For the past five years I have been teaching Language Arts and Social Studies to the hard-working 7th graders of Cape Fear Middle School in Pender County. Next year I hope to make use of my Science licensure to facilitate the problem-based learning unit we develop through the Kenan Fellow experience.
I became interested in the Kenan Fellows Program because of a colleague who was working on his Kenan Fellows project. A few teachers from my county actually attended the NCTIES presentation his students lead based on this project. The engagement, dedication, expertise and excitement his students radiated was awe inspiring. I knew at that moment that this program was dedicated to thinking differently and teaching by facilitating exploration. Moreover, his students had been allowed to fail multiple times in pursuit of good data. Giving kids the tools to learn from failing or getting things wrong is not only a scientific skill but one that will serve them well in life. It is a skill easily overlooked in the climate and culture of high-stakes testing but one that the Kenan Fellows Project encourages.
My goals for this internship are to develop content connected curriculum that is accessible to any teacher in any content and to add to my resource base of like minded differen
t thinkers. I have already had some “What if we…” moments and I hope to bring that abstract thinking to my students.
It has only been two days but thanks to my mentor Deanna Beasely, I have become a scientist. A scientist that is curious, awe struck and dedicated to exploring where my data leads. This is how every classroom should be. I hope to model mine after this experience.
In this photo, Deanna Beasely is teaching me how to extract hemolymph from a Carpenter Ant in a way that does not harm the insect so that we may study its immune system.