Science Autobiography

This class project is a reflection of my experiences with science from elementary school until college. It makes connections between photographs and writing in order to give the reader a better idea of how science has been integrated into my life. The second half discusses my goals for teaching science in the elementary school classroom, as well as a final section on who I am as a person. Enjoy! 
 
Elementary School: My most memorable science fair project was a developmental study about my triplet brothers, who were 2 years old at the time. I compared and contrasted their rates of physical development and predicted how this might affect their future athleticism. 

Christmas 2009- Me, Justin, Brian, & Sam

Results of the study demonstrated that Sam reached most physical milestones before his brothers. For example, he sat up first, rolled over first, crawled first, etc. Sam was also the first born, and the largest, weighing 5 lbs at birth (compared to Brian (4 lbs) and Justin (3 lbs)). Today, this physical advantage is still apparent. He is the tallest and the most "buff". He plays football, he skies, he rides his bike uphill for amusement, and he lifts weights on a regular basis. I chose these pictures because they represent a major aspect of elementary school science AND they foreshadowed my future love of developmental psychology and education.

Grand Canyon 2010- Sam, Brian, Justin, and Mom

Middle School: Science in middle school was fun and more advanced than science in elementary school. For the first time, we had "real" science class for at least one period a day. A large focus throughout middle school was earth science. We had a sunflower unit, a geology unit, and many others. I chose this picture of a sunset for two reasons: it captures the earth theme, and it shows a brightness and joy for science that quickly went away in high school (like the fading glow of a sunset). . .

Summer, 2010: Granby, CO Sunset

High School Impressionist Tale: Once upon a time, there was a young girl who mildly enjoyed science. She preferred conducting experiments that related to real-world people and events. One year, she was told that she must study minute particles and the reactions between them. Because these particles had no emotions or souls, it was hard for the girl to understand the purpose of this field. Without a purpose, motivation lacked and her grades suffered. . . The year of minute particles (aka chemistry) was like walking in a world of fog. Nothing made sense, nothing was clear, and nothing stuck in her brain. Now, as a young adult, whenever she is forced to think about these emotion-less particles, she runs away as quickly as possible.

Mount Rainer, September 2009

College Science- After taking chemistry, I ruled out the possibility of majoring in any "hard sciences." I declared myself a psychology major, and I took Biology 101 to fulfill the science requirement. It wasn't until my senior year that I realized how much science is included within psychology. I learned all about the brain, and our physiological sensations and perceptions. Because this science related directly to my interest in psychology, I never feared it.

My favorite psychology class was "Experimental Analysis of Behavior and Learning". We trained rats in operant chambers and made direct correlations between their behavior and human behavior. We also discussed many other types of animals, including monkeys. This class eventually led to my interest in education and my senior thesis on the principles of Behaviorism in the classroom.

Washington D.C. Zoo- Monkey!

Washington D.C. Zoo- panda bear!

How do I envision myself as a future science teacher?

I have three goals as a future elementary school science teacher.
1) I want to provide my students with a solid foundation of skills that will enable them to succeed in middle school and beyond.

Crested Butte

 Without a solid foundation, one can never climb the mountain.

2) I want my students to develop a positive attitude towards science along with a feeling of self-efficacy. They should feel part of the "science club".

Oreo

I developed doubts about science early on. For whatever reason, I never felt like a "scientist". When I was required to take higher-level classes, my negative attitude towards science hindered my perceived ability to understand difficult concepts. As a result, I will never become a doctor, an engineer, or a thousand other jobs that require me to take these difficult classes. I do not want my students to "be left out in the cold." I want them to feel as though they can become anything. A vet perhaps?

3) Lastly, I want students to make connections between in-class learning and real-world application. Science can help us solve (or destroy) our earth. We should use science to our advantage to improve the world around us.

Will we always have healthy fruit to eat?

Last Section: Who am I?

Like these mountains, I am complex being. I have good traits and bad traits. My interests change frequently, but the core of my personality remains the same: I am driven. I am happy. I have enthusiasm for life. Recently, I have enjoyed mountain biking, snowboarding, and blogging. I love reading. I try and live in the moment. I love to travel. I am passionate about psychology, and education, and I hope to pursue both fields during my lifetime. Lastly, I am obsessed with my dog, Oreo.

These two pictures capture my true essence:

Without supportive shoes, I would not be able to do the active things I enjoy doing each day. I've stopped here to enjoy the view.

I love comedy and I love to laugh. Dwight Schrute- funniest man on T.V. 

That's the end of my science autobiography. I hope you have a better idea of who I am and who I hope to become.