Unit 6 Lesson 5 – Lesson Plan for Earth Science

Module One Lesson Five

Getting Started

In the first few lessons of this module we were introduced to Earth’s Systems, the layers and structure of our planet and how geoscientists locate and extract oil and other minerals beneath the Earth’s crust. Why is it important for us to know where the oil and minerals are and how to get them out.

In this lesson we are going to take a look at the Tar Sands in Alberta and the process known as fracking.  You may have never given much thought to the Tar Sands in Alberta other than you know somebody who has gone to work there.  What in the world is fracking?   Let’s find out…

The Work for Today

In today’s lesson, we are going to examine and understand what is actually happening up in the Tar Sands of Alberta and what the process of fracking is.

By the end of today’s lesson you will be able to say:

• I can identify and discuss the process of crude oil extraction from bitumen
• I can understand what the process of fracking is.
• I will understand some of the environmental, economic and social implications of these two processes.

This lesson should take approximately 1.5 hours.

Work On It

Part 1:

Bitumen extraction

To extract oil out of bitumen or tar sands there are several steps involved in the process. Large amounts of fresh water are used in the processing and this creates poisonous tailings that could potentially damage and destroy the delicate balance of the ecosystem in Canada’s Northern boreal forests.

Please view the following video clip to find out more.

While you are watching, think about the land up in Northern Alberta. What kind of effects does this extraction have on the ecosystems there?  How does it affect the communities economically and socially? What are the long term environmental effects? Are the economic benefits really that great?

View H2Oil clip now Insert link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo302D9SqRo

Fracking

Hydraulic Fracturing (fracking) is the fracturing of a natural gas rock bed with pressurized liquid.  Small cracks are made within the rock bed and sand is used to keep the spaces open. Fracking fluid that contains large volumes of water, sand and chemicals is pumped down into these spaces.  Over 700 different chemicals can be used by industry to compress the water, kill off bacteria and dissolve minerals. This fluid is then extracted and the natural gas within the rock is recovered.  Once the site has been exhausted it is sealed up and the left over fracking fluid is deposited deep within the ground.  Because the fracking fluid is highly toxic, the main risk to humans is contamination of drinking water.  A large amount of energy is also required to extract the natural gas, creating negative effects on the climate balance.

The process of fracking is not new and has been around since the 1940s.  Why is industry so interested in it now?

View Fracking explained now.  Insert link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uti2niW2BRA

Answer the multiple choice questions below to check your understanding. Choose the best answer.

1. It is estimated that there are ________________ of crude bitumen in Alberta’s Tar Sands.

a) 150 thousand barrels

b) 100 billion barrels

c) 175 billion barrels

d) 160 million barrels

2. To separate sand from the bitumen it is mixed with large amounts of _____________ heated by natural gas.

a)      Gravel

b)      Rock

c)      Oil

d)     Fresh Water

3. How many barrels of fresh water are required to produce one barrel of oil and where does the water come from?

a)      5 barrels, Thompson River and Glacier

b)      4 barrels, Athabasca River and Glacier

c)      10 barrels, Fraser River

d)     6 barrels, Skeena River.

4.  The extraction of oil from the tar sands

a)      Contributes to a cycle of consumption that accelerates climate change.

b)      Causes waste water that creates tailings ponds.

c)      Is developing a break neck speed and is driven by industry.

d)     All of the above.

5. The Security and Prosperity Partnership ensures

a)      Energy and water for Canada.

b)      Energy and water for the US.

c)      Energy and water for China.

d)     Energy and water for Europe.

6. Since the Industrial Revolution our energy consumption has ____________ and is supplied by ________________.

a)      Decreased, wind power

b)      Decreased, oil

c)      Increased, solar energy

d)     Increased, fossil fuels

7. Hydraulic fracturing describes the removal of natural gas from deep layers in Earth by using      _______, __________, and ___________.

a)      Water, sand, chemicals.

b)      Oil, hot water, salt

c)      Water, loam, peat

d)     Compost, hydrochloric acid, water

8. There is currently a  fracking boom in the US because

a)      It is an easy and efficient way to extract natural gas from porous rock.

b)      Conventional methods of retrieving natural gas have been exhausted.

c)      People like to heat their homes with natural gas.

d)     Oil has run out.

