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I am a science educator and researcher at Oregon State University where I coordinate the Professional Teacher Education Masters Program for science and mathematics teachers. I earned my Ph.D. in Science Education at OSU in 2009. I am interested in the ways in which secondary science teachers My research agenda centers on teachers’ understanding of authentic scientific practice and the enactment of these understandings in the science classroom. My focus in this area stems from my interest in the history of science and the science studies literature. Both provide insights into the nature of past and current scientific practice. I am currently examining this issue along a teachers’ professional trajectory: as an undergraduate STEM major, as a preservice teacher, and as an inservice teacher, with the ultimate goal of providing science teachers with the understandings and pedagogical tools to provide an authentic image of scientific practice to their students.
My coursesfocus on the preparation of new science teachers. I currently teach a two-term science pedagogy and technology course that examines core instructional activities and practices for novice science teachers. I also teach courses in the nature of science, the history of science, the use of technology in the science and mathematics classroom, and several general pedagogy courses. Please click on ‘Courses‘ above for a complete list.
Recently I worked in Namibia with the Cheetah Conservation Fund as their education coordinator working on both local and international conservation education projects (see article). It has also been a wonderful base with which to explore southern Africa! For two summers I co-taught a course in great cat conservation in Namibia in which U.S. teachers learned about local conservation efforts and worked with local educators to form partnerships to enrich both classrooms. The past two summers I co-taught a similar course to the island of Trinidad and next year will co-teach a course in Borneo. These courses are offered through Earth Expeditions, an organization housed at Miami University that offers unique opportunities for U.S. teachers centering around environmental education and outreach.
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