OGDENSBURG — In February, a pair of science teachers at Ogdensburg Free Academy will be taking to the waters off of Baja, Mexico, to learn about marine life, swim with whale sharks, and take part in valuable research that will be brought back to their classrooms.
Lisa Beldock and Ruth-Anne Barkley, both members of the New York State Master Teacher Program, will be making the trip next month as part of Ecology Project International’s Baja Educator Workshop where they will “travel to one of the great sanctuaries for marine life, the Gulf of California. From EPI’s sustainably designed campus in La Paz, we’ll head into pristine waters alongside local conservation scientists, EPI instructors, and your cohort of educators. Each study and conservation project will become a lens through which we can explore the NGSS framework, three-dimensional learning, and the development of inquiry-based, thematic storylines,” according to the workshop’s description.
On the second day, teachers will participate in field activities including microplastic research and using phenomena in lessons. The third day, participants will snorkel with whale sharks and take part in pedagagy workshops and explore LaPaz and the fourth day they will perform a marine census and take part in a coral restoration activity.
“The Baja trip will allow us to learn about new marine science conservation efforts. We will be engaged in a variety of research and conservation activities on the Bay of La Paz. We will investigate the ecology, local management, and conservation of whale sharks as we snorkel with them,” said Ms. Beldock, who has been teaching at OFA for 21 years. “We will also look at local conservation issues in Baja by exploring the present reality of microplastics on La Paz beaches and their impacts on species in the area. This workshop will allow us to learn strategies to help our students observe, question, collect data, discuss, and critically analyze the world around them.”
Ms. Barkley, who has taught 20 years in the school district, said that one of her goals from the trip will be to learn how use these “real-world phenomena” when incorporating the New York State Science Learning Standards (NYSSLS) that students will be assessed on in the near future.
“Using real-world phenomena has the ability to engage my students at a much deeper and higher level. Microplastic effects hit very close to home. I have done a little research on microplastics in the past and many people don’t realize how much our habits in Ogdensburg and other towns bordering the St. Lawrence River affects marine life in the oceans and in turn affects our health and the health of others,” said Ms. Barkley, “Using place-based, real-world examples in the classroom makes science relevant to my students, prepares them for problem solving future environmental issues, and will help to prepare them for the new NYSSLS Biology assessment in 2025.”
Ms. Barkley has always been interested in marine biology. In fact, her dream was to become a marine biologist but feels that a lack of exposure in the field kept her from pursuing that dream. She hopes that the lessons she brings back from Baja may help one of her students become a future marine biologist.
“Our exposure to career possibilities is limited in Northern New York. I feel that bringing this experience back to my students could spark an interest in some of them to explore the world of marine biology. Ecology Project International and Baja is giving me the opportunity to combine my childhood dream of being a marine biologist with my current career love of being a teacher,” said Ms. Barkley.
This will be Ms. Beldock’s second such trip in the last year. In July, she studied at San Diego Zoo as part of a teacher workshop in conservation science. During that workshop, she explored California condor genetics, studied rhino reproductive endocrinology, polar bear energetics, determined frog movement patterns and life in a biodiversity hotspot. What she learned will be incorporated in her classroom at OFA this spring.
“Ecology, genetics and molecular biology are the main topics that I will be focusing on in my classroom in the spring semester. The topics that I learned about in San Diego will now be implemented into my classroom. We have been focusing on the scientific method, evolution, cells and the microscope this past semester,” said Ms. Beldock, “After the human body unit we will be focusing on genetics. The module based on the California Condor will be arriving from San Diego on March 22. The kids will be able to experience real data and use the latest technological tools to study Condor DNA using hands-on activities to learn the NGSS state standards.”
The opportunity in February was presented through the New York State Master Teacher Program. Both teachers thank the program for the opportunity and appreciate the support from the city school district for making the trip a reality.
“Without their support this opportunity would not be possible,” said Ms. Barkley.
“I am so thankful for the master teacher program,” she said, “We would not be able to afford this trip if it wasn’t for the master teacher program.”
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