Project+Proposal+Page

Shannon Kittrick University of San Francisco School Of Education ~ Research Project

Title: Environmental Education; A Wiki for Environmental Education. http://greened.wikispaces.com/space/stats/overview

May-2007

I. Introduction We gain a greater sense of identity from learning about the world around us. As teachers we are given the task of opening the door to the world for our students and of course it is an open door policy. Many times our perceptions and personal ethics leak through the curriculum. As we all believe students are empowered by the knowledge they gain in and out of school. They also gain a greater sense of identity through community involvement and interaction with their environment. I believe if you teach them about the complexity of ecological systems, they will gain a sense of fidelity for the world around them. My love and interest for the environment is embedded into my daily choices and activities, it is also integrated into my curriculum. I am perpetually amazed by the complexity of ecological systems. By participating in the critical thinking process with my students, I lead them in a way that enhances their sense of ownership and connection to the subject matter. For me, teaching Middle School Science is also examining the array of connections between not just the sciences, but urban ecology, environmental justice and cultural diversity. By approaching the subject in this way students can begin to develop sophisticated and complex knowledge of their local environment. Statement of the Problem: Earth is a dynamic orb, constantly undergoing irreversible change. Of the myriad subjects that encourage students to contemplate environmental change, perhaps the most consistently thought-provoking topic is pollution. Our systems of knowledge depend rest on ethical choices. I believe environmental education in schools is essential for sustainable world. Foremost, education is an outlet to build the capacity of citizens to protect the world around them. Integrating the concepts of environmental preservation and conservation into all disciplines of science is the first step in sustainable development because a public which is educated about the need to protect the earth for future generations is more apt to do so. Goals of an educated society firmly versed on environmental issues can make logical deductions about what needs to change in order to strive to achieve harmony with the environment. These changes that need to be made include; reduction and clean up of man-made pollution, with future goals of zero pollution; reducing societal consumption of non-renewable fuels, development of alternative, green, low carbon or renewable energy sources; conservation and sustainable use of scarce resources such as water, land and air; protection of representative or unique or pristine ecosystems; preservation and expansion of threatened or endangered species or ecosystems from extinction; the establishment of nature and biosphere reserves under various types of protection, and, most generally, the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems upon which all human and other life on earth depends. Thomas Kuhn in The Structure of Scientific Revolution believes that environmental education can enable other to explore “What kind of questions are being asked?” in the world today (Kuhn 1970). (Www.wikepedia.org) A. Thesis Statement: How do teachers integrate environmental education into a middle school, standards based, and science curriculum? My research will provide and evaluate multiple outlets for teachers to incorporate environmental science into the middle school science curriculum with a focus on schools driven by standards. This goal can be achieved with a unifying presence of environmental education in earth, life and physical science and consistent support from school districts and administration in formalized education. This support is necessary in schools to fully integrate environmental education it into the K-12 curriculum. My purpose is to actualize the concept of “integrated environmental education” into formalized education with an emphasis on standards. Also, by teaching science in conjunction with community participation to maximize students learning potential. B. Background and need: THE BENEFITS OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION • Environmental education teaches responsible stewardship of the earth by combining sound scientific analysis with a study of the relationships between people and the environment. • Environmental education helps students to develop the skills to analyze and participate in solving environmental problems. • Environmental education teaches how to think about complex environmental issues, not what to think. • Environmental education introduces students to their local environments and engages them in their local communities. • A recent Cone Roper Poll indicated that 95% of all Americans support strong environmental education programs. • The Education Roundtable found in its "Closing the Achievement Gap" study of 13 states that integrated environmental education programs resulted in "better performance on standardized measures of academic achievement in reading, writing, math, science, and social studies." Citizens for Environmental Education http://www.groundworks.innoved.org/cee/2020.htm C. Rationale: Why is the problem significant in educational and personally? Throughout my own academic and professional career I have learned that science-related issues need to be more clearly assessed in the context of an indivisible and dynamic Earth system. Science must be integrated for student to understand the world. This can be done as part of an enriching science curriculum that teaches about scientific perspective and factual information on core science standards as well as environmental issues. Incorporating environmental science into the middle school science curriculum is an essential component to help create and foster a sense environmental stewardship and fidelity to the earth and all its creatures and to examine the scientific reasons that lie behind why some