NASA Office of Space Science, Washington, DC and Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, 2004 - 2005

Leading a team designing a Science Education Framework for NASA’s Office of Space Science. The Framework is being designed to provide easy access to materials in an exciting and understandable context for K-14 educators, as well as curriculum developers and scientists working with the public. Teachers will be able to locate NASA resources, see their placement in regard to relevant national science education standards. Through notes that highlight the science questions and results of missions, they also gain a better understand the context and significance of the topics and how to use the excitement of NASA’s missions, people, and research to motivate learning.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, 2003

Worked with scientists in the High Energy Astrophysics Group to organize and present a week-long workshop on the “Origins of the Elements in the Universe” for middle and high school teachers from the US, Canada, and Italy. The workshop included discussions of promoting discussion and inquiry in the classroom and focused on developing classroom activities. A poster and booklet of activities was published by NASA in 2003 and is available at http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/teachers/elements/.

Public and private elementary and secondary schools in Chicago, IL, Philadelphia, PA, Los Angeles, CA, San Francisco, CA, Santa Fe, NM, Washington, DC, England, Scotland, Russia, and Japan, 1985 - 2003

Presented participatory lecture/demonstrations for students (K – 12), parents, and teachers. Conducted workshops for elementary and middle school teachers to facilitate inquiry-based, active science learning in the classroom.
Made repeated visits to observe science classes in US elementary and middle schools and to talk with students about their interest in and ideas for computer-based learning and games based on science.

Stanford University Learning Design and Technology Program, Stanford, CA, 2000

Lectured on innovative approaches to informal science education and followed up with individual and small group meetings with graduate students.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 1993

During a two week residency, presented workshops and lectures on approaches to design of hands-on educational exhibits to students in engineering and science departments.

Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM, 1991

Presented the annual “J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Lecture” on inquiry-based science education and held informal workshops with scientists engaged in public outreach.

Contributed to development of a successful proposal to NSF for a Statewide Systemic Initiative grant at the request of the Director of Los Alamos National Labs and the NM Governor’s Education Office.

Princeton University, NJ 1990-91

Over the period of an academic year, presented workshops for undergraduate and graduate students on strategies and methods of communicating ideas of science and research to children and adults in the community. Conducted workshops for teachers (grades 3 – 8) to enhance experiences in annual Science & Engineering Week.

Southern California Edison Company, Irwindale, CA, 1991

Developed interactive exhibits and presentations on risk assessment, physics, and biology related to power line frequency electromagnetic fields for corporate, government, and public visitors to the Customer Technology Applications Center.

Maxis Corporation, Orinda, CA, 1989

Consulted on design and development of children’s science software product, Widget Workshop™, which came with physical components for experiments.

Apple Computer, Inc., Cupertino, CA for National Science Teacher's Association (NSTA) national meetings in 1988, 1989, 1993

Developed elementary and secondary classroom materials and experiments that connected computer simulations with activities using real phenomena in physics, chemistry, and biology.

Colorado Mountain College, Glenwood Springs, CO 1987

Gave lectures and workshops on inquiry-based learning in science for teachers of grades 5 - 12 in public and private schools on the Western Slope of Colorado.

Rural Science Outreach Center, Aspen and Carbondale, CO, 1985-89

Initiated, established, and guided the development of an innovative science education resource center serving 105 elementary, middle, and high schools in a rural area.

Conducted series of workshops for teachers and school administrators on science content and inquiry-based learning. Created guides for classroom use of hands-on activities.

Universidad Nacional, Bogota, Colombia, March, 1983

Presented a series of lectures to physics faculty of Colombian universities at the invitation of the Asociacion Pro Centro Internacional de Fisica on "Modern Optical Spectroscopy" with an emphasis on strategies for teaching through inquiry at the college level.

National Institutes of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, 1974-1982

Brought high school students into my laboratory as research interns on weekends during the school year and full-time during the summer. Interns performed experiments, analyzed data, and participated in group seminars. Two of the interns in my lab went on to become highly successful professors of physics at two major universities.