This past week I spent a lot of time getting more involved in the community I'm partnering with by proctoring the EOGs. My goodness I'm glad I'm done with those. The students get unlimited time, but no snacks... So for the kids who decide to keep working I don't know how they can focus!
I proctored in my coordinating teacher's classroom. The students were fantastic!
As soon as I found out my stuff was approved, I talked to the principal and she signed off on stuff as well and then I made about a million photocopies of fliers that got sent out today!!
Next week my cooridinating teacher and I are going to figure out when I can do a design project with the students. I'm asking them to incorporate a local species into their group design and think about the factors it would need to survive. I want this to really tie into the ecology unit.
Yesterday I also started doing some book-based research on place-based education which is the "newest" fad in environmental ed. I think I want to go to grad school at Antioch University New Hampshire so I can take classes with David Sobel. Or in Portland, Oregon with Dilafruz Williams. They are AMAZING!
Today I started brainstorming lessons for all subjects in the outdoor classroom.
Upcoming:
-Teacher focus group on Thursday
-Scoping out the perfect location
(right now the location is going to be a courtyard with a friendly inhabitant named Dale. Who is a rat. I'm very excited about this...)
I'm adding a picture. Its not from McDougle, but this blog is BORING!
This is from a garden in France. I took it two summers ago.
What is place-based education exactly? Glad you are getting into things and learning a ton!
ReplyDeletePlace-based education is kind of like the new "flavor" of environmental/outdoor education. It is education that is authentically linked to the places where the education is occurring. What it "looks" like it practice can be things ranging from walking feildtrips near the school to do mapping and observe things in nature, doing oral history projects, letterboxing, getting involved in local government... The possibilities are endless.
ReplyDeleteI think some of the biggest "pluses" of place-based education are that it is affordable (its in your own backyard) and it promotes community and citizenship and not just within the school - within the whole local area.
Thanks for the great question!