9. Fracking is when fracking fluid is pumped into the gas bearing rock creating loads of fractures that      are held open by grains of sand. Next, ______________ are pumped through the fractured rock and they  ____________, _________________, and ____________.

a)      Chemicals, dissolve minerals, kill off bacteria, compress the water.

b)      Salt grains, dissolve sand, heat water, kill of wildlife.

c)      Tailings, combine minerals, suppress the bacteria, produce calcium carbonate.

d)     Sand grains, produce sodium chloride, fight evil, solidify.

10. Fracking is associated with several risks, the primary one being:

a)      The destruction of ecosystems.

b)      The contamination of drinking water.

c)      The drying out of aquifers.

d)     The negative effects on the climate balance.

Answers: Please hide and let student choose before providing.

1) c

2) d

3) b

4) d

5) b

6) d

7) a

8) b

9) a

10) b

Part 2:  What do you think?

In this portion of the lesson you will view part of   Witness’ documentary “To the Last Drop.”  While you are viewing the clip, think about the long term implications of this industry.  Also think of the economic impact on Canada.  If the tar sands create jobs and industry, is it such a bad thing?

View To the last drop. Insert link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uti2niW2BRA

Show It

Your assignment for today is to summarize what is happening up in the tar sands and post it on the discussion board.  What are the environmental and economic implications?  Do you think the Tar Sands are a good thing or a bad thing for Canada?   Your post should be at least 250 words long. Be sure to comment or reply feedback to at least two other students’ opinions.

Sources used:

“Hydraulic fracturing.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Dec. 2013. Web. 19 Dec. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulic_fracturing&gt;.

Hess, Frances Scelsi. Earth science: geology, the environment, and the universe. New York, N.Y.: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2002. Print.

Important Elements of Online Course Design (Unit 6 lesson 3)

There are many important elements that weave together to form an online course that fits our best practices model for learning and assessment. In SIDES courses, there is an established pattern that assists in anticipating all of the difficulties a student could have when learning material online.  They all start with a ‘Get Started’ section to focus on engaging the student and accessing prior knowledge.  A number of the SIDES courses do this really well.  In Joan’s English 12 course, most of her lessons start with a series of questions to get the learner interacting with the material.  A lesson in Dave Evan’s Science 10 course appeals to the student by trying to relate the carbon cycle into a song they may have heard when watching the film, The Lion King.  The point of this section is to get the student to make connections between experiences and learning. The next section of the SIDES courses that follow this model is the ‘Work on It’ section which introduces the new ideas in a deliberate step-by-step fashion so as not to overwhelm students with way too much information. There is often a vocabulary tab, use of instructional videos, interactive presentation of new material, and explicit learning intentions. The final ‘Show It’ section assists the student in knowing what they are doing, why they are doing it and how they are going to be accessed.  Examples of good work are presented and students are often given a rubric so that they know exactly what criteria the teacher will be looking for when they are assessed on the activity or assignment.

Some SIDES courses do not follow this three section framework, however they still possess a powerful learning experience should students chose to engage.  Holy Mair’s History 12 Lesson had amazing graphic design and colour complete with a news clip from the Red Round Up era.  It really made the text come to life and helped in the understanding of McCarthyism and his ‘flames of intolerance’.

The most important takeaways for me if I were to create a course are: student engagement which involves delivering the material in a variety of formats to meet the diverse needs of online learners and clear intentions with the lesson and assessment.  The instructional features would have clear skills instruction, scaffolding and modeling.  This was evident in the Math LF 7 AW course written by Sylvia and Wendy.  The final piece is to acknowledge the critical role that self and peer assessment can play in improving learning.  Encouraging students to self-assess and having assignments that are discussion board based to create community within the course are pivotal aspects to best practices in instruction and learning online.

Unit 5 Lesson 5

Part 1:

The Topic: Balancing Chemical Equations- Science 10 Chapter 4.3

Balancing chemical equations is difficult for quite a few students because it involves several steps that are built on from the chemistry unit in Science 9.  The student is required to understand how to write chemical formulas for chemical compounds, how to express them in a skeleton equation and then finally the student has to understand how to put in the required coefficients to balance the number of atoms of each element on both sides of the equation.  It is easy to get steered off course here, so careful explanation is required at each step. 

