Your Name and Title:
Janet Platenberg, Principal – Steuart Weller Elementary School
School or Organization Name:
Steuart Weller Elementary/Loudoun County Public Schools
Co-Presenter Name(s):
Adina Popa, Technology Resource Teacher/International Ambassador
Monica Kissel, Assistant Principal – Steuart Weller Elementary School
Julie Galvin, Art Specialist – Steuart Weller Elementary School
Area of the World from Which You Will Present:
Asburn, VA, Loudoun County
(Washington DC)
Language in Which You Will Present:
English
Target Audience(s):
Students, Teachers, Administrators
Short Session Description:
The Big Cat Crisis: Come hear the story of a global partnership that sought to save big cats from extinction
Full Session Description:
How do we teach empathy in a 21st Century school? How do we raise awareness about global issues while remaining focused on sound pedagogy and curriculum requirements? This session will describe the replicable journey a school took to help save wild cats from extinction. Steuart Weller Elementary is the champion of the "Cause an Uproar Campaign," an effort of National Geographic's "Big Cat Initiative." As soon as we learned that all wild cats are in peril and, if everything stays unchanged, they will be extinct in the wild within the next ten years, we decided to take action. Through the "Cause an Uproar" campaign, National Geographic partnered us with Malinzanga Primary school in Tanzania, a small institution in a very remote part of Tanzania. The treat of this partnership was the fact that our peers in Tanzania were in close contact with wild cats on a daily basis. This was also a cause of concern, as generally populations such as our partners are not aware of wild cat demographics or the importance these animals hold in the world. If a wild cat kills a Tanzanian farmer's livestock, the farmer immediately thinks of retaliation, the number one cause of lion population decline. Through our partnership we helped the community of one village get relevant materials and information that stagnated retaliation. Throughout the course of this project we stayed in close contact with National Geographic scientists, including Amy Dickman, a filed scientist living in the same village as our partners. Through updates and videoconferences with Amy Dickman our students were informed on a regular basis about the progress our efforts generated. This project has brought our school to a new horizon: using technology to change the world.
Through this session attendees learn how to replicate this project, regardless of one’s geographic location or number of students involved. We will present tools and information that will help any school or interested group use technology to make a difference in the decline of wild cat population. Together, we can make a difference!
Websites / URLs Associated with Your Session:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jV6yCH_sImE
Replies