Building Respectful and Ethical Minds with Discovery's Board Builder

Howard Gardner (2008) reminds readers that our ethical and respectful minds are not limited to our workplace or school. He challenges us to ask ourselves “What are my rights, obligations, and responsibilities? What does it mean to be a citizen of my community, my region, my planet?” (Gardner, 2008, p. 129). Being careful stewards of our natural resources is an important part of being respectful global citizens. Recognizing the importance of conserving and protecting our renewable and nonrenewable resources is a worldwide responsibility. As President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1937) said, “the nation that destroys the soil destroys itself.” If we do not protect our soil, our water, or our forests, the impact will be devastating.

To help students build their ethical minds, Howard Gardner (2008), encourages teachers to help students “understand why they are learning what they are learning and how this knowledge can be put to constructive use” (p. 142). Using the Discovery Education Board Builder to teach about natural resources will help students to understand the impact of natural resources, why they have a personal responsibility to care for the Earth, and how they can work toward a healthier environment.

Discovery Education’s Board Builder is an easy to use tool that allows teachers and students to create digital bulletin boards that incorporate videos, audio files, images, text, writing prompts, quizzes, and other documents. It may require a bit of trial and error, but with a bit of persistence, Discovery’s Board Builder will prove itself a useful tool. There are many ways a teacher can choose to use Board Builder in their classroom. I created a Board discussing Natural Resources for an introductory lesson to the Human-Environment Interaction Unit in my 7th-grade World Geography and Cultures class. I was able to include videos from Discovery Education’s collections, images, and a writing prompt on the conservation of natural resources. I also added links to a few outside links to further explain and show the importance of natural resources

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Multimedia boards, such as Discovery Educations’s Board Builder, gives teachers the flexibility to create boards on any topic for multiple uses. Learning about natural resources helps students develop their respectful and ethical minds as they learn to be responsible global citizens who care for our Earth’s limited resources. They develop their ethical mind as they grow to understand the impact natural resources have on Earth’s people and why it is important to protect and preserve these resources.

My Board: https://app.discoveryeducation.com/player/view/assetGuid/5489AD00-0676-7A61-51F7-3C7E267B54CF

Resources:

Gardner, H. (2008). Five Minds for the Future. Harvard Business School Press: Boston, MA.

iPiccy.com (n.d) Photo maker. Collage maker. Graphic design. Retrieved from https://ipiccy.com/

Roosevelt, F. D. (1935, January 29). Statement on being awarded the shlich forestry medal. [Statement]. The American Presidency Project. Retrieved from http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=14913.

Roosevelt, F. D. (1937, February 26). Letter to all state governors on uniform soil conservation law. [Letter]. The American Presidency Project. Retrieved from http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=15373

Originally Posted on my Wilkes Blog: http://wilkes.discoveryeducation.com/kristenmccarty/2017/12/04/building-respectful-and-ethical-minds-with-discoverys-board-builder/