The one idea that has stuck with me through this course was introduced early on. I wrote the following notes from our week two lecture video. Technology does not save a learner from poor teaching decisions, and technology amplifies what I am already doing in whether it is good or bad. These two sentences stuck with me as I evaluated and analyzed the different technology tools each week. Technology is just that, a tool. It is not the end all be all in education. How we use technology can make us or break us a teachers. You cannot cover up a mediocre lesson with some sound effects on a PowerPoint. There has to be a reason for using that piece of technology, and that reason must fit in with the standards being taught. Kids are smart. They know when you are not prepared. Technology cannot make up for being unprepared as a teacher. Technology is not the teacher, I am. The decisions I make will determine the success or failure of a lesson. Technology will either showcase my success or highlight my failure.
This course taught me to look at educational technology in a different way. By keeping the learning goals and outcomes at the center of the planning process, I can incorporate a piece of technology that will allow me to accomplish my learning goals. I can evaluate pieces of technology to see how they will enhance what I am doing with my students. I can then offer suggestions to the classroom teachers. I would never want to suggest a piece of technology that I was not comfortable with to my peers. This class has given me the skill set to find, evaluate, and use technology to enhance the curriculum.
Timelooper is a VR platform that allows students to explore museums, parks, and events in history. Through the virtual field trips at www.virtualfieldtrip.com, students can interact with the field trip at their desks or in a larger area like the playground. Students experience the site like they are actually there. Students can walk through places that they may never get to experience in real life. The tour can be led by a naturalist, historian, or participant. Students can learn from someone with first hand experience.
How do I Set Up a Virtual Field Trip?
Students need to download the app to a smartphone or Ipad. The teacher can also display the VR field trip on a screen if students do not have their own devices. The chat with the expert option uses Zoom, Google Meets, Skype, or Microsoft Teams. All VR field trips are FREE, but there may be a cost to chat with the specialist. The platform works for in person and virtual learning environments. Join a webinar or open a chat for more information.
How do I Go On a Virtual Field Trip?
Search the virtual field trips for the one you would like to use. Read the overview to see if it fits your standards and class needs. Download the resource packet for worksheets and other materials to use with students. Sign up for a chat time if you would like to add that to your virtual field trip. Check out the following example Life on a Colonial Estate to see the layout and watch a short video clip.
I Don't See a Field Trip For My Content
Keep checking back! Timelooper is working with various institutions around the world and is adding content all the time.
VR is Here to Stay!
COVID caused educators to rethink field trips and other learning experiences. Even before the pandemic, the cost of field trips was on the rise. VR field trips are here to stay! Students can get an immersive experience for a fraction of the cost of a traditional field trip. Students can experience places from all over the world through their devices. Students get an authentic, engaging learning experience. Grab a device, and go on a field trip today!
I inherited a library that was built in the 1970s. It is one open room with two walls of windows. We barely have enough room for bookshelves and books let a lone classes of 30 students at a time. Needless to say, space is something I struggle with on a daily basis. I am sure the original designers of the building thought the room would be big enough for future use, but they could not envision how the space would be used 45+ years in the future.
I am also trying to think about how to incorporate a makerspace into the library with limited space and COVID restrictions where students cannot share the same materials and have to stay six feet apart. So, I started thinking outside my library literally and figuratively. Our head school nurse encourages students to be outside in the fresh air as much as possible, and my my library opens up into a courtyard. A garden could be the perfect solution to my space and COVID dilemmas.
Implementing a Garden Makerspace
The blog posts at kidsgardening.org give helpful hints and practical solutions on why schools should have gardens and how to implement them. In her first blog, Sarah Pounders states that "Every student needs to have an in-depth, hands-on experience to develop a sense of ownership." Her ideas are supported by Angevine and Weisgrau, but they call it "agency" instead of ownership (p. 2). According to Angevine and Weisgrau, agency is "the fuel to empower students to make their learning intimately personal and unique to their own goals and lived experiences" (p. 2). Both the article and the blog show the importance of ownership. When students have authentic ownership opportunities, they are more invested in the project and will have better end results.
In the second blog post, Pounders gives an overview of the basic tools that are needed to start a successful garden. Having the right tools allows for greater students involvement. Quoting Gershenfeld, Britton states "[i]nstead of trying to interest kids in science as received knowledge, it's possible to equip them to do science, giving them both the knowledge and the tools to discover it (p. 4). As students work in the garden makerspace, they will be learning a skill that they can use throughout their life.
