Debolina Dutta

Berkeley High School
(Berkeley Unified School District)
2223 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Berkeley, CA  94704

Outdoor Pedagogy and Thoughts and about host

Students have different methods of learning.  Some are tactile, visual, or oral learners.  Unfortunately, our education system does not support all the different types of learners.  Outdoor education not only incorporates numerous methods of learning but is more engaging.  Teaching outdoors allows students to be free and open to learning (which often they don’t realize).  This in turn, makes it fun for me, too!  The environment is what I’m passionate about, so I really enjoy teaching about it.

HOST was great for beginning teachers like me – and experienced ones too!  I couldn’t believe I got to spend my summer outside.  Starting with “What is science?”  took me back to my roots.  I felt like a student.  Although I spent several weeks at Big Creek, I was never bored.  It was a nonstop experience – overwhelming total immersion!” 

The HOST Program gave me increased confidence in being an outdoor science educator.  I learned methods and techniques to teaching often tricky subjects in an eloquent way.  

BIOGRAPHY

HOST Training Site:
NRS’s Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve (administered by UCSC) in Monterey County.

HOST Program Emphases:
Stream quality assessing and indexing, identifying native plants and studying their uses by Native Americans, creating herbarium specimens, and stuffing animal skins for scientific study.

HOST Teaching Materials:
 Roadkill Museum

Selection of Awards:
 AP Institute Certification

Years Teaching: 2

Subjects Taught:
 Biology
 Environmental Science 
 AP Environmental Science 
 Integrated Science 

Personal Motto:
“There is always a better way to get the same thing done.”
“Just chill, you’ll get more done.”

Recommended Websites:
 California Department of Education: https://www.cde.ca.gov/

Hobbies:
 Any water sports
 Hiking
 Biking
 Backpacking
 Traveling
 Snowboarding 
 Capoeira
 Painting