Tracking Watershed Education


Environmental education providers are challenged with finding sustainable, reliable funding sources to support their efforts.  Insufficient funding leads to competition between program providers who are often working in partnership towards similar goals.

Collectively tracking student experiences within a particular school with regard to watershed education partners and programs provides the following:

  • Conceptual framework for inclusive environmental education efforts under a unified “watershed” theme

  • Opportunity for partners to come together in recognition of program offerings

  • Gap analysis – identifies where programs can be added

  • Tool for teachers to plan activities and connect with program providers

  • Illustrate the connection between schools and community partners

  • Create a catalog of programs, activities and partners that can be shared between teachers, schools and districts

  • Useful instrument to seek support from school, district, state and national level

Using the Matrix

Programs entered into the matrix should be calculated in terms of annual participation.  The number in each box should be equal to:

(# of students) x (# of hours)

For this example, you would enter “192” into the box for “Watershed Mapping” – “Science”.  If the students were participating in a 1000 Drops mapping activity, you would list “Healthy Waters Institute” as the provider.

Map out the entire year with numbers representing the entire school.

Descriptions for each entry should be attached to track actual program information including grade, teacher, activity name (if applicable), and information on where to find more information about the activity.

Click here to download the Catalog for Invitation matrix.

Program Qualifications

Qualifying programs should support authentic educational experiences, rooted in relevant, experiential and place-based learning.

The Foxfire Approach to Teaching and Learning can be used to guide whether a program should be included in the matrix. 

The Core Practices of the Foxfire Approach include:

  • The work teachers and learners do together is infused from the beginning with learner choice, design, and revision.

  • The academic integrity of the work teachers and learners do together is clear.

  • The role of the teacher is that of facilitator and collaborator.

  • The work is characterized by active learning.

  • Peer teaching, small group work, and teamwork are all consistent features of classroom activities.

  • There is an audience beyond the teacher for learner work.

  • New activities spiral gracefully out of the old, incorporating lessons learned from past experiences, building on skills and understandings that can now be amplified.

  • Reflection is an essential activity that takes place at key points throughout the work.

  • Connections between the classroom work, the surrounding communities, and the world beyond the community are clear.

  • Imagination and creativity are encouraged in the completion of learning activities.

  • The work teachers and learners do together includes rigorous, ongoing assessment and evaluation.

Comments

This tool may not be single-handedly complete or wholly comprehensive.  In order to determine its effectiveness in reaching stated objectives, it needs to be tested. 

A few notes:

  • Keep it simple – best guesses are better than none at all

  • Use it to bring partners and teachers together

  • Share it with school administration as exhibition of students learning and the valuable contributions of community partners

  • Include examples of how programs also satisfy standards and benchmarks

  • Keep track of as much information you can about the programs – it will be invaluable to share with others

Provide feedback to the Healthy Waters Institute always and often – send completed documents, comments and questions to traci.price@ortrout.org