becoming an educator in a diverse and changing...
TRANSCRIPT
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Becoming an Educator in a Diverse and Changing
Environment
Photo and report by Erica N. Gregory
May 2011
“In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will
love only what we understand; and we will understand
only what we are taught.”
Baba Dioum, 1968
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Dedication and Gratitude I would like to dedicate this final project to the many people who were instrumental in making it happen. Without
these amazing individuals, I would not be the person or educator I am today. I am eternally grateful for their
guidance, skepticism, support, knowledge, faith, experience, and understanding. Thank you to all of you. I am
forever in your debt.
First, to my mentors and supervisors:
Suzanne Hebert, your unparalleled wisdom, kind heart, and enviable organizational skills have
benefited me more immensely than you can ever know. I owe you every successful moment I
have in the future while cultivating brilliant young minds. I am so very lucky to have been able
to learn and grow with you.
Katrina London, I will always know who to ask whenever I question my teaching methods.
Watching you working with children is like watching a fish swim; it was obviously meant to be.
Thank you for giving me the best foundation I could ever hope to start from and build on.
Christopher Reeves, despite the fact that you claim no relation, you really are Super Man. The
work you do is tremendous and so very important. You are a unique agent of change and every
docent and exhibit guide is lucky to have you as a mentor. Thank you for making my time at the
Seymour Center joyful, hilarious, and just plain weird!
Zdravka Tzankova, your realism, frankness, and enthusiasm have been a wonderful anchor for
me throughout a very turbulent year. I have appreciated and benefited from every suggestion and
word of advice you have given me. It has been a real blessing to work with someone who truly
understands what a busy college student needs and who delivers time and time again. Thank you
so very much for your guidance.
Secondly, to those who unconditionally supported me:
My family and friends: Mom, Dad, Scott, Babci, and Lance, thank you for putting up with me
when I freaked out over everything from deadlines to word choices. I couldn‟t have done any of
this without every one of you. I cannot tell you how grateful I am for everything you have done
for me. I love you all very much.
My Seymour Colleagues: Firstly, Rachel Leonard- you put the „fish‟ in efficient! Thank you for
making my work look so good! Secondly, muchísimas gracias a Athena Barrios for helping me
translate everything! And as for everyone else, you know who you are! School Programs crew:
you are all amazing and I am so privileged to be able to work with you. I learn something every
day with and because of you. Docent Training Class of 2011: it has been a pleasure learning and
working with all of you. Every time I hear your stories of tours or questions in the visitor hall, I
can‟t help but feel proud to know you! Seymour Center Staff: you have all made me feel so
welcome and so special. I always leave work smiling because I get to spend time with all of you.
You work so hard for such an amazing cause; I am honored to be counted among you.
I owe one more special thank you to the ENVS internship office and Chris Krohn, without whom
I never would have had this life changing experience. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
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Becoming an Educator in a Diverse and Changing Environment
Final Research Paper – Spring 2011 (Photo by Brooke Castro)
Introduction
Teaching is the most important job in the world. Whether or not we are credentialed to do
that job, we teach every day. Without teachers, we would not have doctors or firefighters or even
marine biologists. As someone who will get paid to teach, it is my job to give students the most
positive, beneficial experience they could possibly have.
By putting extensive research into practice, I have been able to draw my own conclusions
about working in a classroom full of diversity. At the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, our
class changes every single day. We could be teaching kindergarteners about echinoderms on
Tuesday and teaching marine biology students from Cabrillo College about cnidarians on
Wednesday.
In three quarters of working at the Seymour Center, I have been able to combine research
and personal experience to give students an entirely positive educational experience both in the
classroom and on paper.
Supplementary Academic Work
In my four years at UCSC, I have been able to take courses through the Environmental
Studies, Ocean Sciences, and Education departments that have tremendously benefited my work
as a student and educator at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center.
In the Environmental Studies department, relevant courses I have completed are ENVS
24 General Ecology, ENVS 23 the Physical and Chemical Environment, ENVS 100/L Ecology
and Society, ENVS 120 Conservation Biology, ENVS 199 Independent Study through the
Education for Sustainable Living Program, ENVS 123 Animal Ecology and Conservation,
ENVS 160 Restoration Ecology, and ENVS 83/183/183B Internship with the Seymour Marine
Discovery Center.
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In the Ocean Sciences department, I completed OCEA 83A Life in the Sea, which later
became my inspiration to apply for an internship with the Seymour Center.
In the Education department, the courses I completed were EDUC 92C Diversity and
Education and EDUC 185C Intro to Teaching Science for Secondary Schools.
All of the courses listed above were completed with a grade of B or better, earning dean‟s
honors for an entire year of coursework and departmental honors in my major of Environmental
Studies.
Internship Role at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center
During my three years at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, I have had many
different roles and responsibilities. I have served as a School Programs intern, a Docent Training
intern, and an Apprentice/Exhibit Guide instructor/organizer. In all three positions, I was
assigned tasks to expedite the organizing of classes including making copies, working in the
database, compiling information for volunteers, making name badges, helping develop activities,
and many other office-related tasks.
While working as an organizer for Apprentice/Exhibit Guide training, I helped deliver
presentations on interpretation, helped trainees hone their own interpretation skills, managed the
attendance sheet throughout class time, assisted during in-class activities, and created and posted
advertisements for the program.
