The other day, a group of our students sat in our outdoor classroom nestled in the woods on our campus. A small fire crackled while students on log benches wrote and sketched in their journals. Some paused after noticing movement in the trees. Others compared observations quietly with a classmate before returning to writing. Their conversations drifted organically from what they saw to what they wondered about: bird calls, tree identification, or the clouds overhead. As they shared their illustrations, questions flowed easily and, in many cases, without immediate answers.

Watching those moments unfold, it quickly becomes clear just how much students gain from simply being present in a place long enough to notice its depth and richness.

In our district, students spend time outdoors learning through trails, field experiences, and opportunities connected to the history, culture, and traditional knowledge of the Skokomish people. Those experiences are not separate from academics. They become opportunities for observation, writing, discussion, and reflection. Students who may struggle to engage in more traditional settings often interact differently outside. There is more conversation, more patience, and more curiosity.

The tension educators are noticing

However, returning to classrooms can look quite different. Students are more likely to be on devices accessing curriculum lessons, assessments, and practice tools. While facilitating conversations with staff recently about social-emotional learning, our educators expressed concern about patterns they see increasingly in students: difficulty sustaining attention, less tolerance for discomfort or boredom, increasing challenges navigating conflict, the need for immediate gratification, and, at times, reduced confidence in working through uncertainty independently.

None of those observations are entirely new.

The pandemic accelerated reliance on screens through distance learning, and many students continue to spend significant portions of their lives connected to devices through entertainment, social media and communication. Schools and teachers also increasingly rely on technology to support learning. That trend is now amplified by conversations around artificial intelligence and promises of even greater personalization and efficiency.

The possibilities seem exciting, but the warning signs are sobering, too.

This tension has been on my mind because much of my own writing about AI has focused on its potential to support leadership, problem-solving, and decision-making. Used thoughtfully, these tools have been incredibly valuable. There is little doubt they will continue changing education and society.

At the same time, observing students outdoors raises questions about what develops when answers are not immediate. Wonder itself seems to require time. The ability to sit with uncertainty, explore, and observe may matter more than we realize.

What may deserve more attention

The ability to notice patterns in nature, navigate disagreement with peers, or persist through frustration is harder to cultivate while staring at a screen or interacting primarily through a device.

As educational leaders consider AI tools and increasingly personalized learning environments, equal attention should be given to experiences that strengthen other capacities. The qualities below are difficult to quantify, but they shape how students learn, relate to others and respond to challenges over time:

• Sustained attention and the ability to remain focused without constant stimulation
• Comfort with uncertainty and unanswered questions
• Face-to-face communication and relationship building
• Resilience developed through frustration, boredom and persistence
• Curiosity that continues without immediate rewards or instant answers

These capacities may be difficult to measure and yet seem increasingly essential to students’ growth and development.

Making room for both

The challenge may not be deciding between technology and these experiences–it’s protecting enough room for both.

It appears that the future will require students who understand–or at least can effectively use–AI and emerging technologies. So, schools have some responsibility to prepare students for that reality.

At the same time, we need to ensure students have opportunities to slow down, observe, spend time outdoors, engage deeply with one another, and encounter moments where answers do not arrive immediately.

The students sitting around a fire in the outdoor classroom may not remember every lesson from that day. But years from now, they may remember something else entirely: the feeling of noticing, wondering, and discovering that not every meaningful question requires an immediate answer.

About Dr. Lance Gibbon

Dr. Lance Gibbon has dedicated over 30 years to serving students, educators, and families across Washington State. As the superintendent of Hood Canal School District, he is committed to creating positive, welcoming learning environments where all students can thrive. His leadership has been recognized with numerous awards, including honors from the National School Public Relations Association, Washington Association of School Business Officials, Washington School Public Relations Association, Best of Whidbey, and EarthGen (formerly Washington Green Schools). Dr. Gibbon is regular contributor for the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) magazine, School Administrator.