Summary

I am a lifelong learner. I am always seeking unique opportunities to build my knowledge and experiences to incorporate into my everyday lessons at East Garner Magnet Middle School. I want learning to be fun for my students. Most importantly, I want my students to develop into responsible citizens with a global perspective. Many of my students cannot travel far from where they live, and I have made it my goal to increase their awareness of Science through a global lens. When the Kenan Fellows program had just begun, my mother, Judy Smith, was fortunate to receive a fellowship. I knew about the program and was watching for project opportunities that aligned with my teaching philosophy of educating students about Science with a global perspective. The project with Dr. Hoffmann was a wonderful opportunity to bring real data from the Brazilian forest and savanna back into my classroom for a global learning opportunity on data collection, biomes, adaptations, photosynthesis, and transpiration. I am thankful to have such a wonderful opportunity where I can collaborate with Dr. Hoffmann and his team of scientists to transform current science discoveries into the North Carolina Standard Course of Study to benefit my 6th grade Science classroom.