In a classroom, there would first be a review lesson from Science 9 ensuring that students understood how to write chemical formulas. Many students require more practice with this before they can move on. This can be taught and then their understanding can be checked using a quiz. Once everyone has written the quiz- the answers would be reviewed and students would be encouraged to self–assess to ensure understanding.  This can be done online with students in an asynchronous environment as well.  Descriptive feedback and clear explanations can be provided when students are not sure. The student could be invited in for tutoring or a short video could be made and sent to them to clarify matters. Once they have mastered the concept and proven it, then they will be required to write a skeleton equation and they will need to practice this and then be quizzed on it.  A skeleton equation shows the names and products of the word equation with the formulas, but it does not show the correct proportions in which the reactants will actually combine and the products will be produced.

For example:  CH₄ + O_2  —> H₂0 + CO₂   is the skeletal equation for methane reacting with oxygen to produce water and carbon dioxide.

The final step involves students balancing the equation by placing coefficients in front of the substances to ensure equal number of atoms on both sides of the equation. There is a bit of knack to this and students will require a number of examples and careful explanation within the online course to be able to do this.  Once again students can be assessed on this process after a couple of tries and descriptive feedback or an explanation video can be provided.  Face to face tutoring would be the easiest way for students to be encouraged to keep going until they get it. However, students can experience success online; they will just require a bit more direction. Audio feedback could also be provided.

The strategies I attempted to use in this lesson were to provide a clear, understandable vision of the learning target by using examples and teaching students to self-assess and set goals via formative descriptive feedback.

Part 2:

Some strategies that resonate with me and work quite well for my current teaching assignment are: providing a clear and understandable vision of the learning target, and using examples and models of strong and weak work. If students know exactly what is expected of them with examples and how the work will be marked according to a rubric, then it makes learning a process instead of just a mark on a final product. Encouraging students to ask where they are at and where they need to go next and teaching students to self-assess and set goals also helps them identify their own strengths and create confidence in their learning.  By chunking the work and having students focus on one aspect of quality at a time, then students can close the gap from where they were and where they are in terms of meeting the learning outcomes.

Because students are learning at a distance, it is essential to provide a number of modalities in whichthey can get help or clarification if necessary.  Many of my students use Skype to contact me and this is a very useful way to interact with them and to provide formative feedback.  There is a lot more said in verbal communication than just in written text.  Some students really need to hear this feedback to learn, integrate the knowledge and engage with the criteria expected of them for a particular assignment. When feedback is provided it needs to be descriptive and it needs to mean something to the student.  It has to reflect the strengths of the student’s work and also provide areas for the student to work on.  It must be clear, positive and descriptive in how it matches the criteria for an assignment.

Personally when I’m assessing my students online, I like to use an audio file, phone them if it is particularly important or the require encouragement, or use Skype.  Not all students require this feedback and good descriptive text feedback can provide the necessary components to keep a student engaged and putting in effort.  I definitely chunk my work and try to assess certain assignments and tests at the same time to make marking more efficient. I’m strategic about the feedback that I leave because I do not want to inundate the student with copious amounts of information that is superfluous. Clear, direct communication with strengths related to the criteria for the assignment and the points the student needs to work on are essential elements to good descriptive feedback.  I particularly like using questions to ensure that students are self-assessing and to make it seem like I’m not just telling them what to do.  They play a very important part in this process as well.

Unit 5 Lesson 4 Descriptive Feedback

This in depth look at descriptive feedback has made me realize that I need to be more cognisant of the feedback I provide, make sure that it is not only positive, but that it reflects the clear purpose and expectation of the criteria for the assignment.  Being positive doesn’t just mean being artificially happy, but it means describing the strengths of the student’s work and how it matches the criteria for good work.  This is especially important when teaching online because we cannot provide as much formative assessment because students aren’t learning right beside you, they are at a distance.  The nuance and subtlety in verbal communication is lost when students are not physically present, so it becomes of paramount importance to ensure clear, careful and positive communication. The descriptive feedback has the power to encourage students to keep going or it can cause students to shut down.

