The Learning Garden

The Author: Veronica Gaylie, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, has worked as a high school English teacher and is now a teacher educator in interdisciplinary, ecology-based learning. She is the founder of the learning garden at UBC Okanagan.

«This is a lovely, important book! 'What is the role of environment and community in teacher education?' Veronica Gaylie's critical question stands traditional teacher education on its head, beautifully demonstrating how important it is for teachers to examine their ethical and professional responsibility to a sustainable future on this planet. And this is not just environmental education separated from issues of justice - the learning garden is a model for how to deepen awareness of our essential interdependence within complex communities of life. Anyone interested in how to bring these questions into the teacher education classroom will love this book!» (Rebecca Martusewicz, Professor, Eastern Michigan University)
«While some teacher-educators promote environmental learning in their courses, Veronica Gaylie is unique in going further. She uses a campus garden as the context for learning how to teach. Her choice of a garden is brilliant. Gardens teach us about change, being patient, asking the right questions, encouraging experimentation, and at the end of the day, reflecting on what we've learned. As such, it is an ideal focus for both classroom instruction and the training of classroom teachers. Teacher education is so much the better for her contribution.» (Tim Grant, Co-editor, 'Green Teacher')