Aha Moments in Adaptability

Going digital is not what Keara Sandy had in mind when she decided to become a teacher in hopes of connecting kids with nature.

But when her first practicums switched from classroom to screen, two University of Idaho educators united to help students pivot.

U of I Extension EducatorJim Ekins leads water science lessons as the regional partner for Project WET (Water Education Today). He shares the curriculum with Professor Tonia Dousay’s students every year, but the hands-on nature of his lessons conflicted with pandemic protocols.

So, Sandy and her classmates adapted the Project WET content for interactive distance models they could deliver virtually.

My aha moment was when one of the students said, ‘This is fun!’ Keara Sandy

“My aha moment was when one of the students said, ‘This is fun!,” said Sandy. “I thought, ‘This is why I’m doing this.”

Sandy’s digital delivery inspired other Project WET educators, and the lesson in adaptability is one she’ll carry into her teaching career.

“A remote approach to education won’t limit a student’s ability to interact with their environment,” Sandy said. “We have so many platforms and resources to foster curiosity in the world around them.”

Article by Katie Marshall, University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene.

Published in the Spring 2021 issue of Here We Have Idaho.