people believe we should foster conscious thinking with regards to the philosophies of environmentalism. My goal is to inspire learners to strive for a more complete understanding of functioning systems and thus help shape the next generation of scientifically inquisitive minds. Teaching science is to lead students in their pursuit of discovery and we as teachers get to witness their thrill of understanding and excitement for learning. I am a teacher with a commitment to progressive causes and community empowerment through education. . I am motivated to teach by the desire to help others. The environment is a steadfast part of my core curriculum. I share my enthusiasm and understanding of the natural systems with my students. As they pull together concepts from earth, life and physical sciences they grasp dynamic interactions, I lead them in a way that enhances their sense of ownership and connection to the subject matter. My goal is to help my students examine the array of connections between the natural sciences, urban ecology, environmental justice and cultural diversity. The facts alone do not always seem to speak for themselves. Science teachers are to educate and to engage the student at several levels, not just an emotional or ethical level, but also at a level that engages a critical thinking process. Once we have taught the scientific process, around and need we can have our students can then learn that sometimes we don’t have the 'right answers’ but we can equip students to take part in such debates throughout their life involving these issues. D. Research Questions Here are some important questions I will attempt to answer: • What the nature of thinking and understanding of the critical issues facing the environment are and whether they are being addressed in the student’s daily lives? • Should we teach our children that we are but part of each ecosystem we come in contact daily with our human practices? • How important is pedagogy and earth stewardships in standard curriculum? • How do teachers produce a desired behavioral change in regards to environmental consciousness? • How do we convey values of environmental stewardship to our students? • Are the students thinking critically about these issues? Furthermore, do they understand the critical issues facing the environment? • Does their experiential learning in environmental education and whether they are being addressed in the student’s daily lives. Furthermore, how do we convey values of environmental stewardship to our students? • What does 'nature' and 'sustainability' mean in the real world? • How are these concepts applicable to everyday life? • How do students convey these concepts learned in school to everyday life? • How can teachers network and to provide environmental education resources into their mainstream-content standards driven classrooms? II. Review of Literature A. Body Environmental Education; A GreenEd Wiki. Introduction Our role as a species in the web of life and earths’ legacy is an important one. The natural environment is a vast web work of cause and effect relationships. The world we live in has been around for an estimated 4.5 billion years, and it has supported large, diverse communities of life with ease. Since the mid 20th century populations of the mammal known as the humans have exponentially increased and the Earth now faces problems as the health of many ecosystems decrease. As a part of this world we must worry of the lack of resources, of a decreasing number of species subsequently from of the booming and threatening human population. Paul Erlich has once said “The first rule of intelligent tinkering is to save the sum of the parts”. If our society can grasp that we are but part of each ecosystem we come in contact daily with our human practices; as citizens of the earth, we can build and educate a society, which values the natural world and protects the earth and sky for future generations. A starting point to do this is through environmental education as it works to connect us to our surroundings. I believe we are all environmental stewards. Environmental stewardship is being activated about your surroundings because science of cause and effect embodies everything in life. As John Dewey has stated, “Education is a social process.” “ Education is growth”. “Education is, not a preparation for life; education is life itself.” (John Dewey) Environmental education crosses every academic discipline; this includes the interconnection of natural science, urban ecology, links between society and science including the many struggles of environmental justice. This also entails, many levels of thinking: including the individual, community, regional, national and global levels. Through cross-disciplinary approaches, in earth science, biology, chemistry, physics, eco-literacy and societal structures and the inclusion of environmental science in the school setting students can be guided to foster a sense of environmental stewardship. What is Environmental Education? Currently, environmental education in the United States being revolutionized and redefined. The definition of environmental education has been as seen through a spectrum of colors and approaches. I will not attempt to reinvent the definition of environmental education but how it’s conveyed to our students. Dr. William Stapp, University of Michigan, was the first to concisely define environmental education in 1969: Environmental education is aimed at producing a citizenry that is knowledgeable concerning the biophysical environment and its associated problems, aware of how to help solve these problems, and motivated to work toward their solution. (Stapp, W.B., et al. (1969). In 1970, the International Union for Conservation IUCN held an International working meeting on environmental education in the school curriculum and formulated a working definition of environmental science. “Environmental education is the process of recognizing values and clarifying concepts in order to develop skills and attitudes necessary to understand and appreciate the inter-relatedness among man, his cultures, and his biophysical