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An Interview with Milton Chen

Milton Chen, Ph.D., has been a leading figure in educational media for more than 20 years. He joined The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) as Executive Director in 1998, bringing new leadership to its mission of gathering and disseminating the most innovative models of K-12 teaching and learning in the Digital Age.

Before that he was the founding director of the KQED Center for Education & Lifelong Learning (PBS) in San Francisco, delivering educational services for teachers, parents, and community groups in support of public TV programming. He has been a director of research at the Children’s Television Workshop in New York, and an assistant professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. 

Most recently, Dr. Chen has served as a consultant to Children Now, Educational Development Center, Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education, and Scholastic. He received an A.B. in social studies from Harvard College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in communication research from Stanford University. 

What exactly is the nature-deficit disorder? As Richard Louv defined it in an interview with Salon.com:

"It's the cumulative effect of withdrawing nature from children's experiences, but not just individual children. Families too can show the symptoms - increased feelings of stress, trouble paying attention, feelings of not being rooted in the world. So can communities, so can whole cities. Really, what I'm talking about is a disorder of society - and children are victimized by it." 

Why do you think our schools are reducing nature-related field trips?

Unfortunately, schools are cutting back on field trips, arts programs, science programs, sports activities and any number of valuable learning and recreational experiences for students. While much lip service is paid to educating "the whole child," in practice, schools are under funded and asked to overfocus on student test scores.

Consequently, the curriculum has been narrowed and is presented in an abstract, superficial fashion so that students are disengaged and unmotivated. Most educators know the value of student engagement with nature but few policymakers, legislators, superintendents, and school boards are advocating for it.

How is our mental and spiritual health related to nature and/or experiencing natural world?

Being in nature is one of the best ways to balance ourselves mentally, cognitively, and spiritually and to return us to an understanding that we are human organisms living in the natural world.

How does this disconnect from nature affect children?

There is a danger in children increasingly being "home alone" in their hours outside of school due to unsafe neighborhoods and the attraction of TV, cell phones, video games, and the Internet. 

Technology could be used to help students engage with nature through collecting data on their water and air in their neighborhoods, as I point out, but teachers, after school staff, and parents need to understand how to structure these learning experiences and make the home-school connection.

What is the value of nature to a child's overall development? What are some ways parents can help their children reconnect with nature?

Grow something! Plant some flowers. Grow a garden. Care for a pet. Try to predict the weather. Visit a zoo, a nature center, or a place where parents and children can learn together. Read some books with nature themes.. 

Where can parents read more about your work?

The website published by The George Lucas Educational Foundation is edutopia.org.