FFT Fellow Chris Smith and 15 of his students recently hosted the first Chicago Immigrant Refugee Resource Fair at Mather High School. The story behind the event, shared below by Chris, demonstrates the true ripple effect of a Fund for Teachers grant. This high school music teacher designed a fellowship to attend the Blas International Summer School of Irish Traditional Music and Dance at the University of Limerick to enrich orchestra curriculum by integrating elements of Irish folk music, ensemble skills, and improvisation. He shares the progression of learning from there below. We are proud of you and your students, Chris!

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“I have continued my study of Irish traditional music since 2013 when I was awarded the FFT fellowship, which was transformative to my teaching in many ways. Not only have I incorporated lessons that I learned in my teaching strategy, but my support from FFT has led to many more opportunities for me and my students

Last summer, I attended the Swannanoa Gathering outside Asheville, NC, to again study under Martin Hayes, a teacher from Blas. I also received a small grant from the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, which I used to host a lecture/performance and workshop by members of the Irish Music School of Chicago.

Additionally, I was inspired at write a grant proposal (which was funded) which allowed for a residency at Mather High School by renowned traditional Irish performer Kathleen Keane. Over the course of two months, Kathleen visited Mather to perform and work with a small group of motivated orchestra students. She taught them a set of traditional jigs which they performed in concert.

Because of my FFT experience, I was also awarded the Teaching for Global Classrooms fellowship by the US State Department. In summer 2016, I traveled to India and, in part, taught music at a school in Vadodara, Gujarat.

Visit this website Chris created to document FFT fellowship in Limerick, as well as another site, including access to his resulting unit and lesson plans, following his TGC fellowship.

Based on my TGC fellowship, I was able to apply to then attend a conference for alumni of government sponsored international travel. As a participant, I was invited to apply for money to create a project on the subject of inclusion. I was awarded a grant from the State Department to organize and implement the Inaugural ChiUnderOneRoof: Chicago Immigrant and Refugee Resource Fair.  My students and I hosted hosted 25 local community organizations who work to support our immigrant and refugee population.

Parenthetically, since my fellowship, my wife has been awarded a fellowship along with one of her coworkers and three teachers at my school. These are just a few of the things that have resulted from the opportunities afforded me by Fund for Teachers.”

Click here to read Chris’ description of how planning the resource fair impacted him and his students.

https://youtu.be/YBqWNcvOd08?t=1s

Margret Atkinson’s language arts students in Zachary, LA, lead a double life. When not studying literature on historic and contemporary Upstanders, they operate an Educational Corporation aimed at engaging communities on the importance of choices that honor others. Initial investments by Donors Choose and Think It Up seeded the creation of their The Upstander Brand, a six-department, student-run business that produces bookmarks, stickers and wristbands advocating for empathy in action. To date, students have raised $1,000, splitting revenue between capital costs and donations to St. Jude’s Children Research Medical Hospital and the American Cancer Society.

“Students are learning skills essential for success in the 2020 workplace, as articulated by the World Economic Forum,” said Margret, who researched World War II Upstanders across Europe on two Fund for Teachers fellowships. “They’re learning cognitive flexibility, critical thinking and emotional intelligence while cultivating their own autonomy and moral paradigms.”

See students interviewed about their Upstander Brand by the CBS affiliate in Baton Rouge, LA.

Seventh and eighth graders founded the nonprofit in 2016 after deeply resonating with Margret’s fellowship research rooted in the Holocaust.  Students now self-select one of six departments at the beginning of the school year to create products, forge collaborative community relationships, and produce podcasts, newsletters and blog posts about their mission to create global good.

Meet The Upstander Brand’s leadership team on the video above, produced by the PR/Marketing team and visit Margret’s website to learn more about her fellowships and their role in catalyzing student impact.

Today, 42 women will be sworn into Congress, the most in US history.  Susan B. Anthony and her British counterpart, Emmeline Pankhurst, would be proud of these activists, and also students of Eric Reid-St. John’s at Spain Park High School in Hoover, AL.

With his Fund for Teachers grant, Eric researched Anthony, Pankhurst and the suffrage movement they incited. While in London, he found in Trafalgar Square the location of the 1908 rally for which Mrs. Pankhurst was arrested (pictured). He also studied with three avant-garde theatres, laying the groundwork for his students’ creation of a play about Lady Constance Lytton, an English aristocrat who disguised herself as a working woman to support suffragettes. “Through research, I found that I could relate a lot to Constance,” said Rachel Ponder, who played the lead. “However, most of all, I was so in awe of her dedication towards the suffrage movement. Being a part of this creative process has inspired me both as a woman and as a human being.”

Ponder and 23 students representing each grade spent three months researching the suffrage movement in the United States and Britain before collaborating on a script and set. Each performer created a character journal comprised of photos, newspaper articles and other primary resources they uncovered. An Oxford professor who authored a book on Lytton Skyped into class to inform students’ research, as well.

“Current events were on my mind when I began this process and they continue to bring about a sense of urgency surrounding women’s rights,” said Eric. “My students took the history of this topic and explored its correlation with today’s headlines. They created a story that allowed people to see that the expansion of equal rights is the natural progression of a free society.”

Reviews are in, and at a state theatre competition, Ponder won Best Actress, her cast mates won Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Ensemble and Deeds Not Words was named Best in Show.

One could say that Harriet Tubman founded the Black Lives Matter movement. After escaping from a Maryland plantation in 1849, she helped establish the Underground Railroad and became its most renowned “conductor.” Almost 170 years later, Houston students take their own Tubman-inspired trek during school-wide “Freedom Nights.”

Students from Quail Valley Elementary and Burton Elementary spend several months each year researching abolitionists and Civil Rights activists in preparation for a community evening during Black History Month. Civic leaders, educators and parents then recreate an Underground Railroad through a network of “stations” with activities and presentations: The music teacher leads freedom songs and spirituals; an Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority member discusses freedom quilts; and a local storyteller shares slaves’ oral histories. Students’ journey ends at a “Freedom Wall” on which they write what freedom means to them.

“Even students who weren’t African America became interested in their ancestry, which led to a larger study of birth places, culture and a realization that their heritage, Black or not, matters,” said Tawanna Cherri, an FFT Fellow. “A desire to share in someone’s story is not innate, but has to be sparked from within. Our Freedom Nights are the spark we need to explore and embrace each other’s cultures.”

To date, more than 1,000 students have participated in Freedom Nights, the vision of four Fund for Teachers Fellows who used their grant to research the Underground Railroad’s final station, known as “Midnight” (Detroit) to “Dawn” (Canada). Tawanna, Brooke Wilson, Destiny Parker and Kelly Caldwell designed this fellowship after realizing their students’ disconnect from their connection to this history.