The Docent Training course at the Seymour Center is an 11 week, 90 hour training
program that involved just as much work leading up to the program as was required during the
actual course. In preparation for the program, I completed the following tasks:
organized course materials for the reader created and organized important documents for current and future docent training classes (including sign in sheets, carpool/snack sign-ups, uniform order sheets, icebreaker activity sheets/keys, speaker confirmation letters, attendance checklists, daily equipment checklists, speaker contact information, and many other documents that will be available for future use) corresponded with researchers and guest speakers organized field trips organized speaker thank you letters created quizzes for the docents that accurately represented the material learned
During the program, my job was to:
attend the course myself and complete all required assignments including the 10 stop tour and two quizzes staff the sign-in table which included collecting assignments, handing out assignments, monitoring sign-in and sign-out, making sure speaker thank you notes were signed and sent on time, and greeting our volunteers with a smile help set up and put away the entire La Feliz room before and after class
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make coffee, get cream, and maintain the coffee donation jar grade quizzes and 10 stop tour projects offer guidance to the docent trainees regarding interpretation, audience management, and provide general knowledge on marine life and conservation
As a School Programs intern, I have had the opportunity to take part in tasks that involve a
wide range of skill sets including:
putting together welcome packets for classes that attend school programs making confirmation calls to teachers who have field trips coming up run credit card and purchase order information for confirmed field trips repairing items from certain stations for specific programs re-creating informational posters for each discovery lab (See Page 23) helping set up and put away discovery lab props and animals performing a safety check to make sure that all animals in the classroom are where they are supposed to be and that their tanks are secured closing off the seawater touch table and turning on aquarium lights in the morning teaching stations in various discovery labs for students in kindergarten all the way through college facilitating discovery labs; giving the introduction, timing the stations, facilitating the transitions between the stations, checking in with the students after the discovery lab, sending the students out on tours, discussing tours and ocean conservation with the class, thanking the teacher and delivering the “thank you packet”, and coordinating with other
school programs volunteers (giving demonstrations of stations when needed, answering questions, helping take out and put away animals, and assigning tour guides)
Throughout all of these duties, it has been my job as an environmental studies intern to
develop and implement a senior project. After speaking with my supervisor, Suzanne Hebert,
regarding my interests as an educator and her needs for the Seymour Center, we developed a
project that would be fun and interesting for me as well as useful to the Seymour Center.
In my last quarter interning with School Programs, I began facilitating entire classes and
developed worksheets for kindergarten/first grade students and second/third grade students. The
research component of this project involved carefully examining the national and California
science content standards for the respective grades and planning activities that accurately
fulfilled those standards, exploring issues of language equity and making these activities
accessible to English Language Learners, and using available literature to improve my
performance as an effective, equal-opportunity facilitator. These worksheets will be available for
parent and teacher download on the Seymour Marine Discovery Center website and will be an
excellent tool to facilitate learning for classes that choose to participate in a self-guided tour of
the aquarium instead of paying for the full Discovery Lab.
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Teaching in a Diverse, Changing Classroom
While working at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center for just under a year, I have
gotten invaluable teaching experience with every possible age bracket. I have taught
kindergarten through 5th
grade classes in their chosen discovery labs and tour stops, 6th
-8th
graders in their designated discovery lab, high school students in both discovery labs and in
Apprentice/Exhibit Guide training and Docent training, and also adults from the ages of 20-80+
in the Apprentice/Exhibit Guide and Docent training. With each different age group, it was
necessary to adjust almost every facet of teaching in order to be effective with the respective age
group. Most importantly, changing used vocabulary to age-appropriate and understandable words
varying from the most basic (kindergarten) to as complex as necessary with higher level groups
(high school – college). While teaching these groups, it was also imperative to assess the
understanding of the students on the fly to be able to tailor their education to what they have
come into the classroom understanding (Brown 2006).
Most traditional education involves teaching as though every class is the same; as though
every class has the same level of understanding, the same background, and the same methods of
learning (Ash 2008). Building off of what the students already know and understand as „every
day‟ knowledge, learning becomes much more accessible. Whether or not the student
understands what an echinoderm is or what a madreporite does, using information that the youth
has already compiled throughout their educational career and at home can help them grasp
abstract and foundational concepts (Warren et al).
Making ocean-based curricula available and understandable to every person; whether or
not they have even been to the ocean before; is something that the Seymour Marine Discovery
Center is focused on. When teaching Discovery Lab students who had never been to or even seen
the ocean before, I discovered that their learning hinged on parallels to every day items,
situations, and animals that the students understood and were familiar with. It would be ideal if
every student came into the classroom knowing what the word „adaptation‟ means or what it
truly means to make an observation. However, since almost every class is from a different
school, different city, and even different grade, what they have or have not been taught in the
past varies as much as their names. During the introduction, the facilitator asks leading
questions, prompting the students to answer with what they already know and to demonstrate the
level of the class‟ ability. When formative assessment happens, instructors are able to alter their
curricula depending upon the needs of the individual class and pose adequate challenges to the
students (Chiappetta et al. “Assessing Learning Outcomes”).
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By accessing information that these students are already well versed in, it is possible to
create a fun, positive learning experience that lends itself to the growth of the student; building
self confidence and the idea of personal pride (Learning with Understanding 2003).
In addition to working with every possible age group, I have also been able to gain
experience working with a variety of disorders or disabilities and different levels of English
language mastery. I have been able to work and succeed with children who are affected by
painful shyness, downs syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and many other
“disabilities” that teachers have not disclosed. English Language Learners (ELL students) are
fairly uncommon, but I have been able to work with bilingual classrooms and with students who
have varying degrees of mastery of the English language. All of these children are just as capable
of learning the same things as the rest of their peers but are sometimes singled out or are
monitored closely in a negative capacity by teachers or chaperones. Learning might be at a
slower pace or in a more tactile format with certain students, but positive responses and personal
encouragement are key to any child‟s success (Ash 2004).
During my time teaching, I have noticed that positivity is the most important ingredient
when teaching a child with disabilities or when teaching any student who is in a developmental
stage of their life. From kindergarten all the way through high school, every student is in the
process of developing their personal identity and character. At that stage in life, having an
educator or someone trusted reacting in an overtly negative way (e.g., responding to an incorrect
answer with, “No. That‟s wrong”) distracts the student from their learning opportunity and can
often dissuade the student from contributing again (Perrone 1997).
