Examine the communal and environmental impact of upcycling among indigenous peoples of South America to engage students in a cross-disciplinary, problem-based unit on sustainable practices.
As a result of this fellowship I have learned firsthand how different communities in South America implement upcycling to increase sustainability. It was clear how upcycled products and systems have positively impacted each community in terms of the environment, the economy, providing equitable opportunities and empowering different groups. Since we learned about the processes from start to finish, I will be more capable in guiding my students in the creation of their own upcycled products.
This experience will serve as the foundation in creating a cross-curricular 'Senior Summit' on upcycling that is truly authentic. Students will dive into the artifacts and stories from our South American experience. How has upcycling affected the people? How has it impacted the community? The primary sources gathered during this fellowship will give this unit credibility and put faces and stories to the learning. Students will then design and construct their very own upcycled product.
About halfway through our fellowship my partner got high altitude pulmonary edema while we were in Bolivia. La Paz sits at nearly 12 000 feet above sea level which has a significant impact on those who live there, including an almost double rate of congenital heart defects as Europeans. Since my partner was the stronger Spanish speaker and needed to return home after she stabilized, I had to coordinate translators to assist with interviews for the remainder of the trip.
I am really excited to help develop a cross-curricular unit for the seniors. Studies show that this method of teaching can increase students' motivation for learning and their level of engagement. This in turn increases learning levels and quality work production. Since students will be using a variety of approaches to dive into the same topic, they will see that learning is not compartmentalized; there is a connection between different subjects.
We are striving to solidify the green mission of our school. Immersing ourselves for a month in South American culture with a lens on sustainable upcycling practices has been a perfect gateway to deepen the ideas of ‘green’ that reach beyond recycling. The format that will work best for collaboration is to utilize a series of our teacher-led study groups which meet monthly for two hours to deeply investigate practices that would improve our teaching and the culture of the school.
We would like capitalize on the Senior Summit as an opportunity to collaborate with members of our community. To kick-off the unit, it would be powerful to have one or two recent immigrants or refugees speak to our students about their experiences. At the final Summit presentations, in addition to inviting parents and underclassmen, we would like to invite these guest speakers back to take part in the dialogue and evaluation of the students’ work.
It is not enough for our students to simply present their learning and upcycled prototypes. They must take action. Students will identify a local non-profit that relates to immigration or refugees and collaborate with them to determine their greatest needs. Students might be asked to fundraise money, collect essential items, or donate time their time to the organization. This aligns with our mission to empower students to lead in the sustainability of our community and world.
“To be a teacher in the right sense is to be a learner. I am not a teacher, only a fellow student.” - Soren Kierkegaard This fellowship experience has humbled me greatly. We traveled to five new countries each with their own culture, transportation system and a language I don't speak. I felt nervous, excited, and vulnerable. I felt like a learner. Not only has this fellowship provided me with a sense of wonder and empathy for other cultures and countries, but for my own students as well.
FUND FOR TEACHERS ©