Module I: Place & Pedagogy

Essential:  How can educators use new media to better reach and teach Alaska's students?
New technology can be an amazing and inspiring. Educators have access to a wide variety of digital media that, when used correctly and efficiently, can benefit students greatly.  

http://melissa-technologyclassroom.blogspot.com/2011/02/two-page-paper.html

Using technology in the classroom brings in a component of everyday life for many students.  In my experience, most students use technology for entertainment and are very well versed in the capability of software and hardware alike.  Adding these same devices and programs to the classroom can be a great motivational tool.  Students enjoy being able to show off their technical skills and receive immediate feedback.  

New media gives students the opportunity to work collaboratively with their peers.  Not only are students able to interact in small groups, but some media allows for students to interact in large groups.  Clickers and SMART boards are two examples I have used in class.  

At times it can be overwhelming to determine which media will benefit your students from the billions of resources available.  It was very neat to try out Teachers' Domain.  I had heard of the website, but never used it before.  I think the videos and discussion questions will be a wonderful resource for myself and my students.  

Technology keeps changing rapidly and I believe the best way to use new media to reach and teach Alaska’s students is to keep yourself up to date, collaborate with colleagues, and use wonderful sites like TD in order to keep students motivated and engaged.

Examine: How might this place-based principle apply to your work in your community?

According to David Sobel, place-based education is the process of using the local community and environment as a starting point to teach concepts in language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and other subjects across the curriculum.

http://akhfblog.typepad.com/door-15/rose-urban-rural-exchange/

Wrangell is an outstanding place to apply the place-based principle.  Wrangell is teeming with culture just waiting to be explored.  Applying place-based education in Wrangell would teach students using real-world experiences in a compelling way.  Students would begin to form connections with the people and world around them.  I cannot think of a more fun way to teach students to have an appreciation for science, nature, and culture than immersing them in their community. 

Place-based education would prepare our students to live and work while sustaining the cultural heritage of the place they inhabit, whether they stay in Wrangell or journey to a knew place. 

Extend: What are the population dynamics in your community?

The population dynamics of Wrangell is an ongoing debate in my household.  Having recently moved to Wrangell, my husband and I are constantly asked details about our new home.  The most common question is “How many people live on the island?”.  We both try to answer as quickly and confidently as possible so that we appear to know what we are talking about.  Now it is time to see who really is the knowledgeable one in the family! 

It turns out that my husband must have done his homework because according to the U.S. Census Bureau Wrangell’s population in 2010 was 2,369 people.  I had heard in casual conversation that we lived in a town of about 1000 people.  Boy was I wrong! (Don’t tell my husband).  

The population numbers are interesting to me because it feels as though we live in a much smaller community.  Everyone here is connected in some way.  

According to the data Wrangell is 16.2% American Indian and Alaska Native persons.  I was also surprised by this piece of information because our community keeps traditions alive and highly regards Tlingit culture.  I had assumed that closer to 30% of Wrangell was Native.  Looking up the population dynamics of this small community have been enlightening and will help me win the future “population argument” with my husband.  I am also looking at integrating a unit on Human Environmental Interactions into my biology class, and population demographics will be a great piece to pull into the lessons. 

Wrangell Population Density
Created on www.arcgis.com

Evaluate: Please write a brief paragraph reflecting on the content, style, and usefulness of this first module.

I found this first module to be packed full of great information and resources. I cannot wait to dig in deeper and discover the power of the websites shared with us, especially Teachers' Domain and Alaska Native Knowledge Network.  

I am currently working with AICS Alaska Crossings to instill the SYSTEMS Project into Wrangell’s Science curriculum.  The main objective is to “increase problem-solving and critical thinking skills of Southeast Alaskan students by implementing place-based education.  There is a focus on bridging traditional Native and Western approaches in science, math, and technology” (Booth & Owens, AICS). The knowledge I gained from this first module has already been a tremendous help in understanding what I am really setting out to do in our community.  I am excited to see what is to come over the course of the semester.  

References:

Booth, Camille and Owens, Holly. (2011). Systems. (Unpublished Introduction Letter).  

Sobel, David. (n.d.). Place-based Education: Connecting Classroom and Community.  Retrieved from http://www.antiochne.edu/ed/il/pbexcerpt.pdf

U.S. Census Bureau. (2012). State and County QuickFacts. Retrieved from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/02000.html