Here are some suggested responses that meet the portfolio requirements.  Keep in mind, these are only suggestions to get you started.  Feel free to use any work that demonstrates mastery of the competencies.

Essays

Essay: Inquiry

Describe the key ideas about the nature of inquiry.  Discuss how inquiry leads to critical thinking and problem solving skills, and how can it be used in the field of environmental education.

Essay: Environmental Issue Analysis

Select a current local environmental issue to analyze.

The essay should identify:

• At least 3 accurate and reliable journal articles, scientific publications, or valid news articles that were used as resources for investigating the issue(1.1.2)
• A local environmental issue
• Natural, cultural, historical, and scientific aspects of the issue
• Processes or systems (i.e., biological change; cycles, physical processes that shape the earth, and energy flow; biodiversity; cultural, political and economic systems; human interactions with the environment; and ecological consequences) related to the issue
• Different sides and perspectives of the issue
• Societal values that play a role in the issue
• Key players and stakeholders and their positions related to the issue
• Situations or actions that created or caused the issue
• Possible strategies and/or actions for preventing or resolving the issue
• Possible consequences for action on the issue
• Methods, strategies, or activities to empower learners to take action on this issue

 

Essay:  Environmental Education Research

Discuss one current environmental education research study and the impact of it on your practice or understanding about environmental education.  Include the research citation.

Note: include examples of where you can get research in assessment

 

Professional Development

For one professional development opportunity you participated in within the last year, explain:

• Why you chose to participate in that professional development
• How you applied what you learned professionally, and
• How the training benefit you professionally

List active participation/membership in an EE Organization (i.e. CAEE/ NAAEE/ NAI/ CAST/etc.) or network (local group of environmental educators or community groups).

 

Essay: Programming Evaluation

Describe the importance and application of evaluation for both formative and summative purposes in environmental education programming.

 

Short Answer

Short Answer: Goals of Environmental Education

Explain:

• the goals of EE, the major components of environmental literacy and the characteristics of EE that make it a distinct field based on an international, national, or another document(s) of your choice (i.e., Belgrade Charter (UNESCO-UNEP, 1976), Tbilisi Declaration (UNESCO, 1978), Agenda 21 (UNCED, 1992), NPEEE Guidelines, Note: add short menu of important documents)
• how the applicant is working towards accomplishing at least one goal of the Colorado Environmental Education Master Plan

 

Short Answer: Identifying resources

• Identify two national and two state EE providers and support services.
• Indicate how each entity can benefit you in your environmental education efforts (funding, resources, speakers, field experiences, workshops, etc.).

 

Short Answer: Influencing Environmental Education

Explain how school policies, state or local mandates, or federal legislation influence your EE efforts.

 

Short Answer: Partnership

Identify a current or potential partnership with an organization/program and the benefits of that collaboration.

 

Short Answer: Two Hats

Read "Two Hats," by John Hug and respond to the following questions:

How do the "two hats" differ? When is it appropriate and when inappropriate to wear each of these hats? Describe a scenario for wearing each hat. Where have you worn each hat? Why is it important to be aware of which hat you are wearing in any given situation?

 

Other Evidence

Resource Review

Participate in resource review training, submit a resource for review, and/or become a reviewer

 

Letter of Reference

Include a letter of reference from a colleague that describes examples of the applicants’ responsible, respectful and reasoned behavior.

 

Program Outline or Lesson Plan and Reflection

Submit at least 2 program outlines or lesson plans with the following details:

1. Content:

• Accurate and balanced information that explores multiple sides of the issue (if appropriate). 
  
• Include material and/or information specific to the state of Colorado and/or a region within Colorado (for at least one lesson/program). 
  
• Topics for the two lessons/programs should represent two different aspects of environmental education (i.e. science, social, issue, system, or action aspects).
  
• Identify local references, informational factual references, or other references used to create the lesson/program.

Strategies to encourage learners to gain/explore different perspectives, form their own opinions and support their beliefs
A defined learning cycle.
Defined opportunities for audience participation, feedback and/or opinions. 
Describe the appropriate location and setting for the lesson/program. The location/setting for the two lessons/programs should reflect two different kinds of locations/settings (e.g., indoor and outdoor)
Amount of time appropriate for the lesson/program.

2. Identify the materials required for the program and where and/or how they will obtain them.

3. Audience: Describe the audience and plan to make the topic relevant to this audience. The audience for the two lessons/programs should reflect two different types of learners (e.g, ages, abilities and backgrounds). Content and activities are age and audience appropriate.

4. Teaching Strategies: Identify the teaching strategies and learning styles and modalities that are employed in the lesson/program (e.g., inquiry, cooperative learning, etc.), and reasoning for their use.  Describe multiple disciplines addressed and integrated.

5. Instructional tools and technologies: List instructional tools and technologies used to support instructional goals and engage students.

6. Safety/Preparation: Explain the consideration made to ensure a safe learning environment for the lesson/program.

7. Prior Knowledge and Experience Assessment: List the concepts important to assess prior to the lesson/program and how the concepts will be assessed.   Include how common misconceptions revealed in the Prior Knowledge Assessment will be addressed in the lesson /program.

8. Theme, Goals and Objectives: Include a theme or goal statement and objectives for the instruction.

9. Standards: Identify the Colorado state standards and/or NAAEE Guidelines for learning addressed by each lesson/program.  Where applicable, each lesson plan or program outline  should address standards in at least (2) disciplines

10. Responsibility, stewardship and action: One of the lesson plans or program outlines includes an opportunity for personal and civic action and responsibility, stewardship, etc.

11. Evaluation:  Identify how the program goals and objectives will be evaluated.  (Formal and non-formal evaluation, authentic, activities, etc.) Identify times and opportunities to assess the student learning/progress.

 

Reflection Section (Post Instruction)

Reflect on instruction experiences and provide short answers to the following questions:

• What teaching strategies have worked best?  Why?
• Which strategies were least effective?  Why? And what would you do differently?
• How did you integrate multiple disciplines?
• How do you excite and engage the audience?
• Describe a teachable moment that came up during a lesson/program and how you taught in the moment.
• Describe one moment when you were distracted by the learner and how you handled the situation.
• How have  you incorporated opportunities for the learners to have first-hand experience of the world around them?
• How did you  incorporate the learners’ prior knowledge and experience to make the topic relevant? 
• How were learners’ conclusions and decisions influenced by different assumptions and interpretations about the environment?
• What did you learn from your pre-program assessment or formative assessment that resulted in a change in your lesson/program?  What changes did you make?
• How did you change your instruction or delivery as a result of information that you learned from a formative program assessment?
• How did you change your instruction or delivery as a result of information that you learned from a summative program assessment?
• How did you change your lesson/program, instruction or delivery as a result of evaluation?