Good feedback contains information students can use.  This is assuming that the student has the ability to hear it and understand it.  It is useful to address both the cognitive and motivational factors of learning for the student and to ensure that the student understands their role in the process. Feedback should draw attention to the student’s self-regulation strategies and their abilities as learners.  They will then understand that they are in charge of their own learning.  It needs to be in a format in which the students realize that they will get results if they put in the time and effort.  Good feedback also involves being specific enough that the student knows what to do next, but not so specific that you have done the work for them.  All of these factors denote good descriptive feedback and require keen discernment on the part of the teacher. It is essential for the teacher to know where the student is coming from as well and what developmental level the student is at.  This will also provide the teacher with crucial information when creating the descriptive feedback.

The best descriptive feedback I received was during my last course at VIU.  The instructor not only praised the parts of the assignment I did well, but then she added comments and suggestions that I had not thought of for the learning/ behavioural analysis portion of the assignment.  This motivated me to not only look a little deeper on the next assignment, but to really engage with the material and make it my own.

Use of Technology in DL

Using technology to develop an online presence and social connection with students is imperative for assisting them with their success online.  There are many tools cited in the last four lessons that I would love to explore and use with my students and I will explore and integrate them into my practice as time permits. The most effective tools for working with my current learning services and biology students are: Jing, Wordle, Prezi, Glogster, Skype, Webquest, Wisemapping, IBIS reader, Google+, Vclass and D2L.  I use Skype almost daily to keep in contact with my students and Jing and Wisemapping could be used to assist students with topics that are difficult to explain solely with text.  Google docs are effective for journaling and creating documents where more than one person can update the information.  This is valuable for collaboration between teachers and for teachers with their students.  The many uses of all the tools listed here help create a strong, supportive environment for my students.  There is still so much to explore, learn and develop!

Building community and engagement with my online classes can be done quite easily when a cohort model is adopted. There can be assignments that are project and discussion board based where interaction with other students is required.  In my own experience as a post-grad student at VIU, I would deem the discussion board as one of the most powerful and collaborative tools embedded in the online Special Education courses I was taking.  It was a space where I connected with other students and got to know their backgrounds and experiences. What an impressive and effective way to learn! The discussions could even be considered more inclusive than in a traditional classroom because all students got to contribute and to read others’ responses. I also appreciated the time to think and reflect on other students’ perspectives before responding. This is something that is not always available in a traditional classroom due to time constraints and student needs.

When a continuous asynchronous model is adopted it can be more challenging to create community with students.  However, it can still be done by having students comment on threads on the discussion board and by assisting students in developing their personal learning network.  Developing my own personal learning network synchronously with my students could also assist in engagement.  I would like to try having a Facebook ‘interest’ page that is related solely to my classes and students. It could provide course updates and extra explanations using Jing or Mindmapping.  The discussion board and a Facebook ‘interest’ page would not only help students communicate, collaborate and share, but the teacher can also provide clear direction to do this within these tools.

Making the transition and commitment to including more tech tools into my practice would require assistance from the experienced tech department and from other teachers that have used the tools.  Collaborating with colleagues in our Educator as Researcher meetings at SIDES will be beneficial because there is space and time to discuss what technology works and what is cumbersome and ineffective for students.  So far, I’ve been to one of the meetings and have already gleaned precious tips.  I’m looking forward to this Thursday’s meeting!

Skills and Qualities Required of Effective Online Teachers.

“Many of the skills that are essential for online teachers are the same ones that teachers in a brick-an-mortar school” are required to have for effective teaching (Ash 2009).   The main difference is the different tools used with online teaching and the way teachers use them to support learning. Well, I can breathe a sigh of relief now!  I have been teaching for the last 7 years and believe I have quite a few skills that can be used when assisting students on their pathway to success should they choose to pursue their education in either online or traditional format.  Perhaps my strongest skill is the ability to adapt. I’m from a family of 7, moved several times as a child, have lived and taught in 3 different countries, will soon have 4 children and feel that any new skills that need to be acquired or changed are within reach.  I’m actually surprised how much I enjoy teaching online and learning about the new technologies required.

In a virtual environment there are no verbal and visual cues so proactive positive communication is essential to engage and connect learners. I also attempt to be open, respectful, compassionate and understanding with all my students so positive communication is not a problem. I have high expectations of others socially and this always permeates into my classroom (whether it is online or not) in terms of clear expectations for participation and interaction.

  The challenge I see for myself as an online teacher is that I am quite a social person and enjoy people and my students. There is a certain energy or lightness that comes with most of these exchanges. Therefore, I may find it challenging to be on the screen all the time.  So, I would have to ensure that I met with some of my students face-to-face daily.

