Module I Place and Pedagogy

Essential #1: Why is awareness of place important?

I truly believe that if you don't know where you are, then you wont know where you are going. Without a true understanding of a place its hard to be able to relate to others or have a deeper understanding. Although I was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska it is definitely a lot different then living in a remote Alaskan Village. I am now returning to Alaska after being gone for 13 years and am realizing that I have a lot to learn about the cultures within Alaska. After watching the video on "spirit of subsistence living" I again realized that sometimes we enter places/classrooms without having awareness of our students or people involved. Gettting to know a place/people and places is essential to making connections.

In reading this Module, I also realized what am impact global warming is having on Alaska and that awareness is extremely important globally. The videpo below I believe will be beneficially for everyone to recognize what an impact we have on the Earth and how it effects certain places without us even knowing.

"A Subsistence Culture Impacted by Climate Change." Teachers' Domain. 25 Feb. 2009. Web. 13 Feb. 2012. http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.life.eco.athabaskan/.

Finally, I believe that within each place there are many diverse opportunities and if you close yourself off to them, then you will be limited. I know that a lot of people have this "idealist view" of Alaska and the great adventure, however, I think at times we forget about the other dynamic and struggles within the state. If I continue to learn more about Alaska in full I truly believe that this awareness will help me to better serve all students.

Essential #2: How can an awareness of place create better learning for Alaska Students?

As mentioned above, I have recently returned to Alaska where I live and work in  Anchorage. I work at a school that is highly military populated with students from across the United States. I believe that if we empower our students with the awareness of what an amazing State they get to live in, this will enable them to greater grasp opportunities within our State and out. Alaska is a place that houses many resources for students i. e, natural resources, animal life and cultural diversities. A lot of our students are unaware of what a cool State they come from and this at times impedes them from experiencing it to the fullest.

Along with the great resources Alaska is such a new state that an awareness of how it began is very intriging. It is also important to be aware in order to have connections with the natives and the elders in the village communities. The collaboration between the elders and educators is important to keep the history of Alaska Alive. I believe that if we continue to educate our students about awareness of this beautiful state they will become more successful in the long run.

Module 1 Evaluation:

It was interesting to me to read about place and how important it is to value where people are coming from and being aware of your surroundings and respecting that. I have had friends that have taught in the village and had to change some things about the way they taught to incorporate some of the village values as well. I think this is all worth noting and was interesting to me. I am hoping to learn more about Alaska and all of its places not only Anchorage !