Let The Research Begin!

 

The Start of A New Journey

Stop #2: Research, Research, Research!

With such an inspiring topic to explore, I could not wait to get started. That said, I would be lying if I never mentioned the glimmer of anxiety I had regarding the sheer immensity of content that lay at my fingertips. With a never-ending number of possible research directions circling through my mind, there was only one thing that I was sure of: I had to start this journey by learning from those on the front lines. I needed to connect with educators on a personal level in order to understand the great toll that this past year has had on them socially, emotionally, and academically. With this idea in mind, I turned to podcasts, interviews, news articles, and blogs written by teachers, administrators, and academics who have experienced, first hand, the many challenges associated with this global pandemic. In the early days of my research, I seemed to be surrounded by more negative than positive resources, with a quick Google search yielding pages and pages of angry blogs, social media sites, news articles, and podcasts ranting about the difficulties of online instruction. Whether these blogs came from parents, educators, or frustrated students, one thing seemed to ring true - these unprecedented times have caused a great deal of hardship for those in the field of education. In some cases, with less than a week to transition to online instruction, teachers were thrust into unchartered territory with no choice but to adapt to the new normal. Feeling stripped of the community and support that they deemed absolutely integral to a successful teaching experience, they took to the internet in hopes of finding the guidance and professional development that they were not receiving at work. Upon looking for help, the narrative of many of these blogs began to change to one of greater positivity and hope. Although thousands of videos provided general tips for online teaching, I was quickly amazed by the sheer number of educators that came to site a video by Paul Anderson of Bozeman Science as their first real breakthrough. His video, entitled "How I'm Teaching Remotely", airing just one short month after many were thrust into this virtual learning experience, was the first to provide teachers with tangible tips on how they could transform their online classroom into a space of great instruction, collaboration, and community- a notion that was so greatly desired by educators all around the world. As a science teacher, he hopes to highlight the numerous ways that educators can bring inquiry-based learning into their virtual classroom by utilizing tools such as document cameras and digital microscopes. Beyond that, and perhaps more importantly, he speaks on the importance of transforming your classrooms into one that is more interactive and engaging for twenty-first-century learners. Through online resources like Nearpod, Flipgrid, EdPuzzle, Google Jamboard, and Pear Deck he highlights the need for student feedback by making the claim that children can not be statically sitting in your classroom if you want them to be learning. By providing teachers with tangible ways to improve their current learning environment, teachers like Paul Anderson became a beacon of hope in a dark time. And the progress and inspiration did not stop there, the more time that passed and the more that teachers knew what to look for, angry blogs and Facebook pages were turned into teacher think tanks designed to help and assist fellow educators through these challenging times...but what if I were to tell you that all of this was only the beginning?

Check out this great video from Paul Anderson:

The Beginning of A New Journey

 