To learn more about this team’s fellowship, click here.

It’s the New Year’s Eve song most of us mumble through, but the English translation of “Auld lang syne” is “times gone by.” Looking back over the year in fellowships, our grant recipients spent their time actively pursuing what they determined will best impact student achievement. Specifically,

• 546 prek-12 school teachers
• completed fellowships on 6 continents
• in 88 countries
• now leveraging $2.1 million in Fund for Teachers grants
• into amplified learning in 321 public private and charter schools across America
• with approximately 11,000 students.

Fund for Teachers is proud of the way our Fellows transform learning communities after dreaming big and clicking “Submit” on the FFT application. Enjoy this homage to our dedicated 2017 Fellows and to all we wish a new year of interests and impact!

Three exceptional FFT Fellows made time amidst grading tests and hosting classroom parties to share with us their year in review.

• Sydney Chaffee spent 2017 on sabbatical from Boston’s Codman Academy Charter Public School to represent the Council of Chief State School Officers as the National Teacher of the Year. In 2011, she used her Fund for Teachers grant to witness post apartheid-era restorative justice efforts in South Africa to inform her school’s Fairness Committee and justice-centered curriculum. Watch her interviews on ABC News and CBS This Morning.
• This year, the state of Oklahoma recognized Donna Gradel as its Teacher of the Year. Donna teaches high school environmental science in Broken Arrow, OK, and is a two-time FFT Fellow. Watch her talk about her students’ work that garnered the attention of MIT and took them to Kenya to build an aquaponics system for an orphanage.
• Ashli Dreher, a 2016 FFT Fellow, was one of five inductees into the National Teachers Hall of Fame this year. With her grant, Ashli attended the International Conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs in Linz, Austria, to investigate assistive technology solutions implemented with differently-abled students in school, community and transitional work experiences, to learn strategies for integrating these devices locally.

 

Goals Accomplished

Sydney: One goal I accomplished this year was being brave enough to take a stand by speaking and writing publicly on issues that matter to me–like the role of social justice in education or  the importance of white teachers talking about race–even when I knew some people would strongly disagree with me.

 

Donna: One of my goals for the year came to fruition in the form of a new class I was able to design and teach at our high school. The name of the class is Innovative Research. Student groups research an area of interest and try to help solve a local, national or international problem.  Some of the projects include mentoring and buddy reading programs utilizing high school bilingual students paired with elementary English Language Learners to increase proficiency scores, designing a motor room for autistic students to increase student engagement, sustainable chicken farming and feed for developing countries, bio-decomposition of Styrofoam, and sustainable non-conventional energy sources.

 

Ashli: What a busy year! I completed the work in a second certificate area of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in the Exceptional Needs Specialist area, and I also successfully defended my dissertation proposal. Inside the Classroom, a television show I produce and host weekly, was selected for national Hometown Media Awards in 2017 for excellence in public broadcasting and has expanded to an audience of 12.5 million on local cable. Episodes focus on individual teachers, their teaching careers, and the creative ways in which they engage their students in the classroom.

2018 Goals

Sydney: Next year, I hope to increase my students’ engagement with people beyond our school, both within the local community and globally.

 

Sydney (right) was the keynote speaker at the University of Central Oklahoma’s annual Honoring a Noble Profession event, where Donna Gradel caught up with her for a photo.

Donna: A personal goal I have accomplished was to give more of my time to volunteer to help those with special needs. In the classroom, I hope my students will be engaged in successful learning and the research projects they have undertaken. We have also begun a collaboration between the city of Broken Arrow and our school district to help test, monitor and improve water quality in all the Broken Arrow streams and ponds throughout our city and parks. I hope to see my students working with city engineers, architects and storm water specialists to help improve our local environment.

 

Ashli: Next year I want to continue to develop innovative, student-centered thematic units that expand the world view of our students. As a FFT fellow, I had the opportunity to visit the Manor School in London, and I am working on preparing grants to implement the flexible seating arrangements we experienced while visiting their classrooms. After observing students with autism using flexible seating at the Manor School, I think my students with special needs would benefit from having flexible seating arrangements.

 

Bonus Question – What are you reading?

Sidney: I read a lot of good books this year, but one that stuck with me was Michael Eric Dyson’s Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America. Next on my list is Ayiti, by Roxane Gay.

 

Donna: For enjoyment, Dust Bowl Girls about the history of women’s basketball in Oklahoma was my favorite. In Order to Live, the journey of North Korean Yeonmi Park is on my list for next month.

Fund for Teachers wishes all of our grant recipients and those whom they impact a happy holiday and year full of learning adventures.

On this day in in 1095, Pope Urban II called all Christians in Europe to war against Muslims and regain the Holy Land, beginning the first of nine crusades. Two Chicago Public School teachers/Fund for Teachers Fellows have set out on a related, conciliatory quest rooted in culture. We share their student impact below…

 

 

 

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Sounds of clay drums filled the air as visitors strolled among stalls of Islamic art, stopping to have their names written in Arabic. A storyteller shared tales of adventure in one corner as craftsmen carved woodblock animals in another. The musicians, calligraphers, storytellers and artisans weren’t occupying a Moroccan souk, but rather an Arabic Fine Arts Night in the cafeteria of an urban Chicago elementary school.

Earlier that year, art teacher Shana Pearlmutter (Bell Elementary) and Arabic teacher, Mohamed Danja (Lane Tech College Prep) documented with a Fund for Teachers grant the effects of tourism, global development and poverty on the ancient culture of Morocco. Shana’s students recreated art forms researched on her fellowship and both Shana and Mohamed’s students crafted personal biographies to exchange with young women the teachers volunteered with in Marrakesh. Mohamed’s Arabic students continue to write pen pal letters with their Moroccan peer, with whom they also participate in a video conferencing/global awareness project.

“Through relationships we forged during our fellowship in Morocco, we have now an international troop of artisans, students, teachers and collaborators dedicated to helping us promote a cross-cultural dialogue about society, stereotypes and prejudices between students in Marrakech and ours in Chicago,” said Shana.

View this slideshow of images from the Arabic Fine Arts Night.

Inspired by their new global literacy, eighth graders graduating from Bell Elementary decided to dedicate their school’s 100th birthday year to combating hunger and inequality as outlined in the United Nations Global Goals for Sustainability in 2030. Every K-8 student pledged to support the UN Global Goals and, on UN Global Buddy Day, partnered with peers from different grades to discuss their intentions for changing the world. Their written pledges eventually comprised a permanent “Change the World” mural.

