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A pastel art rendering of many aquarium visitors marveling at sharks in an enormous tank.

No, it’s not a typo for effective. Affective means something like able to affect, or touch, the soul. Some use it as a synonym for emotional or attitudinal. An affective experience can change your mood or make you have a deep feeling about a topic. Here’s what research shows us: Learners engage with topics in (at...

Remember this meme?

Pretty easy one this week – inclusion! Inclusion means making sure all learners are able to access learning equitably. Enough Said? Well, of course not. First off, what does equitably mean? Equity? Interaction Institute for Social Change, Artist: Angus Maguire. CC-BY 4.0 Most of us are familiar with the meme showing...

A child sitting on a chaise longue, with a confused but curious expression.

On this week’s podcast, Claire Dobie and I talk about one of the first things outdoor educators learn to say: “I don’t know.” As a teacher, saying “I don’t know” positions us with our students as fellow-seekers of knowledge. One of the cardinal sins of teaching is to become the “sage on a stage,” the person with all...

Several people overlapping their hands, illustrating the concept of connection.

On the podcast this week, music teacher Jim Cornfoot talked about connection – how, as a piano teacher, he spends part of every lesson establishing a personal rapport. And not just with new students, either – he continues to connect, at every meeting, even after knowing a student for years. What’s that about? Teachers...