surroundings (IUCN, 1970). PRINCIPLES (NAAEE, 2000) • Incorporate training for skills and understandings significant for environmental literacy. • Questioning and analysis skills • Knowledge of environmental processes and systems • Skills for understanding and addressing environmental issues • Personal and civic responsibility • Apply a basic understanding of the goals, theory, practice, and history of the field of environmental education. • Fundamental characteristics and goals of environmental education • How environmental education is implemented. • The evolution of the field of environmental education • Apply professional responsibilities. • Exemplary environmental education practice • Emphasis on education, not advocacy • Ongoing professional development • Combine the unique features of environmental education with the fundamentals of high-quality education to design and implement effective instruction. • Knowledge of learners • Knowledge of instructional methodologies [link to Tools for Teaching] • Planning for instruction [link to Plan] • Knowledge of environmental education materials and resources • Technologies that assist learning • Settings for instruction • Curriculum planning • Foster learning. Enable learners to engage in open inquiry and investigation, especially when considering environmental issues that are controversial and require students to seriously reflect on their own and others' perspectives. Provide: • A climate for learning about and exploring the environment • An inclusive and collaborative learning environment • Flexible and responsive instruction • Make assessment and evaluation integral to instruction and programs. • (NAEE, 2000). How Far Have We Come and Where Are We Going George Wilson so eloquently stated that, “Science is rather a combination of mental operations, a culture of illuminations born during the enlightenment four centuries ago and enriched at a near-geometric rate to establish as the most effective way of learning about the material world ever devised (Wilson). It is equally as important to examine environmental history as well as issues and trends within the field. As rummage through the depth of environmental history, I must foremost, pay homage to the way and synchronicity of life the Natives Americans and indigenous peoples of the world. It was 20,000 years ago that the first documented philosopher wrote on environmental education has been seen as an important subject to teach. The philosopher, Goethe's believed that his studies pertaining to the environment rather than his literary work, would some day be recognized as his greatest contribution to humankind. In his time, his way of science was highly unconventional. His way digressed from a quantitative, materialist approach to an emphasis on an intimate, firsthand encounter between student and object studied. He sought a way to become receptive to the sounds, slights and feelings of nature. He listened and looked and identified core aspects and qualities. He believed that, “direct experiential contact became the basis for scientific generalization and understanding” (Seamon, 1998). My research will also follow Goethe work the channel for learning is direct experiential learning. I will focus on the qualitative, rather than the quantitative. Environmental education’s widespread appearance came in the breaking of the 1970’s. The catalyst for the movement emerged out of global concerns, including war and environmental degradation. I believe that the movement continues even stronger today. In the 21st century the drive for environmental education primarily emerged through a grassroots initiatives. It was a cultural response to the negative impacts of human beings on their environments. Today it has evolved into numerous comprehensive philosophical perspectives. Increasingly, the demand for education about the environment is being initiated from students themselves. On January 1, 1970 the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) was signed into Law. "The purposes of this Act is to declare a national policy which will encourage productive and enjoyable harmony between man and his environment; to promote efforts which will prevent or eliminate damage to the environment and biosphere and stimulate the health and welfare of man; to enrich the understanding of the ecological systems and natural resources important to the Nation; and to establish a Council on Environmental Quality." National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (P.L. 91-190). Tbilisi Declaration One of the most formative landmarks in environmental education was the world's first intergovernmental conference on environmental education adopted the Tbilisi Declaration in 1978. The Tbilisi Declaration gave a foundation of, principles, and guidelines for environmental education at local, national, and international levels, for all age groups, both inside and outside the formal education sector. Here a scope and purpose of environmental education was formalized. The principles are as follows: • to foster clear awareness of, and concern about, economic, social, political, and ecological interdependence in urban and rural areas; • to provide every person with opportunities to acquire the knowledge, values, attitudes, commitment, and skills needed to protect and improve the environment; and • to create new patterns of behaviour of individuals, groups, and society as a whole towards the environment. The Tbblisi Declarartion asserts that environmental education is the avenue to achience environmental goals,to protects and improve the environment. These goals were supported by five educational objectives: awareness, knowledge, attitudes, skills, and participation (see Table 1) Table 1 The five Tbilisi objectives for environmental education Awareness: To help social groups and individuals acquire an awareness and sensitivity to the total environment and it’s allied problems. Knowledge: To help social groups and individuals gain a variety of experience in, and acquire a basic understanding of, the environment and it’s associated problems. Attitudes: To help social groups and