Reflections on Bill 36 and the BC Education Plan with a DL Focus

The vision for education in the 21^st century certainly sounds exciting. Making education “flexible”, “personalized” and “blended” makes me feel hopeful for the future of the public education system in BC. The BC Education Plan states that there will be: personalized learning for every student with students “designing their education”, quality teaching and learning, flexibility and choice, high standards, and learning empowered by technology.  In theory, this sounds fantastic, but how is it going to be implemented?

 Bill 36 removes the requirement for schools to follow the standard school calendar and more importantly allows the Minister to change through regulation the minimum number of instructional hours in the year.  It also enables more online, blended learning opportunities for all grade levels. 

Pre-interview reflections

I first chose to interview Karen Flello, but she was quite busy so I decided to interview Kim Lemieux, an experienced secondary teacher that has been working at SIDES for close to a decade. Kim wrote this section of the course and has completed a Masters in DL and technology. I really feel as though she will have some insightful information to add to my growing body of policy knowledge.

My assumption is that Kim will agree with my opinions on the implementation of Bill 36 and the BC Education Plan.  

 The questions I posed to Kim and my own big questions for this Unit are:

 1) How will Bill 36 and the BC Education Plan really affect the secondary DL student?

  It does not really affect the secondary DL student and there won’t be many changes for them because these students already have continuous enrolment and flexibility with their programming. The experiential learning component of the education plan is one that could really benefit secondary students and requires more time, resources and reflection. 

The big change will be how Bill 36 and the Education Plan will be implemented with the K-9 cross enrolled students.  There are big issues with scheduling and how a typical school day will actually be for students who opt for cross enrolment. 

2) How will Bill 36 and the BC Education Plan affect DL schools, namely SIDES, in the long run?

If this trend continues and BC students decide or are required to take part of their course credits online, the SIDES and other DL schools will probably be offset into the traditional schools. 

3) If there are more students in blended programs will they get the adequate support/instruction they require to successfully complete the online component of their course work? 

There has been no indication of how the plan will manifest.  At the moment it is just an idea because a plan usually has specific processes that need to be followed.  Independent, self-directed, blended learning works for a small segment of the student population.  It is not particularly successful for students aged 14-19.  At this age most students require motivation, structure, face to face tutoring and social interaction for course completion and success.  These factors need to be taken into careful consideration as the BC Plan is implemented.

4) Is there any concern regarding teacher workloads and a higher # of students with more limited interaction from the teacher?

This is a valid concern. There has been no thought put into the quality of education.  If there are unlimited numbers of students for teachers, this will decrease the instructional time for each student and could potentially lower academic results.

5) What are the real completion rates of online courses?

Completion rates are lower in DL schools and this is because learning independently online is not age appropriate for all high schools students.  Most of the students at SIDES that experience success exist at either end of the bell curve.  They are high achieving self- motivated students, or students at the other end of the curve that require extra supports, and are on individualized educational plans.  To ensure student success and really support students with online learning, a cohort model with time frames needs to be adopted again.  When students learn together, they get motivated and experience completion and success.  Unfortunately the cohort model is not as cost effective as the asynchronous model, so I’m uncertain it will be used as the best practices DL model.

6) Are there any hidden government agendas? 

If instructional time is decreased and there is unlimited enrolment, then, yes, there is an agenda here and that is about saving money.  This could potentially erode the public school system and create a huge gap in quality of education between the private and public schools.  This is not in the best interest for BC students or for society.

 

 Interview and Post interview reflections

The interview was as I expected.  Careful consideration of how this propagandistic BC Education Plan needs to be made.  How will it look in the classroom or in the neighbourhood school? 

The passing of Bill 36 has given away some of the rights of the teachers and the students. The scariest part of this legislation is the change to instructional hours. There is now no minimum number of hours of instruction for prescribed classes of students, schools or educational programs.  This provides freedom, but at what cost?

Although learning online provides fabulous opportunities for students, we need to be vigilant and cautious about delivery models to ensure high standards and quality in educational practices in BC.

The Challenges Faced by DL Schools!

