The Global MindEd conference this past June was an inspiring event. What made it inspiring is that there were very few K-12 educators in attendance compared to business, entrepreneurs and higher education folks. This reminded me that there are many people out there that care about education and the world, and that they want to make a difference for pre-K to college students!
I had the wonderful opportunity to present in the IDEA cafe with Jessica Hatz of the Global Ozone Project. We presented on how we employed GO3’s black carbon and ozone detectors in the classroom. Students planned treks, collected data and posted the data over-layed on Google Earth. From there they could analyze their data on a social network. The students went even further by creating a website to teach others about sustainability and climate issues. This project inspired others attending the conference, and it fostered classroom connections that will be in place for the coming year.
Most importantly, the conference reminded me that providing a quality education for all students is our most pressing global issue! With all of the reform measures of the past few years, it is time for the U.S. to reflect on what we know is best practice and on what has made us an innovative country! Educators, entrepreneurs, and businesses can work together to re-invigorate the spirit of creativity and innovation to provide relevance and rigor to our nation’s schools. It is through partnerships such as the global ozone project that Monarch High participated in that fosters this spirit of creativity and innovation, and extends the love of inquiry, design thinking and entrepreneurship to the participating students.
Global MindEd reminded me of this spirit. It reminded me that I am not alone in fighting for this spirit to be in the curriculum for all students, and it re-energized me to continue to do what is best for my students!
If you are interested in the Global Ozone Project, go to their website and apply to be a Global Treks school. Partnerships such as these are what your students will remember for years to come, so don’t be afraid to take a risk and try something new!
In closing, I would like to share the following is a quote from the Global Ozone Project newsletter:
“Jess, the GO3 Project's Outreach Coordinator, was given the opportunity to attend two innovative conferences this June focusing on education: GlobalMindED and the Colorado Education Initiative's 2015 Showcase. GlobalMindED took place in downtown Denver and connected like-minded people from the fields of education, industry, non-profits, entrepreneurship, and government to envision a future for education rooted in equity, access, and innovation. GO3 hosted an Idea table with science teacher Kristin Donley from Monarch High School and featured the GO3 Treks program and an awesome website on climate change and sustainability made by Mrs. Donley's students. Some of the conference highlights included keynote speaker Michele Weslander Quaid from Google and a panel led by entrepreneur Teju Ravilochan, CEO of the Unreasonable Institute.”
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Jess & Kristin Hosting an Idea Table at GlobalMindED
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