individuals acquire a set of values and feelings of concern for the environment and the motivation for actively participating in environmental improvement and protection. Skills: To help social groups and individuals acquire the skills for identifying and solving environmental problems. Participation: To provide social groups and individuals with an opportunity to be actively involved at all levels in working toward resolution of environmental problems. (New Zealand Ministry, 2003) Goal vs. Objective Bloom's Taxonomy relates to environmental education as it is a mode of learning Blooms Taxonomy breaks Objectives (standards) into goals (environmental education) there is more than one type of learning. Bloom took a lead in formulating a classification of "the goals of the educational process". The three "domains" of educational activities are identified as: knowledge-based goals, skills-based goals, and affective goals. The first of these, named the Cognitive Domain, involves knowledge and the development of intellectual attitudes and skills. The second domain is the Affective Domain, which includes the manner in which we deal with things emotionally, such as feelings, values, appreciation, enthusiasms, motivations, and attitudes. Lastly, the Psychomotor Domain, which includes physical movement, coordination, and use of the motor-skill areas. The last two divides cognitive objectives into goals. Bloom's taxonomy is easily understood and is probably the most widely applied one in use today. I will emphasize these domains in all aspects of environmental education, as it pertains to experiential learning as well as cognitive learning. Objectives are specific and can be measured, and so can the impact on the earth. Objectives guide the process of planning, presenting, and evaluating instruction. as well as stewardship. Objectives are used to achieve the goal. How to live is a way of life. Objectives enable the learner to measure outcomes of the educational experience. Memories of outdoor education are precious. Goals are less precise. Fidelity is infinite. They pertain to the application of information into their daily practice. For environmental education an achieved objective would activate goals to in promote better environmental health through changes in behavior. Another notable contributor to the definition of environmental education as stated by UNESCO, "The goal of environmental education is to develop a world population that is aware of, and concerned about, the environmental and its associated problems, and which has the knowledge, skills, attitudes, motivations and commitment to work individually and collectively towards solutions of current problems and the prevention of new ones." (The Belgrade Charter, UNESCO, 1976.) As students reflect on the state of the natural world they can learn to foster a sense of stewardship for the environment. Environmental education is an important component of the natural progression of learning through experience. When students are able to find connections through hands on interactive instruction the lessons resonate with them. Furthermore, this reinforces the development of their individualized stance on environmental issues. Earth Summit What is the State of Environmental Education in Schools Today? There are many approaches to environmental education, but paradoxically there are a limited number of studies in the United States focusing on the implementation of environmental education in schools. Environmental education is viewed as a social and political priority for scientists, environmentalists and academics, but was not seen an s a priority for people and institutions responsible for determining policy and curriculum within formalized education (Gough, 1997). Environmental education is not a federally mandatory subject to teach although some states do. One state in particular has lead the nation in the quest for environmental literacy is Wisconsin as in 1985, the Wisconsin Department of Public mandated school districts to integrate environmental education in their curriculum. Some people argue that teachers should not connect science lessons with social issues. They prefer to approach each science, separately with a systematic introduction of major questions and findings”(Oaks). Progressives emphasize teachers’ roles by helping students reconcile their naïve ideas about the world around them. Learning through experience students’ see the injustices of those who are under-represented every opportunity that beckons my way. My approach is absolute integration of sciences whether you teach isolated disciplines or not. I say this because we all teach through themes and ‘the environment is the universal theme of life’. For instance, when my eighth graders were studding the periodic table, I taught about environmental justice and the toxic chemicals in period seventeen that burdens the community of Bayview Hunter Point in Dan Francisco, CA. Their reaction was to write letter to the EPA. Months later when the EPA didn’t write back, they said let’s write another letter. They felt the struggles and oppression that is happing in the community next door and took action. I believe that’s teaching for change and progressive empowerment. It was their initiative, I gave them options and they each made individualized choices. Pedagogy and Environmental Education The characteristics of good education also apply to environmental education. Our current understanding of what forms effective environmental education started with John Dewey and the philosophy of experiential education that regarded education as a democracy (Dewey), and Jerome Brunner’s concept of spiral curriculum (Brunner 1966), and the cognitive view of psychology from Jean Piaget (Piaget, 1970). Fundamentally, civilizations have dictated that we must prepare future generations or the advancement of ways to adapt and learn from our environment. Educational progressivism is often refereed to as liberal in nature but its true meaning lies within experience. Hence an education based on experience must deduce or infer that one’s education must be based on the fact that humans are social animals who learn best in real-life activities with other people. Progressivists claimed to rely on the best available scientific theories of learning. Most progressive educators believe that children learn as if they were scientists, following a process similar to John Dewey's model of learning: • Become aware of the problem. • Define the problem. • Propose hypotheses to solve it. • Evaluate the consequences of the hypotheses from one's past experience. • Test the most likely solution. Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_progressivism Given this view of human nature, a progressivist teacher desires to provide not just reading and drill, but also real-world experiences and activities that center on the real life of the students. A typical progressivist slogan is "Learn by Doing!" Experiential Education is a philosophy in which educators purposefully engage with learners through a variety of experiential methodologies in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills and clarify values. Dr. George Davis of Moorhead State University believes what we need is a more comprehensive in-service preparation for environmental education service programs than one would get through the inclusion of an in-class workshop on one of the k-12 national education programs. The designing of such a programs has been achieved by nine teacher education organizations in Minnesota but the redesigning of teacher education programs put a strain on licensure an programs and universities due to the number of credit hours allowed for teacher education programs (Davis, 2000). Today, standards based curriculum hinders the teaching of environmental education. Teachers are forced to teacher towards a scripted type curriculum. To examine the environment with respect to pedagogy we must first evaluate the overarching objectives of environmental education. To study and learn about ecological literacy, which entails the inter-connectiveness of earth science, life science, and physical science. I strive for the consilience of science: the interlocking of all science disciplines with the inclusion of a sector that has traditionally been disregarded, environmental science. Environmental education is innately embedded into all disciplines of science. In California it’s the choice of the teacher to fully integrate these concepts. From a more subjective place we have our goals, and how to apply environmental literacy into daily practices. Foremost, the goal is for the students have a well-balanced view of environmental issues. They make their own choice to make changes. From my own experience, to environmentally engage a student is to help guide them to critically analyze conflicting directions regarding environmental issues; to learn how to think globally and act locally, to education for social change, and have course how to act on it, activism. As students reflect on the state of the natural world they can learn to foster a sense of stewardship for the environment. An important component of this is experiential learning. When students are able to find connections through hands on interactive instruction the lessons resonate with them. Furthermore, this reinforces the development of their individualized stance on environmental issues. Interdisciplinary View vs. One Track Science Why is Environmental Education Important in Schools? There is an ancient Indian proverb that states, “We do not inherit the land from our grandfathers but borrow it from our children.” Students today will not see the detail grandeur and beauty that I’ve seen in this world because of environmental degradation and development. Our children are inheriting a difficult job from our forefathers. They must protect the environment for future generation so they can see the same beauty not the same destruction. We can guide our to produce a strong bond between people and the natural world. Issues in the Environment A complex of interlocking problems challenges the health of planet earth. The human species stands unprecedented in its destruction. First, the global population is exponentially growing, natural resources are being exhausted, and we are tampering and polluting the world’s food and water supply. Our forests are dwindling while our deserts spread. These acts eradicating are irreplaceable plant and animal species. Most of the disturbance stems directly or indirectly from a handful of industrialized countries with the less developed counties following. These degrading practices cannot continue, at least not without changes in the levels of consumption and destruction Recent studies indicate that to raise the rest of the world to the level of the United States using present technology would require the natural resources of two more planet Earths. (Wilson, 1998). Environmental degradation is also correlated to world peace, as quoted from Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. "If we did a better job of managing our resources more sustainably, conflicts over them would be reduced. Protecting the global environment is directly related to securing peace." (State of the World, Redefining Global Security in Berlin, 2005). I believe that the issues we face with oil are the same issues we will face with water in years to come. What does it do for kids and the environment? If teachers are to foster a sense of fidelity toward the earth we can guide students to love, respect, and yearn to protect it. As teachers help to examine the natural world, students will have a heightened understanding and in return awareness and appreciation for the natural environment throughout all subjects. If we do so, they will intrinsically feel the interconnectiveness between the natural environment and the human race. Living a moral life is to live a sustainable life. If they seek this path they will keep the welfare of the environment in their everyday step. They will be the critical thinkers of the next working generation; they will look at the environment and show concern for its balance. B. References Bruner, J. (1966). Toward a Theory of Instruction. Cambridge, MA Harvard University Press

