Maryland Sea Grant Schools Network News Vol. 5, No. 2, 2002-2003

Vol. 5, No. 2, 2002-2003

Educator
[human eye]

"Up Close"

Judy Parsons

Montgomery County

Degree: B.S. from Univ. of Delaware.

Experience: 28 years in the Montgomery County Public School System.

Subjects: Teaching grades 7-12 currently teaching biology and Advanced Placement Environmental Science.

"Most Memorable" Teaching Experience: Taught a 3 week summer program in 1973-4 that involved traveling/teaching/camping with MCPS. A group of 20 students and three teachers traveled from the Catoctin Mountains to Assateague Island, camping and visiting nature centers, state parks, and research facilities to teach middle school students about outdoor science.

Favorite Class Trip: A Cape Cod Whale Watch trip with biology and environmental science students in 2000. We looked down the throat of a humpback whale who was just breaking the water surface as she fed. We were so close that we smelled her "whale breath". What made it so much fun was that the students understood how special an experience it was for all of us.

Teaching Techniques: The most successful continues to be involving students in experimental science. Independent research and classroom laboratory research continues to be my most important teaching technique.

Judy, what's new in 2003?

Aquaculture is still a very new adventure and I have just taken a Bay Grasses in Classes workshop with CBF so that my students can raise and restore SAV's. I would also like to get involved in experimenting with Aquaponics.

Future Plans: Teaching environmental science has given me greater motivation to travel, and now that my children are grown, this is becoming possible. I have recently made trips to Hawaii and Alaska and would like to travel across the continental US before too long. In the near future, I will consider retiring from public school teaching and do volunteer work for the Nature Conservancy, as well as play golf.

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.