Education students mingle with reptiles during visit from alligator sanctuary
Education students were surprised by a visit from the Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary and posed with its 13-foot albino python.
Students in a teaching elementary school science course got to hold some of the critters from the Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary.
Dr. Meredith Reinhart and students held the sanctuary's bearded dragon, Moody.
The visit emphasized for future teachers the impact of hands-on learning in elementary classrooms.
Autumn, an African sulcata tortoise, is 30 years old and could live up to170 years.
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Students from the College of Education and Human Development met new friends during a surprise visit from the in their teaching elementary school science course on April 17. In Dr. Meredith Reinhart's class, students had the chance to learn about the sanctuary and interact with four of its residents.
Located outside of Battle Creek, Michigan, the sanctuary rescues reptiles and amphibians, offering them a safe haven and the care they need to live out their lives in peace. Also serving as an attraction for reptile and amphibian enthusiasts, the Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary is a place for people to have hands-on and up-close opportunities to observe the animals in a semi-natural environment.
The sanctuary visit provided students a learning opportunity about the importance of hands-on learning experiences in their future classrooms.
“We do a lot of hands-on activities in here; I want students to really get a feel of what they’ll be doing in their own classrooms. As they are doing that, they put on their teacher hats and explore all the different things they need to think about as a teacher,” adds Reinhart.
REPTILES
Students in the teaching elementary school science class learned about four different reptiles:
- Kelcee, a two-foot alligator, could grow up to 20 feet long.
- Autumn, an African sulcata tortoise, is 30 years old and could live up to 170 years.
- Titan, a 13-foot albino python, was brought to the sanctuary by a retiring reptile collector in Illinois.
- Moody, a bearded dragon from Australia, is one of the longest in length at the sanctuary.
ABOUT ELEMENTARY EDUCATION AT 51
The elementary education program is designed to prepare candidates to excel as teachers in today’s mosaic of schools and classrooms. Western graduates can be eligible for Michigan’s initial teaching certification for grades PK-3 and 3-6. Earning a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in elementary education allows novice educators to teach all subjects PK-6 in self-contained classrooms. For more information, visit the elementary education program page.
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