I am an explorer.
As an explorer, the most rewarding journey I take, is the journey I go on with my students every year as I help facilitate their discoveries in new learning and possibilities.
I want students to value and understanding that our everyday choices do impact the global world. I’ve been fortunate enough to have-taken leave-of-absence and summer breaks from teaching to travel the world. I bring back to my classroom the stories of the people and places in the world that I hope will inspire a connection for my students.
This summer (2018) I went on two water and industry connected Professional Development tours through Inside Education. One was to the oil sands in Northern Alberta. I was able to talk to a variety of people with multiple perspectives of the issues related to water and energy. One of the biggest take-aways I personally had, was the importance of our own daily choices and how they do have influence over the economy and environment globally. It is incredibly powerful to see students feel that their choices make a global difference.
As an explorer, the most rewarding journey I take, is the journey I go on with my students every year as I help facilitate their discoveries in new learning and possibilities.
I want students to value and understanding that our everyday choices do impact the global world. I’ve been fortunate enough to have-taken leave-of-absence and summer breaks from teaching to travel the world. I bring back to my classroom the stories of the people and places in the world that I hope will inspire a connection for my students.
This summer (2018) I went on two water and industry connected Professional Development tours through Inside Education. One was to the oil sands in Northern Alberta. I was able to talk to a variety of people with multiple perspectives of the issues related to water and energy. One of the biggest take-aways I personally had, was the importance of our own daily choices and how they do have influence over the economy and environment globally. It is incredibly powerful to see students feel that their choices make a global difference.
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I also feel that my exploration with students every year, needs to be grounded in meaningful, real world learning. When we take up a task, I want my students to do what a geographer, scientist, or explorer would do for their jobs. I want students to consider real world problems, and issues, collect data and engage in research. Therefore, experiences for my students to talk to people engaging in these fields (such as talking to scientists and geographers through Explore by the Seat of Your Pants), creates that meaningful, purposeful learning that sparks excitement in students. This year (2018), we had Adam Shoalts a RCGS Explorer-in-Residence come talk to our class, and the students not only have a deeper understanding of what exploration, geography, and cartography is, they themselves want to engage in discovering the waterways of our own local community. We are planning our own expedition to a local wetlands this spring!
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Finally, I also think that, like the experts that I can connect my students to, connecting my students to the land outdoors is very important. They learn so much from getting outside, building the understanding of the environment they live in.
I have been attending monthly Land Based Learning Series (through the Calgary Board of Education) where I spend a day outside with local knowledge keepers.
I am also on the Alberta Council for GEOEC (Global, Environmental, Outdoor Education Council for Alberta Teachers).
Also, this summer I was fortunate enough to participate in the Canadian Geography’s Summer Institute, where I learned about the amazing resources around the Indigenous People’s of Canada Atlas, and Giant Map Resources. These are such amazing resources I have been sharing them through workshops in Alberta. These resources instilled in me the importance of how connected to the land indigenous peoples’ are, and how the physical geography and environment we live in is an important teacher. I bring my students outside as much as possible as we explore the environment around us and see the world through indigenous perspectives.
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I want my students to leave my classroom at the end of the year feeling that they have gone on a journey where they discovered new possibilities, felt awe and delight in the world, learned more about the issues and problems we are facing, and have a sense of empowerment and responsibility.