"She doesn't understand why P.E. is so limited, or why the playground can't be more conducive to natural play" - Richard Louv (Louv 1)
In this quote Richard Louv is explaining what a future teacher thinks about the school systems current P.E. and recess setups, and I have to agree with her quote. This book was published in 2005 and now here in the United States in 2014 recess has become pretty much extinct and P.E. is optional in the public school system. Despite the important role it plays in childhood development test scores became more important so recess and P.E. had to go. I remember when I was living in Canada we had some type of recess from kindergarten to high school. It encouraged us to go outside in green environments to be active, and socialize with the other children. There are three very important elements for all growing children. It’s no surprise that you see increases in things like ADHD, obesity, and social anxiety so prevalent in American society when recesses started to decrease. We all loved recess when I was in Canada and looked forward to it, So relating this back to David W. Orr's The Coming Biophilia Revolution can you really blame someone for being a biophobic if they never really get a chance to enjoy the outdoors when they were kids?
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-serious-need-for-play/
http://alysonavakian.wordpress.com/2011/11/
"If it's true that nature therapy reduces the symptoms of ADHD then the converse may also be true: ADHD may be a set of symptoms aggravated by lack of exposure to nature." - Richard Louv (Louv 11)
When I first read this statement I thought the author was just fishing for something by making this connection but after some Google searches, and with the studies he presents in his book he might be on to something. I have yet to find a study that says nature makes ADHD worse. The studies and reviews list nature and green environments as a natural cure for ADHD. ADHD has been on the rise like never before but so has the use of technology and smaller recesses. Can ADHD actually be linked to lack of exposure to nature? I believe the author might have a case for this.
http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/8274.html
"As expanded application of attention-restoration theory would be useful in the design of homes, classrooms, and curricula." - Richard Louv (Louv 11)
Nowadays in our current lives with
how everything is structured I understand how hard it can be to get a chance to
go into nature, epically if you work a 9-5 job in an office building. I don't
think anyone actively wants to avoid nature. If you were to ask those people
what there idle vacation would be if they had all the time and money in the
world. Most would say somewhere in nature like a beach or an island resort where
they can take in the views and fresh air. So if we can’t go into nature as much
as we would like why not bring nature to us? Most of the nature effects are
carried over if we can just see green in our homes, classrooms, and curricula.
People are realizing this effect which is why you see parks like Central Park
in New York and Grant Park in Chicago right in the middle of the city so people
can get away from the buildings and enjoy nature for a little.
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