On my way to the Okefenokee

The most enjoyable thing about travel is not reaching my destination, but the journey to get to my destination. As Tim and I drove down the back roads of Georgia, I realized the multitude of reasons that Georgia is my favorite state. The huge parcels of land yet to be developed calls me like a moth to a flame. I was finally on my way to the Fargo side of the Okefenokee Swamp.

On the way to Fargo, we passed through the area that was recently scorched by forest fires. Tim stopped and I took photos. As we continued down the road, we saw vultures having a feeding frenzy on a dead pit bulldog. While I prayed for the soul of the dog, I wanted the shot to share with my students. Death is indeed a part of life which most of my kids seldom get the chance to discuss.

TIME!

"More time, my queendom for MORE TIME!" My journal entries have been sporadic due to working late with my students and lack of time. As I sit in my office...officially on Spring Break, I realize how much I miss keeping my journal and blogs. Let's get started.

Much has happened since my last blog:

1) The EE Kids met with the oceanographers aboard the JOIDES Resolution. It was as awesome!
2) Our group was given permission and funds to visit the East Point Recycling Center...YEA!... on April 29, 2011.
3) We started growing the plants for our salad garden.
4) The chapter that I submitted for an soon-to-be-published book was ACCEPTED.
5) Our recycling effort is going STRONG!!!

I am having an amazing time learning with the kids.

Discovery Table:Activity #1

On Tuesday, March 1, our EE Kids were introduced to the discovery table. This feature allows the students to examine artifacts of nature and make observations in their journals. Yesterday, the students had to compare/contrast an empty wasps' nest to a dried sunflower seed pod with seeds intact from our outdoor classroom.
***ADD their comments HERE.***

Also, yesterday our outdoor session began in OC #1 (outdoor classroom) and ended in OC #2. The behavior of the students had much to be desired. Some were too loud because they have a difficult time separating OC time from playground time. Many made observations; however, some used the time as a chat session and really did not focus on nature.
Next Tuesday a journal rubric will be introduced and given to the students, as well as written behavioral expectations that will include a three strikes OUT policy. (NOTE: These written expectations will be copied by the students IF they have to spend time away from the group for behavioral infractions.)

We ended our session with time for free play on the playground. Next Tuesday, we will begin and end our time with journal reflections time (like with our first OC experience).

A Treasure or Just Another Tree

On one of my many power walks around the elementary school, where I work, I noticed a grove of trees. Occasionally, I will take a short detour under the cool canopy-covered pathway.

For about six months now, I have been carefully watching over a patch of trees that I call Smith Children's Forest or los bosque de los ninos, in Spanish. It sits along side one of Metro Atlanta's oldest highways, near my elementary school.

Over the years,

Project Learning Tree #46: Schoolyard Safari

Red-tail Hawk

http://www.kiwifoto.com/galleries/birds/red_tailed_hawk/

I think that I prefer the title Schoolyard Scavenger Hunt over Schoolyard Safari because the term safari conjures up big game hunting in Africa. While the students were on a hunt, it was a small-scale hunt for life or signs of life. Each student was given their own spiral nature journals...Thanks to Mrs. Jackson.

While we were outside today looking for life in our outdoor classroom (OC), we observed a red-tail hawk soaring overhead. It was a beautiful sight. One of my students even tried to sketch the predator in her journal, after attempting to coax me into drawing it for her.

Today was the second time that we found time to sketch in nature, but the first time that we combined sketching and a Project Learning Tree (PTL) activity. Schoolyard Safari gave the students a sense of purpose for their writing and observations. They used magnifying glasses to get closer perspectives on living things in nature.

The students were given two primary directives (like in Star Trek): 1) Respect all living things. (Observe, Record, Leave it alone) and 2) Be quiet in this outdoor habitat. Those are the two rules that I wish ALL people would learn when interacting with nature. One student even commented that it was great when students come outside and be quiet at the same time. After the activity ended, the students wrote silently about their experience. When it was time to stop writing, I had to practically force them to stop. What a wonderful world it is... when students want to keep writing.

2011 Great Backyard Bird Count

My First Bird Sketch

Yea! What started as simply enjoying the outdoors and watching my favorite feathered friends turned out to be my first four-day participation in the Great Backyard Bird Count!

My locations ranged from power walking at Rex Mill and RTS, to the WAWA Arbor Day celebration, to "down home" with my Mom and Grandmother and finally in my own backyard (making observations from my kitchen window). In all I spotted: 325 Sand Hill cranes, 2 Canadian Geese, 5 song sparrows, 3 Tufted Titmouse (mice?), and an Eastern Phoebe.

It was an awesome weekend for birding!

A New Day for Recycling at RTS!

Last Tuesday was the final time that the EE Kids recycled paper on Tuesdays. Beginning this week, paper will be recycled on each Thursday. This change came about because we have so many boxes being recycled from the cafeteria and NOT broken down that we are unable to place ANYTHING in the recycling container on Tuesdays. In the past, we were forced to hold the paper until Thursday and complete recycling at that time.

By switching to Thursdays, our EE Kids are able to FINALLY have one whole afternoon (4:00-5:30 p.m.) dedicated exclusively to environmental education activities. YEA!!!

Tomorrow, we will discuss keeping proper journal logs and hold our 1st EE session.

