How Can a Hands-on Lab Offer Experiential Learning via Virtual Teaching?

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Originally appears in the Summer 2020 issue.

By Shakira Provasoli

Teachers across the country have invested countless hours converting classrooms to the digital world during this pandemic. Some subjects are easier to transform than others, and Environmental Science is one that carries confusion, questions, and uncertainties. What happens if, like a few fortunate teachers in New York City, you received an interactive hydroponic lab from NY Sun Works, a non-profit organization that builds innovative science labs in urban schools? What if you are an educator new to both this soilless gardening technique, and to teaching young children to care for the environment? Many teachers with labs explained their time was devoured creating plans for basic core subjects and encouraging kids to commit to video meetings, meaning that they did not have the time nor the expertise to create their own lessons about sustainability. One teacher stated, “I feel overwhelmed creating everything from scratch and I don’t feel I have time for anything extra or fun.” Many educators around the continent and beyond surely echo this sentiment.