Image clips of our final project website, a nonprofit called Our Diverse Earth
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OUR FINAL PROJECT WAS A PERFECT WAY TO EXEMPLIFY EVERYTHING I LEARNED OVER THE SEMESTER. IT COMBINED CROSS DISCIPLINARY LEARNING, TEAM COLLABORATION, INNOVATION, TO ATTEMPT A SOLUTION TO THE WICKED PROBLEMS THAT NATIVE AND HONEYBEES ARE FACING TODAY. OUR TEAM USED A GREAT COMBINATION OF ART AND SCIENTIFIC THINKING. For our final project, we chose to combat the complex “wicked” problem of biodiversity. We studied closely, the impact that biodiversity has on native and honeybee populations. As a group, we went back and forth on how to combat this problem, very quickly we came to understand the complexity of the subject. We were about to turn back and settle on a different or easier subject, but that is when we came up with our idea to create lasting impact on biodiversity through small- and large-scale change. I am extremely proud of the work we did for this project. I learned the most about bees, nature, and biodiversity during this project. We worked together to create the most realistically attainable, yet innovative, nonprofit foundation that helps everyday people make backyard change and helps farmers fight monocultures and lack of diversity on their farms. This project alone created a new way of thinking, artistically and scientifically. This cross functional thinking was completely new for me at the beginning of the semester, and by the end during this project I was confident in thinking and collaborating with others in more than one lense.
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Throughout the semester I learned how to incorporate documentaries, podcasts, arts-based inquiry, scientific research, engineering, design, prototyping and reflection into understanding the complex problems that the worlds bees are facing today. We developed interdisciplinary skills through teamwork and collaboration with peers and guest speakers. We practiced in 3D modeling, 3D printing, and laser cutting. Learning in such unconventional ways made me excited to learn, understand, and be challenged. It was an amazing opportunity to work in cross-disciplinary teams, something completely new in my tool belt. I’ve never worked with another major before, it was a challenge, but once we got used to it, we excelled in ways that weren’t possible alone. Working with a wide variety of majors helped me to understand different perspectives, different philosophies of thought, and how to bring my strengths to the table. I originally joined this course because I had an interest and family connections to beekeeping. By the time the semester was over, I had learned about bees, but most of all I learned gained skills in modes of inquiry and so many new ways to research, problem solve, and innovative in my own fields of study.
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