During my first year in the GFP, I worked as an interpreter and guide for educational groups in the Amazonia Exhibit at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC. This experience allowed me to learn directly from the chief exhibit biologist and other Smithsonian researchers in formal and informal settings. It built on my passion for tropical ecology that developed during a year spent in Ecuador, six weeks of it in the rainforest, as an undergraduate student. My time spent in Ecuador as a student of comparative ecology developed my interest in multicultural education, and led to my current career as an ESOL teacher. My love of ecology and science leads my goal of integrating science and language learning.
The zoo and aquarium environment introduced me to the world of informal science education. I was inspired by projects like Project Dragonfly's Wild Research that allow visitors to interact as researchers with an exhibit. The giant Amazonian River aquariums were a perfect venue for an interactive activity during the daily live fish feeding. I created an activity in which visitors could predict the diet of the fish in the tank based on the shape of their mouths, then record the feeding behavior of the fish and check their predictions. Visitors surveyed enjoyed the activity, expressed interest in participating in more engagement activities, and reflected that it increased their desire to return to the exhibit in the future.

Myers, C., Jenike, D., Myers, L. B., and Marsh, D. (2007), “Wild Research”, Connect: March: 18-20).

As a student in the Global Field Program, I learned more about myself with every project I did, paper I wrote, video I made, and workshop in which I participated. But the most profound learning experiences I had were through the three summer Earth Expeditions. These trips were immersions into unique environments and cultures. For me, the most fulfilling experiences were experiencing amazing natural areas and meeting the scientists, teachers and students at each site.

Though they were less than two weeks each, the impacts of these trips have stayed with me well beyond my return to the comfort of home. I've made life-long friends of those with whom I have traveled, have expanded my cultural and geographic awareness, and become a more patient and open-minded person because of these travels.

I also climbed some vines, swam in rivers, snorkeled in oceans, and had a horrific reaction to a cousin of poison-ivy that almost ended my Belize trip. But truly, the heart of this program has been in the travel. I build on those experiences everyday I walk into the classroom. I believe experiential learning is the key to integrating new understanding of the world around us. I'm inspired to put into practice the knowledge that "learning is doing" every day for my students.

Journal Quote: "I wish the kids here could see their home from our perspective; they would then know the value of what they have."

I wrote this at the end of a day spent with students and teachers at a local school in Gales Point, Belize. My sense throughout all my travels has been that conservation and environmental action will be enhanced as people are better able to understand the lives and needs of others. My goal has become to make this a reality for my students.

The focus of this trip was to practice scientific and social science field methods, and to interact with local communities involved in conservation and education projects. Before leaving, I researched community based conservation (CBC) models in Belize. In Belize, I learned that strong and dedicated local communities are instrumental in conservation decisions and helping to protect the environment. While CBC is a complex interaction of the needs of people and the environment (Belsky, 1999), its strength lies in local knowledge and empowerment. I met local guides working to preserve mangrove habitats and manatee populations (Powell, 2006). I watched Belizean guides and youth secure a satellite tracking device on a sea turtle, later named "Dragonfly" after our program. In-person encounters with these amazing animals, manatees and sea turtles, were highlights of this trip, and reinforced my conviction that interaction with the natural world is the greatest precursor to a conservation ethic.

Back home, I tracked "Dragonfly" online with my elementary English language students, making connections across borders and cultures. I surveyed potential users (teachers and colleagues) and created a "participatory education" blog to share learning experiences across cultures. This blog was my first experiment with creating a format for students to share their stories across cultures and international borders.

http://kidlnks.blogspot.com/ (cut and paste website to view blog)

Belsky, J.M. (1999). “Misrepresenting communities: The politics of community-based
rural ecotourism in Gales Point Manatee, Belize.” Rural Sociology 64(4): 641-666.

Powell, J. (2006). “Conserving Antillean manatees in Southern Lagoon, Gales Point,
Belize: A long-term program of research, professional training, and public education.”
http://www.wildlifetrust.org/manpro.htm.

Journal Quote: "I will find ways to communicate the story of those we have met in the rainforest here."

