First Week

Farmcraft - Well, the first lesson I learned during practicum is read the schedule more closely. I arrived before 8:30, for a 9:30 program. Carli and I drove in together and got started setting up. This was our first time actually working farmcraft, after one observation. A little after nine o’clock I started to wonder where the others were. When they arrived about 9:30, we had most of the necessary stuff complete. There were a few things that needed to be completed. This stuff was purposely left for assistance. The second lesson I learned was to be flexible.The group of first graders from Ft. Wayne was nearly a half hour late. That led to dropping one station and shortening the time at the other stations. Students did not get to be as physically involved with the stations.I wish we had more time. Then we got off track with stations. Be flexible. Things ran smoothly even with the adjustments. The students were flexible, they were enjoying themselves. Also, I would like to hear some parent reactions or comments on the programs. Most of the ones I had with me participated well and encouraged the students interactions.

What’s Bugging You - For this program I had 9-11 year old homeschool students. This is a neat age group. The age group is older than my sons but younger than my middle school students. I saw a lot of similarities to each group. Kids are kids, they are all curious and inquisitive. The insect program let kids get into the activity, by searching for and collecting insects. My entire group participated and obviously enjoyed the interactions. I saw a pair of girls exchanging email addresses. It was neat that the homeschool group was from such a large area. I would have liked to be able to bring student collected insects back inside or at least to the tables or pavilion. There students could spend time drawing in their notebooks, using identification guides to determine what insects they have.