TRB Standard 8Exemplar by Heather Finlay with her permission
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Educators contribute to the profession. Educators support, mentor or encourage other educators and those preparing to enter the profession. Educators contribute their expertise to activities offered by their schools, districts, professional organizations, post-secondary institutions or contribute in other ways
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Evidence 1: The Education Expo
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This evidence is a link to the website I created for the Education Expo. For the EDEXPO we were encouraged to choose something we were really interested in or passionate about and if possible to find like minded people with which to collaborate.
Our group set up a booth exploring sensory gardens in school. We focused on the accessibility of sensory gardens, how they can be a community and collaborative experience. We created a walk through the sensory garden with activities that engaged the senses and interactive, outdoor garden activities with direct curriculum links. We then were able to share the link to our website that includes all of the ideas at our booth and the theory behind the importance of all of the previously mentioned elements. We were able to share our new and developing expertise with all of the education students and staff.
Before we commenced on this project I knew this was an area that I was extremely interested in but did not have a lot of theory or justification as to why sensory gardens are a beneficial addition to a school. What drew me to the topic was the accessibility of sensory gardens. People of all abilities are able to have an interactive experience within a sensory garden. In some of the school gardens I have been in, accessibility within the garden is problematic. I learned about different elements of planning and design that are crucial in fostering accessibility. Throughout my research I also learned about how a sensory garden intrinsically creates play and place-based learning. Finally, my favourite quote from my research, "Children judge the natural setting not by its aesthetics but by how they interact with the environment" (Sebba, 1991). We should be using and planning school gardens with kids in mind. I am now currently trying to start a sensory garden at Victor School, a special needs school in Victoria, BC. I have fundraised $5000 for the project and have shared my research and ideas with the school principal and educators at the school. Through the EDEXPO, our group was also able to share our knowledge and ideas with future teachers.
I believe what makes the EDEXPO such a success is that people are sharing things that they are truly passionate about. Not only did I enjoy getting to share our group expertise, I thoroughly enjoyed the presentations and other booths in which I participated. I learned a great deal about coding and digital literacy and would feel much more comfortable teaching both of these topics. I also gained some great resources and ideas about creating movement in the classroom and teaching about salmon. It was a great way to share and learn at the same time. This is really what teaching is: a dual process of learning and sharing or guiding an experience.
This experience really reinforced the idea of collaboration and its importance within the teaching profession. As a teacher you have access to so much experience and knowledge just within a single school. What I have learned is that I do not need to shy away from topics that I do not know much about. I just need to ask and collaborate with my peers. On a similar note I can give back to my school communities in areas that I am passionate about.
Our group set up a booth exploring sensory gardens in school. We focused on the accessibility of sensory gardens, how they can be a community and collaborative experience. We created a walk through the sensory garden with activities that engaged the senses and interactive, outdoor garden activities with direct curriculum links. We then were able to share the link to our website that includes all of the ideas at our booth and the theory behind the importance of all of the previously mentioned elements. We were able to share our new and developing expertise with all of the education students and staff.
Before we commenced on this project I knew this was an area that I was extremely interested in but did not have a lot of theory or justification as to why sensory gardens are a beneficial addition to a school. What drew me to the topic was the accessibility of sensory gardens. People of all abilities are able to have an interactive experience within a sensory garden. In some of the school gardens I have been in, accessibility within the garden is problematic. I learned about different elements of planning and design that are crucial in fostering accessibility. Throughout my research I also learned about how a sensory garden intrinsically creates play and place-based learning. Finally, my favourite quote from my research, "Children judge the natural setting not by its aesthetics but by how they interact with the environment" (Sebba, 1991). We should be using and planning school gardens with kids in mind. I am now currently trying to start a sensory garden at Victor School, a special needs school in Victoria, BC. I have fundraised $5000 for the project and have shared my research and ideas with the school principal and educators at the school. Through the EDEXPO, our group was also able to share our knowledge and ideas with future teachers.
I believe what makes the EDEXPO such a success is that people are sharing things that they are truly passionate about. Not only did I enjoy getting to share our group expertise, I thoroughly enjoyed the presentations and other booths in which I participated. I learned a great deal about coding and digital literacy and would feel much more comfortable teaching both of these topics. I also gained some great resources and ideas about creating movement in the classroom and teaching about salmon. It was a great way to share and learn at the same time. This is really what teaching is: a dual process of learning and sharing or guiding an experience.
This experience really reinforced the idea of collaboration and its importance within the teaching profession. As a teacher you have access to so much experience and knowledge just within a single school. What I have learned is that I do not need to shy away from topics that I do not know much about. I just need to ask and collaborate with my peers. On a similar note I can give back to my school communities in areas that I am passionate about.