Preparing for 2019-2020 in the Classroom - Starting with Primary Sources

As I am wrapping up my fellowship and preparing to return to the classroom for the 2019-2020 school year, I find myself very excited about the possibilities in front of me. I have been out of the general classroom for going on seven years. During my six years as the K-5 Engineering Teacher at Galileo STEM Academy, I felt as though what I was doing could be integrated into the general classroom. Now is my chance to put it to the test. I have begun mapping out the various resources I now have in addition to my engineering tools and identifying ways they can be integrated into the general elementary classroom.

Since my passion for integrating primary sources has been deeply embedded during my time at the Library of Congress, I first went through standards and district curriculum looking for areas that would easily integrate with primary sources. I highlighted areas I felt could be easily integrated with the use of primary sources. Since primary source analysis uses similar strategies as science based claim, evidence, and reasoning (CER), I also noted areas where I could integrate the use of CER with primary sources and various content areas.

I look forward to the challenge of integrating the various resources I have accumulated in my teacher tool box and the lessons learned from the elementary engineering lab.

Only Three More Months

When I first arrived in Washington, DC to start my time as an Einstein Fellow, I felt this urgency to take in and experience as much as the city and the fellowship has to offer.  By the end of December, the urgency started to fade and seemed to coincide with winter weather that made it more pleasurable to remain indoors.  Now that there are only three months left to my fellowship and the weather has taken a decidedly spring if not summer turn, the urgency to go forth and take in all I can is back in full force.





I know I will not ever feel as though I have seen it all or done it all, but I am trying to take in more panel sessions and DC experiences.  I also have plans to take some personal time to travel a bit around the northeast, making my way up to Maine and out to the Atlantic Ocean.  And yet, with all the amazing events to attend and places to see, I am still trying to enjoy the beauty of the day-to-day living and working in the capital.  I used to worry about looking like a tourist by taking pictures around DC, but I am a tourist and don't want to miss the opportunity to record this fantastic experience.

















I am excited about the upcoming opportunity to put new skills and resources into practice in the classroom. In addition, I will be pursuing ways in which to share the STEM knowledge I have developed over the course of my time as a K-5 engineering teacher, an Einstein Fellow at the Library of Congress, and integrating all of those experiences into an engaging learning experience for students in my classroom.

So Much Fun Creating Lessons!

I have spent several weeks now exploring, or should I say scratching the surface, of interesting and engaging primary sources at the Library of Congress.  There is something for everyone in the digitized resources, not to mention the vast materials housed by this amazing institution.  I am finally at the point where I can bring in my own classroom experiences and connect them to the primary sources for use in the classroom or a makerspace.  It's been interesting and frustrating that it took me three months to get my feet under me, but my excitement as I developed two new lessons this week, one connecting iceboxes from the 1800-1900s and insulation boxes and another using Scratch (scratch.mit.edu) to code Civil War bugle calls, brings back memories of collaborating at my school.  The Scratch lesson was even more fun to develop because I was able to collaborate with our Teacher-in-Residence to share with her the possibilities of Scratch with music.  It never ceases to amaze me how fun it can be to collaborate with other educators on projects.  Lessons also come out so much better when they build off of each other's strengths.  These lessons are still being developed, but keep an eye on the Library of Congress, Learning and Innovation, Teacher's Blog for these and other lessons https://blogs.loc.gov/teachers/.

Best Experience So Far

Wow! I had another inspirational experience last night with a talk by Astronaut Scott Kelly. His message about being an average, or even bad student, and still being able to accomplish his goals through planning and hard work was very insightful. Perseverance and hard work were underlying themes throughout the evening.  His passion for his work was clearly evident.

As an Einstein Fellow from rural Idaho, spending 11 months in Washington, D.C., I am often asked what has been the best experience so far.  For me, there is no single event or experience.  The variety of experiences to date include getting to know my cohort, attending lectures and symposiums, participating in professional development coordinated by the Albert Einstein Fellowship program, participating in professional development I have created for myself, and having fun in this amazing city.  I suppose my favorite experience is the overall experience all woven together. It is a rich and engaging experience that nurtures my professional career, my thrill of adventure, and drive to explore.

