OMG Attends the Georgia Science Teachers Association 2012 Conference

Olivia and Carter were recently invited to conduct a workshop about their Plastic Awareness Week curriculum program for the attendees at the 2012 Georgia Science Teachers Association Conference held at the Hyatt Hotel in Atlanta GA.

GSTA is a non-profit organization that seeks to help expand the levels of student achievement. They are the premier organization for sharing best practices in science education in the state of Georgia. Their primary means of networking and collaboration occurs each year at the annual conference.

The Georgia Science Teachers Association supports quality teaching and learning which result in high levels of student achievement. An assessment phase is an essential part of any teaching and learning cycle, and student achievement in science should be evidenced by fair and multiple student assessments. The design and selection of these assessments must reflect best teaching practices which ensure that students:

• Understand essential science content.
• Use science processes and skills.
• Think critically and solve problems.
• Design scientific investigations, collect and analyze data, and draw conclusions.
• Articulate relationships between classroom science and real world problems and issues.

The Plastic Awareness Week curriculum was designed by teachers (with Carter and Olivia’s guidance) to address each of these teaching practices while affording the student the opportunity to learn about the issues of Plastic Pollution.

Here is more on the program:

Purpose: The purpose is to provide factual information about the all types of plastic pollution we create here in America and to suggest simple changes each one of us can incorporate into our daily lives which will have an immediate impact on our environment.

Program Objectives:

• To provide environmental education which is interdisciplinary; reading, writing, science and social studies
• To present information in a balanced and unbiased manner
• To provide data that is relevant to the students which has a direct impact on their lives
• To relate learning about environmental topics to real-world issues
• To make use of the outdoors as a learning environment
• To inspire critical thinking and decision making
• To motivate students and their parents to take responsible action
• To aid the school in developing students to become lifelong learners

Outcomes:

• Raising awareness and sensitivity to the environment and environmental challenges
• Changing attitudes towards the environment and motivating students to seek improvement opportunities that will affect environmental quality
• Fostering the skill-set which will help students identify and resolve environmental challenges
• Encouraging participation in activities that lead to the resolution of local and global environmental challenges
• Fostering environmental literacy

We have conducted our Plastic Awareness Week program in schools across the country and are in the process launching our program to schools nationwide. This is just another part of reaching out to the communities to affect change.  You can our program in action by visiting the following links:

Sophia Academy Features OMG “Plastic Awareness Week” Program

SKA Academy of Art and Design’s Plastic Awareness Program

EEA Outdoor Learning Symposium

Huddleston Elementary ‘After School Program’ Talks Trash

If you would like to learn more about our program, please send us an email or give us a call and we will gladly help answer all your questions.

We wish to thank all the attendees at the GSTA Conference for attending our workshop.  Olivia and Carter look forward to working with your schools.

Best regards from the entire OMG Team 😉