It was hot, humid, and dead still when I descended the steps of my plane onto the tarmac at the airport in Puerto Maldonado, the bustling city that marks the entrance to the Tambopata region of the Peruvian Rainforest. As I rode into town to look for the small hotel in which I'd reserved a room, two-stroke engines buzzed by, spewing black exhaust. Three-wheeled motorcycle cabs added to the noise and congestion. Surely, we couldn't be close to the rainforest. The Hotel Tarantula occupied a tiny oasis on the outskirts of town; with tropical plants, birds, and spider monkeys in residence. So we really were in the rainforest, but it was being kept at bay. The morning I met the Earth Expeditions (EE) group we loaded into motorized canoes and took off up river, and the city fell away behind us. The bright red bridge that marked the completion of the extensive cross-continental highway was the only visible landmark, and then we rounded a bend in the river, and the bridge was gone. The bridge and the highway were built to connect shipping routes to the coast and Brazil, where raw materials, like copper and gold, could be exported.

This dichotomy of nature and the work of humans marked my time in the Peruvian forest. Gold mining, both legal and illegal was visible on the rivers, and illegal wildlife trade was common. It was clear that local people needed to make a living, and to do so, they used the resources around them. We also met local people committed to conservation and education, and worked with them at two different research sites. At the Tambopata Research Center, for example, a 40 year longitudinal study of macaws was in progress, and we met the scientists, staff and volunteers working on a variety of research projects there. The highlight of our stay was an early morning trip to the nearby clay lick, a giant cliff that draws parrots and macaws from miles around to feed on the clay that is needed to neutralize toxins, such as tannins, naturally occurring in their diet.

This trip further fueled an idea to create some kind of cross-cultural environmental education format. I did some initial planning with an in-country group called ACEER, and used their materials to help create the Rainforest Connections curriculum. Creating an ongoing program proved difficult with partners in Peru, but the seed was planted. The idea would come to fruition in two later project: Rainforest Connections, and the after school Science, Art, and Language Club.

In the summer of 2016, I set off on my final Earth Expedition, at least as a GFP student, to assist with developing an Eco-leadership program with Para la Tierra, at Laguna Blanca, in Paraguay. Para la Tierra (PLT) is a small, young nonprofit working to preserve the habitat and natural flora and fauna of this area of high biodiversity in central Paraguay. One of the ways they are doing that is through the development of local eco-clubs with children from surrounding towns. Our small group of 9 graduate students and 2 facilitators worked to build on the mission of PLT to empower local youth to become leaders in environmental awareness and conservation. Reflections on my visit can be found in the blog below.

The highlights of our trip, in addition to exploring the multiple habitats around the lake, were working with student groups at the Eco-Cine, an environmentally themed movie night, and planning and implementing a full day of environmental activities for a group of about 40 kids, aged 4-17. Out of this engagement came an enduring interest to share this world with my own students in the United States. PLT already had an educational exchange set up with a partner in Mexico, and was interested in extending it. Thus, the video-sharing element of the Science, Art, and Language club, below, was born.

Interacting with the staff of PLT and with the EE group in Paraguay made me realize how far I had come in my own education as well. I was able to apply many of the concepts I had learned as a result of my readings and projects for the Global Field Program. The work of Paulo Freire and "participatory education" (Gadotti, and Torres, 2009 give a good overview of his work) emerged as an important theme as we struggled to engage Paraguayan students in a style of learning that was outside of their educational norm.

http://naturalconnectionsforkids.blogspot.com (please copy and paste into browser to view)

Gadotti, M., & Torres, C. A. (2009). Paulo Freire: education for development. Development and change, 40(6), 1255-1267.

My love of tropical ecology permeates my life and my teaching. During the year of my internship with the Amazonia exhibit of the Smithsonian Zoo, I continued my work as an ESOL teacher. I wanted to bring something of my passion for the rainforest into the classroom. I did, literally, when I was able to bring in a leaf from one of the Amazonia plants, and use it to kickoff a comparative study of tropical and temperate rainforests. The leaf (known as "realia" in the field of TESOL) inspired my students' curiosity and creativity, and lead to the student composition of the "Umbrella Leaf" song and dance.