“My experiences in Mr. Danja’s Arabic class were instrumental in my continuing to study the language in college,” said Seth Davis, a former Lane Tech Arabic student. “By making the Maghrebi culture part of the class and collaborating with the festival at Bell Elementary, he tied the teaching of language into the appreciation of culture. We were exposed to fantastic artists and craftspeople and I still listen to the music he introduced to me in class and at the Bell event.”

This winter, Bell Elementary and Lane Tech will host in Chicago a peer met in Marrakech, coming to shadow their classes and share with students more about life in a Muslim country.

“This work keeps me going,” said Shana. “I love making connections that build awareness and cultural bridges.”

To learn more about this fellowship, visit the blog Shana and Mohamed maintained for students to follow throughout the experience.

Pam Ulicny’s students are capturing lightening in a bottle. Using solar energy kits and curriculum she created, students in the heart of coal country are bringing photovoltaic energy to peers around the world through online tutorials.

In 2013, Pam developed a STEM curriculum for her students to make solar powered lanterns using an upcycled glass or plastic jar. She then manufactured the lanterns as kits accompanied by lab manuals and supplemental activities, which she also wrote. Two years later on a Fund for Teachers fellowship, Pam introduced the project to impoverished youth in South Africa to help them learn STEM/business skills, increase hours of productivity, and eliminate fire hazards related to kerosene lanterns.

Building on Pam’s experiences, her students at Tri-Valley Jr/Sr High in Hegins, PA, now serve as online ambassadors for alternative energy. They regularly host Skype sessions with classrooms across America, providing solar lantern construction tips and educational input for spinoff humanitarian projects. Internationally, students in South Africa, Mali and Nicaragua now build solar lanterns after watching instructional videos Pam’s students research and produce.

“Working on the solar lantern project teaches us not only about solar energy and electricity, but it also helps us to understand the situations people in third world countries are dealing with and appreciate what we have more,” said one student.

The social business enterprise Pam developed to empower South African youth continues to grow, as well. Kwelanga Solar recently hosted its first Cape Town workshop, combining construction of solar lanterns with an English class around the theme of peace. Pam helped secure a $10,000 grant to cover hard costs associated with supplies.

“My fellowship learning in STEM applications, social entrepreneurship and sustainability efforts now impacts students in four countries,” said Pam. “Fund for Teachers helped me accomplish my mission as a teacher: To do the most good and give my students the best tools to succeed.”

For more information on Pam’s fellowship, visit the blog she maintained throughout her time in South Africa.

Congratulations to Lindsay Slabich, founding teacher at the Springfield Renaissance School in Springfield, MA, who just received EL Education’s 2017 Klingenstein Teacher Award and its $5,000 cash prize.

Voted on by peers within EL Education’s national network of schools, the Klingenstein Award is given to the teacher who most successfully transmitted to students the essence of EL Education culture, building exemplary character, driving outstanding academic achievement, and instilling an ethic of “citizen scholarship.”

In 2008, Lindsay, along with two peers, designed a Fund for Teachers fellowship to research the Ladakhi society in India concerning their efforts to balance globalization with preservation of culture and resources. The teaching team’s insight into their experiences align beautifully with the award’s criterion:

“As we experienced a fascinating cultural exchange, and grew individually, we also expanded our thinking about development. We began to ask more and more questions. What makes development sustainable? Whose responsibility is development? What role should local Ladakhis play in deciding how their society develops in the context of a globalized world? What about local, state and national government, what role should they play? And what about us, citizens of a powerful and developed country, what responsibilities do we have for development in places like Ladakh? Our visit to Ladakh and other parts of India are helping us to make sense of these important questions.”

For more information about Lindsay’s honor, click here. An FFT Fellow also won this prestigious award last year; click here to view Chris Dolgos’ acceptance speech and enjoy the blog he kept researching Hadrian’s Wall here.

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As a second grade teacher at Southlake Elementary in Oklahoma City, Shannon Cross is charged with teaching events, symbols, landmarks, holidays and historical figures associated with American History. She scoured the web, library books and You Tube for interesting resources, but found little age-appropriate information that would also interest a fidgety seven year old. After completing her fellowship/road trip this summer investigating major landmarks across the northeastern United States, Shannon decided to let her students become the primary sources.

She started the school year by sharing from her itinerary artifacts and videos of her at landmarks discussing the symbols, reading the signs and telling stories about what she was learning in

Washington DC at:

• the U.S. Capitol Building
• the White House
• the Lincoln, Jefferson and Washington Memorials
• Ford Theater
• the Smithsonian American History Museum
• the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum
• the Newseum

Philadelphia at:

• Independence National Historic Park
• the Liberty Bell Center
• Independence Hall
• Congress Hall
• the National Constitution Center
• One Liberty Observation Deck

and Boston at:

• the Old North Church
• Paul Revere’s home
• the Old State House
• the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum, and
• the John F. Kennedy Presidential Museum and Library.

Then, she invited students to research one of the sites or symbols and present their findings to the school community.

“My students loved seeing, touching, experiencing and even becoming history during my lessons by dressing up as different monuments and symbols,” said Shannon. “By acting out their research, they compared and contrasted stories and were inspired to write pieces about their own version of history based on my fellowship research and our new curriculum.“

Shannon is passionate about teaching young students American history and believes that by going to these sites and researching them first-hand during her fellowship, that passion “revolutionized” how she taught the subject.

“History is not just stories in a book, it is real people and real events, which my students are learning through non-fiction texts,” said Shannon. “On my fellowship, I learned about the history of these famous historical figures, however, the most important thing I learned is that we have all come together to form this great country and create it as our life and culture evolve.”

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Shannon has taught for 15 years in the Dallas and Oklahoma City Metro Areas.  Her recent accomplishments include winning the Moore Public Schools PTA Pat Henry Award and being a nominee for the South OKC Chamber Teacher of the Year Award.

by Jamilah Pitts | Harlem Village Academy High School – New York, NY

As a product of urban schools and a first-generation college student, I have spent my professional career working to secure and foster better educational opportunities for students of color in urban schools. I have spent the past four years working as a high school English teacher in urban schools that serve mostly Latino students and students of African descent. This work is particularly challenging given the low literacy skills that student possess because of their disadvantaged backgrounds. Coming from a similarly impoverished community to that of my students, I do not pity them; rather, I recognize ways in which the lack of role models, poverty, substance abuse and trauma distract students from being able to prioritize school.

I have found solace in lessons and units, like youth participatory action research, human rights education, and social justice – projects that ignite within my students an impetus for learning that did not previously exist. For example, a rhetoric unit I designed this year allows students to apply the skills acquired in to persuade the school and outside community to take action against issues such as police brutality, gang violence, discrimination and bullying against the LGBTQ community and sex trafficking.

