interesting comments on the environment in the lecture hall, kevin. i learn alot listening to your comments because you don't cloud your observations with any riff-raff. i've been interested in our environment since i started cub scouts when i was 8. we need to start real young getting to know
our world and how nature operates. college is a little late but nonetheless ok to learn about the
fact that everything in nature has consequences. climate controls a great deal of human activity so
why not know everything about it. but as my geography professor in college said we need to renew and preserve everything in nature because its also our chief provider.Lately, as you know i'm writing a book about wendell beckwith, it was important to him that man blend in with nature. in
researching this book i'm finding old gold mines, trapper's diggings, old ruins of settlements which were present long ago, the only preservers of the environment were the local indian tribes who definitely blended nature with their nomadic lifestyle usually season to season. the logging and mining operations are still the main threat to natural settings in ontario and the rest of canada.
i was totally amazed at the amount of mining and logging in all of canada. i could say more. thanks for your blog, mike camp

Kevin,
As a former student at the school you are referring to as well as a former student of yours I have a good idea where you are coming from. I took Parks and Forest Recreation and aboriculture. Lectures were by far my least favorite part of the course but also one of the most important. You said in your blog that in the lab you discuss and debate the issues. In order to properly discuss something you must have all the information. What is the best way to give a large number of people the same information?, a lecture. I will guess that a lot of the students in the lab will be very passionate about the topics discussed. I am also guessing that since some of them left the lecture early they will not have all the information needed to properly debate the issues. We are in the information age where you can learn about all kinds of issues on T.V., the internet, newspaper, and other media outlets. The reason you go to school is to learn how to learn. When I took Environmental issues back in 2000 there were very different issues then then there is now. That course taught me to look at an environmental issue at hand and using critical thinking to look at all the angles. You learn the information in the lecture and discuss that specific information in the lab. As for generation Y having a short attention span, maybe sitting through an entire lecture and paying attention the whole time will teach them to increase that attention span. Leaving a lecture halfway through is not only rude but is also a waste in tuition fees. In the working world there may be times when you are in a meeting for two hours and there is a good chance that it is less exciting then an environmental issues lecture. Are you going to get up and leave? Fall asleep? Not pay attention? No of course not because it is your job. Just like it is your job as a student to go to class and pay attention and learn what the teacher is teaching you.

Jeremy Bessey

Mr. Callan,
I'm currently one of your students, and yes I was present for the lecture mentioned. Although at times I was tempted to nap for a bit, I knew better. It's unrealistic to think ALL those students will graduate, or even pursue an environmental career with passion and integrity. Most of them, or atleast the ones I've encountered only act responsible when a potential future boss or reference is nearby. A large number of these environmental programs only last 2 years. Which makes sense at a college level. But it doesn't always give enough time to "weed-out" all them rotten apples. Plus, many are not mature enough yet to take education seriously let alone tackle global warming. My point is yes it seems Earth is doomed by a mere glance in today's lecture hall, but not all students dozed off and not just because they sincerely care. In my short experience at such an environmental school, I learnt quickly that to succeed in this field of study determination and passion are key! And I'm not talking simply being determined to finish the program, but being absolutly and positively digested by the subject, hopefully throughtout a life span. Those who are determined will get through the lectures regardless of length or monotone voices, just because in the big picture, staying awake for a few hours a day in exchange for pricy information is not much to ask.

Sarah McMahon

Mr. Callan,

I think that many people in the class are concerned about the environmental degradation we are currently seeing, but it becomes too easy to tune out or sleep in a lecture outlining basic issues that, as you mentioned, we already know something about. In a class like this one, it is important to delve deeper and have discussions about these issues in lectures as well as labs; often students know the surface of problems because environmental issues get a lot of media time, but are not always aware of the many opinions and facts behind the issues. Lectures are an important, albeit, not always interesting, part of our education, but if people are not paying attention, the benefits are lost.

Emma Boersma

dearest mr. callan,

i am one of your students, and yes, i was one of those who dozed off in lecture, but it's certainly not because i don't care about the environment! like you mentioned, the attention span of our generation is dwindling down fast and it's becoming more and more challenging for professors these days to keep our attention.
you certainly kept me awake in seminar! perhaps you should take over the lectures as well. you can make the transition to full time employee!

I've had a student doze off and not been impressed, but in retrospect....ah well. Teaching labs as a grad student I had a wannabe law student who fell asleep in class come back to beg for a passing grade ...which I was able to tell him I'd already given him after he tried to sweet talk for a few minutes. Not veryone in those classes went on to a natural resources or environmental career - but some did and I remember them well ( I also learned they were also far more disturbed by their drowsy colleague than I ever got). I still remember the students that care in the classes I teach now to professionals every year - and pretty much let the folks who choose to just go thru the motions do their thing without getting too offended by lack of wild enthusiasm. Sounds like there are plenty of students who were in that lecture who did care from the list of blog responses, perhaps you should listen to the one who suggests you go full-time there? If you don't choose the full-time avenue, do at least carry on teh crusade to keep that curriculum alive - I am a full time ecologist who managed to learn enough to stay afloat professionally despite a few weak lecturers at both undergrad and graduate levels. I learned many still useful things from less-than-dazzling lecturers over the years and even came to regret walking out on one class where I thought the prof was not very engaged - turned out he was just a slow starter and was the crackerjack of that department...who knows what I missed dropping that class that semester all those years ago? I look forward another enlightening chat over a cool beverage during your southern lecture swing this year.
Festina lente - make haste slowly

Wow. Great comments on this one. Some excellent point made. I think it's going to be a great semester.

Kevin Callan