Project growth “Growing resources others will take home”

1. Project growth“Growing resources others will take home” Designed and Implemented by Stephen A. Mirto Technology Education Teacher

2. PURPOSE • To introduce students to topics in agriculture and the related fields. • To provide students with an authentic learning experience. • To develop a program that incorporates material from several disciplines. • To allow students to give back to their local community.

3. RESEARCH • Knobloch, Ball and Allen (2007) concluded that through an agriculture program, students will be provided with an authentic learning experience, as well as be exposed to the integration of subjects, as this integration is a key factor in an agriculture program. • Ratcliffe, Merrigan, & Goldberg (2011) concluded that a garden program can be a great method to combine topics from the classroom with the process of growing a garden.

4. POST M.ED. PROGRAM GOALS ADDRESSED • Students will develop a vision for the future of education, a personal critical and creative perspective on issues and changes in education, and several means to adapt to future realities. • Students will demonstrate an understanding of creativity and innovation as applied to education.

5. POST UNIVERSITY M.ED. PROGRAM GOALS ADDRESSED • Students will develop and demonstrate leadership thinking in critical areas of interest within their field. • Students will be able to use selected advanced instructional strategies appropriate for specific learning outcomes.

6. PROJECT DETAILS • This project began with the creation of a new afterschool club. • Students created gardens in the interior courtyard of the school. • All produce will be donated to the local food bank.

7. STUDENT OUTCOMES • Students have demonstrated basic knowledge of growing a garden. • Students have identified how topics from core classes are integrated in the process of producing food. • Students have demonstrated skills necessary to provide regular maintenance of the school gardens. • Students have produced a product that will be donated to their local community.

8. SUBJECT INTEGRATION • Science • Soil PH tests • Weather • Plant Systems • Math • Calculation of expected crop yield • Measurement and record of rainfall • Measurement of plant growth

9. SUBJECT INTEGRATION • Health • Healthy eating habits • Benefits of eating fresh local produce • Technology Education • Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) software for the design of the plan for the school courtyard. • Identification and proper use of tools and equipment

10. TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION • Students used a Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) program to aid in the design for the layout of the school gardens, and also the items or structures to be placed in the gardens. • Students used Power Point to create a presentation documenting the process of creating the school gardens.

11. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION • Permission from school administration was granted prior to the start of this project. • Collaboration between the researcher, the school administration, and the facilities manager made this project possible. • Announcements were used to create awareness of the new afterschool club. • The new school gardens were placed in the interior courtyard of the school. This allowed for protection from animals, easy access to water, and provided added beauty to the school grounds.

12. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION • Lumber used for the creation of the garden boxes was purchased through the Technology Education budget. • The school grounds maintenance department provided the soil for the garden boxes, as well as the mulch for areas without the garden boxes. • Students collected old newspaper to be used as a weed barrier under the mulch. This incorporated a recycling component into the project.

13. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION • A total of four garden boxes were constructed, filled with soil, peat moss, and organic garden soil and compost. • Tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, green squash, and corn were planted in the garden beds. • The plants, seeds, peat moss, and garden soil were donated from a local hardware store and garden shop. • Tools and gloves were provided by the school and the researcher.

14. PLAN FOR PLACEMENT OF SCHOOL GARDENS

15. THE SCHOOL COURTYARD(PRIOR TO GARDENS-TAKEN FROM A SECOND STORY)

16. THE SCHOOL COURTYARD(PRIOR TO THE GARDENS)

17. THE SCHOOL COURTYARD(PRIOR TO THE GARDENS)

18. THE SCHOOL COURTYARD(PRIOR TO THE GARDENS)

19. PULLING THE WEEDS AND CLEANING UP THE COURTYARD

20. COLLECTION OF OLD NEWSPAPERS TO BE USED AS A WEED BARRIER

21. MULCH FOR AREAS WITHOUT GARDEN BOXES

22. PLACEMENT OF THE GARDEN BOXES FOR VEGETABLES

23. GARDEN BOXES FOR VEGETABLE PLANTS

24. TRELLESES FOR PLANTS TO VINE ON

25. TOMATO PLANTS

26. CUCUMBER PLANTS

27. GREEN BEANS

28. GREEN SQUASH

29. VEGETABLES IN THE GARDEN

30. ROSE PLANTS

31. CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATION • Students were provided with an authentic learning experience. • Subject integration was present throughout the project. • Project displays evidence of how educational projects can be taken out into the community.

32. EVALUATION OF PROJECT This Capstone Project was evaluated by the researcher based upon the following three questions: • Is there student interest in the topic of agriculture? • Can students be provided with an authentic learning experience while participating in this program? • Is there a possibility for this project to be expanded in the future?

33. EVALUATION OF PROJECT The answer to all of the questions used to evaluate this project is Yes!

34. EVALUATION OF PROJECT • Is there student interest in the topic of agriculture? • Yes! Students expressed interest in the new school program. As the program developed, more students expressed interest in working in the gardens. Teachers in the school also expressed interest in the project and offered assistance where necessary.

35. EVALUATION OF PROJECT • Can students be provided with an authentic learning experience while participating in this program? • Yes! While completing work on this project, students are addressing real-world problems such as how to help fight hunger in their local community. • Students have also learned valuable skills that will last a lifetime.

36. EVALUATION OF PROJECT • Is there a possibility for this project to be expanded in the future? • Yes! The topic addressed in this Capstone Project can be incorporated as part of the summer studies program that occurs at the middle school. • This project can also be continued and expanded upon at the high school level where students will be able to complete work on more complex material, as well as identify possible careers in the field of agriculture.

37. EXPERIENCES GAINED • The researcher was able to demonstrate the following skills through the completion of this Capstone Project: • Leadership • Creativity • Innovation • Planning • Management

38. POST UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE • Experience in the M.Ed. Program at Post University proven beneficial to the researcher. • M.Ed. Program helped researcher to expand upon creativity and innovation when designing the Capstone Project. • Methods of instruction learned from the M.Ed. Program have proven valuable in classroom instruction, as well as in the development of the Capstone Project.

39. REFERENCES • Knobloch, N.A., Ball, A.L. , & Allen, C. (2007). The benefits of teaching and learning about agriculture in elementary and junior high schools. Journal of Agricultural Education, 48, (3), 25-36. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. • Ratcliffe, M.M., Merrigan, K.A., Rogers, B.L., & Goldberg, J.P. (2011). The effects of school garden experiences on middle school-aged students’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors associated with vegetable consumption. Health Promotion Practice, 12 (1), 36-43. Retrieved from Google Scholar.