[minti_blockquote]To further this work, I designed my Fund for Teachers fellowship to work with People’s Watch India, an organization that works with a number of schools throughout the country on how to incorporate human rights education (HRE) in school environments, curricula, governance, and relationships.[/minti_blockquote]

I was particularly invested in carrying out this research in India because of the variety of human rights violations and social justice issues that exist in a democratic nation of this size. India, known for its cultural diversity, richness and beauty, is equally known for oppressive caste systems, racism, and discrimination against women and girls.

People’s Watch works with private (wealthy) and government (poorer schools) alike, and having the ability to study the ways in which this organization partners with schools, administrators and educators to design and implement a HRE program gave me the tools to replicate these practices into my school community.

I prepared for my fellowship by studying the work of Dr. Monisha Bajaj, an Indian-American scholar and professor in the HRE field who originally directed my to Amnesty International as an ideal research location. I then Skyped regularly with People Watch’s program director to learn about the organization’s logistics and program operations.

Upon my arrival in Bangalore, I spent the first week undergoing training that exposed me to policies and procedures before spending the remaining two weeks volunteering in two public schools. While Amnesty International operates under a “whole school approach” model that focuses on how to implement human rights into school governance, curriculum, relationships and environment, I focused primarily on gaining tools, resources, and practices around curriculum development.

India, like the United States, is plagued with disparity and inequality, so witnessing how Amnesty International works in schools to interrupt and eradicate existing social ills was invaluable. It is difficult to imagine being able to get an experience of this caliber elsewhere. I learned deeper ways to dive into literature in ways that not only expose the ills that plague characters in the societies in which they live, but also gained tools to do this work on a larger scale within my entire school community. Finally, as an educator who has multiple connections in the field of education (I am a freelance writer for Teaching Tolerance, for example, a member of the Woodrow Wilson Rockefeller Teaching Fellows, a UNCF Education Reform Fellow, and a member of the Institute for the Recruitment of Teachers) I am eager to share this work with other networks of educators who can benefit from the resources that I gained on my fellowship.

After observing implementation of an HRE human rights education in India, I am now teaching a new elective course designed to teach about human rights and how to preserve and promote them. Additionally, my literature students are being exposed to human rights violations and social justice issues through the study of global texts. In designing lessons and units, I am more intentional about incorporating mindfulness and aspects of human rights education into our classroom spaces and will continue to see curriculum, instruction and pedagogy as a means to deliver both content and a vehicle to shape and sharpen character. With my peers, I plan to share this work by inviting them into my classroom and identifying ways to collaborate so they are able to join this work. I also plan to continue writing about and publishing this work in spaces for educators on a broad spectrum. Perhaps most importantly, I will continue to seek out research, resources and ways to integrate larger altruistic beliefs and practices in the classroom.

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While much of Jamilah’s professional career as an educator has consisted of working with urban youth, she has also taught in the Dominican Republic and China. Jamilah is an avid traveler, dancer, and writer whose work is threaded by themes of social justice, and human and women’s rights advocacy.

by Alyson Parenteau
Science Technology Magnet High School | New London, CT

As a math teacher, the most common question my students ask is, “When am I ever going to use this?” In response, I’ve organized Making Math Career Connections days, when community members come into the classroom and tell us how they use math in their lives. Engineers, computer scientists, members of the military, medical professionals and business people talk about how they use math in their jobs and industries. However, my students resonate more with people who talk about using math outside of work, in their hobbies and personal interests. When one guest talked about his 3,700 mile cross country bicycle trip, my students were wide eyed and mesmerized. Talk about using math flowed effortlessly as students asked How long the trip was both (in time and miles? How much did it cost? Where did you stay? What did you eat? and What sort of issues did you have?

I enjoy riding my bike and was also inspired by this long adventure, but I didn’t think I was ready for a cross country trek for curriculum’s sake. After I found a bike tour of the Great Parks North with Adventure Cycle Association, I felt like that was something I could tackle and I started my Fund for Teachers proposal to cycle 800 miles from Missoula, MT, to Jasper, Alberta, Canada.

My goal was to create real world math calculations and connections for my students and to model personal growth, perseverance and grit. I wanted to see what other math connections I could discover from the seat of my bicycle. I am a firm believer that math is all around us, we just have to make sure we’re looking hard enough.

• Looking at the trip route, I was calculating total mileage, daily and average mileage, vertical assent and decent, speed, time to complete the daily ride, the rate I’d likely be traveling and the impact of road grades.
• Reading the maps, I applied scale factors and used my compass rose to help figure out where I was and where I was going.
• Packing for the trip, I was concerned about the weight of the gear I was carrying translating into a more difficult ride and wanted to make sure I was carry enough ounces of water and electrolyte replacement to stay hydrated.
• Pedaling, I was also running numbers with nutrition thinking about my calories consumed and how many calories I was burning.

In the farmland of Montana, as we passed hay bales, I wanted to measure the volume of the cylinders and the rectangular prisms to see if there was a benefit to how they were packed. I pondered how you would then go about calculating the surface area that each bale would cover. I continued to think about geometry in how my bike was designed, the frame made of triangles and how much smaller my bike frame was as a 5’ tall person, compared to another rider that’s 6’ 4″. Climbing the Canadian Rockies in the lowest gear of my bicycle chain, most affectionately known as the granny gear, I wanted to go back to my bike mechanic and understand how the cogs work together in the chain ratio to make climbing most efficient. At one point, as we were crossing the continental divide, one of my fellow adventures shared with me their observation that the speed we were going up hill was just under 3 mph, and we could probably walk fast than we were riding.

You really get a lot of time to think when your objective is to pedal six hours in a day. I thought about what we call distance/time graphs in algebra and how we often write a story to describe a situation and have students match a graph and table to the situation. For example:

“Mrs. Parenteau leaves camp at a rate of 13 mph with fresh legs in the morning. She stops for second breakfast at The Greatful Bread for 15 minutes. She gets back on her bike and rides up a big hill, down it and then stops for lunch. She then leisurely rides into camp at a rate of 10 mph.”

The question would match to a graph that increased my distance over time, but with speeds that relate to the story and flat lines where I’m stopped for lunch. Other real life word problems I started thinking about was solving a system of equations where my friend and I travel at different speeds and I might need a head start in order for us to meet for lunch together. All and all, I didn’t realize there was so much math involved, but I am so excited to bring it to my students this year!

