Erin Strohschein's Kenan Fellows Program Blog

Describe your internship experience.
• What was the most interesting moment?
• What was the biggest challenge?
• What is your biggest take away?

This internship for me was one of the most hands-on, enjoyable experience I’ve had as an educator.  With the NC Coastal Federation, I was able to learn so much about the environment around me that I had little knowledge of before this oppurtunity.

For example- did you know that an adult Oyster filters up to 50 GALLONS of water a day?!!! 50 Gallons!  That’s a bathtub full of water…. who knew oysters were so important- am I right?

I’ve been able to go in the trenches (ok, so maybe more like in the marsh) and get my hands dirty showing students about the living organisms in our sound at a field trip to Hammocks Beach State Park.  I’ve been able to learn about how important it is to create living shorelines versus putting up man made bulkheads.  I’ve learned how we can all do a better job to reduce water run-off pollution to our waters.  It’s truly been eye opening.

On top of all that I have learned, I’ve been able to use my creative nature to help others learn.  With the NC Coastal Federation, I was able to help develop and produce 60 send home educational kits that had over 15 activities to teach students about all of the wonderful knowledge the Coastal Federation has to offer.

How do you plan to implement something you learned at the
institute in your classroom? 

I really enjoyed many different things about this year’s virtual institute.  We were introduced to a wide array of platforms to be able to virtually communicate that I think I’ll be able to use this year.  My favorite platform that I learned about this week was the scavenger hunt app “Goosechase”.  I think that this will be a great tool that I can use in the virtual visual arts classroom.  I’ll be able to engage students in small groups to search for information and to relate the knowledge of that content back to me.

How has the week compared with other PD opportunities
you have attended?

This week was unique in many different ways.  The obvious answer being  the virtual aspect.  I think that the KF program has done a great job of making us feel like real connection throughout this week although we aren’t in the same room.  I feel that the side “icebreakers” were truly worth while and that they weren’t just fluff as it can sometimes be in other PD I’ve had in the past.  I also feel that the wide array of information we received was vast throughout the week.

This year will be different for all educators….. I hope that with the experience I gain from my fellowship, that I will be able to adjust my ways of teaching to incorporate my knew knowledge as well as be able to reach my students virtually or in person.  My wish is that my experience with the NC Coastal Federation will ignite a response in myself that I am encouraged to create an environment for my students that will also illicit a response in them that they are able to communicate through their art.

Hi there everyone!  I am an art educator in the Craven County School system in Eastern NC.  I am very excited to learn more about my coastal area with the help from the NC Coastal Federation this summer.  I can’t wait to spread that knowledge to my students and county.