Goethe, (1998) Goethe's Way of Science: A Phenomenology of Nature, David Seamon & Arthur Zajonc, editors. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

IUCN. (1970). International working meeting on environmental education in the school curriculum, Final report, September 1970, Gland Switzerland: IUCN.

Jickling, Bob. (2003). Environmental Education and Environmental Advocacy: Revisited. The Journal of Environmental Education, Vol. 34, No. 2. 20 -27.

NAAEE (2000) Guidelines for the Initial Preparation of Environmental Educators. Washington, DC: North American Association for Environmental Education.

Piaget, J. (1970). The Science of Education and Psychology of the Child. New York, NY: Orion Press.

Stapp, W.B., et al. (1969). The Concept of Environmental Education. Journal of Environmental Education, 1(1), 30-31).

Edward O. Wilson Integrated Science and The Coming Century of The Environment, Science 27 March 1998: Vol. 279. No. 5359, (pp. 2048 – 2049).

Wikipedia.org http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_progressivism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dewey

Wilson, George (2000) Standards –Based Education and Its Impacts on Environmental Science Education, Electronic Journal of Science Education, V4, N3. III. Methodology A. Participants Most of the students at Kittredge come from San Francisco’s Richmond district or the area adjacent; the Sunset, Laurel Heights and Presidio Heights districts. Smaller portion of students come from the remaining areas of the city and from several surrounding counties with slight fluctuations due to the “dot com” era of San Francisco. The Demographics of the areas served by Kittredge have remained stable over the years. Since it is a private school and tuition is about $11, 900 per year most of the families of the students are affluent. The current population of Kittredge are 84 students being, 1% Hispanic, 25% Asian, and 74% White. Kittredge is committed to providing a strong academic program in a warm nurturing environment and the student attitudes and comfort levels in an out of school is extremely reflective of this mission. B. Site Kittredge School is a small fully accredited, independent private school for boys and girls in kindergarten through eighth grade. The school I locate on Lake St in San Francisco’s Richmond district. The most distinguishing characteristic of the school is the small class sizes with a maxim do 15 students per class. In addition to the core academic curriculum, Kittredge school is also enriched with specialist teachers in several areas. Students receive Spanish, Art, Music and Physical education instruction. The school has received the highest level of accreditation from the National Independent Private Schools Association (NIPSA). C. Data Collection First, I will ask my students to compile an essay on what they feel is their role line nature. Throughout the entire year I will take field notes. After every environmental topic I will ask each students to write a journal entry. At the end of the year I will I will read a book called Ecology and they will write a “stream of consciousness” journal entry. Periodically I will ask the class to fill out surveys on environmental topic covered in class. At the of the year I will interview 5 students from each class containing 15 students Some other ideas I have are for students to build an environmental values tree with a goal or value on each leaf tree. The tree will exponentially grow foliage (values) throughout the year. During the course of the year I will digital video record special events pertaining to environmental topic such as the Goldman Environmental Prize, Awards ceremony. D. Data Analysis Throughout the entire process of research and data collection I will perform data analysis. After all data is collected at the end of the third quarter I will look for trends and themes. I will analyze my field notes, surveys journals, classroom observations and video-interview my students asking questions that search for options about my research methods. E. Timeline I will conduct my research for an entire fiscal 2006-2007 school year • September-March: data collection. • April-June: data analysis and revision. IV. Project Development A. Nature of project. I believe teachers should not have to halt and entire lesson to teach environmental topics. They should integrate environmental concepts where they fit into the mainstream curriculum. The means of integration can be simple talking points, which take little