I vividly remember a startling math moment. Our total mileage for the day was 72 miles. I had been riding for several hours and watching the mile markers decrease as we approached our destination. I think the last marker I had seen was something about 40ish miles left to our camp destination. Then, the next marker said 63. I thought to myself, HOW in the world, did I end up going backwards?! Then it dawned on me. I had crossed the Canadian Boarder and things were now in km! From there on out, I was trying to come up with the best way to mentally convert between km and miles.

In addition to the math connections, my project had another purpose – to be an example for my students to step out of their comfort zones, embrace challenge and struggle productively. I had never camped before this fellowship and my longest bike ride was 150 miles in two days. Yet, on this fellowship I camped for three weeks, including a couple days of rustic camping, without flushing toilets or access to a shower. I adapted to a new pace, literally traveling through life slower than one is used to in a car. From the seat of my bike, the mountains, glaciers and lakes took my breath away; majestic and beautiful – like nothing I had ever seen. I truly think you take it all in better from your bike than a car.

My sense of accomplishment pedaling into the Columbia Icefields on our second-to-last day was all the more overwhelming having persevered through prior “valleys.” Many times (such as when walking would have been faster than biking) my self talk sounded like: “You just have to go a little bit further. Just keep pedaling. t doesn’t matter how fast you go, each pedal is progress in the right direction. I can do this!” This is the same self talk I want my students to have in and out of the classroom.

Recently, growth mindset has become a buzz word in education. I started this year teaching my students about growth mindset, doing activities to see what they would do if they knew the wouldn’t fail, setting goals, looking at brain development studies and seeing the benefits of making mistakes and learning from them. Yes, this mindset – and my fellowship – totally apply to the math classroom, and also to extracurricular activities and life in general. I believe that by cycling 800 miles in three weeks on a fellowship I designed and pursued, I set an example that encourages my students to take risks. It’s in that stretch zone that we start to grow.

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Alyson is a middle school mathematics teacher in New London, CT. She is part of the innovative Teach to One team, where students receive an individualized, multi-modality math education. Alyson believes in creating experiential learning opportunities for her students, including field trips, conferences, after school activities and community partnerships.

As Hispanic Heritage Month draws to a close, we share the fellowship of Jeannie O’Meara, teacher at Saint Adalbert Elementary School in South Bend, IN. With her Fund for Teachers grant, Jeannie completed a Spanish Language Immersion Program at Academia Hispano Americano in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, to inspire, resonate with and teach the arts with an emphasis on Mexican culture in an urban PreK-8th school comprised of a 96% Latino population. Her fellowship came full circle last weekend, as she shares below…

Saint Adalbert Elementary is a preK-8 school that serves the highest concentration of minority students in a city of 100,000 and, as of three years ago when I started teaching there, our school had no formal visual or performing arts program. My principal succinctly described the students during my initial interview, saying, “They are in a cultural no man’s land. They know very little about their Mexican culture and very little about their U.S. culture. Neither their English nor Spanish is fluent.” I chose to design my Fund for Teachers fellowship to address these cultural and academic gaps.

My Spanish language instruction prior to the fellowship was limited to exchanges with the preK teachers aide. Therefore, I spent one month last summer at the Academia Hispano Americano learning basics of the language, as well as Mexican folk art, singing and dancing. My goal was to better inspire, relate to and teach my wonderful students who grew up in poverty, yet display exceptional natural gifts in the visual and performing arts. In addition to attending daily classes and the Folk Singing and Dancing Workshop, I absorbed Mexican culture through visiting galleries, museums, plazas, restaurants, churches, festivals and ruins, including gallery of Fabrica la aurora, Galeria Atotonilco, the ruins of Canada de la Virgen, the Parraquia de San Miguel Arcangel and the Fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen.

My knowledge of Spanish improved exponentially on my fellowship. Although still a beginner, I am able to speak with people who only speak Spanish, as well as write and read the language. Equally as important, my instructional practice has had a paradigm shift. While trying to soak in the new people, language, culture, environment, I couldn’t help but empathize with my students who are in a very similar situation, but in reverse. They are in the US learning English, and, at the same time, learning a new culture. It is truly humbling! I am now far more patient with my students and brought back a sense of humor to the classroom – just as my wonderful instructor, Jessika, did for me!

Last week for our school’s Fundraiser/Art Auction, my sixth graders created “Corazon” piece above, inspired by the gorgeous art I saw in Mexico. Seeing their work and learning was a profound step in my ongoing journey to establish credibility and authenticity with my students and families, increase respect for the values of different cultures in the school community, and deepen my personal sensitivity.

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In addition to teaching, Jeannie has served as artistic director and founder of a 501©(3) musical theatre in Seattle, Washington. For more than 30 years, she has inspired youth in music, drama and art and has led hundreds of youth from audition to theatrical performances. In addition to her Visual and Performing Arts background, she has enjoyed producing television shows for a local PBS affiliate.

In 2014, Mike Monteleone (Delsea High School – Franklinville, NJ) used his Fund for Teachers grant to conduct marine biology, ecology and marine research in the Florida Keys. He took the time to share his thoughts on that experience, its impact on students and Hurricane Irma’s role in demonstrating how science is a verb.

My wife and I were students at the University of Miami in 1992 when Hurricane Andrew hit south Florida. We witnessed first-hand the destruction to structures and the environment. It took literally years to clear hurricane debris from many areas. Hurricane Irma was an entirely different beast of a storm and while not there for the aftermath, we have friends and relatives in southwest Florida and the Keys giving us information. Many people remain without power and the damage is much more extensive than with Andrew.

I was awarded my fellowship in 2014 for a marine ecological field study in the lower Florida Keys.  In fact, we stayed and studied between mile markers 20-22  – Ground Zero for Hurricane Irma.  One of the major realizations I took from our studies was how fragile and integral coastal marine habitats are for the sustainability of ecosystems – both local and offshore. Many areas are already under pressure from human activities, pollution, development and over fishing / harvesting. A natural disaster as extensive and devastating as Irma will undoubtedly have major implications now and for decades to come. In the case of the Key deer, their only habitat – Big Pine Key – has been decimated and this already endangered subspecies may be lost forever.

Ecology and human impacts on the environment are already hugely important aspects of the Biology curriculum I teach, but as I strive to prepare students to be smarter global citizens, the impact of natural disasters consumes an increasingly significant portion of our discussions.

The students in my district for the most part are very limited as far as their experiences outside of their hometown, due in part to the demographics of the surrounding community (rural, with few parents being college educated). Therefore, seeing footage of me collecting data in what ended up being Ground Zero of the largest hurricane to hit the United States gives them a glimpse of life beyond the city limits and aids their understanding about how science is DONE. Undoubtedly this will inspire some to want to further their education so that they too can one day participate in a similar research study.

