I think that the Mentor partnership aspect of the Kenan Fellowship is extremely valuable.  I know that I get fixed in the cocoon of my school much of the time and it’s really important to be spreading out and getting in touch with experts – we have to be “out there” to bring back real-world issues to our students.  My partnership with Dr. Dave Muddiman and his team at NCSU has been so helpful and eye-opening.  The work I did this past summer and just being part of a team that could sit around and talk about these complex investigations gave me so much “ammunition” to bring back to my class.

I do think it’s a two-way street, as well.  I know that several members of Dr. Muddiman’s team used the Kenan relationship in grant proposals that they were awarded.  Dr. Muddiman also mentioned to me in a recent visit that the lesson plans that I developed as a part of my experience helped him get some funding for new equipment from NC State.  He told me that the lesson plan he shared helped convey the importance of what he and his team do, and it helped convince some others that he is working to share that message to a broader community.  He also offered me a job next summer – which I was flattered and eager to accept.

I haven’t posted a blog recently.  I’ve been busy with lots of different things – school, taking several courses, applying for the Albert Einstein Fellowship, my mother has been in the hospital – life seems to get overrun at times.  My Kenan lesson plan is in full effect in my two chemistry classes.  Dr. Muddiman came and introduced the field of analytical chemistry to my students in October and they have been working on their extension projects.  I gave them a few days to work when I was out with my mother, and I am anxious to see how they turn out.  Students turned in some rough drafts and research last week and it looks like they have some good ideas…it also looks like they have a long way to go in some areas.

I have just completed a couple of MOOCs through Coursera.  The one I thought was phenomenal as “What Future for Education?”  It was conducted through the University of London and was extremely informative.  I particularly liked interacting with teachers throughout the world and discussing different situations and ideas about education.  I never thought I would have a chance to have a discussion with a Siberian teacher (things are not going well for teachers in Siberia).  I also finished reading a book called “A Mind for Numbers” by Barbara Oakley which is geared toward using our understanding of neuroscience to help people become more effective learners (especially in math and science).  The book was a supplemental resources for a MOOC I took a few months back called “Learning How to Learn.”  I would strongly suggest both of those courses to fellow educators.