An Arbor Day Event at WAWA

February 18, 2011 was Arbor Day in Georgia (according to the Ga. General Assembly). It was a day for celebrating the wonderful plants called trees! At the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance (WAWA), community children came to the Interpretive Center for educational activities, nature hiking and tree plantings on Saturday, Feb. 19.

The afternoon began with indoor educational stations that included introducing children to Arbor Day vocabulary and concepts. While I actually planned to be a casual observer, I was recruited by the Education Director to facilitate with one of the activities. At my table, I discussed the difference between old growth versus new growth forests (primary vs. secondary succession) with the students and assisted them in making "forest collages" in their nature journals. Each collage was as unique as the children who created them. I managed to take a few pictures during the event to document Arbor Day 2011.

The children and the adults who attended the event had a great time. This was my first Arbor Day event; however, it will not be my last one.

EE Kids: Back on Track

Last week was a busy one for the EE Kids and me. We spent the majority of the week preparing for a LIVE SKYPE session with oceanographers aboard the JOIDES Resolution. The scientists were on an expedition to study ancient sea volcanoes or seamounts off the coast of New Zealand on the Louisville Seamount Trail. The JOIDES Resolution will journey to Coast Rica on its next voyage, which will begin in three days and 10 hours from the posting of this blog entry.

Kevin Kurtz, an author with Sylvan-Dell Publishing invited us to chat with them, after his trip to our Saturday school session in December 2010.

One thing that I learned about preparing for this session was that my 4th and 5th graders were ill-prepared to create thoughtful questions for the crew. Even though they were able to fully understand the blog, created by Kevin, the questions that they submitted were ones that could easily be answered by re-reading the blog!

Therefore, I looked at this first SKYPE session as one where I modeled the creation of questions and provided them with the opportunity to practice orally presenting the questions to the scientists. From the looks of it, our EE Kids need much more exposure to research and the preparation of more "thoughtful" construction of questions.

As I shared with my students, I am glad that Georgia is finally realizing that SCIENCE is an important topic that can easily integrate other subject matters within its content.

Winter Storm of 2011Postpones Recycling Effort

Here in Georgia, some of us have been out of school for our ninth consecutive day (including 4 weekend days). Therefore, I have not seen my environmental education students in a week.

As I reflect on our last meeting, I am hopeful that my students will be able to run the after-school recycling program with only limited supervision from me. I have selected two very responsible students to act as "student ambassadors". These two young ladies will manage the four recycling teams, as they traverse the hallways of our school. It is their sole-responsibility to make sure that the behavior of each team member is under control, that the hallways remain clean and that proper recycling rules are followed. We use two-way radios to keep in constant contact.

After the Dr. Martin Luther King holiday, we will resume recycling. At which time I will introduce a suggestion box, so that our EE Kids can have a way to submit their ideas about making our program more successful. In addition, I am adding a reading component to our program, so that the students can continue to "feed their minds with books". I haven't really worked out the details yet; however, these environmental-themed books will be available for students who either have no homework or have completed their homework for the day.

Finally, I have found out that our school district BLOCKS access to ALL BLOGGER accounts, so my students will not be able to respond to this blog at school. In the meantime, I will print these blogs and place it in our mobile library for students to read and comment. Then, I will add their comments to this site, each week. Ultimately, I will need to create some type of educational social networking site that will enable us to communicate online.

Field Notes: Zoey & Her Blog

On Tuesdays, my students and I handle our school's paper recycling program. On Thursday's, we weigh representative samples and estimate the total pounds of paper recycled.

This past Thursday, one of my students decided that we should have a blog. Zoey quickly created a blog with music and everything. The students were really excited about this creation and readily added comments to Zoey's blog without prompting!

Zoey's blog had perfect timing. I was curious about whether or not students would be interested in blogging in general, but I wasn't sure how to go about asking them. This real-world experience showed me that my students are ready for such an adventure. Therefore, I am in the process of getting approval to create a social-networking site just for my EEKids. Wish me luck!

Field Notes: First Recycling Day 2011

While many of the students completed their homework, Serge shared with me that on his way to S.C. (by way of Augusta, Ga.) he saw an area BIGGER than our school where all of the trees had been cut down. He thought that it was an area where the paper mill in Augusta needed the wood. He stated that he felt sorry about the loss of trees. I think that it is great that my students are beginning to make real-world connections with the fact that we are losing more and more trees/forests EACH DAY.

Recycling UPDATE:
Today, my student ambassadors took more control. Mikail and Zoey handled the morning announcements like professional newscasters. Great job Ladies! I told them that they are now responsible for ALL announcements for our recycling program (each Tuesday morning). In the afternoon, both girls did an excellent job of interviewing Ms. Regena Jones and with recording the actions (good points and problems) during our team recycling.

While we were collecting paper products, I realized that at one point there were students who did not have access to an ambassador or to me because they did not have an after-school radio. SOLUTION: The ambassadors will take positions on the middle hallways (between Kindergarten and 1st grade classes & between 2nd grade and 5th grade classes...where 4th grade intersect with both hallways) to make sure that communication is maintained. For the most part, they will be stationary which would allow the students to find them, when necessary. The ambassador working on K-1 hallway will then follow the team picking up Kindergarten's recycled paper to the office and Media Center.