Sustainable Agriculture

A few weeks ago I got the weekly newsletter from my daughter’s teacher and there were pictures of the students working on something.  When I asked her more about the pictures she excitedly told me that the whole school (don’t get excited, it is a very small school) was working on a raised bed garden project.  I was somewhat interested, and decided to talk to the other teachers about it (I had been out with my other daughter who was sick, so wasn’t a part of that weeks activities like I normally am).  I was informed that there was an individual in the community who had contacted the school about being a guinea pig for a project she wanted to start.  The pitch: she is interested in selling products to businesses and schools that would help them become more sustainable via growing some of their own fruits and vegetables.  For us she would provide all the supplies and materials to build a raised bed vegetable garden for free, and in return the school would allow her to use the information she gathered for future presentations (pictures, pros, cons, etc.).  I thought that this was a unique opportunity, and was glad that the school had agreed to go for it.  Although I have not been directly involved yet, I’m eager to see how much the school invests, and what we will do with the garden over the summer months.

It was even more interesting that after hearing about this small garden we were asked to sit in on the showing of “The Greenhorns” video.  I have to admit that it is a big leap from a 4x6 foot garden to a hundred acre farm, but the idea behind each is not so very different; grow healthy, organic food for the local population.  Sounds good, right?  Well at first I thought so, and I am still on board with the school garden, but the thought of becoming even a part time farmer is not something that particularly interests me.  Just like there are some people who should not be teachers, I believe there are some people not cut out to be farmers.  Allergies aside (and I have a horrible time in the spring and fall as it is), I am not the kind of person who enjoys planting anything.  I can’t even keep flowers alive.  The idea of spending my summers hunched over while planting, watering, weeding, and finally harvesting food is not something I want to dwell on for long. 

So why not look into animals, you ask?  Well I have several personal reasons that I stay away from farms, not the least of which being the allergies I mentioned earlier.  I am allergic to any animal that sheds, hay, pollen, dust, and more.  Not exactly a winning combination for a farm hand.  Another reason is that I do not own any property, and have limited resources to be able to find and then get to people who do.  There is a history of farming in my family, but other branches of the family tree have been more productive in that avenue than mine.

My great grandparents used to have dairy cows (my very rough estimate would put it at about 60 to 100 heads), horses, a few dogs, and lots of cats.  Now my great uncle owns the property and the only thing he keeps in the dairy barn is his antique Mercedes and some other old cars.  He and his wife sold the cattle about five to ten years ago because the cost was outweighing the profit.  Smart economically for them, but kind of sad to think about, and I’m sure they aren’t the only ones who went that route.  While I do not plan to follow in grandparents footsteps like some of their children and grandchildren have, I do know that if I ever had a question about the farm there would be no end to the stories and knowledge that have been saved from over the generations.  When I heard the video talking about mentors it brought that side of my family into mind.  Not many of them are still farming, but they could pass along what they know to another generation (as long as it isn’t me).  I appreciate all the hard work that they have done in the past, and that people my age are taking up now, I just don’t see myself being among them.  Some people might say that I have an advantage being so close to relatives who have been in agriculture for generations.  I say that I am happy for the people who feel it is their calling to become farmers with a new vision for sustainability. 

GarageBand meets PhotoBooth

I never thought that I would be able to create my own audibook complete with pictures using the computer.  I had done some book readings and recorded them on tapes (do students even know what those are anymore), but this is much more involved and interesting.  Using GarageBand I was able to create a podcast where I read the words to a story and recorded as I read.  Using PhotoBooth I was able to take pictures of the illustrations, then go back to GarageBand and insert the pictures at the right intervals, so that the page I was reading showed up on the screen.

The best part?  I got to test it out on a group of Pre-K through second graders.  They loved it!  I was able to share the story in large groups, small groups, and one-on-one to see how easily it was integrated into different classroom dynamics.  The format and availability of computers made small or one student groups the most advantageous.  As the group size grew so did the complaints (“I can’t see”; “I can’t hear”; “This is boring”; When is snack?”).  Interestingly, when those same students who were complaining were given a chance to see the program by themselves or with a smaller group, especially during free times, the interest level was much higher. 

While I am amazed that I was able to get even this far, I am being inspired to do more.  My daughters used to love to play with a game that was based around characters from Mercer Meyer books.  As they read through the story they were also able to interact with it (highlighting words/sentences, clicking hot spots that animated different areas, etc.).  I have seen how enthusiastically my own children have been when playing these games after reading the books the traditional way, and it makes me want to learn how to bring that spark into the classroom.

One of my peers has figured out a unique, if not somewhat dated, way of getting the students more involved in the books they are reading.  She has her students read the book and she records it.  When they are finished with a chapter book they can then go back and listen to their own voices reading it back to them.  Using a tape recorder is what the school had readily available, but other programs such as Garage Band would take the same idea and transform it into something that the class could share on a much larger scale. 

While the possibilities are stretching out before me, I am excited but also a little nervous to see where technology will lead us.

Podcasts

This past week was dedicated towards podcasts.  While I am not a huge fan of listening to myself talk, I was excited to think about the possibilities for my current and future students.  I can definitely see kids being interested in talking with friends, or even teachers and parents, about varying topics.  From homework to cafeteria food, students can voice their opinions in a format that allows for them to add their own personal touches and share their thoughts with a larger audience.  While teachers may not want to broadcast sessions all over the web, there are ways of sharing podcasts via e-mail, which could then go to individual teachers for their class to listen and respond to.

This type of discussion could also take some of the anxiety out of oral reports.  A student may be given the option to do a podcast about their topic where they would have the opportunity of editing and perfecting their presentation before sharing it with the class.  In this format students would still be required to share their information with the class, but they may not be as prone to getting stage fright.  I have see students who can articulate ideas very clearly to one or two peers, but in front of a large group they freeze up and forget what they are going to say.  A podcast would eliminate the large crowd feel, with just a friend or two listening in/giving comments or opinions/ asking questions, and the teacher or a parent going over the finished product and making suggestions.

Teachers could also use podcasts to bring disappearing subjects, such as arts and languages, into the classroom.  During free time, with students who master content quickly, or as a reward system podcasts could be an option to students.  A teacher could have a pre-approved selection of podcasts downloaded to a computer or mp3 player, including items such as music, foreign language introductions, and how-to’s for painting/sculpture/drawing etc.  For example, if an elementary student has finished his/her ELA assignment, they could be given the option of listening to a podcast on introductory Spanish. 

Alternately teachers could present a podcast series to the entire class.  In this way, even though specials may be disappearing from the school day, students can still get exposure to these programs.  Allowing the whole class to participate in listening to a podcast gets everyone involved, rather than just a few students on a given day.  Even though teachers are facing continually restrictive curriculum guidelines and time commitments to the “base” content areas, finding podcasts that teach students about multiculturalism in five minute sessions (as an example) can add a dimension to your classroom that would otherwise be lacking.

In short… podcasts offer a lot of possibilities to teachers and students.