DL schools are a result of a growing systemic movement in education.  They provide an alternate format for education and help create blended program options that are “becoming an embedded educational choice for all teachers and students” (Gauthier 2009).  The potential of DL schools with more choice and access for all students are transforming educational practice.  However, there are a number of challenges.  The first one being that DL schools have greater accountability than traditional schools.  Their unique nature creates additional processes.  Enrolments must be tracked, funding, unique budgetary items, and, of course, staffing agendas and items must be dealt with in a distinct way.  The DL schools must also meet the requirements of the other schools in the district as well as the Ministry’s requirements.

 Because of the decentralized education structure in BC, School Boards are responsible for DL schools and have a great deal of control over individual school funding, hiring practices and delivery.  This results in difference in program quality, and interpretation of standards.  My areas of teaching are biology and learning services. When course development was no longer standardized by the Ministry and courses were developed at the school/district level, there was a shift in paradigm making the market more competitive. This is wonderful in one respect because it allows for teacher development and personalization; however, students may lose out in other ways.  For example, biology 12 is a requirement for many post secondary training programs and if we were able to get a team of experienced biology teachers together to actually write a standardized course, then it would be beneficial for all students across the province.  We could maintain a high standard for online learning and develop something truly great.  However, under the current structure this is not possible.

 This policy change also affects my learning services teaching area because in an effort to adapt course materials for the personalized programs for these students, there are again discrepancies in materials. For instance, Grade 11 AW Math is required for graduation and can be a demanding course for many of my students with learning exceptionalities. It is quite challenging to maintain a high standard and adapt the materials within DL when DL schools are often scrutinized and held more accountable than traditional schools.  How can this be changed? 

Another challenge faced by DL schools is the management of teacher workloads.  There are currently no policies for class size limits in DL.  Improper distribution of students to teachers can quickly erode the delivery, quality and support that each student would receive.  Finally DL schools, like SIDES, have asynchronous enrolment and this has its limitations in personalizing instruction and education.  Students often learn quite a lot from each other in a traditional classroom and with continuous enrolment, where students are all working at a different pace; there is no opportunity for this collaboration.  I could definitely see the benefit of learning cohort groups within the online learning world!

What Does It Mean To Teach And Learn?

Teaching and learning are the assimilation of ideas and reflections upon them that can help create well-rounded individuals.  It involves a practice where by a teacher imparts a way of being and a way of looking at the world that can be transformative to the students. Teaching is linked to who one is and it, therefore, invokes teachers to be self reflective about their processes and how they envisage shaping or helping their students to change or to grow. As a secondary school teacher, this understanding affects my day-to-day teaching practice because it empowers me to challenge my students and invite them to look at the world in a different way. Confronting entrenched ideas and preconceptions of how things are can be difficult, but when students are encouraged to do this, they can cultivate otherwise dormant parts of themselves.  Even if students are not at all interested in my subject area, I find that being passionate and realistic can assist them.

 Using humour and honesty, I enjoy questioning my students and assisting them in their growing body of knowledge.  Being my authentic self, I am firm, but fair and encourage them to see the lighter side of most situations.  Creating a positive atmosphere and building relationships are also pivotal in engaging students.  These attributes can be conveyed in a conventional face-to-face environment and through discussion boards and feedback online.  Online learning is a little more challenging, but I believe that my philosophy to teaching can be applied in this forum as well.  It will just require a little more conscious effort in my part when responding to my students.

Megan Laverty reiterates Socrates philosophy stating “If you don’t conceive of what your teaching to have a transformative effect particularly to your student’s values and experiences, then what your doing doesn’t qualify as teaching” (Laverty 2006).  Teachers have to believe in themselves, their abilities and have passion!  It is inspirational when a teacher can lead with their heart as they wade through curriculum and PLOs and teach the kids.  It is about connecting with the students and this denotes the true essence of this profession. Teaching is a complex process and is one that can be difficult to articulate.  However, I will give it a try! For me, learning has to be experiential and the student and the teacher must be open to change.  The student must be able to visualize what is actually being described and how the material applies to them.  Sometimes the curriculum ideas and concepts can be so abstract that some students have difficulty grasping the concepts being conveyed.  However, when I’m able to reach my students through stories, ideas, examples, video clips, group discussions, research projects then, I feel I’ve done something worthwhile.  Teaching is way of living and being and it is so rewarding on many different levels.  Being a great teacher is about being your unique self with your set of skills, experiences and abilities!  Self-reflection and honesty are key elements that need to be continually visited and re-visited.