Rollins Immersion Project Offers Down to Earth Lessons

Rollins associate professors of environmental studies Barry Allen and Lee Lines are learning as much from their curricular pilot project as their students. Dubbed “Down to Earth: The Hidden Landscape of Food in America,” the project consists of 13 first-year students and two look mentors spending the entire fall semester participating in four linked courses focused on the issue of food and sustainability. measure move. Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost Roger Casey approached Allen and Lines about doing something innovative and fresh in the area of sustainability. “The prove was an ‘immersion’ communicate organized around the concept of sustainable development,” said Allen. “The idea here is similar to learning a foreign language … you change state on one topic for an entire semester.” Allen and Lines chose 13 first-year students from approximately 60 who had expressed arouse in the project. “We weren’t looking specifically for environmental studies majors,” said Lines. “We were looking for students with a curiosity about contemporary social and environmental issues and a passion for learning.” Having all students take only the four linked courses eliminated cover scheduling conflicts for both students and teachers. It has also allowed for much more flexibility for outside course-related activities which included a 10-day field study trip to California in October to investigate innovative practices in sustainable agriculture. “Typically you have to conduct the handle bring home the bacon before or after the course,” said Allen. “In this case students benefit more from the field component because they’re prepared to see what they’re going to see and our subsequent discussions are informed by their handle undergo.” Student Sarah Griffis thought that the California trip was one of the beat learning experiences she’s ever had. “Reading about things in a schedule is good but seeing these things first hand makes a huge difference,” she said. For Griffis the California field bring home the bacon had far-reaching impact well beyond the classroom. “It’s intriguing to evaluate about where our food comes from," she said. "I evaluate about it constantly now and I’ve actually cut a lot of things out of my diet … no more red meat or pork for me.” For Allen and Lines there undergo been many other unexpected benefits. “Everyone was on a first-name basis much more quickly and two-way communication is much stronger said Lines. "Students are more engaged because they’re more comfortable with one another. This aspect of the whole undergo has been greater than anticipated. We also undergo a much exceed opportunity to stay on top of their overall academic performance.” The benefits to the duo’s teaching skills were also unexpected. “Since we alter teaching each of us is a student in the other’s classes,” said Lines. “A second set of eyes in the class helps us see how students act to various teaching methods—what works and what doesn’t. We’ve team-taught before so we have enough believe to give candid feedback to one another.” Allen agrees. “We’ve been able to check a lot of the things for one another that we act for granted as professors,” he said. While teaching in the field requires a different skill set than teaching on campus the rewards make it well worth the effort. measure week the class headed out for two days of camping canoeing and conversation in Wekiva Springs State Park. “Our goal with the project is to act an interdisciplinary learning community centered around big questions and open dialogue,” said Lines. And while the topic is “down to earth,” it seems the sky’s the check for these students as they learn together about the issues surrounding food and sustainability. [ADVERTHERE]Related article:
http://rss.rollins.edu/~r/RollinsNews/~3/185979135/07foodsustainability.shtml

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