I am very anxious (and frightened) to return to the lower Keys this summer to survey the damage – both above and below the water.  Many delicate sea grass flats, coral structures, and sponge communities are most likely destroyed and the effects on invertebrate and vertebrate populations will be significant for years to come. The human toll is of course horrific, but south Floridians are strong and they will rebuild. It saddens me deeply to think how this magnificent and environmentally influential area will suffer due to Irma.

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Mike graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in Marine Biology and continued there for partial fulfillment of M.D./Ph.D. requirements. He earned his Masters in Ecological Science from Rutgers University in 2016 and has taught Honors/AP Biology and Anatomy & Physiology in southern New Jersey for the past 17 years.

Thanks to Suzanne Almon for this account of how her fellowship in the Florida Keys and Hurricane Irma are engaging students at Asian Studies Academy in Hartford, CT. Suzanne used her FFT grant to research the life cycle, habitat and rehabilitation of sea turtles in Florida and the Galapagos Islands to design a first grade, project based learning science unit on animal habitats.

As a first grade teacher in an urban school, I strive to bring learning to life by bringing into the classroom artifacts, books, posters, magazines, pictures and videos. I was so excited to apply for the Fund for Teachers grant, because I knew it would be a great opportunity to bring in another element to enhance my teaching – making me the primary source! Deciding on what to pursue was simple; I knew instantly I wanted to study sea turtles. I designed my fellowship with a new Sea Turtle unit in mind, a component of our science curriculum that would cover anatomy, natural environment, natural and unnatural issues facing sea turtle survival and rehabilitation. My inspiration during the proposal phase was Gail Gibbons’ book Sea Turtles, a non-fiction book about sea turtles, that includes ways to help keep sea turtles safe.

All around the Keys, there is an awareness to conserve native animals; Key Deer crossing signs, alligator crossing signs, clean up your garbage and no balloons at the beach signs, etc. I was fortunate to witness first hand how sea turtles are nursed back to health through a visit to the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida. The Turtle Hospital is a safe haven for injured and sick sea turtles and also has a museum in their front lobby full of information. The guide introduced me to the different sea turtles that make Florida their home and to the hospital’s marine residents. The hospital has cared for and released more than 1500 sea turtles since its beginning in 1986.

I was also able to do research on Juno Beach, one of the most active sea turtle nesting beaches in the world. I witnessed loggerhead sea turtles coming to shore and laying eggs.  It was an amazing experience! These sea turtles are massive and lay about hundred ping-pong sized eggs while in a trance. The Loggerhead Marine Center’s volunteers invited me to observe this life experience and provided an immense amount of information about their Marine Center, Loggerheads, and the beach.

I returned home from my fellowship on August 22 and ten days prior to Hurricane Irma. In preparation for the storm, The Turtle Hospital moved all “patients” to special hurricane tanks to protect from winds and storm surge. All of the Loggerhead Marine Center’s sea turtles were transported to the Georgia Aquarium. Unfortunately, the nests were not so fortunate. It is reported that due to the heavy storms and increased wave action, the sea turtle nests were wiped out, exposing eggs. The Center informed supporters that they would continue to take in injured sea turtles and hatchlings. Since Hurricane Irma, they have re-opened and have received about 200 hatchlings!

Hurricane Irma hit Florida shortly after school started. My heart was full of dread and anticipation; hoping the hurricane would turn east. Entire oceanside roads were wiped out, trailers and boats were flipped, severe flooding and high winds knocked down palm trees and hurled debris everywhere.  Eight people died from natural causes and the storm and another 40 have been injured (30 are from Key West) at the time of this writing. Businesses and homes have been destroyed, as well as the beaches.  I love the Florida Keys and I know with time, hard work, and love, the Keys will be rejuvenated and better than ever.

When school started, shortly after Irma’s devastating arrival, students from last year streamed into my class, excited to see me and my photos and hear about my sea turtle learning! They and my new students could not believe that I saw sea turtles and even swam with them! They were so excited to see my videos and especially enjoyed seeing me feeding the sea turtles at the Turtle Hospital and watching them snort water out their noses.

As of today, the building remains closed due to substantial amount of damage in Marathon and the Florida Keys; however, our sea turtle unit is in full swing. Students are watching my interviews with marine biology professionals, as well as my snorkeling in the marine reserves. They are developing writing skills and integrating art into their own non-fiction texts about sea turtles, similar to Gail Gibbons’ exemplar; eventually, they will turn the texts into presentations for their peers at a school assembly.

Lastly, we are scheduling a field trip to our own beach habitat. In conjunction with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP), students will replicate the experiential learning on my fellowship to learn how they can help sea turtles in Connecticut.

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In addition to the Florida Keys, Suzanne also researched sea turtles in Myrtle Beach, GA, and the Galapagos Islands on her fellowship. Suzanne started teaching preschool 2001 and has taught in Hartford for 11 years and was recognized as Teacher of the Year in 2011. Shestrives to build competent and confident learners to be successful and have positive influences in the world.

Fund for Teachers grant recipients regularly head to the Florida Keys to research marine biology and conservation; therefore, we wanted to get their insight into Hurricane Irma’s devastation. We are grateful to Lucila Telesco (Newfield Elementary School – Stamford, CT) who, in the midst of Open House – for which she was organizing translators and buses – shared her story…

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I embarked on my fellowship to Florida’s Everglades and the Key’s Coral Reef during the peak of summer vacation, which happened to coincide with Florida’s wet season. Though I, a fair-skinned northeasterner, had mentally prepared myself to contend with the Florida’s notorious heat and humidity, I didn’t fully understand how unpredictable the wet season could be.

The first stop on my journey was the Everglades, a place I had always pictured as an expansive swampy grassland teeming with scaly alligators. While partly true, I came to see that the Everglades are so much more than that. On my first Everglade adventure, a boat assisted kayak eco-tour of Ten Thousand Islands, the Everglades revealed itself to be a proliferation of magical salt dwelling mangrove trees extending endlessly into the Gulf. My savvy naturalist guide navigated our small boat through the labyrinth of mangroves in Chokoloskee Bay, while explaining the area’s wonders. I learned that the Everglades are home to the one of the largest mangrove ecosystems in the world and the Ten Thousand Islands are comprised of three types of mangroves: red, white, and black; red being most prevalent. As our boat inched closer to a cluster of densely packed mangroves, I got my first glimpse of the red mangroves’ prop root system. The network of overlapping roots seemed to jut out of the water like clumsy acrobats on stilts. As we glided along, my eyes were drawn to the hundreds of seedpods, called propagules, dangling from the branches. I learned that propagules are buoyant and can stay afloat for over a year before they taking root, how incredible it that? Those hardy mangroves were captivating. They had found a way to thrive in the most inhospitable of places.

