I just talked to a classmate who applied for and was approved to spend their winter break abroad. They will spend three short weeks working with a community in Central America to help improve their farming conditions. I guess this is the fifth year the University of Idaho has sent students down there. I wish I had known about this opportunity sooner. I have decided to apply for this next Winter (2013). If all goes well, I should be just starting my masters then. My summer camp experience made me think that I would like to pursue becoming a faculty at a university ... to do research - yes, but also to teach others and pass on my knowledge and excitement for learning onto the next generation of learners. |
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I really loved working with for the university's science camp for kids last summer. I was surprised at the enjoyment I got out of this service-oriented summer work. I was talking to a friend the other day about my summer experiences and he told me that he volunteers for a local group called Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute (PCEI). He said that they do a lot of work with kids and thought I might like volunteering there as well. I checked out their website, http://www.pcei.org/, and am very interested and excited about this possibility. Who knew how many opportunities there might be, even in a small down like Moscow, to enrich your own life by making a difference in others? Today was the last day of summer camp. It was heart breaking to have to say goodbye to so many kids that I was lucky enough to work with for much of this summer. I committed to this summer camp program late April only after I realized I needed to stay in town for the summer to work on my thesis. I thought it would be nice to add my scientific knowledge to the program and wondered how hard it would be to explain complicated ideas to young minds. I had no idea how rewarding it would be for me or how much they might teach me in return. I definitely plan look for more opportunities like this one in the future! I was lucky enough to be invited to work for the university's science camp for kids last summer. I was shocked at how much I learned by looking at the world through kids eyes. They question everything and are not constricted into looking at issues through the established avenues that adults tend to see. There were a couple times, in fact, where the observations of my young charges gave me new ways of looking at my current research on invasive species. Kids see to have no problems looking outside the box for answers because they do not even know that a "box" exists. Along with information provided by researchers here at the University of Idaho... Kindergarten students at Palouse Prairie School created this book during an expedition on an animal native to their region: the Giant Palouse Earthworm. During their study, students constructed a worm bin in their classroom and learned how to care for, observe, and collect data about worms. They used this knowledge, in combination with their understanding of the alphabet to create their book: E is for Earthworm. After examining several alphabet books, students decided on the elements they would include on the pages of their book: a large letter, text related to worm habitats, and on each page the text must correspond to the pictures. Each student made a drawing of a letter using a student-created criteria list and then conducted peer critiques. They used the information they gathered during their research studies to write a sentence on worm habitat. Finally, the students studied the work of Eric Carl, Lois Ehlert and Ashley Wolf and created a collage for their page. A graphic designer combined the students’ work into book format. The cumulating event for this expedition included a book signing at a local bookstore. Source: http://elschools.org/our-results/gallery/e-earthworm-z-guide
Text Copyright © 2010 Palouse Prairie School - Kindergarten Class Illustrations Copyright © 2010 Palouse Prairie School - Kindergarten Class Cover design by Satori Zimmerman Layout/design Julene Ewert |
AuthorHi, I'm Felix. Here you'll find examples of my work and play. Categories
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