#RuralEdChat Archive
#RuralEdChat is a chat that focuses on the needs of the rural educator. This chat has been revised by Tammy Neil (@MathNeil), John Martin (@edventures) and Natalee Stotz (@nataleestotz).
Tuesday May 3, 2016
My name is Jeni Rairigh and I am a preservice teacher in PA. Excited to join tonight!
Good evening, Super excited to be here.
Hi everyone, I'm an elementary ed major from the University of Wyoming and am joining in on this chat for ITEC 2360
Hey there buds, how goes it tonight?
Rural Schools Collaborative sounds like an interesting organization
Please let us know who you are and what your focus is in education. We welcome all for
Hey John and Tammy! So happy to see your tweets. It's been awhile hasn't it?! Lots of miles covered by this crew!
I am an Elementary/Special Education major at Grove City College, didn't say that the first time :)
So excited to have so many pre-service teachers with us tonight. Happy to have you join
Welcome Kayla! We love preservice edus joining in for :)
Hi everyone, my name is Rachel Falk. I'm a secondary math ed major at Grove City College in Grove City, PA!
Gary Funk with RSC. Thanks, for the intro. We appreciate the opportunity to visit.
Welcome to the Next Gen of teacher rock stars!
Hi, ! Bill Ivey from in Western Mass., where my student again nailed her part tonight. :-)
Gr8 2 have u along 2 share more re: & RSC's support of these efforts around the country. https://t.co/In25UGFIFC
Gary Funk with RSC. Thanks, for the intro. We appreciate the opportunity to visit.
Oh, my focus in education? I teach Humanities 7 & middle/upper school rock bands. I also focus on student voice/choice/agency.
Hey Bill! So glad you are here tonight. I think you'll love this topic!
Concur here! Please contact us on our rural teacher corps project. We need your help!
. I'm alive though my son tried to kill me on the slack line!
Hey ! I hope everyone is having a great day!
My educational focus is Computer Science in grades 6-12.
I'm out of school, sorta. I teach English teachers how to teach nonfiction writing gr 7-14
We will use the Q1/A1 format tonight and also let conversation flow as it goes. Please remember our tag.
Hey, Paul! Tonight we're talking about Place Based Education with
I'm Robin, a library media specialist in Southwest WI.
it has become really popular in the black hills, especially for college age students
Interesting looking! Of course, I trip even on level ground lol
what is place based education? Haven't heard that before.
Since we have so many new faces here on , I'm John Martin, Dir of Innovation & Technology for the school dist in NH.
To kick things off, I'll ask Gary to share a little more about the basics of (so that's sort of our Q1) :)
When I worked at , you'd see them all the time on the quad.
PBL is learning that is rooted in the unique history, environment, economy, and culture of a particular place.
I tripped going upstairs 25+ years ago, hoping no one saw; my colleague Mark *still* teases me!
I have never heard about place based learning either it sounds interesting!
never live it down, eh? lol
A1 Student work should focus on community issues and have a public purpose. Community should be the context.
Ever. But I'm good with it now. It's a bonding thing.
Are PBL environments easier to integrate in rural schools, or are they pretty easy to implement anywhere?
is an important part of our schools here in NH. Esp. the old school houses & local historical sites.
So it's much deeper than a field trip. It's about community involvement?
. IMO, there is history and there are connections everywhere! Tap into them all!
A1 Community members should be partners in learning.
A1: Problem-Based learning allows students to figure out solutions to real-world problems they identify
What does this look like?
PBL goes with our driving belief that rural schools and communities get better together!
so, PBL could be Project based, Place based or problem based?
We have some links to share from highlighting great projects
. Or passion based! So many Ps!
. Wait, P's or Pigs? If the latter, DUCK!
So many opportunities to align schools w/ community resources - we visit farms, historical sites, rivers, and do real research!
With a focus on the location, Place Based Learning lets our students dig into local history. We can tap into the elderly gen.
So cool, Linda. Looking forward to diving into that soon.
We are a very historical small community. I wonder if PBL would be implemented here
How does PBL reach into all content areas?
. Your community has tons of history for your Ss to study. I think small comm. are prime for this.
Folks have some great questions tonight about Gary, if u want to take them, we can wait on the Qs we have coming
One of the intriguing parts of Umphrey's work was some research Ss did led to economic developement projects
I really like the idea of connecting with older generations while working with PBL!
. It just requires a talented & visionary educator! Sci, soc studies, math, Eng, even PE can be woven into place.
Happy to take them...you can help me locate them! Ha!
I like this example. I'm teaching a class called Energy & the Environment next year.
. Insert heart warming AWWWW here!
Perfect! https://t.co/VZ38j9RYf0
I like this example. I'm teaching a class called Energy & the Environment next year.
sure--I'll do my best to tag you on them.
is on Twitter with philosophy, poetry, photos, education stuff
. One of Qs is how we can integrate the different disciplines into .
This was a $350 grant. It shows the power of small investment into rural community-learning efforts.
Planning is essential & imagination. But focusing on community has a way of driving integration.
I'd need to know how to get the community involved..
Awesome - thanks! That's another good new follow from tonight's !
Start by asking Ss to ask their grandparents to share information about growing up in Baker County. https://t.co/h0M6rRAdv1
I'd need to know how to get the community involved..
Is this one of those things where planning needs to involve you, kids, and community from the start?
Rural literature is an untapped resource--reading, history, culture, place, which then can segue into student writing.
This is huge for honoring local voices, dialects, traditions, cultures, etc. https://t.co/D02ggY2MIy
Rural literature is an untapped resource--reading, history, culture, place, which then can segue into student writing.
