The KOA laundry room seemed like an odd setting for
discussing the philosophy of education, but who knew? The woman who was
unloading a pile of sheets and pillowcases from the dryer turned out to be a
teacher who was touring the country with her two middle-school children for a
year. She had taken them out of their local school to expose them directly to
the natural history and culture of
the United States. Being well qualified to teach them most subjects, she had
some qualms about mathematics, and so they were also taking some online math
classes.
At first I was horrified at the idea. How would these
children ever make up the year of school they were missing? When they returned
to school, how would they pass the annoying but inescapable standardized tests
now used everywhere? (Might this woman be one of those nuts who refuses to have
her children vaccinated, wants them taught about creationism rather than about
evolution, or endangers them in other ways?)
Then I reconsidered. Was she not simply doing what education
experts like John Dewey and Jean Piaget recommended? By experiencing specific
instances of geography, ecology, and history, her children could be guided to
form general, abstract concepts. We think of education as taking place in schoolrooms, and
perhaps occasionally on field trips. However, students in a motorhome can take
field trips every day. They can visit national and state parks, historic sites,
interesting parts of cities. Museums with unique collections abound. Though
these experiences are not enough in themselves to provide a good education,
they can be used as starting points for discovery.
History and social studies come alive in visits to places
such as the Statue of Liberty, the beacon that was the first sight of America
for so many immigrants. Ellis Island provides information about a first step in
immigration for the millions who came to the U.S. at the turn of the last
century.
The images of four presidents at Mt. Rushmore are familiar
to nearly everyone—indeed, they are a cliché--but seeing that gigantic
sculpture in person is awe-inspiring. Children who visit Mt. Rushmore are
likely to learn something about the presidents as well as be impressed with
sculptor Gutzon Borglum’s work. A prepared teacher can ask questions like,
“Which presidents are shown? You have heard about Washington, Lincoln, and
Jefferson; why do you think T.R. Roosevelt was included?”
By keeping a journal of their travels, children can improve
their ability to write and spell
(without relying on a spellchecker!). They can illustrate the journals with
their own art and photos.
Much regional literature is based on what students may see
in their RV travels. Depending on their age and maturity, they may want to read
My Antonia, Spoon River Anthology, The Yearling, or The Grapes of Wrath, for
instance. They will want to look up information in nonfiction, too; because of my own RV experiences, I have
bought some excellent field guides, biographies, and other books in visitors’
centers along the way. In many
cases I have investigated some new interest and found references that would not
be found easily elsewhere.
Geology in textbooks can be dull; in the Grand Canyon and
other national parks of the Southwest, it becomes real. Paleontology, too,
makes much more sense when a student can see fossils still imbedded in strata,
as at Dinosaur National Monument. Volcanoes and fumaroles that are seen and
smelled at Yellowstone or Lassen Volcanic National Park make an indelible first
impression; both parks have much additional information at the visitors’
centers and around the parks.
Every year Acadia National Park has a Night Skies festival
lasting a few days. Beginning with simple observations of the spectacular night
skies visible on the Maine coast, children can be guided to learning some
astronomy. If they learn a bit about the work of early astronomers, they will
also absorb some geometry and understand its importance.
Glacier National Park still has a few glaciers, but children
will soon learn that they are shrinking. This can lead to learning about global
warming, changes in climate, and the effects on plants and animals that are
occurring in all parts of the country.
Though natural history may seem like an old-fashioned
subject that has been superseded by ecology and other modern scientific
disciplines, children who have the chance to see plants and animals in their
natural habitats, including the geological underpinnings, will gain an
understanding that can lead to sophisticated concepts. Many leading biologists
like E.O. Wilson began by studying ants and other living things in nature, not
by watching videos about them.
The RV itself provides many opportunities for learning.
Perhaps it has a solar panel that demonstrates that source of energy. (“What
other energy sources are used in the RV? How are they used?”) The propane and water tanks have
limited capacities, as do the gray and black water tanks, and children can
estimate how long it will be before refilling or emptying is needed. At every
gas tank fill-up, they can find out how many miles per gallon the RV got on
that tankful, and relate the result to the terrain.
Health and safety are continual concerns for those traveling
in an RV. Children can help plan nutritious meals that can be easily prepared,
make lists of medical supplies to be packed, and so on.
Map skills will emerge if students use a paper atlas instead of
relying on a GPS. (“How far is it from here to Chicago? Which direction will we
travel in? What are Chicago’s longitude and latitude?”) They can draw their own maps of cities
or parks they visit.
Many national parks have Junior Ranger programs for kids;
these are advertised at the parks’ web sites, and a trip can be planned to take
advantage of them. Besides being educational, these programs can ensure some
contact with other youngsters.
This informal approach to education is not without problems,
of course. For one thing, reference books are usually available In a
schoolroom, but few RVs can accommodate heavy books. This deficiency can be
remedied somewhat by taking an electronic tablet along and using the Internet
for information when Wi-Fi is available. Indeed, probably few modern children
would consider traveling without their tablets! Visiting a public library every
few days is another option (it makes a good combination with using a
Laundromat). Downloading some often-used
references to a tablet or laptop computer is useful, also.
Gaining communication skills also may be difficult when
students are not in a regular classroom. In addition to writing and
illustrating journals, they can plan “show and tells” to give when they return
home.
Soccer and other team sports may have to be sacrificed
during RV travel. (I admit to a biased view that this is not really much of a sacrifice.) Unless too much
time is spent on driving rather than on exploring, much physical education
happens naturally. Hiking and biking happen, and can make it easier to explore
an area while leaving the RV at a campground.
Having spent my professional life as a science textbook
writer and editor, of course I feel cautious about recommending this informal
approach to education. A parent or grandparent planning to try it should be
educated enough to guide a child’s learning. Also, classrooms and textbooks do
provide organized curricula, instead of scattered experiences that may not meet
national standards. If I could take a child across the country in my RV instead
of leaving her in school for a year, I would prepare carefully by reviewing
textbooks and standards for her grade level, so that in the excitement of
investigating one subject, she would not bypass others. Like the teacher I met
in the laundry room, I have some anxiety about math, and would arrange for
online courses or tutoring. No doubt I would learn a few things myself.