During my excursion, we anchored in an inlet to explore a sandbar connecting Lumbar and Rabbit Key by kayak. But, no less than 50 yards out the weather turned. Pavilion Key in the distance, which had been visible just minutes before, was enveloped by a dark grey fog. Before I knew it, we were caught in a deluge. My guide, fearful that lighting and thunder might follow the rainstorm, quickly led the way back to the boat. As if on cue, the moment we ambled into boat the sky dried up and returned to its stately shade of blue. It was baffling to see a storm build and subside that quickly. My guide pointed out some large fluffy clouds on opposite ends of the sky and began explaining that though they looked harmless, they had the potential to merge into a serious thunderstorm. Luckily the skies remained clear for the rest of the afternoon, allowing me to explore the sandbar thoroughly. I examined conch and lightning shells up close, and I even learned how to identify sea turtles tracks in the sand to locate their nest. By the end of my time in the Everglades, I had caught glimpses of blue herons, snowy egrets, white ibis’, ospreys, a hungry pair of dolphins, and the fleeting muzzle of a shy manatee, all of which was quite remarkable.

The next stop on my journey was Marathon Key to learn about dolphin and sea turtle conservation. I was set to drive down to Marathon when Tropical Storm Emily made landfall. But, I had places to go and dolphins and sea turtles to see, so I cautiously made my way to Marathon that day. The drive was slow and the rain was relentless, but I arrived safely and in time to see the amazing work being done at Dolphin Connection. As part of the dolphin smart wild dolphin conservation program, they rescue dolphins that have been kept in captivity and can no longer hunt, providing them with food, shelter, and training.Similarly, the Sea Turtle Hospital works to rescue, rehab, and whenever possible release sea turtles back into the wild. They have helped hundreds of sea turtles return to the wild, but the ones whose injuries are too severe to successfully survive in the wild become permanent residents of the hospital. I learned of one such injury that has been endearingly termed bubble butt syndrome. In these cases, the turtles’ shells are damaged by boat impacts, causing them to develop air pockets that render them permanently buoyant, which is a problematic state for a sea turtle that must dive for food. Researchers have attempted weighing down the shells, but since sea turtles shed the scales on their shells periodically, weights are not a permanent solution. Until we can learn to co-exist safely together, I am thankful for organizations like this that are working to protect these animals and their unique habitats.

The final stop on my journey was the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, home to the third largest barrier reef in the world. The chance to snorkel in the blue waters off the coast of Key West [pictured above] and see the vibrant array of coral and fish dancing beneath the surface of the water was unforgettable. It was like a whole little universe onto itself, unawares of the goings on in the terrestrial world. The coral ebbed and flowed as if it has never been rushed a day in its life and a school of vibrant blue fish assembled and dispersed with the agility of Olympians. I learned that the corals iridescent quality is a result of bioluminescence, a chemical reaction that releases light, which many fish also possess. Bioluminescence, much like a school of fish, is employed to appear more threatening and ward off predators. Some corals can even release luminescent particles with toxins when touched. Luckily, my guide thoroughly warned me not to touch anything before the snorkel, so I didn’t get to experience the luminescent toxin. But, the sights I did get to experience were incredible.

Another highlight of Key West was the Butterfly and Nature Conservatory. While there I overheard a little boy’s reaction, which I feel sums up the experience best. He said, “Mommy, I feel like I’m in a Disney movie and I don’t want to leave,” which is how I felt too at the end of my visit. Blue monarch butterflies fluttered about in groups and stopped momentarily to feed on honey and fruits, while bright pink flamingos bobbed in a shallow stream. A turaco, with a bright green crest on the top of it head that resembled a mohawk, was perched in a tree making a ruckus. Even though I was in a glass enclosed climate controlled conservatory, it felt like the middle of a magical forest, capable of producing Snow White and the seven dwarfs around the next bend. Key West is one of the most vibrant and colorful places I have ever visited, and turned out to be the perfect culmination to an extraordinary fellowship.

So, it is with a heavy heart that I learned the Keys and South West Florida were among the most devastated by Hurricane Irma. I want to remember it as it was, thriving, chock full of passionate people dedicating their lives to protecting and restoring it. In aftermath of the hurricane, I was relieved to hear stories of hope from the many remarkable people and places I visited. I learned my Everglades guide is safe and unfazed by the blackout. The staff and dolphins of Dolphin Connection in Marathon Key were safely evacuated to facility in Orlando prior to Irma and are glad to report their dolphin lagoon survived the worst of the hurricane. The Sea Turtle Hospital is operational. Its staff and recuperating turtles also weathered the storm successfully, and they are already admitting new patients. As if by miracle, the glass enclosed Butterfly and Nature Conservatory in Key West was untouched by Irma. If I learned anything on my fellowship it is this: plants and animals possess an incredible ability to adapt to their environments. Hurricane Irma showed me that people do, too. They were all tested, but remain, and like the resolute mangroves are determined to thrive in the most inhospitable of places.

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Lucila is an ESL teacher with a passion for conservation. In addition to Masters degrees in TESOL and Reading Instruction, her accomplishments include: Presidential Arts Scholar and member of the Arts and Cultural Cohort of the Women’s Leadership Program at George Washington University. In the future, she hopes to combine her love of nature, storytelling and languages to pen a multicultural children’s book.

Saturday, September 16, is International Coastal Clean Up Day, the world’s biggest volunteer effort to protect our oceans. Fund for Teachers Fellow Gina Anderson(Concord Elementary – Bessemer, AL) got a jump on us this summer when she researched the relationship between the Gulf Oil Spill and the economic and environmental effects in the region to establish a STEM unit to design, test and revise solutions for cleaning a polluted environment…

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April 2016 marked six years since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded sending billions of barrels of crude oil pouring into the Gulf of Mexico off of the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. My 5th grade students and I watched live coverage of oil gushing out of the well into the ocean. We saw video of birds, dolphins,fish, sea turtles and other wildlife coated in oil because of the spill. I was on the beach when the first tar ball washed ashore. The experience was very sobering, but gave me a first-hand account of what was about to happen. In the days and months following, the size and number of tar balls that were washed ashore multiplied exponentially. I am able to share my personal experience with students and describe what the tar-balls looked like, felt like and smelled like and bring into my classroom different oils and lubricants to recreate the smell of the air that I experienced, even over a mile inland.

