Post by Cornell University

Creative Teaching Awards celebrate experiential learning, community connections Beebe Lake at dawn. Central New York berry farms. A local middle school. An art museum in Queens. The Cornell Teaching Dairy Barn. These are just a few of the places this year’s Creative Teaching Awards faculty recipients have taken students for hands-on, local learning experiences well beyond the classroom walls. Now in their third year, the Creative Teaching Awards are sponsored by the Vice Provost for Academic Innovation and the Center for Teaching Innovation. Their goal is to recognize and share innovative teaching strategies that Cornell faculty have implemented into their courses. “Students often benefit from stepping outside the four walls of a classroom to meet people from a nearby community, or into nature. But such experiences must be artfully planned – and successful educational outings sometimes represent semesters, if not years, of finesse,” said Rob Vanderlan, executive director of the Center for Teaching Innovation. “It’s nice to be reminded – and inspired – by the amazing ways faculty find to connect classroom learning with experiences in the wider world.” Learn more about the winners at the link in our comments.