Students can be amazing!
Last year I shamelessly stole an idea from one of my colleagues for final projects. In addition to a report, I ask them to do an illustrative project that can be anything other than a powerpoint. It can be a poster, a podcast, poem, song, interpretive dance, whatever works for them. I have yet to get an interpretive dance, but I’m really hoping one of these days. For me, it’s a fun way to see what my students can do and it allows them to connect with course material in a meaningful and creative way. I’ve had some amazing submissions over the last couple years. One student baked a cake and carved and decorated it to illustrate a slip fault. Another made a mashed potatoes and gravy landslide. One made a gorgeous blown glass ear of corn that unfortunately she kept, and I foolishly didn’t take a picture of any of these amazing creations.
The turtle above was crocheted by a student to illustrate the Life Under Water Sustainable Development goal and it’s become one of my favorite things. I plan to bring this turtle with me and be one of those obnoxious people who takes pics of their stuffed animal (I can’t abide by calling them stuffies) in various places I travel to. The pic below was created by another student and I absolutely love it.
As educators, it’s easy to get caught up in the gloom and doom of academia. AI, administration, all the barriers we experience in teaching our students are problems; however, the vast majority of students want to learn and have the opportunity to express themselves. Our job is to give them that opportunity. And, if you’re lucky, you’ll get a new travel companion, art to hang in your office, and tasty baked goods that mimic geologic hazards…