The Beginning of A New Journey

Stop #1: The Invitation

After a summer like no other, I was excited for the start of a new school year. With a whole new list of classes on my schedule and a wide array of educators to learn from, I knew that we were in for an amazing academic year. Although I was sure that the Corona Virus would still remain a hardship throughout the months to come, I was excited to return to campus in order to continue learning under the amazing professors at Mount Saint Mary College. As the first few weeks of the new semester began to fly by, all students and teachers began to see the difficulties associated with virtual learning. As an individual who was pursuing a career in the hands-on fields of both science and education, my teachers appeared to be particularly stressed. Science teachers struggled to offer virtual labs, dissections, and presentations while educators struggled to locate and plan virtual fieldwork activities. Amidst all of this struggle and chaos, one particularly special teacher reached out to me and allowed me to see things from a different perspective. Dr. Ludmila Smirnova is one of the most inspiring teachers I have ever had the pleasure of learning under. As a lifelong educator and supervisor of Kappa Delta Pi, the International Honor Society for Education, she comes to this field with both a wealth of knowledge and a profound desire to make a difference. Although I had never had the pleasure of learning under Dr. Smirnova directly, I was gifted enough to consider her an educational advisor and mentor. She represents everything I want to be in a teacher: passionate, kind, and devoted. Beyond all of that, she taught Science Methods, a course that I had been looking forward to taking since I first arrived at the Mount. Through KDP and a mutual interest in science and sustainability, I had the pleasure of showing Dr. Smirnova the work that I had completed at Bishop Dunn over the summer. I told her about my Google Classroom page and all of the educational technologies that I had used to educate my students despite the need for virtual learning. Dr. Smirnova then went on to explain dozens of other applications and extensions that I could use moving forward in order to further improve my student's online experience. She talked about all of the technological advancements that had been made over the past few months, stating that this need for virtual learning has given hundreds of tech companies the push that they needed to expand, adapt and improve their products. Dr. Smirnova went on to state that despite all of the challenges associated with these unprecedented times, teachers worldwide were learning, adapting, and progressing at an unimaginable rate. Could it be that wrapped under all of this struggle and stress, was a gift for educators worldwide? Teachers everywhere were learning how they could better educate 21st-century learners, and as teacher candidates, we were right there with them. How could I have not seen this before? Dr. Smirnova's perspective was so refreshing and I left our discussions feeling motivated and inspired to take advantage of the free webinars, workshops, and trainings being offered worldwide. With this idea in mind, I began my research into new ways that I could spread this hopeful message to all of those struggling to go to work each day. As if by magic, at our next meeting, Dr. Smirnova offered me the gift of a lifetime: an Independent Study Project. The Independent Study Program is one that I was unfamiliar with at the time, but upon further research, I learned that it would allow me to work directly with one of my biggest role models: Dr. Smirnova. I knew right then and there that I had to apply! There was so much to learn and I felt so incredibly blessed to have this opportunity. Once Dr. Smirnova had so graciously agreed to work with me, it was time to pick a research topic. With a great deal of shared interests, there seemed to be so many different directions that we could go with our research, but after our most recent talk, only one seemed to stand out from all of the rest. So, we settled on the idea of performing an academic research project based on analyzing the profound impact that the Corona Virus Pandemic has had on the field of education. We sought to learn from those on the front lines, to share their stories, and to showcase the profound number of hardships and advancements that have occurred over these past few months... and I could not wait to get started!

The Dream Becomes A Reality

 

The Road To Miss Murray

Stop #4: The Dream Becomes A Reality

Now that I had been gifted with this new and exciting opportunity I knew that I had my work cut out for me. It was time to test my training and begin researching and lesson planning for students of all ages and backgrounds. What did they know already? What were the most important sustainable living practices to educate on in such a short amount of time? What would be their learning outcomes and how could I align all of these to the Next Generation Science Standards? With all of these questions buzzing through my brain, I decided to take a step back and begin doing one of the things I love the most: researching. From that moment on I spent hours, days, and even weeks looking over websites, selecting standards, and reading primary research articles. I continued reading and analyzing until I was fully confident that I had selected topics that were not only attainable, but perhaps more importantly, impactful for 21st-century learners. Once the content was selected, now came the second challenge: virtual learning. Like many educators at this time, I found myself racking my brain in hopes of figuring out how I was going to be able to effectively teach a topic as hands-on as science from behind a computer screen. Although I had been told that I would be using the platform Google Classroom to educate, I was unsure of what that meant exactly. Sure, I had used Google Classroom a little bit as a student in High School but I had never been responsible for running my own page. Although I was nervous that I would not be able to do my best work, I decided to turn that anxiety into tenacity and got to work. I attended many of the free professional development workshops being posted online by educators from around the world. I learned about programs such as Flipgrid, Google Jamboard, and EdPuzzle and decided that I would make the most out of these unusual times. Recognizing that a large part of a quality education comes from a strong student to teacher relationship, I knew that I had to make myself visible on this page to the best of my ability. I decided to film daily greeting videos for the students where I would outline exactly what tasks lay on the agenda for the day. Although the principal wanted the program to be predominantly asynchronous, I was allowed to host one live Google Meet a week in which more complex and exciting experiments could be performed with the children. Throughout this program, students explored concepts such as gardening and composting, recycling and upcycling, and even water conservation and purification. Through interactive assignments and live experiments, they came to understand how their actions can make a big difference. The thing that I feel is perhaps even more exciting than all of the great work that was performed over the summer is the fact that the sustainability initiative did not stop there! Bishop Dunn pledged to become a sustainable campus and decided to create their own composting bin and rain barrel where my summer students could educate their peers on the importance of living sustainable lifestyles. Mount Saint Mary College even joined in on the initiative with a Science Methods Course continuing to teach students about important sustainability concepts such as Climate Change in the months to follow. As the summer drew to a close, I remained incredibly grateful for this opportunity of a lifetime. I thought back to the beginning of the summer and all that I had learned over a few short months and knew that my progress could not stop there. Recognizing that virtual learning was never going away, I began to question how I could continue to adapt and grow in order to meet the needs of this ever-changing world and it was at that moment that I was approached with an opportunity.

