Thursday, February 7, 2013

Creating community

L. Barnett
So... as an educator it is important to me to exist in a community.  Teaching doesn't happen in a vacuum and it is a constant cycle of trying something, processing the experience, reworking, and most importantly sharing what you've learned with others.

I've taught in many different settings over the last 20 years - mostly non-formal (or informal) but also in the classroom.  Some of the most important lessons I've learned have come from my students, both youth and adults.  Lessons such as patience, learning to understand that it is about the learner (student) and not only me, and each time I am in front of a class it is a new and different experience, even if you are teaching the same content.  The most important lesson, though, is that understanding what you are doing must be meaningful to both the learners and the leaders.  Without a meaningful experience, true learning cannot occur.

I've decided to create this blog as part of my work for the USA National Phenology Network.  As the Education Coordinator I'm charged with developing resources to engage participants (individuals and groups) in science learning and appreciation for the natural world.  The education I do serves the science our organization supports and encourages participation in citizen science.  The hope is that educators teaching about phenology (the study of life cycle changes in plants and animals and species relationship to a changing climate), for any organization, school, agency, association, or group will participate and contribute valuable ideas for sharing phenology education with others.  Essentially I'd like to build a community of practice for phenology education, making meaning for all of us (educators and students) about the science of phenology and its application to everyday life.

That said, this shouldn't be one-way  communication.  I'd like to rely on the knowledge of many practitioners to contribute to the whole and not just me on a soap box - I don't particularly like lecturing with no feedback or engagement :).  Great ideas will be posted and shared on our Education website for everyone to see. We can all learn from each other about what works and doesn't, what the most important messages are, and what is the best way to make phenology meaningful enough to people that they understand it and share it with others.

So let's add a group of people to the path in the picture!

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