Monthly Archives: June 2014

Highlight of My Week at NCCAT

This week I was able to take part in an amazing experience that has left me both fulfilled and overwhelmed. I feel like I received a ton of information that I can use this year in my classroom and in the future. I also feel like I have made a lot of connections with other Fellows that I will be seeing during this experience and beyond.

Most of the Fellows are probably going to say that the highlight of the week was their experience on the river. Unfortunately, I was unable to take part in that exciting experience. The highlight of my week has been attending Dacia Jones’ seminar EIEIO. This seminar provided me with a ton of information about obtaining grants. I was also really interested in her concept of front-loading the hands-on science to provide the students with background information. I also liked her idea to invite famous or influential people to Skype with her students.

The NCCAT experience was really worthwhile. I am happy about having met the great people I have had the opportunity to spend time with this week and I look forward to seeing them again in July.

My Hopes for the Kenan Fellows Experience

Participating in a Kenan Fellowship has been something that I wanted to do since the first time I heard about the program. I had (and still have!) very high expectations for what I will gain from the experience.

I want to be a better teacher. Not only does this mean that I want to learn new tricks and tools to use in the classroom, but it also means that I want to renew my passion. I would like to have a toolbox that allows me to do something new and exciting regularly in the classroom that engages students and allows me to use my own creativity.

I hope to be able to experience working in the “green movement”. I am completing my externship at Sustainable Sandhills, which is a community action nonprofit that works to promote green schools, green businesses, and sustainable agriculture. I am very interested in seeing how activists use their resources and connections to plan programs and outreach for the community.

Finally, I want to make more teacher connections! I was an NC Teaching Fellow, and however cliche it sounds, I have lifelong bonds with some of my fellow Fellows. I would like to continue this on and meet and develop relationships with Kenan Fellows from across the state, and particularly my region.

 

Farm Tours with Sustainable Sandhills

Sustainable Sandhills in coordination with Fayetteville State University VISTA students and Boys and Girls Club of Cumberland County are taking kids aged 5-12 enrolled in Summer Camp to various local farms to encourage them to support sustainable agriculture. Our first stop: Cedar Creek Fish Farm. Students were able to meet and greet locally raised live tilapia and catfish, as well as the farmers and farm workers. Students were also provided with a demonstration of the castnet fishing method, which is popular in Central and South America, Asia, and Africa.

My role in these farm tours is mainly to mentor the college students and assist them in perfecting the tour scripts that they are writing for each farm. I also lead one of the tour groups (there are 50-60 students on each tour!).

The children are really excited about the farming methods used and, of course, being able to touch the fish!

Boys and Girls Club students with farmer at Cedar Creek Fish Farm
Boys and Girls Club students with farmer at Cedar Creek Fish Farm