Check Out Images Of A Few Fun Summer Experiments:

An old yogurt container that was upcycled into a compost bin!

Solar Water Purification

Purification of Water Using Sand and Activated Charcoal

A Summer Like No Other

The Road To Miss Murray

Stop #3: A Summer Like No Other

The summer of 2020 was truly a season like no other. Restaurants were closed, beaches were vacated and all of the simple pleasures that we once took for granted seemed completely unattainable. For many, this season was a time of sadness and hardship, but for me, the summer of 2020 served as a time of great personal growth and academic promise. As an undergraduate student at Mount Saint Mary College, I came to school with a dream. A dream to educate, to inspire, and to make a difference. If you have been following my blog up until this post then you know how much this dream means to me. In an effort to continue on the road to becoming Miss Murray, I knew that every moment mattered and that I needed to use all of my time wisely. Beyond that, I needed to make the most of my education and to push myself to become the best student that I could be. Although I did not know what this next step looked like, I knew that I needed to continue learning and growing, as I truly believe that all successful teachers are lifelong learners. After making this internal vow, perhaps by fate, I received an email from a professor of mine who stated that he was the head of a program at the Mount called SURE. Although I had never heard of this program, I decided to click on the link and learn more about this newfound opportunity. As I began to read, I could not believe my eyes! Could it be that I had found exactly what I was looking for? The Summer Undergraduate Research Experience or SURE Program is centered on providing students with valuable research experience across a wide range of disciplines. It essentially gives students the opportunity to search through an extensive list of course offerings and apply to work one on one with faculty mentors on a topic that is of great personal interest to them. As I scrolled through all of these options, I was both overwhelmed and excited by all of the experiences that lay before me. What was I going to choose? Where should I begin? Ready to give up, I decided to click on the final page and there it was...the experience of a lifetime. A research experience developed by one of my favorite professors at the Mount and entirely centered on teaching students sustainable living practices. Frankly, I was in shock, and at the moment, I knew that there was no other program for me. So I downloaded the application and got to work. Although I believe that all branches of science are integral to a child's education, there is nothing more important for students to be learning about than environmental sustainability because, in a few more years, this world will be left to them. Children are the ones that can make a difference. They are the ones that must be educated on this integral subject matter and inspired to make a change. Ecstatic about the opportunity that lay ahead of me, I reached out to my faculty mentor and sent in my completed application. After a few weeks, I learned that this research would be funded and that we were cleared to get to work. Little did I know how big of a deal the words "funded" and "work" would be in just a few short months when the whole world began to fall apart around me with the news of a new viral epidemic. Although the Corona Virus sparked a rapid change to an entirely virtual research format, I was lucky that the program was still allowed to run. Feeling blessed by the opportunity that lay before me, on the first day of Summer Session One, I logged onto Zoom eager to learn more about my role in this project. Little did I know, how much my life was going to change in just a matter of minutes. As I signed in and greeted everyone on the Zoom call, my professor unmuted her microphone and told me that through this program I would have the opportunity to lead a four-week educational summer program at Bishop Dunn Memorial School on the science of sustainability, if that was something I was interested in. I could not believe my ears! I was not only interested but overjoyed. So I immediately accepted, thanked the wonderful principal of Bishop Dunn for this incredible opportunity, and then logged off of the meeting to jump up and down in excitement. Could this really be happening? Was I actually going to get to teach science to a group of students? 

A Girl With A Dream

The Road To Miss Murray

Stop #2: Where is the Wonder?

