Educator "Up Close"

Dale Johnsen Watkins Mill High School

Degree: Salisbury State University on full academic scholarship for Maryland teachers.

Experience: 8 year at Watkins Mill High School, Montgomery County and 2 year at Springbrook High School, Montgomery County.

Subject: 10th - 12th grade honors and AP biology.

"Most Memorable" Teaching Experience: A weekend trip to Cape Cod, Massachusetts in 1995 with 40 high school students to whale watch. Plans were shortly altered by a major Noreaster. "Imagine 40 high school boys and girls trapped in a hotel for two days with no TV". On Sunday the weather broke and students were able to get a glimpse of a whale before heading back home.

Favorite Class Trips: Chesapeake Bay Foundation day trips to Merrideth Creek and sailing on the skipjack.

Awards and Grants: Received a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust for stream studies and equipment for a traveling field lab. In 1996, Dale received a personal award from the Maryland Ornithological Society to study birds on Hog Island, Maine at the Audubon Camp. This past year she received a grant from Montgomery County Public Schools for Innovative Lessons to build a second aquaculture system.

Teaching Techniques: Each year her students are required to design and implement an environmental project that involves the community. Projects range from stream restoration to the benefits of composting.

Future Plans: Develop a new science research course at Watkins Mill High School so that students will have a greater opportunity to perform long term experiments. She would also like to do some consulting in science education in the state of Maryland.

Dale Johnsen was one of the 14 teachers that attended the Aquaculture in Action Workshop this past summer. She is currently working with the Dept. of Natural Resources raising largemouth bass for a restocking program in the Patuxent River. She is also one of the Maryland teachers participating in the VIRTUE Outreach Project.

Educator "Up Close Candidates

Do you know someone that would be a good candidate for the "Up Close" column? If so, send us some information and we would be glad to look it over. Thanks.

http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/Extension/msgsnn/msgsnn01_2/educator.html