As an educator, the experience of working in such a diverse, changing classroom has
prepared me to be able to teach effectively at any age, to many levels of English language
mastery, with many different levels of ability, and even with students that some teachers would
label “challenges”.
Analysis of Worksheet Development
Creating worksheets is a greater challenge than anyone expects. While developing the
content, there are innumerable issues to take into account: language equity, learning styles,
science content standards, cognitive and physical abilities of the student, and many more
unforeseen issues (e.g., logistical issues at your place of work) (Klein, Ash). While putting these
worksheets together, I met all of these challenges but combated them to the best of my ability.
The following pages include a detailed account of the development process for each worksheet,
challenges and solutions, science content standards, and the reasoning/analysis behind the
choices made.
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Kindergarten- 1st Grade Worksheet:
Process:
The initial development of this worksheet was brought about by a suggestion from a
kindergarten teacher who was interested in having a worksheet available for her students as there
is no worksheet to be completed in the K-1 Discovery Labs at the Seymour Center. Suzanne
Hebert approached me about perhaps creating a simple Bingo style worksheet where the students
would circle an animal once they found it in the aquarium. Upon thinking about this, the idea
seemed almost too simple and that it did not challenge the students to use their powers of
observation enough. From there, I decided to create a worksheet where students could find
certain animals in the aquarium and use their developing abilities of relative spatial orientation to
complete drawings that had a certain body structure missing.
Challenges and Solutions:
The first challenge in putting together this worksheet was remembering to minimize the
amount of text on the page while having enough directions so that adults could easily interpret
the instructions and facilitate the activity. This challenge was easily remedied by continuing to
prune out unnecessary filler until the most streamlined version of the worksheet was finished.
Another challenge I faced was creating a worksheet that involved learning as well as
play. Simply circling animals in the aquarium did not really involve any work on the child‟s part
other than having a parent or teacher tell their student which animal to circle. Research on the
science content standards for both kindergarten and 1st grade helped me develop a worksheet that
requires more of the student‟s effort and taps into their natural curiosity.
The last and the biggest challenge that I faced was translating the worksheet into Spanish.
I am only fluent in English, but I was able to do a fair bit of the translation on my own. The
majority of the translating work was done with my coworker, Athena Barrios.
Science Content Standards for California Public Schools - K-1 Worksheet: Kindergarten Standards: Life Sciences 2C. Students know how to identify major structures of common plants and animals (e.g., stems, leaves, roots, arms, wings, legs.) Investigation and Experiment 4A. Observe common objects by using the five senses. Investigation and Experimentation 4C. Describe the relative position of objects by using one reference (e.g., above or below) Investigation and Experimentation 4E. Communicate observations orally and through drawings.
First Grade Standards:Investigation and Experimentation 4A. Draw pictures that portray some features of the thing being described.
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Investigation and Experimentation 4B. Record observations and data with pictures, numbers, or written statements. Investigation and Experimentation 4D. Describe the relative position of objects by using two references (e.g., above and next to, below and left of.)
(Bruton, 1998)
Analysis/Reasoning of Choices Made:
Directions:
With the directions, I wanted to create a situation where the child or student could use their
imagination. The directions explicitly ask the child for their help so that while completing the
worksheet, the children have a sense of responsibility and pride at being able to do “important
work”. When writing the directions, I noticed that I tended to be much too verbose. The simpler
the instructions, the easier it would be for the student to complete the worksheet successfully. By
setting the student up for success in that way, I assured that the student would feel proud,
accomplished, and would have a sense of ownership of the work they had created (Gallas 1995).
Moon Jellies:
I chose this animal because of the importance it has at the Seymour Center. At the Long
Marine Lab, scientists and aquarists raise moon jelly polyps that get sent to many different
aquariums and are shown on display at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center. I also chose this
animal because it is easily recognizable as a “Jellyfish” and for many children, the missing
tentacles would be easy to spot with a simple glance, starting them off with a confidence
building question. The moon jellies are also the only animal in a circle on the worksheet because
the tank that houses the jellies is circular1, giving the parent, teacher, or child a visual cue of
what to look for in the aquarium.
Leopard Shark:
The leopard shark was chosen for this worksheet because it is located in the Rocky Reef
tank, one of the biggest and busiest tanks in the entire aquarium. Not only will the student have
to look for the dorsal fin, they will have to look for the shark. There are two species of shark in
the aquarium: Swell and Leopard. The swell shark is easily distinguishable because its fins look
remarkably different from those of the leopard shark. Also, the leopard shark is almost always
swimming at the front of the tank while the swell shark tends to hide between rocks or in the
back of the aquarium. I specifically chose something a little more difficult to find to encourage
interactions with the staff and volunteers. Giving the children a chance to communicate with
1 The circular jelly aquarium assures a safer environment than a typical rectangular tank. In the circular tank, the jellies are not able to get stuck in the corners. A special ventilation system pushes a constant current throughout the entire tank providing the jellies with a simulation of ocean currents. Jellies are drifters by nature, so without the current, they would be unable to travel.
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others about their learning will build confidence in their ability to speak to their peers and to
adults or elders. Extra space around the shark drawing will allow children to get creative either
while they draw the dorsal fin or later if they should choose to color in their work.
Sea (Jewel) Star:
A sea star was the perfect opportunity to allow students just beginning their educational
career to practice looking at patterns and predicting what comes next (e.g., the fifth arm). Even if
the student does not seek out and find a jewel star in the aquarium, they will most likely be able
to draw in the last arm from previous knowledge. A follow up question at the bottom asks the
student to count how many arms the sea star has. At that stage in life, students are mastering
counting and giving them an opportunity to use their skills on a worksheet will build confidence
in their abilities.
