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I love that there is a quiz provided for each lesson – I plan to link this in with our ICT plan and get the children to complete this quiz via Google Classroom on our school Chromebooks.
There is a strong emphasis on STEM in my school and we have a team of teachers who have been tasked with creating our STEM planning document in line with the SSE recommendations. We are always looking for new ways to incorporate STEM into our curriculum and giving the children lots of opportunities to explore STEM related topics and activities. The ARC online lessons and resources are a great additional toolkit that will help to improve our STEM plan. I plan to integrate these resources into my teaching and our SSE process. I especially like that the ARC lessons and resources encourage enquiry based learning for the children which aligns with our goals to encourage critical thinking and curiosity. For example we could use the information in the lesson on the Nutrition of Seafood to create lab activities for science lessons to look at the nutritional makeup of different types of fish and I can link this with an SPHE lesson about the food pyramid and healthy eating and a history lesson on The Salmon of Knowledge. I can also link this topic with science lessons on the skeleton and bones in the human body. The videos are excellent – very engaging and child friendly and I know my students will enjoy learning from Professor O’Mara.
Having completed this module I feel it is very important when approaching the study of aquaculture with my students to point out to them that the location of the majority of sea farming and aquaculture in Ireland offers a lot of opportunities, benefits and jobs in those areas, especially where it is well managed and the communities are fully invested in sustainability of the environment. I was very surprised to learn that only 1-2% of our world’s oceans are used for aquaculture and I think this fact will definitely pique my students’ interest in this topic and help them to realise that it is a growing industry and not something that should be ignored. It is also very important as a teacher to expose my students to the many reasons why this industry faces challenges such as concerns about the environment, red tape and changes in the demand and market for seafood. These challenges are motivation for innovation and improved research so that the industry continues to grow and adapt. These issues are very important for the whole community in the areas where aquaculture is prevalent. The students will look into how this industry has helped to revitalise areas that were once in decline and encourage young people to stay in those areas or return having previously left for more opportunities that weren’t available in their local communities.
I will enjoy seeing the students engage in research around the innovations that have emerged in this industry and recognise how interesting and exciting aquaculture in Ireland can be as an area of study or even an industry that they might like to get into themselves after education. In recent times there is a huge emphasis on the environment for students, and aquaculture as an industry is a perfect case study on how properly sustainable practices with regard to waste management, site selection and environmentally friendly farming techniques can affect communities. The additional resources provided at the end of this module are excellent and will really enhance the learning experience for my students.
Prior to starting this online course; I was completely unaware of the existence of BIM and its initiatives available to educate students about aquaculture and career prospects in this area in Ireland. Having completed module 1, I am thoroughly impressed with the online lessons and tools available for teachers to use as part of the SESE curriculum to educate students about such an important industry here in Ireland. I was particularly impressed by the Aquaculture Remote Classroom and the fact that you can log on to the BIM website and request a visit from this amazing resource to your school. I immediately registered my own school as I know our 5th and 6th class students will really enjoy the experience, I hope we won’t have to wait too long for a visit. This unique experience for the children would be extremely beneficial in introducing aquaculture to them and peaking their interest in this topic.
I think the Taste the Atlantic initiative is another interesting tool created by BIM and it’s great that it can be integrated with a number of subject areas including SESE, maths, and art. It will also link very well with SPHE in relation to healthy eating which is very important. Working in a DEIS school, I have noticed that many of the children I teach have quite a limited pallet when it comes to different cuisines – the introduction of hot lunches in our school this year has helped to expose them to new options they haven’t tried before but I think this initiative will help to broaden their knowledge and maybe as a result; their pallets even further.
I also think that my students will benefit a lot from the BIM lessons and resources as they don’t live in a seaside area so this is something that a lot of them have little to no experience of.