Getting ALL those Ps together is an overwhelming thought
Re integration: Thinking of people linked local places. Twyla Tharp, Joseph Smith, Gail Bordon (Bordon's milk) .
In FL supports authors writing about FL history/culture. https://t.co/8NrRmG0JPp
Rural literature is an untapped resource--reading, history, culture, place, which then can segue into student writing.
An aspect of PBL is that it combats prevailing media-driven negativity about rural. PBL can and should build pride & wonder.
. DON'T try doing them all at once! Start w/ small wins and build from there.
Please plan proactively to progress properly.
We are all about this on https://t.co/isJTLUlfdy
An aspect of PBL is that it combats prevailing media-driven negativity about rural. PBL can and should build pride & wonder.
It could start as easily as a Family Tree project and grow from there. https://t.co/mxl7YQ3hAJ
. DON'T try doing them all at once! Start w/ small wins and build from there.
Can't get the P's outta my mouth :P lol
It's all about small victories and incremental change.
But can do much more than inspire pride. Can lay basis for community projects into future
Asking Ss to record conversations with elderly that may not be able to come to school would be a great way to use tech.
What great resources and examples.
Gary can you speak a bit about the impact PBL might have on student achievement (Q2)?
A2 Utilizing a local context does not mean disregarding national, state, or commonsense educational goals.
It would seem that if the whole community was involved, it'd HAVE to have a positive impact all the way around
Exec. Dir. of Assoc. of Illinois Rural & Small Schools following along this evening - great conversation
A2 Seems like learning theory I know supports notion that kids learn best when curious, engaged, and in their personal context.
PBL can be so such more useful than "projects" because the activities have real connections
Hi David. Welcome! We are glad you could catch the conversation here. We will also archive it for later.
absolutely! real work matters to real human beings---our students and their families!
Exactly! https://t.co/mZ8nzNy20K
Letting students know they are appreciated is a huge win! Everything from good job stickers, to notes home for parent involvement.
Not at all - the "Watershed" course developed by Mark Springer years ago is a prime example. :-)
I hated school projects as a kid because they were so fake.
yes. we can do so much more with "real" learning as opposed to some stand-alone, school-only projs
. Indeed! provides a relevant context for learners.
Gotta pull out early--looking forward to reading the archives of PBL
Come to think of it, Mark's book, "Watershed," might be another good resource for people interested in Place-Based Learning.
Glad you are joining in, David. Welcome to https://t.co/HitdKiEuMo
Exec. Dir. of Assoc. of Illinois Rural & Small Schools following along this evening - great conversation
From your bio, I think you're someone I need to know. Now following!
As we round the bend on an hour, what other Qs do you have for re: We hope to revisit this topic!
Dave is our Chairman of our Board, too. Thanks for jumping in!
We have found that philanthropy and nonprofit collaboration can drive PBL. Some outside groups can be instigators.
It seems many of the grants are focused in the Midwest. I'm in a rural FL school. Can you support us as well?
. Or point us to similar organizations in our areas?
Any suggestions for best ways to find first project for ?
Yes. 1st year we awarded $30k. This year almost $100k. We keep seeking partners and we will work in all states.
often that is the catalyst to help a project grow. Fantastic.
Thanks for finishing that up. I ran out of space.
. This might be a neat thing for us to promote in our own states to help other rural schools grow!
We would LOVE to network with you and find funders. That is a primary goal of ours! Bug us incessantly!
Super! I will be applying when the grant opens back up. Too bad we found you too late for next year. https://t.co/7Ev7GlQ3ix
Yes. 1st year we awarded $30k. This year almost $100k. We keep seeking partners and we will work in all states.
Remember that when schools lose community we all lose. PBL can help thwart the effort to undermine public ed.
We can't say this enough, Gary. Thank you. https://t.co/bDwvpRwE6d
Remember that when schools lose community we all lose. PBL can help thwart the effort to undermine public ed.
Hey peeps in . Check these guys out for possible grants! https://t.co/489xGkmsi2
Yes. 1st year we awarded $30k. This year almost $100k. We keep seeking partners and we will work in all states.
I'll bet (an arts chat) would be interested in the Rural Schools Collab. We've been talking about collaborations
Thanks And to those future teachers, please contact us on our Rural Teacher Corps!
I have learned a lot tonight. We still have a few minutes. Any further questions for ?
We are so happy preservice edus joined us tonight. Do check this out & come back for future sessions :) https://t.co/6ro7yXZHNr
Thanks And to those future teachers, please contact us on our Rural Teacher Corps!
On behalf of the moderating team, we'd like to thank Gary & for joining us & sharing resources tonight.
Don't forget to follow people participating in tonight. That's how we grow OUR community.
I'll have to check into rural literature. I've been wanting to do something with nonfiction authors
I echo those thanks. Glad as always to have been with y'all on . https://t.co/KCHR2kj4Wa
On behalf of the moderating team, we'd like to thank Gary & for joining us & sharing resources tonight.
And come back every Tues night during this hour for great community & conversation. https://t.co/NGpqrcVGyb
Don't forget to follow people participating in tonight. That's how we grow OUR community.
Thanks for being so kind and, mostly, for your commitment to rural schools!
Wow. had flown by tonight. Thanks Gary and
it sure has. We look forward to continuing the conversation in future chats!
to your organization as well. We are so glad you could be here. Lots of great ideas for tweeps to consider!
We wish everyone a great night and look forward to seeing you again soon for Thank you!