I can't believe it has already been two months since I started my time as an Einstein Fellow. On one hand, I would be hard pressed to list all the experiences I have already had. On the other hand, I am constantly looking for more experiences since I know my time in this fellowship is slowly ticking away.  During these two months, I have already begun a transformation.
Much like the fall trees with their changing colors, I feel as though I am in a similar process of natural and yet amazing change.


I am growing my knowledge base and developing a confidence in the learning opportunity I have created for students and hope to create for students in the future.  Furthermore, I have a new awareness of possible resources that can help support engaging STEM education for all students. I have no idea of what my total transformation will be by the end of the 11 months. In fact, I don't know what I will be doing after the 11 months since my previous teaching position is now experiencing its own transformation with a fantastic educator.  I do know that I have an increased passion for the importance of hands-on STEM in elementary education and a desire to continue to make a difference for students and educators.  My one piece of advice for other educators is find your passion and bring it to the classroom! You deserve it, and your students deserve it.  I am constantly inspired by the educators around me with a passion for students and educators.

Year-Long Personal Professional Development Plan

If you view the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program (https://science.energy.gov/wdts/einstein/), you find the following program overview, "The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship (AEF) Program provides a unique opportunity for accomplished K-12 educators in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to serve in the national education arena. Fellows spend eleven months working in Federal agencies or in U.S. Congressional offices, applying their extensive knowledge and classroom experiences to national education program and/or education policy efforts." While this is an accurate representation of the fellowship, it doesn't delve into the amazing opportunity for educators to experience in-depth, year-long, personal. professional development. What exactly do all those adjectives really mean? They indicate an amazing opportunity for individualized professional growth.

As part of the Einstein Fellowship, educators attend a week-long orientation at the beginning of the fellowship. As the name indicates, the orientation helps to introduce fellows to the ethics and forms that are part of the program. We also experienced personal assessment of our strengths and how to develop our strengths, as well as, how to work together as a cohort. This was the first steps in the year-long process. 

Throughout the year, fellows attend monthly day-long professional development opportunities organized by the AEF Program. These days include fantastic experiences with the Smithsonian and Library of Congress to name just a couple. We also prepare a monthly half-day professional development for our cohort. Now this may already sound like something you might be interested in and too wonderful to be true, but that's not all. Each fellow creates their own professional development plan for their time in the fellowship. Have you ever thought about gaps you might have in your professional skills? Have you ever thought about what you are really passionate about in education? Thinking about these things takes time which is a rare commodity for educators. In the month that I have been with the AEF Program, I have had the time to improve my professional skills with colleagues and consider the possibilities of my educational passions and the outcomes I would like to see for all students. I now understand that even though I am collaborating with a sponsoring agency such as the Library of Congress to achieve their goals, I also have the opportunity to identify and achieve mine. I have already experienced so much transformation in some ways that I have difficulty imagining what the next 10 months will bring. I have identified my goals for the fellowship, and I have the time and resources to start achieving them. Hands-on elementary STEM education, formal and informal, should be available to all students.  I plan to examine, identify, and create elementary STEM resources and ways to provide equity in access. Can't wait!

Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship - 1st Month

I am one month into my 11-month fellowship. I cannot believe how much has happened in the short time, and yet, I cannot believe that there is only 10 months left. Currently, the program is accepting applications through November 15, 2018 (https://science.energy.gov/wdts/einstein/).  I realize I do not have much time in the fellowship, but I can already say that it is a transformational experience full of amazing opportunities. Below are pictures from the past month that started off with a road trip from Idaho to Washington, D.C.  There are numerous pictures and I did that in part to emphasize how many opportunities there are during the @AEF_Program. Believe it or not, I haven't even done as much as some Fellows. #amazing #PD #STEM #valued