News

After a successful pilot year, with many learning opportunities, the Project OWL team decided to re-calibrate the program based on participant feedback. While the curriculum is still a living document, and the suggestions and adaptations made by the 2017-18 teacher cohort have been added to this year’s version, the access to the workshop training has changed greatly – and we are very excited!

This year, Project OWL is going to pre-service Elementary Education teachers in the UNC System. There are two workshops scheduled so far this fall, one with Western Carolina University students, and one with Appalachian State University students. There is a second workshop scheduled for ASU’s Recreation Management students to help give them a background in providing Environmental Education programs for North Carolina teachers.

Introducing Project OWL to MECME classroom teachers.
Photo courtesy of Sean Russell, MECME

On August 17 Project OWL also had the pleasure of working with the classroom teachers of Millbrook Environmental Connections Magnet Elementary (MECME) in Raleigh, NC. The school’s 25 classroom teachers participated in the curriculum workshop, experiencing the activities, learning about the schoolyard, and using their own lesson plans to practice using an inquiry-based format and inserting a Project OWL activity that best fits the unit.

Teachers learning about the impact of squirrels in their schoolyard.
Photo courtesy of Sean Russell, MECME

“This workshop was very engaging, authentic and informative. I was really excited to learn all the ways I can incorporate the 5E’s in my lessons and just an overall understanding that I can get my students excited about the environment.”
— Kishma Harriott, MECME teacher

MECME teachers engage in the “What Am I?” classification activity.
Photo courtesy of Sean Russell, MECME

This fresh start and new approach to Project OWL has been well received and we are excited to offer workshops to both formal and non-formal educators this year. Stay tuned for more updates!

MP

Attention Project OWL Teachers!

I recently learned about these training modules provided by the American Museum of Natural History. They help incorporate literacy strategies into science instruction in order to better assess student comprehension.

http://www.amnh.org/explore/curriculum-collections/integrating-literacy-strategies-into-science-instruction