Sustainable Inquiry Research and Education Network (SIREN)

Sustainable Inquiry Research and Education Network (SIREN)

Summary

This is the second annual report engaging educational institutions in SW Minnesota and their respective faculty. The prior year our report focused on the planning leading up to classroom implementation.

From September 24th 2010 until September 1 of 2011 we conducted 5 in service teacher workshops and two full day farm tours for all of the participants.

Participating institutions and personnel included:
• Kay Fernholz, Earthrise Kid’s Program at erfarm@hotmail.com or 320.752.4700
• Annette Fernholz, Earthrise Kid’s Program at erfarm@hotmail.com or 320.752.4700
• Andrea Harder, Lafayette Charter School harder@lafayettecharter.k12.mn.us * 507.228.8943
• Heather Winkelmann, Lafayette Charter School at winkelmann@lafayettecharter.k12.mn.us or 507.228.8943
• Rolf Mahlberg, MN West at rolf.mahlberg@mnwest.edu or 507.360.0896
• Jeff Rogers, MN West at Jeff.rogers@mnwest.edu or 507.372.3422
• Rita Hamann, New Ulm Catholic Schools at rita.hamann@nuacs.com or 507.354.4511
• Dan Livdahl, Okabena Ocheda Watershed at dan.livdahl@okabenaochedawd.org or 507.372.8228
• Kristi Schlangen-Lindquist, Putting Green/Growing Green Educational Program at berryquist@comcast.net or 507.359.3349
• Tracie Vranich, Putting Green/Growing Green Educational Program at pgtracie@comcast.net or 507.359.1807
• Sandra Scheff-Belaen, Wabasso Public HS at sscheff@wabassoschool.com or 507.342.7119
• Angie Larson, Westbrook-Walnut Grove HS at larsonfac@westbrook.mntm.org or 507.274.6112
• Josh Barron, Westbrook-Walnut Grove HS at barronfac@westbrook.mntm.org or 507.274.6111

We were challenged to complete our first two class days. Torrential rains and washed out roads made it impossible for all participants to attend the first day and no participants could get to the facility on the second day. A make up workshop needed to be scheduled later in the fall.

Objectives/Performance Targets

The number one objective for this first year was for teachers to be involved in learning the process of conducting research and applying the principles of research. Teachers were involved in developing a hypothesis and understanding the research process. The nature of the research question, however, was to be centered around some aspect related to sustainable agriculture. Originally it was thought that we would have each teacher or institution pose their own question for research but after consideration and discussion it was decided that we would have all participating teachers and schools work on an identical research question. This would allow the SIREN leadership team to better teach the lessons involved in carrying out a specific research project using the principles of research. It would also allow the participating teachers to better share and compare the results of their work – making for more uniform approaches to the actual classroom procedures.

We started with the teachers in the fall of the year. With the regular growing season coming to an end and the teachers themselves just beginning to undertake the research process, it was decided that we would plan to begin the actual teacher in-class work with the students immediately after the January 1st. This allowed participants to be ready for teacher-student lab work by spring with concluding research results completed by the end of the school year.

Accomplishments/Milestones

In order to assure that participants all understood the concept of sustainable agriculture we devoted the initial workshop to defining sustainable agriculture.

Making certain the teachers had a clear understanding of what sustainable agriculture concepts are, the September 2010 workshop included presentations from three area farmers explaining the sustainable practices they use on their farms. (Documents 1,2,3)

With the understanding of sustainable agriculture thoroughly in hand it was necessary to give the teachers a user friendly understanding of how to approach a research question. This was done in a way to make it easier for them to pass the concept on to students in their classrooms. Dr. Strock took them through the steps.(Document 4)

Much of this information was reviewed at the November workshop and set us all up for the actual hypothesis development to be done at the February workshop. Dr. Strock led the teachers in developing an actual hypothesis. (Document 5) From this point on the teachers took their information and began to apply it in the class room.

The April workshop was devoted to the teachers reporting back on the progress of their projects, learning how to eventually deal with the data being collected, and other incidental questions relating to research. (Document 6)

Pedagogy was a major component of all the workshops to enhance the participants’ skills to teach the content. Dr. JoAnne Buggey and Susan Anderson developed and taught various graphic organizers, teaching strategies and assessment tools to be used in the classroom. Some examples of these are included in the attachments. (Documents 7,8,9)

Capping off the year long work were two field trips to area farms. The first trip in early June included visiting a number of both farm and non-farm practices on the Rolf Mahlberg farm plus the surrounding areas impacting the various municipalities in the Worthington, Minnesota area. In late July the teachers were participants in a tour that included both a conventional cropping system and an organic cropping system to allow them to more closely compare and understand that both systems are potentially equal sustainable agricultural models.

By the end of August 2011 we had succeeded in conducting:
• 4 Teacher workshops
• 2 On farm tours
• 4 In class room research experiments

• Document 1: Fernholz Sustainable Practices
• Document 3: Mahlberg Practices
• Document 2: Ludeman Practices
• Document 5: Strock Hypothesis
• Document 6: Data Collection
• Document 7: Know, Learned, Still Want to Learn (KLS)
• Document 8: SIREN Journaling
• Document 4: Strock Presentation on Research Questions
• Document 9: SIREN Booklet

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Three area farmers contributed by way of a panel – sustainable efforts in their farming operation. It became apparent that a strong relationship developed between the educators of children and the people caring for the land. All had a better understanding that sustainable agriculture is important to society.

To analyze the impacts of SIREN participants in the program were asked to give brief insights into their experiences during this first year. These comments are in the document “Project Participants Insights and Observations.” (Document 10)

Following is a summary of comments from teachers:
• Within two school districts more than 100 students began to understand the concept of sustainability through classroom and field experience.
• Students now understand how scientific methods work.
• Students understood how to record quality data.
• Students are able to explain and support what sustainability means.
• Students can identify sustainable practices.
• Students understand the impact on sustainability on future generations.
• Through experiments conducted in the classroom, students experienced a better understanding of practices that are and are not beneficial to the environment.
• Students were more directly engaged in their own learning.
• SIREN enhanced the learning of the students in the classroom and on field trips.
• Field trips proved to be very beneficial to participating educators.
• Teachers appreciated the content of the workshops and were able to apply this knowledge to many aspects of their teaching.
• Teachers expressed SIREN challenged them to raise the bar of expectations for themselves and their students in the area of scientific experiments.

Work continues on developing the SIREN Wikispaces Educational Website. Teachers have been involved in determining what they want shared on the website. Graphic organizers, various power point presentations, and other tools to enhance their teaching are frequent requests for the website. Teachers will be encouraged to share their data, graphic organizers and pictures.

• Document 10: Project Participants Insights and Observations

Collaborators: