After three years as a journalist for CBS News, Amanda returned to her first loves: science and education - and became a New York City Teaching Fellow. She taught high school physics for six years in both the Bronx and Rockland County, NY to diverse student populations including high-need students. She created the physics curriculum at the Regents, honors, and Advanced Placement levels. Amanda strove to balance test preparation with hands-on, inquiry activities and cooperative learning. During this time, she was accepted for a Research Experiences for Teachers program through the National Science Foundation and completed a summer training in mechanical and electrical engineering at Polytechnic University, where she learned the tools that enabled her to start a robotics club and Academy of Engineering at her school. She left the high school classroom to explore elementary science education through her dissertation study about the self-efficacy of pre-service elementary teachers. While pursuing her dissertation and since graduating, Amanda has been teaching physical science methods courses for both middle and high school teachers as part of the Science Education Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She also teaches courses for graduate and continuing education credit online as part of a technology certificate for Teachers College and, separately, a NASA educator fellowship. Amanda has done workshops for pre- and in-service elementary teachers on implementing hands-on inquiry-based physical science in the K-3 classroom utilizing reading and writing skills. As part of her professional scholarship, Amanda has a research article in press, while working on others, and has presented at conferences for teacher educators. Amanda earned her PhD in May, 2010.

Topics:

• Hands-on Physical science, K-12
• Implementing Science Notebooks and other reading strategies for science K-8
• Using online resources for physical science/science lessons K-12
• Using Socio-Scientific Inquiry Lessons in the classroom 5-12
• Using Engineering Design for hands-on science K-12