Preparation, Content, with Experience

   When I took students on a fieldtrip to the district's nutrition center, a building only a few yards from our school I felt as if I was the student and my understanding deepened and my subject area content was strengthened due to the hands on experience. Although students thought of the field trip as a joke I emphasized that learning can take place anywhere. My main objective for the fieldtrip included science learning. We observed process of cooking and preparation of food as food scientist for the day.

I was excited when we arrived and students were very engaged while touring. Students were learning how their school lunches were prepared from the time the food was delivered to the time the food was sent to the various schools around district. As the students toured the facility the students were able to connect topics discussed early in the year; physical and chemical changes as well as chemical properties. The students were able to eat lunch while attending the field trip. Unfortunately the students do not receive hot meal on regular bases. Our school is currently under construction therefore students get cold sandwiches during lunch. The nutrition center treated students to warm cooked meal; chicken burrito which was very pleasing to the student. After they ate we played a nutrition game. Students were asked about the types of elements found in certain foods for the daily nutrients we eat.

             I personally learned that students may not understand the reason "why" things happen but if I teach them "the how", it will always tie itself together. It may seem weird but I strongly believe that my subject area knowledge enhanced because I realized that I can know and teach a student subject area content however the understanding gets enhanced when you can connect it to something that is important and really matters.

During our class discussion my fellow classmates and I discussed the type of preparation we received from our credential programs. We questioned if we indeed needed more content area knowledge before teaching. Many of us felt like it was lacking content area and many of us felt like no matter how much preparation you received you would have never been prepared until you had “hands on experience”.  Ball and McDiarmid states “The experiences themselves also need to be documented to provide knowledge about approaches that may be effective in improving the understandings with which many students, on their way to becoming elementary and secondary teachers, leave high school and college”. Reading that statements, allowed me to confirm my initial idea of “knowledge of” the “how” is better received than the “knowledge about” the “why”.  

My experience is that students continue learning on their own not because they have to, more because they begin to become empowered by how they got to the knowledge of knowing “HOW”. Being able to experience, document and reflect on the knowledge of “how” is empowering. My experiences also include students getting excited to learn things that are vested in as well as recall the steps it took them to get there.  In this course it is my desires to connect scientific method, urban ecology, nutrient & health as well as service learning to mastering teaching.

 My Question: How can service learning engage at risk students to urban ecology, health and nutrient using the scientific method? 

At this point I know that there have been many news articles about Chevron funding projects promoting urban gardening, health and nutrient. The local and federal government talked about the obesity levels in children explicitly in urban communities. I have ideas which will include my students putting together a scientific study that includes at risk youth growing vegetables and using the garden to educate other community members in a presentation at a town hall meeting, church and/or school. 

In order for students to gain a better understanding they will need to embraced themselves into the subject area content.

I decided to reply to my subject area peers only.
Betsy Varellas
Christina Mignano
Edward Izumizaki