Describe your teaching experience and interests in a brief public biography (200 words)
I am a middle school science teacher and will be starting my 10th year this fall at a small rural public school. I spent my first five years teaching Grades 5-8 at an inner city urban all girls and all boys charter school. I then taught Grade 8 Life Science and Grade 8 Regents Living Environment for a year at a private co-ed Catholic school. These last three years I created and taught a spiraling science curriculum for Grade 8 at a co-ed rural public school. I work part time for the state education department creating the new Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) exam. I previously wrote a monthly column on secondary teaching strategies and educational technology tools for the National Science Teacher Association's Science Scope magazines. I have been trying to learn as much as I could about NGSS and how to incorporate it into my curriculum, instruction and assessment. I am applying to participate in PlantingScience.org because I would like my students and I to be more involved in real science, and to incorporate the NGSS science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts in more authentic ways in our classroom learning. My professional interests include curriculum design, educational technology, and trying new things.