I have been educating children and adults since I was fifteen years old. My early teaching experiences as a junior naturalist at Island Beach State Park, in New Jersey, opened my eyes to the many different learning styles and teaching techniques that need to be blended in order to reach a large group of individuals with varying learning capabilities. As my teaching styles began to mature, so did my lessons. They grew in both depth and detail on the vastness of the world’s oceans, and the little we know about the inhabitants of the oceans. In college as my interest in teaching escalated, I decided to apply for an internship in environmental/marine science education at MOTE Marine Laboratories. During this internship, I learned how to create informal science based curriculum that met both state, national, and ocean literacy learning standards. The curricula had to be educational, but also the kind of curricula that would excite and inspire students to continue to seek further knowledge on the specific subjects being taught.
Upon returning to college in the fall, I decided to develop an informal science curriculum specific to the Marine Animals Rehabilitation Center where I volunteered. These lessons would be taught to groups of students ages pre-K through high school that visited the Marine Animals Rehabilitation Center. By developing these lessons that met both state, national, and ocean literacy standards, local educators were able to substitute an in-class lesson for one at the center. One of the lessons for high school students involved induction of spawning in purple sea urchins to see which was male and which was female. The next step involved fertilizing the egg with sperm under a microscope, then watching the different stages of meiosis and mitosis. The students had to time each spawning event and fertilization event. They had to keep track of how many gametes fertilized and how many didn’t. Once the data was collected the high school students learned how to write a proper scientific lab report. I remember one of the high school seniors returning a year later to tell me how important that lesson had been. The student state, "while others in her freshman biology class struggled with writing lab reports, she had remembered all of the “Writing a lab report 101” that we had taught her and she was succeeding." This moment was just one of the many moments that secured my need to educate.
A second experience at the UGA Aquarium where I was employed as the Assistant Curator from 2008-2013. During my time at this facility, I designed and implemented a “Mommy and Me” program for children ages 0 – 4 years old. This program included learning about the many marine animals along the Georgia Coast while incorporating motor skills through hands-on activities, music, arts and crafts, and repetition. The four year old students would catch on very quickly, which I had expected, but the 1 year olds’ moms would get discourage because they were having trouble. I encouraged them to keep at it. One of the 2 year olds, who had been involved in the program for 1 year, came into the Aquarium, went up to one of the tanks and said, "Grouper, mommy grouper." His mom and I had been waiting for him to say fishy or something along those lines, but he shocked both us and the other moms when he knew what kind of fish was in the tank. He then went up to a different tank and said, “burrfish mommy, it goes poof when it’s scared”. At this point his mom had tears in her eyes and was so excited that her child could tell everyone in the group exactly what kind fish was in the tank. This moment was so rewarding for me that it secured my desire to pursue my M.S. in Science Education Curriculum Theory and Strategy and to apply for my Maine State Teaching Certification.
I spend my free time as the owner of my own photography and graphic design business. I was also a mentor with Big Brother and Big Sister in Savannah, GA. I am currently the Varsity Field Hockey Coach at Brunswick High School in Brunswick, ME and the 7th Grade Lacrosse Coach at Brunswick Junior High School in Brunswick, ME.
My Inspiration for Educating
My mom is one of the reasons why I have become an informal educator and is also the reason why I want to become a formal educator. If you would like to know how she has inspired me please read the document below.
my_inspiration_for_becoming_an_educator.doc | |
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Research
Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, Coral DNA extraction, fragmentation Study, Husbandry Staff, 2010-2012
NOAA's Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, Acoustic Transmitter Study Gag and Scamp Grouper, Red Snapper, Husbandry Staff, 2009-2012
Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Tripletail Acoustic Transmitter Mortality Study, Husbandry Staff, 2009-2012
NOAA's Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, Acoustic Transmitter Study Gag and Scamp Grouper, Red Snapper, Husbandry Staff, 2009-2012
Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Tripletail Acoustic Transmitter Mortality Study, Husbandry Staff, 2009-2012
Academic Internships
Island Beach State Park, New Jersey, Junior Natuarlist 1998-2001, 1,091 hours of service
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, Boothbay, ME Keller Bloom Student, 2002
Bigelow Laboratories for Ocean Science, Boothbay, ME Lab Technician Intern, Dr. M. Lizotte Laboratory, 1st High School Intern, 2002-2001
Bigelow Laboratories for Ocean Sciences, Summer Intern, Shellfish disease research on Lobster populations, Dr. C. O'Kelly Lab, 2003-2004
University of New England Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center, Volunteer/Work Study, 2005-2007
Mote Marine Laboratories, Sarasota, FL, Summer Education Internship, 2005
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, Boothbay, ME Keller Bloom Student, 2002
Bigelow Laboratories for Ocean Science, Boothbay, ME Lab Technician Intern, Dr. M. Lizotte Laboratory, 1st High School Intern, 2002-2001
Bigelow Laboratories for Ocean Sciences, Summer Intern, Shellfish disease research on Lobster populations, Dr. C. O'Kelly Lab, 2003-2004
University of New England Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center, Volunteer/Work Study, 2005-2007
Mote Marine Laboratories, Sarasota, FL, Summer Education Internship, 2005
Professional Development Classes
Open Water Diver Certified and working on Advanced Open Water Diver Certification
Ocean Healthy Science Seminar Series
Grant Writing 101
Advanced Grant Writing
Elasmobranch –ANMH online classes Certificate Received 8/2008
The Ocean System-ANMH online classes Certificate Received 7/2008
Ocean and Health Seminar Certificate Received 8/2008
Creating Successful Exhibits, AZA Professional Development, Certificate Received 11/2011
CPR/First Aid
IACUC Classes for understanding zoonotic diseases, cleaning protocols, and animal care Certificates received 2010-2011
Ocean Healthy Science Seminar Series
Grant Writing 101
Advanced Grant Writing
Elasmobranch –ANMH online classes Certificate Received 8/2008
The Ocean System-ANMH online classes Certificate Received 7/2008
Ocean and Health Seminar Certificate Received 8/2008
Creating Successful Exhibits, AZA Professional Development, Certificate Received 11/2011
CPR/First Aid
IACUC Classes for understanding zoonotic diseases, cleaning protocols, and animal care Certificates received 2010-2011
Presenter
Bigelow Laboratories for Ocean Science, My time as a Keller Bloom Student, 03/2002
Bigelow Laboratories for Ocean Science, Being an Intern, 05/2003
IACUC Conference 01/2012, Acoustic Transmitter Study Husbandry Protocols, 01/2012
Lions Club Meeting, Marine Science Education and its importance in the Community 10/2011
Bigelow Laboratories for Ocean Science, Being an Intern, 05/2003
IACUC Conference 01/2012, Acoustic Transmitter Study Husbandry Protocols, 01/2012
Lions Club Meeting, Marine Science Education and its importance in the Community 10/2011