Recently a parent chaperone asked me, “Do you do this every day?!”
My “yes” response left him shocked.
That time, the question was asked mid-squid dissection. Other more common times are when I am trudging in knee-deep mud with students exploring the marsh or watching bottlenose dolphins leap from the water while out on our research vessel. For me, the squeals of excitement, and even the looks of shock and disgust that often ease and morph into wonder and enjoyment, make it all worth it.
It is especially gratifying when we, as informal educators, have students return for more fun and learning. This week I enjoyed reuniting with several former students from the Birmingham area. Thanks to many dedicated educators and administrators, Hoover City Schools Greystone Elementary and Spain Park High School students are provided multiple opportunities to participate in enriching Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant-supported programs with Discovery Hall Programs at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL).
Education programs promote growth
Greystone, led by principal Dr. Stacey Stocks, and an incredible team of teachers, including long-time Sea Lab champion Stacey Rush, has sent fifth graders to the lab every spring for more than 20 years. They see it not only as a valuable educational experience but also as a time for social and emotional growth for the students. For some of these kids, it is their first time away from their parents and a time to push themselves to try new things.
Greystone visited the lab last week with another fantastic group of students. Led by DISL educators including myself, the students examined the microscopic world of plankton, learned about the history of Dauphin Island, sampled Mobile Bay via a research vessel, explored barrier island habitats and even dissected a squid! The young students were eager to participate in the hands-on, immersive activities and even kept records of key terms and concepts in their journals.
Spain Park teachers brought eager Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science and AP Biology students this week. Since these advanced courses are junior and senior classes, some students can visit the lab two years in a row. It was great to reconnect with familiar faces from last year and catch up. Amongst those faces, I noticed a standout, one of our summer high school students from 2023! Watching her grow up and hearing how much she has been inspired by our programs and about her college plans was a rare treat.
Reinforcement strengthens learning
As educators, we recognize one of the most effective ways for students to learn is by reinforcing concepts multiple times at different points in their educational careers. For fifth grade, much of the information we share is new and exciting. At the high school level, we push students to use what they have learned in class and think more critically about applying concepts in the real world.
We appreciate all the hard work teachers, administrators and parent chaperones put into making their students' visit to the Sea Lab a memorable experience. It is truly a labor of love and one that is often inspired by older generations passing their experiences on. One of the Greystone teachers shared that when she was young, she too had been to the Sea Lab on a field trip. One of her best memories was of the squid dissection, even taking the eyes of the squid home, and keeping them in her drawer for years! One of the Spain Park parents shared how his mother still fondly remembers participating in a teacher workshop in the ‘90s and how she used the specimens collected in that workshop for many years with her students.
The Dauphin Island Sea Lab is an Alabama (and beyond) institution, and the students, teachers and families that have taken part in Discovery Hall Programs are a part of the fabric of that legacy. DHP could not provide these quality programs without support from Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant.
I am proud to be a product of this institution continuing the tradition by providing programs to new and returning students and having my own kids in the program.
Meet the author
JoAnn Moody
Marine Educator, Dauphin Island Sea Lab Discovery Hall Programs
As a marine educator with Dauphin Island Sea Lab Discovery Hall Programs, JoAnn Moody focuses on sharing environmental and Gulf of Mexico literacy with students of all ages. She translates and... Read more
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