This month-long curriculum project integrates the teaching of science (rainforest ecology) with English. The class was made up of 13 ELLs from 6 different countries, in grades 3-6 in a public elementary school. Many of the students were new to the country and had very limited English skills. I piloted all of these lessons as I created them, and my students' English skills and science knowledge soared as a result. The process generated some fundamental strategies for supporting ELLs in the science classroom, and for integrating the teaching of science and language.

1) Use authentic artifacts (realia) to activate learning and enhance background knowledge.
2) Teach vocabulary explicitly and practice it in a meaningful context.
3) Vary instructional strategies and material.
4) Facilitate student engagement and interaction.
5) Allow for independent student exploration of content and language.

In addition, the infusion of technology was an important component to student success. Students chose to use a variety of technology, from PowerPoint presentations to Promethean (Smart Board) Board software to teach their findings to their peers. This project bolstered my belief that students learn best when they are engaged, and that they are engaged when they have control over their own learning. Students drove the direction of our exploration throughout the project. Because this was a developmental project, I was able to get student input along the way and change the lessons to fit their interests.

In the interest of sharing effective strategies for integrating science and language learning, and for including English language learners in rigorous science learning, I prepared a manuscript and submitted it for publication to TESOL Connections, the online journal of the international TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) organization. This is attached below.

Lee, Okhee (2005). Science Education with English Language Learners: Synthesis and Research Agenda. REVIEW OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH 2005 75: 491.

Vasquez, Jo Anne (2008). Tools and Traits for Highly Effective Science Teaching, K-8. Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH.

My trip to Peru taught me that certain bird species migrate along the Atlantic flyway from Maryland, where I live, all the way to South America. This sparked the idea of using bird migration as a link between students of different geographical areas and cultures. I saw special potential for students who themselves have left their countries of origin to start life in a new place, to relate that experience to the concept of animal migration. Also, birds are a very compelling and beautiful subject, which lends itself to teaching in an integrated context. I researched the subject of threats to migrating birds to increase my knowledge of bird migration and the dangers they face en route. I evaluated several educational programs that teach children about birds and migration, including Environment for the Americas, which is also uniting school children across cultures, and shared ways in which teachers can use these programs to further the education of minority students. Though I haven't participated in this program, I hope to include this activity in my after school Science, Language, and Art club next year.

To present my research in an engaging way, I made a video using a free version of Animoto. I also explored website design and created the website below. Learning how to use digital resources has been key to my efforts to enhance my students' use of technology. The video is embedded on the homepage of the website I created, and is also attached as a file below.

http://migratorybirdconservation.weebly.com (please cut and paste links to view websites)

One impediment to teaching science to students from diverse cultural, geographic, and linguistics backgrounds is the assumption that they either have the same background knowledge as their peers in US classrooms, or that they have no ability at all. Another barrier is students' lack of experience with technology, especially relative to their peers who have grown up in the United States.

This project sought to bust these stereotypes while teaching students how to use technology to do research and present information. Through the use of a basic pre and post survey methodology, I was able to show that students in a diverse English language learning class, in fact, had very little knowledge about where animals lived in the world, both geographically and ecologically, but, they showed great capacity to learn. Using an engaging online databased, Arkive, they improved their understanding of ecosystems over the course of a few weeks. Students were also engaged by the use of interactive smart board technology in a media center classroom, and learned to use that software, and PowerPoint, to teach their peers what they had learned.

The final year of my GFP has been dedicated to creating an after school club at my elementary school in Maryland, for English language learners to engage in hands-on, integrated science, art and language study. To begin, I surveyed 31 teachers and administrators at my school to gauge their beliefs about ELL student achievement, as well as their interest in learning more about supporting ELLs in the science content area. Interestingly, a majority believed that lack of effort and background experience were most accountable for lower levels of ELL student achievement in science. Because teachers viewed these elements as being outside of their control, I set out to show that in the right learning environment, student effort could be enhanced, and that “background” experiences could actually be recreated: that is, students can learn new information at any time, even if they don't arrive at school already knowing it.

Research shows that kids can learn language in many ways, but when they need the language to question, explore and share engaging information, their language learning accelerates (Lee, Quinn, and Valdés, 2013). I hoped this would be the case in my club. I also expected that encouraging meaningful communication between students in two other Spanish-speaking countries, Mexico and Paraguay, would build my students' interest in a study of migration, habitat and wildlife, and enhance their engagement in science content. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the kids in the club placed high value on these experiences.

