California Educator

April 2015

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Denmark. Plankton ecologists, geochemists, physical and biological oceanographers, microbial diversity experts, and seabird/marine mammal observers, as well as computer software engineers, worked in uni- son to solve problems. The expertise and knowledge on our ship was impressive, and I learned new things every day. Seeing how scientists work and solve problems in the field was the most valuable lesson for me. I understood the importance of the interrelation of scientific silence and discussion. The silence allowed the translation of deep thought about a specific problem, and the discussion collected many people's ideas, allowing them to solve problems together. This gave me a new perspective of what STEM (science, technology, en- gineering and math) really means in the classroom. It was clear to me that students need to model what scientists do. It takes time to come up with good ideas, and it is imperative to work together to form solutions. Students must be exposed to real-life scenarios and be taught how to interpret data. Similarly, students need to know about the importance of long-term research and how we use it to make models that could help us prepare for changes in our environment. Many times we teach students that science is a procedure that ends with a quick answer. But in reality, science is a process, and it may take months and even years to collect and analyze data. The content knowledge that I have gained is invaluable to me. In many ways it surpasses the experiences I had at my university. I was taught by experts in their professional environment, and that gave great meaning to the journey. Out at sea, I observed a universe of life in a single drop of ocean water. I became determined to continue to teach about the ocean, its diversity, and the impacts that humans have in this marvelous world and resource. Teachers can use the bilingual blog that I com- posed (cce.lternet.edu/blogs/2014 ) for science content in biology, Earth science, and environmen- tal science. Other content areas such as English and Spanish may utilize the blogs for literacy purposes. Furthermore, there are science lessons and videos available through the CCE-LTER web- site composed by me, and all past participants of the Teacher at Sea program. "Seeing how scientists work and solve problems in the field was the most valuable lesson for me." Know & Tell header 13 V O L U M E 1 9 I S S U E 8 L I K E Y O U , C A R M I N A R A M I R E Z ' S summer plans involved adventure. Even though she was terrified of the ocean, she took to the sea so her learnings could make her a better teacher. CTA members are traveling everywhere, and because educators are everywhere, we thought it might be fun again to take your Educator along. Yes, we mean your CTA magazine. Take a photo of yourself with your magazine between now and July 21 and send it in. You may win school supplies! Three $50 gift cards for school supplies will be awarded. Here's what to do: • While on your interesting or fun travels, take a photo with you and your favorite Educator magazine. • BONUS: If you're traveling over the summer like Carmina for the classroom, include a paragraph about how your travels and experience will improve teaching/learning. It may become a story for this magazine! • Email your selfie and a brief description of what we're seeing, with your name, local chapter and current email address, to editor@cta.org. That's it! Entries will be accepted through July 21, 2015. All entries submitted will be reviewed. Judging considerations include creativity, location, distance, and applications to the classroom (and celebrity sightings, of course!). Have fun on your summer travels. For details and to see last year's submissions, go to www.cta.org/educatorsareeverywhere. Go Online @ From left to right: Christine Timmons, Sweetwater EA, in Italy and Croatia. Gloria Matoba, Torrance TA, in Paris, France. Brent Duka, Moreland TA, in Washington, D.C. Announcing the second P H O T O C O N T E S T Are you traveling or volunteering this summer? Bring us along this summer, send a selfie, and win school supplies! "Educators are everywhere!"

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