As an educator who’s passionate about bringing real-world science into the classroom, I was thrilled to attend the recent teacher preview event at the brand-new Mote Science Education Aquarium (aka Mote SEA). This impressive facility, built by the renowned marine research outfit Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, opens a fresh chapter in marine science education for Florida—and I’m …
When you think of essential ecosystems, especially in Florida, what do you think of? Usual responses are beaches and coral reefs, the typical tourist pamphlet places. But there’s some ecosystems arguably more crucial to our economy, lifestyle, and overall environment. If you’ve heard from me before you can probably already guess where this is going… …
It’s the first outing of the new school year and we had one of the best gatherings ever! We went into the outing full of questions about weather, water quality, and how many planned on coming but came out with nearly twenty kids, a great collection of juvenile critters, and so so much fun! The …
As I sit here in the Houston airport, waiting for my long delayed flight home to Florida from a week in Lafayette, Louisiana.. I can’t help but think of how amazing it has been to keep coming back to this conference. The friends, the experiences, the resources. It’s rare a conference both makes you feel …
Four years of running this lab at the Oceanography Camp for Girls and another three running it for the Navarre Beach Marine Science Station, this shark tagging lab just keeps getting better!
Getting girls interested in fish, sediment, plants, and all things slimy and dirty! One thing I adore about USF’s Oceanography camp for girls is that I get the opportunity to show a group of amazing young women some of the tasks scientists use in the field as research tactics. This year I co-lead my favorite …
While every day is World Ocean Day when you’re neck deep in marine science education on a daily basis, it’s still an exciting day to get others to celebrate, appreciate, and protect their local waterways and ocean regions!
There’s something magical about watching your students explore the outdoors, get their hands dirty in the muck, and finally understand how an estuary works because they’re standing in one. But if you’ve ever tried to book a field trip and found your dream experience booked up—or just not quite right for your curriculum—you’ve probably thought: “What if I just …
As a teacher, I get the opportunity to participate in many different professional learning opportunities, most of them are focused on programs to use in the classroom, the 5E’s, or occasionally an organization that offers resources for teachers to use like the Everglades Foundation. This year, through a grant funded by the Guy Harvey Foundation, …
In the realm of marine science education, dissections have long stood as a cornerstone of hands-on learning. They offer students an invaluable opportunity to explore the anatomy, physiology, and intricate workings of marine organisms, providing a depth of understanding that textbooks and lectures alone can’t achieve. I have long found that dissections be a necessary …
Read more “The Benefits of Dissections as a Marine Science Education Tool”