By Ms Temma
Acadia University professors Alan Warner and Mary Sweatman contacted me to present a session on experiential learning for Masters of Education students (Masters in Outdoor Learning) in their Environmental Education course.
Over the years, I have designed units around a StoryPath approach. This is an extended roleplaying scenario where students become characters, create a community, and then use their creativity and resourcefulness to address a real-life problem. Last year, the Grade 7-8 students were transported to the imaginary Menigu Island in the middle of the Bay of Fundy. They were challenged to find renewable energy options for the island, taking on both the roles of community members and representatives from renewable energy companies.
I invited three of our Grade 8 students, Lucy, Margaret and Sophie, to join me for the workshop so that they could share their experiences with the Masters of Education students, and hopefully inspire these teachers to try similar pedagogical approaches in their own classrooms. Lucy, Margaret and Sophie each facilitated a table discussion, sharing their experiences with the teachers and prompting the teachers to think about how they might create their own StoryPath to try at their own schools. In reflecting on the experience, Margaret wrote, “All three of us immediately felt welcomed by the teachers. It felt comfortable to facilitate discussions and hear them brainstorm bounce ideas off each other. It was very interesting to see the unit that we did last year through the eyes of educators instead of our own student lens.”
Professor Alan Warner shared, “The workshop was so well received by the teachers, and they particularly valued having the voices of the students who participated in the original Renewable Energy Summit and also facilitated discussions during the workshop.”
At The Booker School, we try to connect our learning to the wider community and develop the leadership skills of our students. These three students went above and beyond in representing themselves, their learning and their school.
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