Anemone:
I wanted to include two animals that were similar in this worksheet so that the students had
the possibility to compare and contrast two different organisms with a parent or teacher (Delpit
1995). The anemone is missing its tentacles just like the moon jelly which is hinted in the
anemone‟s speech bubble (an interpretive clue for parents or teachers). The instructions at the
bottom inform the student that they are actually able to touch this animal at the seawater table.
Involving different forms of learning will insure that more information will be retained or will at
least appeal to children who excel in different styles of learning.
Ending Instructions/Ms. Blue:
A little introduction and encouragement from Ms. Blue (the blue whale skeleton outside of
the Seymour Marine Discovery Center) will help the students feel important and accomplished at
the end of the worksheet. Having Ms. Blue directly address the student should give them a
feeling of inclusion and being a part of something bigger. The suggestion that the students can
take the worksheet home and color in the images once they finish them allows them to express
their creativity or to demonstrate their memory recall ability back in the classroom or at home
(e.g., coloring the anemone green like the one at the seawater table or coloring the spots and
stripes of the leopard shark darker than the rest of the skin).
All images on the K-1 Worksheet drawn by Erica N. Gregory.
2nd
– 3rd
Grade Worksheet (Seymour Stars!):
Process:
With the second worksheet, I wanted to spend more time developing curricula that would
work around the science content standards. I also wanted to create something that would
encourage the students to really explore the aquarium and to investigate many different species
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of the same type of animal (in this case, sea stars). One of the science content standards was that
students should know that individuals of a species can vary drastically and I thought that this
would be an excellent talking point for students and their teacher when students get varying
answers about bat stars or brittle stars (Bruton, 1998).
Again, I struggled with being much too verbose in the directions and got a little frustrated
about the vocabulary being used. This situation left me with the unfortunate reality of having to
delete some crucial pieces of my final product.
Initially, I planned to pair this worksheet with a Sea Star Guide that would have also been
offered online for students and teachers who wanted to be able to complete this activity at home
without having to travel to the Seymour Center. However, I ran into many problems with this
guide and ended up deciding to focus solely on the worksheet. In the end, I am pleased with how
it turned out and I think it will be an excellent tool for teachers to use in their science classrooms
after a field trip.
Challenges and Solutions:
The first and largest challenge I ran into when creating this worksheet was the idea of
creating a Seymour Star Guide that would allow students to complete this worksheet at home or
at school without ever having to travel all the way to the aquarium. The star guide would have
included photos of the stars, descriptions of them and their defenses, where to find them in the
aquarium, and a size chart depicting how large the stars are compared to each other.
Unfortunately, after speaking with Peter Macht (the person in charge of the animals and aquaria)
I realized that the sea stars are not a static part of the aquarium and therefore the star guide could
not include a “where to find me” section as the sea stars might not be present in the aquarium at
all. Another problem was listing all of the sea stars in the aquarium currently, in the past, and in
the possible future. The sea star guide would be quite a large document in order to encompass all
of these different animals, so I ended up deciding against creating the sea star guide. If teachers
still wish to complete this worksheet back in their classroom, they would easily be able to print
of images of sea stars and either blow them up or shrink them to their real sizes (based on field
guides or internet resources).
Again, I ran into the problem of using too many words in the directions of the worksheet.
With the help of my supervisor, Suzanne Hebert, I was able to trim everything down to a simple
paragraph that adequately expresses what the instructions are as well as some pertinent
vocabulary words and concepts.
The last challenge I ran into was using a concept that is hard to describe without being
there to help guide the students as they fill out the worksheet. Initially, the worksheet had a
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section about predicting the texture of the sea stars observed. However, explaining „texture‟ to a
second or third grader with so little space was just not feasible. Instead, I removed the section
about texture and then added a follow-up question at the end of the worksheet that invites
students to touch the stars at the seawater table and make observations about what they felt like.
Unfortunately, the elimination of this section meant the elimination of several other science
content standards.
Science Content Standards for California Public Schools – 2-3 Worksheet: Second Grade Standards:Life Sciences 2D: Students know there is variation among individuals of one kind within a population. Investigation and Experimentation 4A: Make predictions based on observed patterns and not random guessing. Investigation and Experimentation 4C. Compare and sort common objects according to two or more physical attributes (e.g., color, shape, texture, size, weight). Investigation and Experimentation 4G.. Follow oral instructions for a scientific investigation.
Third Grade Standards: Investigation and Experimentation: 5A. Repeat observations to improve accuracy and know that the result of similar scientific investigations seldom turn out exactly the same because of differences in the things being investigated, methods being used, or uncertainty in the observation. Investigation and Experimentation 5B. Differentiate evidence from opinion and know that scientists do not rely on claims or conclusions unless they are backed by observations that can be confirmed. Investigation and Experimentation 5C. Use numerical data in describing and comparing objects, events, and measurements.
(Bruton, 1998)
Analysis/Reasoning of Choices Made:
Directions:
I italicized and underlined words in the directions at the top to draw the attention of
students, parents, and teachers reading the document. By bringing the attention of the teacher to
these concepts, the teacher can then add any necessary vocabulary to lesson plans or can use this
lesson as a way to strengthen some of the science content standards. The last sentence suggests
that the students ask for the help of a volunteer if they have trouble finding sea stars in the
aquarium. As mentioned in the K-1 worksheet, the necessity of speaking to an adult will help
increase the child‟s self confidence and may open up a discussion about the sea star that can lead
to open inquiry (Klein, Ash).
Observation Spaces:
Including four different spaces for sea stars was an adequate number to challenge
students but not bore them and to allow for comparing and contrasting. The boxes were
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purposely created to be large so that the student had enough room to interpret and draw what
they saw in order to remember the star for future (if any) classroom discussions. The observation
questions below the boxes involve two different formats for answers: write-in and circling. This
breaks up the monotony of writing answer after answer and also allows for less discrepancy
among students‟ results with the questions that involve more individual interpretation. With size,
there will still be some variation among answers for students with bigger or smaller hands, but
this gives the teacher the opportunity to talk about why scientists must repeat experiments with
other scientists because of personal variations and biases.