This year I taught a fifth grade Project Based Learning class in all subject areas, and we conducted research to determine the economic and ecological impacts still being felt in the coastal region after six years. During the research, students began to realize that even though this was the largest oil spill into the ocean in history, they could not find answers to a lot of their questions. As they continued searching for answers, they learned that scientists who conducted the research on the ecological effects were not allowed to publish their findings because of continued litigation which made our research difficult. The students still wanted to know:

• if the estuaries have rebounded and are now suitable for young;
• if the trees that were lost have had an effect on the number of nesting birds such as pelicans and cranes; and,
• if the numbers of nesting sea turtles has started to increase in the Mobile Bay and Fort Morgan area.

With my Fund for Teachers grant, I researched these environmental effects as I explored the areas of Bon Secour, Fort Morgan, Mobile Bay and Gulf Shores. I biked the Hugh Branyon Back Country trails, where countless rabbits and alligators could be seen daily prior to the spill. An interview with the owner of Bon Secour Fisheries shed light on the economic and ecological impact of the oyster industry in Alabama and Louisiana. A meeting with Bon Secour National Wildlife Early Restoration Project equipped me with ideas that will help guide students when working on a disaster recovery and restoration project of their own.

The biggest area of professional growth for me resulting from my fellowship is classroom innovation. I discovered that learning is most effective when it is authentic. I was interested in this project because I was there seven years ago when the oil came ashore.This made me take ownership of my learning and, consequently, I did not have to rely on what others thought I should learn. I knew what questions needed asking in order to see the big picture.This removed a ceiling to my learning!

Similarly, I am now going to give students opportunities to complete projects based on their personal interests, also not bound to traditional research avenues such as books or online searches. They will have access to professionals and experts invited into the classroom or via live-stream conferences and interviews in order to make the learning authentic and make those important real-world connections. Three years ago, I began an annual Math and Science night at our school. This is a school-wide event in which we invite stakeholders from the community to set up interactive science and engineering booths where they engage with the students and adults. Each grade level also creates a booth for the students and parents to work on a hands-on activity together. This year, I will have my students oil spill projects on display and they will be able to conduct mock oil spills with their adults.

Around our school community, we have to pay to have trash pickup and pay if we want to use the county landfill. This has resulted in a large problem of illegal dumping of trash on the side of the road. Currently, there have been two volunteer clean-up days. Because of the lack of volunteers attending the events, my students and I will help to promote as well as participate in the event this year, another great opportunity make environmental connections to their oil spill projects.

This fellowship has helped me become more reflective when planning projects. I didn’t realize that while I was giving the students an opportunity to conduct research and learn collaboratively I was also putting a cap on their learning by providing too much guidance as far as questioning. I now see the tremendous value of allowing students more autonomy and independence in their research and project designs. My new motto is to let them go where they want to go without restrictions!

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Gina is a National Board Certified fifth-grade teacher and was recognized as Teacher of the Year at her previous school. On only seven years of teaching, she is a two-time recipient of the local ABC affiliate’s “Once Class at a Time” grant, as well as a Jefferson County Foundation grant recipient. Gina enjoys being a life-long learner and works diligently to instill this into her students through Project Based Learning.

In support of the recent International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, we share the learning of Jodie Harnden (Sunridge Middle School – Pendleton, OR) who joined an atmospheric aerosol research project with scientists at NASA Langley to develop a similar student project modeling how authentic science is conducted to collect and analyze data useful to the community.

In emergency medical practices the airway, or being able to breathe, is the first priority, making air pollution a major threat to those who breathe…which is everyone! In my seventh grade science classes we study the structure of the atmosphere and air pollution problems and students learn about different pollutants and how they affect our location. While students do develop an understanding of air quality conditions, they do not have the opportunity to collect their own data and analyze that data in order to answer questions, as scientists would do.

And neither did I – until my Fund for Teachers grant.

One of the challenges of being a science teacher is that I had never been an actual scientist. While I have spent my career learning to be the best teacher I can be, I lacked in experience that relates to the actual processes of scientific research and data analysis. For me to lead students to think and work as scientists, I needed the experience myself. The two-week fellowship collecting air quality data with NASA Langley provided an intensive and exciting opportunity to interact and work alongside actual scientists, followed by developing related classroom applications for students.

I had the opportunity to participate in the data campaign as a volunteer intern under the direction of NASA scientist Dr. Margaret Pippin. My air quality data research took me to sites around Hampton, VA, monitoring aerosols, or tiny solids that are considered pollutants. I became proficient in using the Calitoo, a device that measures aerosol optical thickness, and indicator of particulate matter. I learned what the impact of clouds can be on the accuracy of measurements and established my GLOBE account for submitting my own data.

Previously I had only demonstrated the Calitoo with borrowed units. Now I will be having students collect and submit data on a regular basis to the GLOBE Project. Collecting data for a long-term project is a change from just occasional measurements. Students will now be the scientists,
collecting and submitting the data for use, and have access to the data for future use, as well.

The greatest accomplishment of my fellowship was developing a true understanding of the different stages of scientific research. Data campaigns have a planning and funding period, then, if approved, all participants coordinate for the campaign period (in this case, two weeks), then hope for good weather. Collection days can be very long! After rest and recovery, analysis of the data begins and will be the focus for the next year, prompting future research.

School has started and smoke from regional wildfires has created a difficult situation for many. Outdoor activities have been cancelled as we come to grips with the loss of beautiful forests. We can’t even make aerosol measurements because the smoke blocks the sun. Students are getting an early introduction to the air quality unit. We have begun to enter data into GLOBE, but the smoke prevents the collection of quality data (a good lesson for students!). Normally our rough time is January and February when cold, high pressure settles in to create an inversion, trapping the smoke from wood stoves; however, this year may mark different conclusions. I have taken note of an unusual ozone
concentration near one city west of the Cascade Mountains, a problem we don’t have, but can study from afar.

While there are numerous environmental issues that are worth studying, air quality continues to be a challenge in our area. While the causes may sometimes be out of our control (such as weather and wild fires) awareness and understanding is not. Mitigation of contributing factors that are human-caused are something we will continue to study, learn, and take appropriate action when possible. This August we have experienced a severe air quality issue, something to study further in the fall.

Along with my personal experiences at NASA Langley, I was able to witness the inclusion of student interns in the research process. I came away more convinced that ever that science is a process and something to be understood, not just a set of facts to be learned. The future of science depends on doing science, and I must give my students opportunities to contribute to the field of science. School, in many ways, is an artificial microcosm of life and I will be able to expose students to so much more now that I was exposed to more myself.

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A National Board Certified teacher, Jodie is in her 33rd year of teaching science at the middle
level, most of it in Pendleton, Oregon. She thrives on the opportunity to learn, bringing experiences back to the classroom and sharing with others professionally. While it won’t be a problem until retirement, rock collecting is a favorite activity.