Science, Education, and Science Education

I used to want to be a marine biologist, archaeologist, molecular biologist, zookeeper, animal advocate, biochemist, nuclear physicist, writer, field biologist, chemical engineer, artist, geneticist, evolutionary entomologist, pyrotechnician, cat-herder, and wildlife activist. Turns out, I found a profession that lets me be most of those things while having the time of my life with kids all day. It doesn’t get any better than this.

I’m a National Board Certified science teacher (NBCT AYA/Science 1998, twice renewed) and avid scuba diver (retired mixed gas/technical instructor) who recently moved back to the Midwest from the Pacific Northwest.  I was a volunteer diver at the local aquarium (I washed windows and vacuumed shark poo and other debris from the exhibits, and no, we didn’t take the sharks out and put them in giant buckets while we were diving.)

My dissertation addresses what teachers of grades 4-8 learn (or not) about science and science pedagogy, particularly inquiry, while teaching via the Internet (currently very relevant.) The results illustrate the importance of teaching the art of deeply and accurately reflecting on one’s practice early in teacher preparation programs. Now that it’s finished, defended, and published, I have a few other projects on the burners.  My husband is afraid.

Anything posted here is my own opinion and does not reflect the position of my employer, university affiliations, Twitter, NBPTS, Facebook, my husband,  my dogs, and certainly not my cat.

Luann Lee, NBCT; Ed.D.

Follow me on Twitter:  @Stardiverr

Image on home page from Wikimedia Commons.