2024 FFT Fellow - PBL

The Jelly Belly Factory was only three miles from our hotel, so we decided to make an impromptu visit on our last free day in Napa. Boy, was it ever a sweet treat and well worth our time! This factory definitely fell within all of the STEAM fields. The fields of science, technology, engineering, art, and math were all obviously relevant from the start to the finish of this wonderful tour. John and I donned on our cute little Jelly Belly caps and began our self-guided tour. First, we learned about Jelly Belly slurry. Slurry is the liquid base which makes up the inside of every jelly bean. The ingredients include sugar, water, corn syrup, and corn starch. One kettle of slurry makes the centers of 200,000 jelly beans. Jelly Belly was the first company to put flavoring into the slurry and not just the outside shell to give them that intense flavor. Once the main slurry is made, colors and flavors are added to make 50 official flavors . They also have non-traditional and seasonal flavors...

Joy is . . . beauty, aesthetics, creativity, art, music, wellness, healing, peace, happiness, self-determination, collaboration, wonder, laughter, imagination, care, advocacy, and love in the self and humanity. Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, keynote speaker Igniting Joy Through PBL was the theme of this year's project-based learning conference. I certainly found the joy of learning on this trip - both in the conference and in exploring many activities and sights in Napa Valley. The conference was held at American Canyon High School . This campus was amazing! The library, cafeteria, and classrooms were located in buildings set around a large open space with multiple tables, benches, and seating options. The school has beautiful baseball, soccer, and football fields, as well as an outdoor swimming pool. As a former swimmer and diver, I would have loved that pool. Although it definitely would have been a bit too cold during the winters in Boise, Idaho. I participated in a new science P...

John and I arrived at the Sonoma Botanical Garden after my second day attending the PBL World 2024 conference. The botanical garden is northwest of Sonoma in Glen Ellen. Having arrived right at closing time, we did not have a lot of time to explore the gardens. I wandered through the Asian Woodlands area and saw several unfamiliar trees with the exception of a dogwood tree. I can imagine how peaceful it would be to take an afternoon and wander through the grounds. The quiet sounds of nature and the gentle fountain bring such a sense of peace, calmness, and well-being. The Sonoma Botanical Garden offers a special event called Acoustic Sunsets on Wednesday evenings throughout the summer. Each week it hosts a different musician and a different sponsor. On June 26, Clay Bell played both the acoustic guitar and ukele as Aaron Durr accompanied him on the keyboard. I loved the songs and wanted to sing along with them. Some of my favorite songs included "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved B...

On Monday, I discovered my dream job. Someday, I am going to become an e-bike tour guide. Although I don't see that happening any time soon, it was so much fun that I honestly can't think of a better job. I was outside enjoying nature, meeting and chatting with people from all over the world, eating a delicious lunch from Bichon Bakery, visiting two wineries, and biking. Can you think of a more perfect way to spend a day? We started our Napa Valley Bike Tour in Yountville, California. Our tour guide, Don, led Georgian guests Tara and Brian and my husband, John, and me on a six-hour tour. Don was very knowledgeable about the history of the area. He also shared interesting facts about the flora and fauna. We rode Specialized Electric Bikes, which are equipped with different levels of pedal-assist (Turbo, Sport, and Eco) and a system to help you ride on flat stretches and hills. This was our first e-biking experience, and we both loved it! This might be the way to get John out ...

"Oh, what a beautiful morning! Oh, what a beautiful day!" Boy, do I ever feel like busting out in song right now. However, maybe I should change the song from Oklahoma! by Rodgers and Hammerstein to Lavender's Blue by Benjamin Britten since I was at a lavender farm. No matter which song you choose, though, it was a delightful morning at Charsaw Farms , located in Napa, California. This 3.5-acre farm is owned by Doug and Julie Thompson. Here I participated in a lavender wreath class along with nine other women. We first met our lovely host, Julie Thompson, in the lavender fields where she briefly described the lavender operation. Twenty-six varieties of lavender are grown right here on the farm. Some of the varieties are ideal for essential oils. Others are better for baking. I picked two different varieties of English lavender for my wreath - Grosso and Super. Lavender grows best in sandy, nutrient-poor, well-drained soil that is mounded to keep the roots from s...

Five years ago, I wrote and received a professional development grant through Fund for Teachers (FFT) and became a 2019 FFT Fellow. Through this experience, I traveled to Costa Rica and studied for a full month! It was a truly life-changing experience. If you are interested in learning about my past fellowship as well, you can read my Costa Rica blog .  I wanted to use another FFT Fellowship to build my knowledge of life science and incorporate my learning and teaching through multiple STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) fields. So in January 2024, I applied to become a FFT Fellow. I am so excited to announce that I am a 2024 Fund for Teacher Fellow !  My fellowship goal is to “Attend the PBL World 2024 conference in Napa, California, while deepening my knowledge of Project Based Learning. This would help me to incorporate multiple STEAM subjects through PBL, fully engaging students while also introducing them to potential STEAM careers.” During my amaz...