Follow Up Questions:
Since I was not able to include the section about texture in the worksheet, I wanted to
include a follow up question where the students had an opportunity to explore the seawater touch
table and also to explore different methods of learning. The two questions about the number of
arms and color give the students the opportunity to look back at the information they have
recorded and to compare and contrast the observed sea stars. Since the answer to the size of the
sea star may depend upon the size of the child‟s hand, asking which sea star was the biggest and
which was the smallest is a way of possibly unifying the answers of an entire class so that
comparisons can be made at a group level as well. The last question of which was your favorite
was a suggestion of Suzanne‟s that I definitely wanted to include because it makes the
assignment feel more personal.
Relevance at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center
The following is an email message received from Suzanne Hebert:
“This message serves as confirmation that we will post the activity sheets you create for
your internship project to the Seymour Center website. The activities will be available online for
teachers download and use as a teaching tool with their students during field trips to the Seymour
Center. Each activity will align with California Science Content Standards and be grade-level
appropriate.”
To see the email message in its entirety, please see Page 38 of the report.
Conclusion
Creating worksheets that followed standards, practiced language equity, engaged the
students, and benefited the Seymour Center was a long, laborious process, but was ultimately
beneficial. Without having stepped foot in a traditional classroom setting, I have already had
experience teaching every grade level and have developed curricula that follows California
standards. The Seymour Center will also gain something from this project in that they now have
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even more hands on material to guide exploration in their aquarium and have extra tools or
resources for teachers.
The past three quarters have presented me with the unique challenge of teaching in a
classroom where the students change every single day. These students come from different
backgrounds, different cities, and different belief systems. They are in different grades, have
different styles of learning, different styles of living, and different foundations. Such a diverse,
changing environment has been absolutely essential in my development as a well-rounded
educator and has helped shape my philosophy about teaching.
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Klein, Christine. "Inquiry in the Informal Learning Environment." Teaching and Learning in Inquiry-Based
Environment. By Dorish Ash. 253-65. Print.
Kluger-Bell, Barry. "Recognizing Inquiry: Comparing Three Hands-On Teaching Techniques." Foundations. Vol. 2.
31-57. Print.
"Learning with Understanding: Seven Principles." Learning and Understanding. National Academy of Science,
2003. 117-33. Print.
Looking Closely at Formative Assessment - General Points. Issue brief no. 701. San Francisco: Exploratorium,
2004. Print.
Marx, Ronald W., Phyllis C. Blumenfeld, Jospeh S. Krajcik, Barry Fishman, Elliot Soloway, Robert Geier, and
Revital T. Tal. "Inquiry-Based Science in the Middle Grades: Assessment of Learning in Urban Systemic Reform."
Journal of Research in Science Teaching 41.10 (2004): 1063-080. Print.
McGinty, Mendoza-Reis, Aida Walqui, S. Kagan, J. Johns, Gary Shapiro, Figueroa, Ruiz, Garcia, Ann Jaramillo,
Kelly Smith, Janet Johns, and Klarin. A Guide for Teaching and Learning in a Multicultural Society. Print.
National Center for Education Statistics (2011). The Nation‟s Report Card: Science 2009 (NCES 2011–451).
Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C.
National Research Council. "Images of Inquiry in the K-12 Classrooms." Inquiry and the National Science
Education Standards. 39-59. Print.
Nieto, Sonia. ""This Addictive Thing Called Teaching": An Interview With Sonia Nieto About What Keeps
Teachers Going?" Interview by Hilton K. Kelly. Wilson Web. The H.W. Wilson Company, 2004. Web.
Perkins-Gough, Deborah. "Understanding the Scientific Enterprise." Educational Leadership - Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development. 2007. 8-15. Print.
Perrone, Vitto. Reflections on Teaching: Learning to Teach and Teaching to Learn. Rep. no. 4. Vol. 98. Columbia
University, New York: Teacher's College Record, 1997. Print.
Roschelle, Jeremy. "Prior Knowledge and New Experience." Learning in Interactive Environments. Dartmouth. 37-
51. Print.
Roth, Kathleen, and Helen Garnier. "What Science Teaching Looks Like: An International Perspective."
Educational Leadership: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. 16-23. Print.
Sato, Mistilina, and J. Myron Atkin. "Supporting Change in Classroom Assessment." Educational Leadership:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. 76-79. Print.
Van Zee, Emily H., Marletta Iwasyk, Akiko Kurose, Dorothy Simpson, and Judy Wild. "Student and Teacher
Questioning during Conversations about Science." Journal of Research in Science Teaching 38.2 (2001): 159-90.
Print.
Warren, Beth, Mark Ogonowski, and Suzanne Pothier. ""Everyday" and "Scientific": Rethinking Dichotomies in
Modes of Thinking in Science Learning." Everyday Matters in Science and Mathematics - Studies of Complex
Classroom Events. Ed. Ricardo Nemirovsky, Ann S. Rosebery, Jesse Soloman, and Beth Warren. 118-48. Print.
Worksheets (on the following pages):
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Name:________________________ Date:_________________
Seymour Stars!
Scientists make many observations about the plants, animals, and environments they see around them.
Remember that an observation is a fact and not an opinion. Today, your job as a marine scientist at the Seymour
Marine Discovery Center is to find 4 different species of sea stars in the aquarium. Once you find them, make
observations about their color, pattern, number of arms, and size. If you have trouble finding some sea stars, ask
a volunteer in a dark blue shirt for help!
Species Name: _________________________ Species Name:_________________________
(Draw the sea star in the box above!) (Draw the sea star in the box above!)
Observations: Observations:
Color: ___________________________________ Color: ___________________________________
_________________________________________ _________________________________________
Pattern (circle one): Solid Spotted Pattern (circle one): Solid Spotted
Number of Arms: __________________________ Number of Arms: __________________________
Size (circle one): Size (circle one):
A. Smaller than my hand B. Bigger than my hand A. Smaller than my hand B. Bigger than my hand
C. Same size as my hand D. Other: ___________ C. Same size as my hand D. Other: ___________
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Species Name: _________________________ Species Name:_________________________
(Draw the sea star in the box above!) (Draw the sea star in the box above!)
Observations: Observations:
Color: ___________________________________ Color: ___________________________________
_________________________________________ _________________________________________
Pattern (circle one): Solid Spotted Pattern (circle one): Solid Spotted
Number of Arms: __________________________ Number of Arms: __________________________
Size (circle one): Size (circle one):
A. Smaller than my hand B. Bigger than my hand A. Smaller than my hand B. Bigger than my hand
C. Same size as my hand D. Other: ___________ C. Same size as my hand D. Other: ___________
Try to find some sea stars at the seawater touch table and observe what the feel like. Record your observations
about what they felt like on the line below.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Did all of the sea stars have the same number of arms? _________
Were all of the sea stars the same color? __________
Which sea star was the biggest? _____________________________________
Which was the smallest? _____________________________________
Which sea star was your favorite? _____________________________________
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Name:__Answer Key_________________ Date:_________________
Seymour Stars!
Scientists make many observations about the plants, animals, and environments they see around them.
Remember that an observation is a fact and not an opinion. Today, your job as a marine scientist at the Seymour
Marine Discovery Center is to find 4 different species of sea stars in the aquarium. Once you find them, make
observations about their color, pattern, number of arms, and size. If you have trouble finding some sea stars, ask
a volunteer in a dark blue shirt for help!
Species Name: __Bat Star ____ Species Name:____Sunflower Star____
(Draw the sea star in the box above!) (Draw the sea star in the box above!)
Observations: Observations:
Color: __Varies____________________________ Color: __Hard to tell- purple light____________
_________________________________________ _________________________________________
Pattern (circle one): Solid Spotted Pattern (circle one): Solid Spotted
Number of Arms: ___4-7____________________ Number of Arms: ___Many!______________
Size (circle one): Size (circle one):
A. Smaller than my hand B. Bigger than my hand A. Smaller than my hand B. Bigger than my hand
C. Same size as my hand D. Other: _Varies_ C. Same size as my hand D. Other: ___________
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Species Name: __Leather Star_________ Species Name: ___Brittle Star________
(Draw the sea star in the box above!) (Draw the sea star in the box above!)
Observations: Observations:
Color: ___Pale green or yellow with orange spots Color: ___Varies- striped arms________________
_________________________________________ _________________________________________
Pattern (circle one): Solid Spotted Pattern (circle one): Solid Spotted
Number of Arms: __________________________ Number of Arms: __________________________
Size (circle one): Size (circle one):
A. Smaller than my hand B. Bigger than my hand A. Smaller than my hand B. Bigger than my hand
C. Same size as my hand D. Other: _Varies____ C. Same size as my hand D. Other: ___________
Try to find some sea stars at the seawater touch table and observe what the feel like. Record your observations
about what they felt like on the line below.
__Jewel Star/Ochre Star- Rough, Leather Star- Smooth/Slippery, Bat Star- Rough__________
Did all of the sea stars have the same number of arms? __No____
Were all of the sea stars the same color? _No_____
Which sea star was the biggest? __The Sunflower Star__________________
Which was the smallest? __The brittle star_______________________
Which sea star was your favorite? ___Varies__________________________
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Discovery Lab Posters and Teaching Documentation
(All posters/images created by Erica N. Gregory)
(Photos by Erica N. Gregory unless stated otherwise)
Spines, Slime, and
Tube Feet
(Kindergarten)
Do you know any of
these animals?
Sea Urchin
(el erizo de mar)
Sea Star
(la estrella de mar)
Sand Dollar
(el dólar de arena)
Sea Cucumber
(el pepinillo de mar)
Today, you will get to
see many different
animals in our
classroom:
Almost all of them have
spines…
Some even have
SLIME! …
But all of them have Tube Feet!
Scientists grouped these animals together because they all have those similar body parts. The
scientists called this group the ECHINODERMS.
(Pronounced “Ee-KINE-oh-derms”).
Their name means “Spiky or Spiny Skin”!
Why do you think it is important for us to protect echinoderms?
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Awesome Adaptations (Grade 1)
Adaptation means:
A body structure or behavior
that helps an animal survive!
Think about a common ocean animal…
What body structure does that animal have to
help it survive?
What about a behavior it has?
Adaptations can help animals:
…catch food
…protect themselves
…hide from predators
Why do scientists study animal adaptations?
(Demonstrating where to write on the clipboard- Photo by Brooke Castro)
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Fossil Frolic (Grade 2)
Who has heard of the
word “fossil” before?
Can someone tell me
what a fossil is?
Scientists who study
fossils are called
Paleontologists and you
all get to be fossil
scientists today!
Fossils are formed when
bones and shells of
animals that have died in
the ocean fall to the
ocean floor. Over time,
the bones and shells get
covered by layers of
sand and mud (which
paleontologists call
„sediment‟). Minerals in
the sediment harden
around the bones and
shells and make them as
hard as rocks!
Why is it important to
study fossils?
Fossils help us learn
what animals lived millions of years ago and those same fossils can even tell us what the
environment was like at that time!
Do you think there are still undiscovered fossils out there?
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Shark Science (Grade
2)
There are about 1,000
species of sharks and
rays.
Can you name any of
these sharks, skates, or
rays?
(From left to right:
Skate, Shovelnose
Guitar fish, Leopard
shark, and Round
Stingray).
With a variety of sizes,
shapes, teeth, and ways
to produce their young:
There is a species of
shark that is the
BIGGEST fish in the
ocean! The Whale
Shark can be up to 50
feet long!
Another species of
shark called the Pygmy
shark is only 10 inches
long and will stay that
size its entire life!
Why are scientists concerned about sharks?
Humans kill over 12,000,000 (TWELVE MILLION) sharks every year!
But sharks only kill fewer than 10 (TEN) people!
What can people do to protect sharks?
Look at your Seafood Watch card! Where are sharks listed? In Best Choices, Good Alternatives,
or Avoid?
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Suited for Success (Grade 3)
1. Body Structures and Behaviors
that improve an animal‟s chance
of survival:
ADAPTATIONS
2. Animals are adapted to survive
in specific environments:
Redwood forest tide pools
open ocean Desert
Imagine if you took a shark (who
is adapted to live in the ocean)
and put him in the redwood
forest… Would he survive?
3. When an environment changes,
some animals:
SURVIVE … MOVE … DIE
If an animal can adapt to a
changing environment, he or she
will survive! If they can‟t adapt to
the change but are able to travel
quickly, they can move! But if
they can‟t move or survive… the
animal dies!
Your Mission: Explore different ways animals improve their chance of survival!
Why is it important for humans to protect different environments?
Waiting for bat stars to flip over
in the 6-8 Analyze This! Program
- Photo by Brooke Castro
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Scientists at Work (Grade
5)
Dr. John Pearse and
students study intertidal
animals and plants!
They search for answers to
important questions…
What lives there?
How many?
Does the environment
change?
Do humans affect that
environment?
Are there natural effects
like El Niño, La Niña,
global warming, or rip-rap?
Scientists need many
Scientific Skills
They must: observe
carefully, identify and
describe species, record
data, and develop questions
from observations and
experiments!
Recording data at the
station and making sure
that the students know
where and how to record
the times off their stop-
watches.
Photo by Brooke Castro
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Adapted to the Deep (Grade 5)
Less is known about the
deep sea than much of
space! The deep sea is the
NEW, new frontier!
Scientists study the deep
sea using R.O.V.s
(Remotely Operated
Vehicles) and A.U.V.s
(Autonomous Underwater
Vehicles).
Some of those scientists
are from right here in the
Santa Cruz area- like
Mary Silver at UCSC!
Humans affect the deep
sea with trawling,
dumping waster, and
many other things.
Extreme conditions in the
deep sea make it hard for
animals to live there.
They have to work with
extremely cold
temperatures, extreme
pressure, and an extreme
lack of sunlight.
They have developed adaptations (a structure of behavior that helps an organism survive or
reproduce) to help them survive and reproduce under these conditions.
Teacher Feedback and Student Appreciation (on following pages):
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Supervisor Evaluations
Agency Evaluation for UCSC Environmental Studies’ Internships
Student: Erica Gregory Quarter: Winter
Agency Sponsor: Chris Reeves Course no.: ENVS 183
No. of units: 5
Agency: Seymour Marine Discovery Center
Faculty Sponsor: Zdravka Tzankova Note: 12-15 hours per week
required per
5 units (6 hours per 2
units)
Please evaluate the student’s work in this internship. Be as specific as possible as to work quality,
demonstrated initiative, follow through, and potential to work in this field.
This evaluation is a requirement of the student’s internship and must be returned by the student.
Erica has worked for me for the past two quarters. She helped to prepare all materials necessary to plan, hire volunteers, coordinate, and teach this year‟s Docent Training course. She worked,
and is working roughly 15 hours per week. Currently she is coordinating all of the logistics of executing the class including set up for each class, follow up with previous speakers, planning for upcoming classes, organizing necessary paperwork, as well as ensuring that things run smoothly during each class session. Erica shows so much initiative, and is so organized with her time, that I only find it necessary to debrief with her once per week. Much of the coordinating work that typically falls on me has been taken off my plate by Erica, which has freed up my time to improve this training class. She has been an excellent intern, and were it that I had a paid position open, I would have hired her.
_______________________________________
________________________________________
Signature: Agency Sponsor Signature: Student
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January 14, 2011
Erica Gregory, Recommendation for admission
UCSC, Division of Graduate Studies, Education
To whom it may concern,
I am writing you today to recommend Erica Gregory for admission to the Education
department Masters Degree/Teaching Credential program. For the past six months I have had
the pleasure of working with Erica as her supervisor here at the Seymour Center at Long
Marine Laboratory, University of California Santa Cruz. The Seymour Center provides high-
quality public education about the role that science plays in the understanding and
conservation of the world‟s oceans. Erica is working as our Docent Training Intern. She is
very organized, detail oriented, personable, and motivated in attaining experience that will
allow her to excel in her career goal to become a teacher.
Our volunteer docents represent the Seymour Center and the University of California in their
interactions with the visitors to the marine lab, by leading a 45-minute tour of our research
facilities to discuss the work performed by our scientists. The Seymour Center‟s docent
training course itself is a 90-hour, eleven-week course, which requires up to six months
preparation. The Seymour Center‟s docent training course is probably our single most
important annual event with respect to our public presentations. Erica helped organize all
course materials, correspond with and arrange for researchers to provide instruction, organized
class field trips, and is attending the course as a volunteer docent, learning the course material
herself. She is volunteering in her role as intern an
additional 10 hours per week, while taking the docent training course, all while
maintaining her regular college workload.
Erica routinely demonstrates her ability to communicate complex marine science topics
clearly, with people of all ages and backgrounds. Her accessible demeanor, and natural
empathy allow her to draw in students and identify their needs in order to accommodate for
their level of understanding. She gracefully instigates a spark of desire in others to learn
more. Erica has helped me to develop new presentations and workshops for training our
docents here, and is eager to take on these new challenges. In combination with her work for
our Youth Programs department, Erica has made a concerted effort to diversify and hone her
skills in presenting new subjects to new audiences.