Now that you have become familiar with my lifelong desire to teach, where does my passion for science come into play? Well, that is an interesting and rather complicated story. Although it may seem like this post serves as yet another unnecessary detour on the road to discovering my research project, I assure you that this information is absolutely integral to understanding the importance of the events that are to follow. Throughout my educational career, one particular story stands out from all of the rest. As a sophomore in college, my literacy teacher asked her students to read a book entitled "A Place for Wonder" by Georgia Heard and Jennifer McDonough. Although I would be lying if I said that I was thrilled by receiving yet another assignment during an already stressful year, throughout the introduction and first chapter of this informational text, I found myself engrossed in the ideas that the authors were presenting. For a long time now I have been a major enthusiast of creating a classroom full of wonder. Although I do understand a school's need for structure, I agree with the author's idea that much of the educational system is becoming too test centered. In fact, I can actually remember the switch happening in my own life. As a child, I loved science! The whole idea of stepping outside into this world of wonder and exploring the unknown was a concept that I found to be both inspiring and exciting. I looked forward to science and could not wait for my teacher to tell us about the new experiments that we would be doing in the classroom. However, as I grew older, things began to change. I felt myself becoming more and more afraid of science, recognizing that every lab came with a grade and every grade brought me one step closer to my next test. From that point on, I began to fear this subject. In fact, I still remember rushing to meet the high school graduation requirements for science so that way I could have a senior year free of all this anxiety. Although I do believe that testing is beneficial, where has the sense of wonder gone? Who is going to teach kids that it is okay to explore without knowing what you are looking for? That it is okay to question the things that you know and to research the things that you do not. I want children to understand that experiments and research should be encouraged, not for the purpose of a grade, but merely to feed one’s own curiosity. With that idea in mind, and this internal desire to make a difference, I decided to venture back into the field that terrified me the most: science. I can honestly say that becoming a science major at Mount Saint Mary College has been one of the most simultaneously difficult and rewarding things that I have ever asked myself to do. Although I may have lost many hours of sleep over the years, I have also learned more than I can ever put into words. I have fallen in love with research and exploration and it is because of this love that I have never been more sure of my future. Although it is impossible to know if you are going to make a difference, it is my hope that one day I can go back into the classroom and inspire young children to love the world around them. I want to bring a sense of wonder back into the classroom where students are reminded to not fear the things that they do not know but to pursue them all while understanding the beauty that this world has to offer. I want to do my part to create a generation of students that no longer fear science and curiosity but are excited to experiment, research, and explore this magnificent world of awe and wonder.

A great read by Heard and McDonough!

Where It All Began...

 

The Road To Miss Murray

Stop #1: Where It All Began...

Before we begin to discuss my passion projects or the start of this fantastic research experience, I believe that it is first important to take a step back and consider where it all began. Ever since I was a child I knew that I wanted to teach. Although this may seem impossible and frankly unrealistic, I assure you that this assertion is true. As the daughter of a teacher, I spent much of my early childhood life immersed in an educational setting. I like to think that I was raised within the four walls of a classroom, and in my mind, that was the best gift I could have ever received. Just think...unlimited whiteboard access and a brand new SmartBoard ready for exploration! In all seriousness, I loved my mother's classroom and I began to consider it a second home. I would watch my mom teach during the week and lead drama on the weekend and I was inspired. Seeing children's faces light up as they acquired new knowledge or made connections to the material seemed to hold a kind of intangible magic that I don't think I can ever put into words! I had found something that mattered, something that made an impact, and beyond that, something that changed lives. From that point on, I knew that there was nothing else in this world for me...you could say that I was hooked. My love of education did not stop there. In fact, I began to turn my admiration for this field into an inspiration to work hard and pursue my dream. At six or seven I began to practice teaching at home, forcing my siblings, cousins, and frankly any able-bodied relative to play a game that I so intelligently called "school". If I could not find a willing participant, stuffed animals were set up in rows and they became my class for the day. As soon as my regular school day ended, I would jump off the bus eager to go set up my classroom and begin my "student's" school day. To most outside observers, the idea of rushing home to start another pretend school day after a full seven hours in a classroom sounds borderline psychotic, but to me, it makes perfect sense. You see, the classroom is the place that I feel the most at home and the thing that brings me joy. For that shy young girl, it became a place where I could break out of my shell and be myself. On top of that, it allowed me to work with children! Frankly, this life was a dream come true and because of this, my teaching mania did not stop there. I actually began to ask Santa for special pointers, globes, and even Expo markers for Christmas. In fact, I would do my homework twice just so I could write it on the board before copying it onto my paper. As years went by, this desire to teach turned into a calling to make a difference, and as they say, the rest is history. I slowly began to work towards my lifelong dream, hoping and praying that each day I would find myself one step closer to becoming Miss Murray for a group of bright young students. That's why, the fact that I sit here today writing my very first blog post as a teacher candidate, feels almost surreal. Could it be that I am well on my way to making my dreams a reality? 

When my love of learning began: