Tara Jo Holmberg: Introduction to Environmental Science at Northwestern Connecticut Community College


About this Course

Is a three credit, non-laboratory introductory science course for environmental science majors, education majors, and non-science majors.

23
students
Two, 80 minute lecture sessions;

Introduction to Environmental Science Syllabus_Spring 2017 (Acrobat (PDF) 511kB Sep8 17)


As with my first semester using InTeGrate materials, I only used select units that best fit my course and modified the materials somewhat to adapt them to my physical classroom and also the technology available to my students (e.g. no GIS software). Hearing from the participants in the InTeGrate FMN was a wonderful lesson in adaptation. The faculty were very open to suggestions on possibilities as well as techniques and best practices from those who had come before them.

As a mentor for this semester's InTeGrate participants, I was able to reflect further on my own teaching and look at these modules through a new lens. It was also very helpful to confer with other educators on practices and techniques they were using in their classroom as they began to use these modules for the first time.

My Experience Teaching with InTeGrateMaterials

I enjoy using the InTeGrate modules and was excited to expand my use of them in this semester as compared to my first FMN. Reusing the same modules and optimizing their use, while also introducing new modules, allowed me to participate more deeply in the FMN, rather than just as a facilitator.

Relationship of InTeGrate Materials to my Course

Assessments

The units ALWAYS take more time than allotted. InTeGrate materials are well suited to any number of levels. Modifications of the Units and activities are easy! Make sure to plan ahead for their use, do not just rely on them as a "plug-in" for a lesson.

Outcomes

In a superficial comparison of Spring 2017 to Spring 2016, I can say that the introduction of the new modules helped students in two fundamental ways: they were more likely to complete the assignment, possibly due to increased engagement, and they were much more likely to achieve the standard ("C"). The sample sizes are two small to do a true statistical analysis but my hope is to be able to pursue this type of active research with these materials in the future.