time. Another way is to integrate whole lessons as themes within units. These are environmental ed. thematic lessons that engage environmental thought into mainstream content standard driven lessons. We can all talk through a lesson on light as we explore what a rainbow is made of, we can teach any science lesson with the environment as a theme. My premise is that Environmental Science will always fit into content standards. All science disciplines can be integrated into any lesson because science is vast web-work of cause and effect relationships. Science works as one entity. For my project I will build a Wiki focused on environmental education. I will call it GreenEd. This can be interpreted as greened or green education. The domain name is http://greened.wikispaces.com/. This wiki also helps to cross reference environmental topics and science disciplines (classes). The theme of the project is to, Teach A Sense of Place by Integrating Environmental Science into the Middle School Science Curriculum through a Collaborative Wiki for 6-8th Grade Science Teachers. The entomology of the word Wiki, Hawaiian in nature means "quick". This refers to Wiki systems designed so that content can be made available in a quick and uncomplicated manner. A wiki also allows visitors to add, remove, and edit content. Ward Cunningham developed the first Wiki in the mid-1990s and it is free software available to the public. Wiki allow for linking among any number of pages. Most Wikis offer at least a title search, and sometimes a full-text search. Wikis are generally designed with the philosophy of making it easy to correct mistakes, rather than making it difficult to make them. The ease of interaction makes a wiki an effective tool for collaboration Wikipedia is the most famous Wiki; it is an online encyclopedia. Wikis are sometimes criticized for their reliability because individuals may introduce false or misleading content since a wiki relies on the community of to correct content. (Wikipedia.org) Lars Aronsson, a data systems specialist, summarizes the controversy as follows: “Most people, when they first learn about the wiki concept, assume that a website that can be edited by anybody would soon be rendered useless by destructive input. It sounds like offering free spray cans next to a grey concrete wall. The only likely outcome would be ugly graffiti and simple tagging, and many artistic efforts would not be long lived. Still, it seems to work very well.” This project serves to guide teachers to integrate environmental science across the middle school curriculum. I will search or multiple outlets in each subject to integrate environmental themes into 6th grade earth science, 7th grade life science and 8th grade physical science. B. Gather information, Research and Data I will monitor activity through the Usage Statistics Page within my website. An example of a typical page statistics has graphs named, Unique, Visitors, Messages, Editors, Top 10 Countries By Percentage of Visits, and Views. http://greened.wikispaces.com/space/stats/overview

As the site progresses it will be researched and analyzed by its contributors as that is the nature of wiki software. Contributions can be made by commenting on pages using the 'discussion' link at the top of every page. These assessments by the individuals who utilized the wiki will offer insight to the improvement and evolution of the project named www.greened.wikspaces.com.

My home Page is scripted below: M.A.T. Thesis Project for the University of San Francisco ~ A Wiki for Environmental-Education Welcome to the GreenEd Space Environmental education refers to organized efforts to teach about how natural environments function and, particularly, how human beings can manage their behavior and ecosystems in order to live sustainably. Getting Started To get started, click on the 'edit this page' above to add lessons or talking points to content area pages. Contributions can be made by commenting on pages using the 'discussion' link at the top of every page.

About This Space This space is currently set to public. Need Help? For more information on how to use Wikispaces, see our help section. Contact Us Please contact help@wikispaces.com for assistance.or shannonkittrick@yahoo.com The Naviagation Bar Actions • New Page • Recent Changes • Manage Space Navigation Earth Science Life Science Physical Science Edit Navigation shannonkittrick · My Mail · My Account · Help · Sign Out · wikispaces HomeEdit • page • discussion • history • notify me