Sparked by Richard Louv's book on
Nature - Deficit Disorder, many organizations, agencies,
teachers and the
White House have made the push to get people outside for the benefit
of their mental and physical health.
Beginning our research in 2002, my coauthor, Susan Rozen (Director
of Reading / Literacy at the Bedford Public Schools in Bedford, Massachusetts), and I proceeded in the direction suggested by Smagorinsky and
Whiting and decided to assess the
nature of our future
teachers» schooling through an evaluation
of the courses they were required to take.