
>> natural world that kids naturally have.
>
>> But as I approached, it became obvious that they were engaged in
>> nothing more than identification -- this is a loblolly pine and this
>> is a hemlock etc. etc.
> ...
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Author: Brian FletcherBrian Fletcher Date: Mar 25, 2008 06:46
"zinnic" gate.net> wrote in message
news:37849f25-e619-49b8-b681-bd4b5832fc70@m36g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
On Mar 24, 7:06 pm, "Brian Fletcher" gmail.com> wrote:>> One day I was hiking a popular trail in the area when I came upon a
>> group of elementary schoolchildren and their teacher, who I presumed
>> was trying to bring the classroom outdoors for a change of pace. "What
>> a refreshing sight", I thought to myself, to let kids learn about the
>> beauty of nature and foster the natural aesthetic interest in the
>> natural world that kids naturally have.
>
>> But as I approached, it became obvious that they were engaged in
>> nothing more than identification -- this is a loblolly pine and this ...
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Author: zinniczinnic Date: Mar 25, 2008 11:36
On Mar 25, 8:46 am, "Brian Fletcher" gmail.com> wrote:> "zinnic" gate.net> wrote in message
>
> news:37849f25-e619-49b8-b681-bd4b5832fc70@m36g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> On Mar 24, 7:06 pm, "Brian Fletcher" gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>>> "ta" nc.rr.com> wrote in message>
>
>>> One day I was hiking a popular trail in the area when I came upon a
>>> group of elementary schoolchildren and their teacher, who I presumed
>>> was trying to bring the classroom outdoors for a change of pace. "What
>>> a refreshing sight", I thought to myself, to let kids learn about the
>>> beauty of nature and foster the natural aesthetic interest in the
>>> natural world that kids naturally have. ...
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Author: ZerkonXZerkonX Date: Mar 26, 2008 07:03
On Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:22:23 -0700, ta wrote:
> Does *everything* have to be a purely intellectual exercise?
When you go to a concert, do you only see the band and the only hear the
music? The fallacy of early study is that the subject matter is the
point. The lasting lesson is in the process. So here part of the lesson,
intended or not, was to actually walk out into the forest and experience
the environment of the thing studied.
Besides is there anything more insipid than to study aesthetics?
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Author: tata Date: Mar 26, 2008 19:56
On Mar 26, 10:03 am, ZerkonX X.net> wrote:> On Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:22:23 -0700, ta wrote:
>> Does *everything* have to be a purely intellectual exercise?
>
> When you go to a concert, do you only see the band and the only hear the
> music? The fallacy of early study is that the subject matter is the
> point. The lasting lesson is in the process. So here part of the lesson,
> intended or not, was to actually walk out into the forest and experience
> the environment of the thing studied.
Good point.
> Besides is there anything more insipid than to study aesthetics?
No, it's pretty insipid.
Observing and listening and paying attention, on the other hand, are
priceless.
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Author: tasmanploggertasmanplogger Date: Mar 27, 2008 16:45
On Mar 25, 7:22 am, ta nc.rr.com> wrote:> One day I was hiking a popular trail in the area when I came upon a
> group of elementary schoolchildren and their teacher, who I presumed
> was trying to bring the classroom outdoors for a change of pace. "What
> a refreshing sight", I thought to myself, to let kids learn about the
> beauty of nature and foster the natural aesthetic interest in the
> natural world that kids naturally have.
>
> But as I approached, it became obvious that they were engaged in
> nothing more than identification -- this is a loblolly pine and this
> is a hemlock etc. etc.
>
> I'm not saying identification and analysis are not important tasks --
> surely they are, if we want to understand how to solve difficult
> scientific problems.
>
> But why would we want to preserve nature to begin with if we don't
> have an aesthetic appreciation for it? Is the teacher going to bring
> them back into the forest and have them sit quietly and observe the
> gray squirrels frolicking in the limbs above or listen to the sounds ...
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