The beautiful golden Big Leaf Maple leaves are starting to fall, the Alder branches are almost bare and there is a brisk chill in the air. Autumn is here and our first semester as graduate students is in full force.
One of my favorite aspects of the IslandWood Graduate Program is that our learning is hands on too. Our professors strive to model the kind of teaching they expect from us in the School Overnight Program. Not only do we read books and write papers, but we too get to play, explore and wonder.
So today I want to keep my post short and share some amazing photos from our class field trip to the beach. We had the chance to chat with professional divers, play games and get up close and personal with some of the incredible creatures that make up the Puget Sound marine eco-system.
Sea stars and moon snails, Oh My! The group shared many laughs and smiles playing with these mysterious ( and slimy) ocean critters.
It was the perfect chance to step back from the world of academia and experience the excitement, curiosity and adventure that touch our students each week!
What does a scientist look like? It’s a simple question that most people can
quickly answer. I encourage you to think
of a few words to describe a scientist before reading past this sentence.
As a formative assessment each week, many of the Education
for Environment and Community (EEC) instructors ask that same question of the
fourth and fifth graders we have the privilege to educate, and we give them
time to draw their interpretation of a scientist in their field journals. Here is what we frequently see: men, crazy
hair, words like “mad”, white coats, mystery liquids with bubbles in beakers,
and eye glasses. Did you think of some
of those too?
How is it that all the students have the same image in their
mind about what a scientist is though, and how can we change that view? Developmental psychologist Jean Piaget would say the answer is through
disequilibrium. I had the opportunity to
see this in action this past week while observing Kelvin, an EEC
instructor. He asked the students if
they viewed themselves as scientists.
The team all responded in the affirmative, and then he asked them to
describe a scientist. The students
immediately gave an expected stereotypical answer as described above. Kelvin’s next question served to cause a
disequilibrium that was truly amazing to watch.
“Well,
if you’re scientists, where are your white coats?”
The question was followed by silence as the students
struggled to find the connections between their previous statements. There was no standard “this is what the
teacher wants” kind of answer so they were forced to synthesize information
into a new pathway, create a new understanding.
This was true learning, but the question remains of how did all the
students already have a similar preconceived idea of a scientist?
We all move through life as part of a specific and
identifiable community, sometimes moving fluidly between multiple. Our chosen communities are often related to hobbies,
socio-economic status, academic goals, chronological age, geographical
location, and moral belief systems.
That is a lot of groups to mingle with, but what is the linking force
that cements our status in those communities?
It is often the way we think and what we chose to think about.
Socialization can be an amazing tool for expanding
understanding of any topic, but socialization within the bubble of the same
community built on thinking the same way is not going to cause
disequilibrium. Growth can come from
understanding and appreciating the contributions, differences, and similarities
present in other communities. At the end
of the day, we only have one Earth, and we all have to share it. What simple question do you have a
stereotypical answer to, and where can you find new meaning?
After just completing my first week of solo teaching, I know I
made the right decision to come here to IslandWood. To be completely honest,
the transition into graduate school has been challenging. Busy schedules,
homework, very little free time... Moving to IslandWood has been an incredible
lifestyle change for me, especially after spending the past year in Latin
America where time moves quite a bit slower. Yet, after waving goodbye to my
first round of students from the School Overnight Program on Thursday
afternoon, I knew that my choice was worth it.
Since graduating college, I have been working with students
through experiential education programming with a focus on global citizenship
and community development. Most recently, I spent the past year working as an
instructor for Where There Be Dragons, facilitating learning adventures for
students across rural Latin America. It was abroad, spending time in and
trekking through small agricultural communities, where I realized the
incredible interconnectedness of human and ecological communities. I discovered
the ripple effect of my actions as a North American and their full impact on my
friends abroad. I learned to share these stories to inspire my students to take
action.
It was through this work that I realized I wanted to pursue education
in the United States, to make these communities and connections come alive to
students. I care passionately about empowering our youth with the skills they
need to make a difference. I want them to explore the world around them and see
wonder, inspiration, and solidarity. Working abroad helped me teach to those values. Every day my assumptions and worldviews were challenged and changed. When
looking for a graduate school, I wanted to find a program that would support me
in teaching this way.
I chose IslandWood because of the school’s emphasis on
integrating stewardship and community into education, and in particular,
environmental education. In the future, I believe that we must create a more
holistic curriculum that focuses on empowering students to be community minded
citizens and global activists. IslandWood’s unique vision stood out to me
amongst the many M.Ed programs I was looking at. In fact, IslandWood’s way of
doing things spoke to me so much that it ended up being the only graduate
program I applied to. It seemed like my perfect program.
And now that I am here, I know that it is the perfect program
for me. I look forward to sharing the delightful moments, the reflections, the
wonder and inspiration, and the many challenges I will experience this year
with you all. And please, feel free to ask questions in the comments if you
would like to hear more about anything in particular or have questions about
what we’re doing. I would love to hear from you!
Visiting intertidal creatures at Blakely Harbor, inspecting
macro invertebrates at Mac’s Pond, investigating fungus in the forest, answering
questions about flora and fauna, and looking over the bog from the tree house
are just a few examples of the adventures experienced while leading a team of
ten fifth graders through the 255 acre campus.
The adventures in the forest, bog, marsh, pond, estuary,
and stream are only accents to our purpose as graduates because we are also instructors while in the field.
Islandwood’s Education for Environment and Community (EEC) graduate
program is going strong with a new group of graduate students, and I am very
excited to be part of the 2014 class.
I am originally from Texas, and I have lived in Seattle for
a little more than a year. After graduating
from Texas Tech in 2008 with a major in Kinesiology and minor in Education, I
taught eighth grade science for a couple of years before relocating to Seattle. I am certified to teach middle level science
in Washington State, and after completion of my Masters in Education from the
University of Washington, I plan to return to the classroom.
A focal point for my blogs will be on the experience and
instruction at Islandwood as they intersect the outdoors, science,
art, and theory. I am particularly
interested in the connections between Islandwood's outdoor instruction and the application of educational theories.
This will be an amazing year, and I am very excited to share it with you through the EEC blog. Jennifer
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