Class 12 Readings

Class 12 Readings

1.       PBE boosts students' engagement, academic achievement, and sense of personal efficacy as stewards of their local environment and community. It also can re-energize teachers. (What is Place Based Education)

This is an interesting style or philosophy to go by as a teacher or school. I have heard of this type of education philosophy, but never knew the actual term for it. When reading what this was all about, the first thing that popped in my head was how every physical education program leans toward place based education. Even though many people do not consider PE as an actual class and just an extracurricular program, physical education boosts student engagement, academic achievement, and the sense of personal efficacy. But most of all physical education is a class that gets students to be more involved in the community and environment. PE classes can guide students in the right direction when it has to do with life-long activity and health issues, and this transitions from a place based program into a school based program. It is important to keep students up to date on the current events in the world and local community and somehow translate the material into the classroom.

2.       Through project-based learning, students make tangible contributions to resolving local environmental issues and conserving local environmental quality. (What is Place Based Education? Ecological Integrity)

Since students are involved with the community much more in place based learning, they are made aware of many issues with the environment and community. Place based learning allows students to make contributions for helping the environment and it really keeps the students eyes open to problems they were never familiar with. These students are not only helping the environment, but they are doing hand on work to learn the material needed. This gets the students outside of the classroom and away from the traditional type of teaching. I remember in my high school we had classes and activities similar to place based learning.  I know, speaking for myself, that being involved and actually doing activities and experiments, the knowledge I need sinks in much easier than sitting in front of a teacher and listening to him/her talk. This type of education can make a well rounded student because they learn and know how to “do” rather than being shown what to do.

3.       Our educational institutions now play a central role in expanding the influence of industrial culture in the lives of people in the West and Third World countries. (Bowers- Revitalizing, pg. 15)

Yes, public schools and even private schools play a huge role in expanding the industrial culture to the West and Third World Countries, but this is not an easy thing to do. I really don’t know how to interpret this quote, but when I read I think of students in the United States helping other students their age in countries that are less fortunate. I think it is important for our students in the public school systems to be aware of the living problems people in third world countries have to deal with on a daily basis. Our schools play a huge role because of the material they are being taught in the school; it can be world-wide. If students are aware of these problems then there is a higher chance of them trying to do something to help, such as rainforest trips or working for organizations that travel to impoverished countries. What we teach these students in our school systems and how we teach the material affects their views on world-wide current events and provides students with ideas to assist the problems.

4.       Childrens worlds are small, detailed places-the crack in the sidewalk receives their full attention, as does the earthworm flipping over and over on the pavement after rainfall. (A Pedagogy For Ecology, pg. 32)

This quote just proves that children can get excited and put their whole attention on something that adults believe to be so little. Students at a young age need to know that there is so much to be learned in the little things that go on around you, and I think adults take that for granted in today’s society. What this quote says is that the small detailed places that the child gives their attention too should not be forgotten, but teachers need to expand on them. It is easy for teachers to guide them in the direction you want them to go, but when guiding them, don’t let them lose the detail of the surroundings. It does not matter if they go to a school in the suburbs or the inner cities; children focus their attention on attractive things. For example, the earthworm on the pavement would be something adults would forget about, but children put their full attention towards it. As a teacher, it is important to show the children the importance of the earthworm and why the earthworm is above ground when it rains. Just remember there is meaning behind everything.

5.       In Utah, I understood that place is a part of our identity-that place shapes our identity. (A Pedagogy For Ecology, pg. 30)

I have to say I strongly agree with this saying. Place does shape our identity and children need to be able to grasp that point at a young age because as people grow up they can forgot who they are and where they came from, or as I would like to say, “they get lost in the world.”  I believe this is kind of like being proud of where you come from. I come from the hills of northwest corner, so I try not to lose touch with my country side and hardworking mentality. Every time I go back home I make sure I take in the land and scenic because that is my home and identity, it is where I came from. I think identity is directly correlated with pride and in some way I think this is what the teacher is talking about in this section of A Pedagogy For Ecology. My identity is the country and the beautiful hills, the rivers, the land, the change of seasons, and  I know all these things are important to who I am today and what I have become.

6.       “The ants are in the hole talking. If they hear loud noises, they won’t come out. We have to be very quiet! If they see us, they stay in because they’re scared…..” (A pedagogy For Ecology, pg.34)

This is just an example of how creative a young child can be when talking about something. It just proves that children explore with creativity and unbelievably open minded at such a young age. Children know the repercussions at hand if a teacher takes the time to explain it to them. The teacher in this situation took the time to ask what she thought of the ants. The quote is an amazing depiction of how children can be aware of the environment and surrounding if an adult asks the questions and listens to them. It is important for children to know about their surrounding and the other living things around them. In this case the child is talking about ants and relates the ants to people. She says they have a family, they communicate with one another, and they can hear the “humans” when they are in their ant hole. The most interesting thing about this quote is at the end when the students bring up the ants being scared. She believes that ants, just like people, have feelings.