In her third blog post, Pounders gives tips on using available community resources to help with the garden. Help may come in the form of funds or expertise. Britton believes that "[c]ommunity members are at the heart of any Maker space, regardless of its location" (p. 4). A school garden is a large undertaking and cannot be done without help from students and the community. In South Carolina, Clemson extensions for each county and the National Farm to School Network can help provide resources, training, and sometime extra hands.
In the fourth blog post, Pounders shows the need for flexibility. The garden needs fit student needs and the time that students have to work in the garden. This also fits in with the ideas proposed by Angevine and Weisgrau. Working in a makerspacce helps students see their own place in the world (p. 3). Students can plant gardens that represent concepts learned in classes or just flowers that they enjoy. Students can share plants and vegetables with each other creating an authentic learning experience for all involved. Pounders gives examples of these different types of gardens in her fourth blog post.
In her last blog post Pounders shows the need for reflection and evaluation of the makerspace. She has students fill out a Google form for feedback. Through her analysis and reflection, she realized that she needed to connect the garden to the curriculum. Angevine and Weisgrau echo these sentiments by stating that "[p]rojects that do not allow students to build on what the already understand inevitably, and visibly, fail (pgs. 2-3). Luckily for me, gardening fits within all middle school science standards. Our library collection has many resources that connect to gardening. As part of the makerspace, students can read about gardening how to cultivate plants.
Video of how a school garden works
Benefits of a School Garden
Gardening has many benefits especially during the pandemic. Gardening gets students outside in the sunlight helping to make vitamin D. Gardening is exercise. Gardening helps with moods and can be a calming influence for students. Gardening fosters interaction and connectivity with others and the earth. Gardening gives students a sense of accomplishment as they watch their plants grow (Stanborough, 2020).
During this pandemic when space and time are at a premium, a garden makerspace can help students inside and outside of the classroom. The garden has real world curriculum connections to science and math. Students can develop their social emotional skills in the garden as well. The garden can be a calming influence in the chaotic situation that teachers and students find themselves in this school year. Gardens can be expensive, so seek out grants and community partnerships to help get started. As with any makerspace, start small. If it is not feasible to plant a plot of land, start with pots and containers and go from there. As you, teachers, and students get more comfortable with the ins and outs of gardening, you can add more beds and plants. Be willing to learn from mistakes and set backs. Sometimes plants will die, and seeds may not germinate. Every perceived failure is a learning opportunity. Embrace them and learn from them!
Cactus Container Garden courtesy of Linda Parks
Works Cited
Angevine, C., & Weisgrau, J. (2015, September 24). Situating Makerspaces in Schools. Retrieved November 05, 2020, from https://hybridpedagogy.org/situating-makerspaces-in-schools/
Britton, L. (2012, October 1). The Makings of Maker Spaces, Part 1: Space for Creation, Not Just Consumption. Retrieved November 05, 2020, from http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/10/public-services/the-makings-of-maker-spaces-part-1-space-for-creation-not-just-consumption/
Pounders, S. (2017, March 16). KidsGardening Growing Ideas Blog - School Garden Tip #1: Create a Sense of Ownership. Retrieved November 04, 2020, from https://kidsgardening.org/school-garden-tip-1-create-a-sense-of-ownership/
Pounders, S. (2017, March 30). KidsGardening Growing Ideas Blog - School Garden Tip #2: My Favorite Tools. Retrieved November 05, 2020, from https://kidsgardening.org/school-garden-tip-2-my-favorite-tools/
Pounders, S. (2017, April 27). KidsGardening Growing Ideas Blog - School Garden Tip #3: Invest in Your Soil. Retrieved November 05, 2020, from https://kidsgardening.org/school-garden-tip-3-invest-in-your-soil/
Pounders, S. (2017, May 25). KidsGardening Growing Ideas Blog: School Garden Tip #4 - Allow Teachers to Chart Their Garden Journey. Retrieved November 05, 2020, from https://kidsgardening.org/school-garden-tip-4-allow-teachers-to-chart-their-garden-journey/
Pounders, S. (n.d.). Sarah Pounders Archives – KidsGardening Growing Ideas Blog. Retrieved November 05, 2020, from https://kidsgardening.org/category/sarah-pounders/page/5/
Stanborough, R. (2020, June 17). 10 Benefits of Gardening, Plus Helpful Tips & Recommendations. Retrieved November 05, 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/health/healthful-benefits-of-gardening
Images courtesy of
Parsons, Catherine. p1020211.jpeg 2005. Pics4Learning. 4 Nov 2020.
Oaks, Linda. cactusgarden.jpeg. 2007. Pics4Learning. 5 Nov 2020