The Science, Art and Language (SAL) club included 14 fifth grade students who met twice a week for 2 months in my small classroom and outside the school. The grouping was flexible, not all students came to each session but there was a core group of 9 students. The culture of the club was completely bilingual, and all students had some level of fluency in Spanish. All students were ELLs or LEP (limited English proficient). Some were born in the United States, though most were born in Central or South America. Many had parents from different countries as well. For example, one student's mother was Mexican and her father was Salvadoran. Students were prompted weekly for input on how to make the club better, what they would like to include, and what they enjoyed the most, using Appreciative Inquiry as a foundation for questioning. I used anecdotal teacher observation data to track changes in student knowledge about the topics we were studying, the strengths they were developing, and what activities they found to be the most meaningful.

Our activities were varied, and included:
1) Rearing and releasing monarch butterflies;
2) Learning about the lives of children who live around the monarch overwintering reserves in Mexico;
3) Creating butterfly artwork and writing letters in Spanish to send to kids in Mexico;
4) Photography of caterpillars, butterflies, our school, each other, outdoor areas, leaves, and trees;
5) Creating and sharing videos (a sample is attached below) about the club and our learning projects with students at PLT in Paraguay, and receiving videos from them about their Eco-club;
6) Exploring the environment around our school;
7) Assessing how we felt about the club and how we could improve it.

Findings:
In the end, while I wasn't able to track the impact on the club with respect to English language learning, I did measure increases in science content knowledge for all participants. All students also reported increased knowledge of the cultures of Paraguay and Mexico, and heightened interest in learning more about other cultures and countries. Students valued all of the activities in the club, including: speaking and writing in Spanish, making and sharing videos, taking photos, raising butterflies, being with friends, and learning about the environment. Fifty five percent of the students rated “learning about other places” as the most enjoyable part of the club. All students wanted to spend more time outside, and they unanimously said they would like to spend more time learning to take pictures, make videos, and more time using technology.

I believe the after school Science, Language, and Art club was a success: I measured increased student engagement through survey data and teacher observation. I also observed specific strengths in individual students that had not been apparent in the classroom environment. Students became leaders, and teachers, to their peers. Rafael, a new student from El Salvador, was a star when it came to explaining science content in Spanish. Elizabeth was a technology wizard, and loved to help her peers. Rocio, normally quiet and shy in her fifth grade classroom, showed a passion for all aspects of the club. She took charge of helping other students write in Spanish, and expressed her learning through art. In sharing these strengths informally with students' classroom teachers, I was able to shed a new light on what ELLs are capable of, given the necessary support.

The most impressive finding of this project was that on the last day of club, 100% of the students reported that they felt better about themselves than they did before the club! I can't say specifically what improved the self-esteem of this group of students, but my best guess is that they felt valued. Their first language was honored and they could use it to express their background knowledge, their home cultures were validated, they were appreciated by their peers, and they were invited to provide feedback along the way on what was important to them. Perhaps most importantly, they were part of a supported group at their school.

My goal of creating an environment to improve student engagement was met. However, the club is probably not reproducible as it stands. I put hours and hours of time each week into planning, setting up and implementing the club sessions. I tested software, cameras, collected materials, connected with teachers in other countries, and brought my expertise as a bilingual ESOL teacher and certified science teacher. Honing all of this down to what fundamentally made the club successful may be impossible. I intend to continue to sponsor and run the club. Next steps will include presenting my findings to interested teachers and school administration and seeking funding from the PTA and other grant-makers. I also hope to refine and recreate my study to better understand how student self-esteem was enhanced. In the end, though, as many teachers know, we can't control and understand every aspect of student learning. Students learn through interaction with their world; perhaps it's our job to help them be in touch with that world, and provide them the tools they need to explore it!

Lee, O., Quinn, H., & Valdés, G. (2013). Science and language for English language learners in relation to Next Generation Science Standards and with implications for Common Core State Standards for English language arts and mathematics. Educational Researcher, 0013189X13480524.