Life as a K-12 student is littered with projects and activities of varying degrees of interest, but we all have at least some fond memories of projects that went right (or hilariously wrong). Papier-Mache volcanoes, miniature suspension bridges, crates that can help eggs survive a two-story fall, and many other projects stand out in our minds because of the time they took, the pride we took in them, and the knowledge that we were able to take away from the experience.
These common experiences of learning subjects, and particularly science, are still prevalent in many schools, although recent initiatives such as Race to the Top (RTTT) and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have encouraged pushing such projects along the path of “college and career readiness.” Many teachers struggle to balance these initiatives with their own desires to make certain that their students know they are more than a growing cog in the economic engine that drives the country, and often larger projects serve as a meeting point of college and career readiness and helping students understand themselves and the world.
From left, Bryan Latchford, Susan Dworsky-Robinson, and Casey O'Hara are the Bren students behind the film "Where the Wonder Went." Credit: Bren SchoolIt is at this meeting point that three UCSB Bren School of Environmental Science & Management graduate students, Bryan Latchford, Susan Dworsky-Robinson, and Casey O’Hara, have entered, camera first, environmental science education at local schools. In order to complete a requirement for the Bren School, the students had to create a film within 10 weeks that could help to change the dialogue around environmental issues.
They decided to use the project as an opportunity to explore the ways in which teachers were engaging their students in learning science. “When I was in school,” said Casey, “my favorite classes were always the ones where we applied our knowledge to projects – not just a paper or a test. The best projects were the ones with no clear answer, that went beyond what was in the textbook.”
With this as their starting point, the group began figuring out how to create a video that would capture the work that students and teachers were doing in science classrooms. “We saw this as a great opportunity to make something not only entertaining but a film that highlighted the importance of great science education in the classroom,” said Bryan, a 2013 graduate of the Bren School.
Creating "Where the Wonder Went" had its ups and downs. “We made many mistakes,” said Casey, a member of the 2014 class, “including video and sound issues with several critical interviews with Bren faculty.” Eventually, however, the group pulled together a clear narrative: “We went from 30 seconds of mediocre footage to a 15-minute film in about a week,” said Casey.
Bryan Latchford, right, met "Bill Nye the Science Guy" at the 2013 Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival. Credit: Smarty PantsThe film, which examines science instruction at Monroe Elementary School in Santa Barbara and at Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy in Goleta, captures teachers helping students bring together scientific concepts and the real world in meaningful ways. Teachers brought this together with “endless enthusiasm about science education,” according to Bryan. The enthusiasm prevented the classes from becoming, as Casey puts it, “a list of facts and equations rather than a process of discovery and wonder.”
"Where the Wonder Went" won the Audience Choice award during the Santa Barbara Digital Film Festival in 2013, and screened twice during the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in early February 2014. “Showing the film in the SB Film Festival was an amazing experience,” said Bryan, “and because the programs we highlighted were local, we received amazing feedback from the SB community.”
The team also hopes to reach out to a wider variety of audiences and encourages them to think creatively about how science can be taught. “We hope it inspires teachers to push past the obstacles that bind them, and bring their passion and excitement into science classrooms at all levels,” said Casey. Bryan agrees: “Working with these teachers has shown me that although the complexities of the educational system can bog down the learning process, there are many opportunities for teachers to break through.”
View "Where the Wonder Went" below.