Recently, our cohort attended and in-situ at Gordan Terrace Elementary School. Today ill be reflecting on this process using the Gibbs reflective cycle as pictured above in a graphic that I created in Canva.
Description
In preparation for our visit to the school, the students read the book Leaf Man. The book has lovely illustrations and features several creatures created using leaves in nature. For our assignment, we would take the students to Elizabeth Lake and find natural materials to create depictions of the animals that inhabited the area. Upon arriving at the school, we presented a short PowerPoint that the class had made that showed all the different kinds of animals that can be found at the lake. Then, after walking down to the lake, we had some free time to find materials and make a 2D representation of an animal. Our group chose to make a duck so we collected lots of leaves and pine needles with the students. afterward, we took a photo with a school IPAD and then had some free time to look at other students’ creations.
Feelings
I felt excited to get out of the classroom on a field trip with the student. thus far all of our work with students has been in the class so this trip was a nice change of pace. There were no incidents on the trip and it appeared that everyone was having a good time. It did take some time for the two students in our group to warm up to us but we were patient and just kept asking them questions and focusing on what they wanted to talk about. Overall my feelings about the experience were positive.
Evaluation
Several things went well during the experience. Students were engaged and enjoyed being outside, and the process of collecting things for our project was fun. It felt very free-form. It was good to work with the students in an environment where the focus is something interactive. The only negative thing about the experience was the wind. Finding a space to make our duck so that all the material wouldn’t blow away was challenging. However, one has no control over the weather, and we got a great photo with a bit of teamwork to block the wind.
Analysis
The situation overall was a positive one. One thing I would have liked after we returned to the school is if we took some time to do a slide show of all the student’s creations. we did post them on Seesaw; however, it would have been fun to do a world premiere where the students could show their photos and talk about them briefly.
Conclusion
During the in-situ, I could have made more of an effort to break the ice, although the students and I conversed almost the whole time. A game on the walk to the lake could have sped up the process. It is a delicate line to walk. As an educator one has to remain professional but also engaged. However, if you come on too strong with much energy, that can also push students and people away. Matching the student’s energy was the right thing to do until they were ready to relax and have fun.
Action Plan
If we did a similar activity, I think I would plan a game for the walk to engage the students with my partner and me. I would also bring a black sheet of construction paper so that we could have a backdrop for our design, and it would stand out more. lastly, I would get a jacket if it was windy to have something to block the wind.