Day 3

Today was a long, tiring day, and I'm writing this post at the campfire down by the edge of the water of Raquette Lake. We hiked up to the top of Black Bear Mountain, met with an Adirondack guide, and met with the John Slade, author of our main text, Adirondack Green.

As part of his presentation, the Adirondack guide took us outside to do a writing exercise that we could use with children in our classroom (or outside of our classroom, to be more specific.) We went outside with a notebook and picked a place to sit and just observe. We wrote down everything that we perceived, and didn't judge or question the things that we wrote. The object was to just observe and write. At the end we shared what we wrote to see the comparison between each person's perception of the nature around them.

I think the writing activity is great to use with students because it accomplishes so much of what I would like to incorporate into my teaching some day. It allows students the opportunity to get out in nature and (hopefully) develop an appreciation for it. It gives students something to write about and a chance to express themselves. The activity is a great example of connecting more than one subject, and offers a lot of opportunity to expand on what the students perceive and write while outside.
I really enjoyed getting to meet John Slade. His passion about finding alternative energy sources ( Wind Turbines in particular) is truly inspiring. He has spent the time in other countries who are using this method and has done the research to really understand the potential of the Wind Turbines. I have every intention of teaching about these topics and the bigger issues behind the suggested solutions. I am excited to go home and share this information with my family and friends.

I've been trying to decide what I want to work on for my project for this class, and I'm considering working on a program or presentation to put on when I return back to college. I work as a resident assistant and I have the opportunity to teach in that capacity in the next couple months. I'd like to spend my time doing some research and putting together a presentation that I can share with my fellow students. I think this would be valuable because it gives me the opportunity to do something now, rather than planning something for a future classroom that is over a year away. In reality, the presentation that I create could probably function for either audience. I believe this information is important and needs to be shared sooner rather than later, and I have opportunities within the college where I can take action this year. I want to get people thinking, I want to get people asking questions, and I want people to be aware of the reality.