This was the first experience I had of blogging and it was okay. I think I would have enjoyed it much more had it been focused around my specific externship instead of general writing prompts. I would have liked to post more about what I was doing and see what others were doing with their fellowships. I am on the fence about my future blogging.

The beginning of my KF journey!

Looking back I can see the positive impact this fellowship has had on my teaching skills but, more importantly its impact on my students. My fellowship experience has opened my eyes to the wealth of information that teachers should continue to seek. It has made me a better teacher and for that I am grateful. I am still considered a “new teacher” but, having had the opportunity to be  Kenan Fellow I feel “seasoned”.

Student excited about planting his class garden!

Last school year my students only heard/learned about the structures and functions of living organisms.

Through my Kenan Fellowship I have found away to immerse my students in interactive lessons with hands on experiences. I have included some pictures of my students working in the “Learning Garden”.

Caroline Stover
Food Corp
NC Cooperative Extension.

I have also included pictures of visit from community partners such as Food Corps.

Looking back….I wouldn’t change a thing!!!

Basil and Tomatoes

I am currently work on a new project with former Congresswoman Eva Clayton and her sorority, along with NC Cooperative Extension to make global connections with a group of students in Accra the capital of Ghana, Africa. We are discussing agriculture and nutrition. We are planting basil and tomatoes and sharing pictures as well as exchanging seeds with those students in Africa. The students have also secured 10 computers to have sent to Africa for those students. We are currently seeking funds to have them shipped.

Where do I start? This has been a really long road. This lesson has pulled things out of me that I didn’t know existed. I believe that we all where affected by the inclement weather we received. For me the weather played a huge role in my implementation of my Kenan Fellows lesson. I had planned for students to have gardens planted by March but was unsuccessful at getting anything done because we had missed so many days of school I was behind in my pacing guide and not to mention it was FREEZING outside.

We are breaking ground! (Kind of…) Students did some soil sampling as we began to discuss the relationship between rocks, soil and the environment.

While on spring break I picked up lumber and had the garden bed frames built and delivered to my school.

My students are very excited! They made decisions on placement of garden beds to ensure that the crop they plant will be able to get enough sunlight.

We are on our way now! It feels good to finally see it all unfolding and to have students who are equally excited about this project has made me feel good as an educator.

These boys are determining whether we have left enough space for the school maintenance workers to still be able to mow the lawn around our their gardens. I’m glad they thought of it because Mrs. Boyd surely had not!

Even though I am still in the very early stages of the project I feel optimistic about this lesson. I’m sure I will make mistakes along the way but, what doesn’t kill me can only make me a stronger educator.

Now, we are awaiting the arrival of our soil!!! Can you dig it?

It has certainly been an up hill battle for me to implement my lesson. I took on the task of creating a lesson that’s primary focus was on having students cultivate raised garden beds. I am heart broken that we have yet to reach this unit because of bad weather. I am a few weeks behind schedule due to school closings or delays because of inclement weather. I hope to begin my Kenan Fellows Unit “The Learning Garden” when we return from Spring Break. I have purchased gardening tools for my students and they are excited about getting started. SPRING where art thou?

I must admit…I’m probably more excited about this unit than the students!

Where do I start? Like many, I was very surprised to receive this gift from Lenovo. I appreciate the company’s willingness to contribute to the teacher as part of our effort to educate children. While, excited…I was really unsure about the tablet because Windows 8 terrified me! I was accustomed to my iPad and had no idea how to utilize Windows 8. I was glad that during many of our sessions we were urged to use our tablets because it gave us an opportunity to become more familiar and comfortable with using its operating system. 

Using my Lenovo tablet during a session at NCCAT.

Pros:  Microsoft, USB ports, key board, docking station, great picture quality and available apps

Cons: Windows 8 (which isn’t so bad after all), carrying case should have been large enough to house all components (maybe a bag), initial keyboard sync was difficult

I don’t use it in class as much as I’d like because I can’t hook it up to my LCD projector. I have used it to record a few student presentations and take a few pictures of my students. I mainly use it as a PC to type documents/lesson plans. Also, I enjoy using its apps.

Overall, I think the Lenovo tablet is great and it has been a very useful tool throughout my fellowship.

The partnership component was key to the success of my fellowship. My mentors and I worked closely throughout the summer. Without the assistance of my mentors, I would have been unable to gain access to the agriculture industry. They opened many doors. My mentors were instrumental in the success of my fellowship.

The term “professional development” is heard throughout many school districts and in my district professional development days have been built in to our school calendars. Many of those days the staff would sit in a room, in what seemed like a staff meeting. The focus would be very general; the topics would vary…many of us (teachers) felt as though there were tons of things we could be doing in our classrooms to better prepare for our students.

Now having completed all three KFP Professional Development Institutes, I feel differently about professional development all together. These three institutes have allowed me to grow as an educator. Not once did I think about what other things I could be doing instead of participating in Kenan Fellow Professional Development. These three institutes had a true purpose and its purpose was to take good teachers and make them better. These institutes helped me better understand the purpose of my fellowship and the impact it will have on my students.

As some districts ban the use of social media in and out of classrooms, and others encourage its use, how do you explain such polar viewpoints?

I currently work in a school district that has very strict policies in place about social media and its place in our schools. Our district all but forbids the use of social media as it has been used in a negative way. However, I feel that in order for the district to move forward in such a technology based era we must revisit these policies. I believe the use of social media in and out of the classroom is very beneficial ways of communicating with students, parents, and the community. It is also a good way to share best practices as well as network. I believe that those who do not want social media used lack a basic understanding of how to utilize these tools so that they can be positive and beneficial.

Last year was my first year teaching. When I began I didn’t have all of the answers and today I still don’t have all the answers. Having gone through this fellowship with so many veteran teachers, I now understand that I will NEVER have all of the answers. It is the process of learning new and innovative ideas and techniques that allows us to change how we teach. I like to think of my best practices as if they are “fine wine” only getting better with time. This fellowship has not changed how I will teach but has given me a new prospective on my career as a teacher and what it is I have to do for my students to ensure their success.

As I prepare for the 2013-14 school year, I am overly excited about bringing my summer experiences into my classroom. I feel as though I have been training for a marathon and its “going down”,  August 26th (1st day for students). I’ve been training with the best educators in North Carolina all summer long and all I can see ahead for my students are absolutely positive experiences.

This summer I was the student and ALL of you were my teachers! This experience will have a positive impact on my students because it had such a positive impact on me!