In the short time that she has worked here, she has made herself an effective part of the
Visitor Programs team. She accepts difficult projects with a minimum of explanation or
direction, which she always completes to a higher standard than I would expect of any
employee. Managing the instruction of a diverse group of volunteers is a role that requires
patience and finesse, qualities that Erica expresses in all of her interactions with staff and
volunteers alike. Her relaxed demeanor often belies her strong work ethic and determination
to develop new teaching skills. Erica is a pleasure to work with.
The Seymour Center is a non-profit educational institution, with all of the usual financial
challenges therein. We maintain a very small staff, with a volunteer base of roughly 200
people. Were I able to offer Erica a position as a paid employee, I would not hesitate. I am
personally very glad to be able to work with her.
Please help her achieve her goal of earning her Masters in Education and her teaching
credential. She will be an alumnus that the University of California Santa Cruz can be
proud of.
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Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or require any further
reference for Erica.
Sincerely,
Chris Reeves
Visitor Programs Manager Seymour Marine Discovery Center Long
Marine Laboratory [email protected]
100 Shaffer Road Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (831)
459-1855 – Office (831) 459-
3800 – Main (831) 402-0863
– Cell
Leopard Shark in the Rocky Reef Tank at the Seymour Center
(Photo by Erica Gregory)
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Dear Erica,
This message serves as confirmation that we will post the activity sheets you create for your
internship project to the Seymour Center website. The activities will be available online for
teachers download and use as a teaching tool with their students during field trips to the Seymour
Center. Each activity will align with California Science Content Standards and be grade-level
appropriate.
Thank you for your work on this project. I look forward to making these additional resources
available to our teachers.
Sincerely,
Suzanne
********************************************************* Suzanne M. Hebert
Youth Programs Manager
Seymour Marine Discovery Center
Long Marine Laboratory
University of California, Santa Cruz
100 Shaffer Road
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Phone: (831) 459-5725
Fax: (831) 459-1221
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://seymourcenter.ucsc.edu/
*********************************************************
Attended the following conference with Katrina Hart London on May 10th
, 2011:
Environmental Education Resource Fair of Santa Cruz County
May 10, 2011, 3:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Santa Cruz County Office of Education
400 Encinal Street, Santa Cruz
Don't miss this popular Environmental Education Resource Fair May 10, 2011, 3:30 pm – 7:30
pm. Extended hours give teachers more time to gather activities and materials, meet
knowledgeable and inspiring resource providers, and relax with fellow K-12 teachers from
throughout the region. It's a fun and engaging way to discover new environmental education
resources for the classroom.
Hosted by Santa Cruz County Office of Education and the California Regional Environmental
Education Community (CREEC). For more information, contact Amity Sandage, CREEC
Coordinator, at [email protected] or 831 466-5711.
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Erica Gregory’s Future Plans
If it weren‟t for the Seymour Marine Discovery Center and its amazing employees, I
would not have rediscovered a forgotten love for teaching. I am attempting to turn this passion
into a career by earning my masters in education and my teaching credentials in the 2011-2012
Masters of Education program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. I have already been
accepted to the program as a multiple subject candidate and have received a Regents Fellowship.
I have chosen to focus my student teaching on grades 3-6 with a focus in alternative and outdoor
education.
Before the quarter is over, I will continue to maintain the Environmental Media Project as
Manager and Editor in Chief of Gaia magazine. The magazine is a UCSC production created
entirely by students who wish to put a spotlight on environmental issues in the local community
and at a global scale as well. The Seymour Center will be featured in the third issue of the
magazine with an advertisement and a small description written by myself in order to promote
the aquarium and the positive conservation message they spread.
This summer, I will be assisting Katrina London in her Ocean Explorers summer camp
for children interested in marine life and conservation. I will be helping with a week long
program called “Masterful Marine Mammals” and I am really looking forward to learning more
techniques to hone my skills as an outdoor educator. As a graduate student, I plan to volunteer
with School Programs at the Seymour Center to practice teaching in a diverse classroom that
changes every time you return.
Lastly, I am very honored to say that Suzanne Hebert has nominated me to be spotlighted
in a local magazine called „Good Times‟ in a feature lasting an entire year. The articles will
highlight local non-profit organizations and their outstanding young volunteers. At this point in
time, the authors and editors are still choosing which organizations and volunteers to draw
attention to, but I will still be happy even if they do not choose to feature me. What touches me
the most is that Suzanne thought of me as an outstanding young volunteer and that she would
take the time to write about and nominate me.
Wherever life takes me after graduate school, I will always think of my time at the
Seymour Center fondly. In a perfect world, I would get to stay and work at the place that started
it all for me. But at the very least, I will still subscribe to the Tidelines newsletter and keep in
touch with the wonderful people I have had the absolute pleasure to work with.
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Seymour Marine Discovery Center Information
The Seymour Center is open:
Tuesday-Saturday from 10am to 5pm
Sunday from 12pm to 5pm
Admission costs:
$6- Adults
$4- Students or Seniors (64+)
$4- Children (4-16)
Members visit for free!
UCSC Undergrads can get in free with a valid student ID!
Tour times:
Sign up for tours an hour before- first come, first served!
1pm, 2pm, and 3pm
Location and Directions:
FROM SANTA CRUZ, take Highway One (Mission Street) north. Continue north through town
several miles. Turn left on Swift Street. Turn right on Delaware Avenue. Follow Delaware to the
UC Santa Cruz Marine Science Campus entrance at the end of the road. The Seymour Marine
Discovery Center is the final building located on the ocean bluff, next to the giant blue whale
skeleton.
(Information from http://www2.ucsc.edu/seymourcenter/visitor_information.html)