Embedded Files
Getting to know each other: Here's one exercise you could try with your Explorer partner to learn a bit about each other at the start of your collaboration. Michael Margolis of Get Storied introduced us to a variation of this exercise at a conference, and we found it to be an unexpectedly valuable way to connect. We've adapted this version for your use—let us know if you find it helpful!
Jot down answers to the following questions on your own time, and then discuss your answer to #5 in an introductory call with your partner:
- Where did you grow up? What are the defining characteristics of that place?
- What are the most personally significant places (of any scale) that you have explored? What effect did they have on you?
- Describe your family. What are their key personality traits?
- What have you studied over the course of your life, formally or informally? What have been your deepest interests?
- Finally: Tell a story about yourself explaining how the details described in 1-4 led you to where you are today and helped develop your primary passions and motivations.
Sample timeline: We encourage you and your partner to carefully consider how to arrange your work together so that you collectively create a rich learning experience for each other and your students. Below is a sample timeline for your collaboration throughout the year; you and your partner should feel free to develop your own timeline according to your individual schedules and needs.
October: Explorer and Educator set up initial call to get to know each other and discuss the content area each is interested in learning more about
November: Explorer prepares a handout/presentation and presents on content area to educator
January: Educator prepares a handout/presentation and presents on content area to Explorer
February: Educator introduces students to the work of the Explorer; meanwhile, Explorer begins working on planning an education outreach project in their community
March: Explorer connects for video chat (Explorer Classroom style) with educator's students
April: Students work on a project related to the work of the Explorer
May: Explorer consults with educator on their educational outreach project
June: Students present project to Explorer (perhaps through a virtual hangout); Explorer gives feedback and encouragement
Ideas for Explorer-inspired student projects: In the spring of 2017, we matched educators with National Geographic Emerging Explorers for the Explorers Festival Challenge. Teachers guided their students in conducting research on the Explorer and producing creative projects to share their learning. After experiencing the final projects, Explorers responded to each class with a personalized video. This is a shorter-term version of the interactions you can have over the course of a year, but these projects may give you some ideas for what Explorer-inspired activities could look like.
We highlighted a few examples here, and you can browse others, organized in Google docs by Explorer: Adjany Costa, Anand Varma, Mateus Mutemba, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Danielle Lee, Federico Fanti, Grace Young, Hotlin Ompusunggu, Joe Grabowski, Keolu Fox, M Jackson, Ricardo Moreno, Ryan Carney, Jennifer Lopez.
Ideas for virtual hangouts:
- View archived Explorer Classroom videos for examples of what these hangouts could include.
- Make the most of the virtual hangouts by drawing from some of these tips.
- Work with your Explorer partner to outline the session ahead of time, considering how the time will be spent and what visual artifacts (video, photographs, field equipment, etc.) your Explorer could share with your class.
- Ask your students to prepare questions in advance. Giving your students a chance to research your Explorer ahead of their first interaction can allow for deeper, more meaningful conversation.
- Select a platform, such as Skype or Google Hangouts, that works for both you and your partner. If you haven't previously used this platform with your class, try a test call ahead of time to ensure everything will run smoothly.
A lovely example of Explorer feedback: Here's a video that Sylvia Earle shared with Susan Michal's class, who had created gifts, letters, and stationary for her. Since this video was in response to a one-time gift rather than an ongoing collaboration, your Explorer's feedback will likely have a more academic focus, but we couldn't resist sharing this as inspiration.
Let us know if you have other resources you're finding useful in this collaboration, and we will share them here!
Let us know if you have other resources you're finding useful in this collaboration, and we will share them here!
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