Scientific outreach and education has long been a huge component of my research foundation. My own passion for marine science began at summer camps and school programs, and I think it's important to share that passion with current students - the next generation of scientists! I believe student involvement and representation across all ages, genders, races, and backgrounds are crucial in the scientific community, as well as the practice of communicating science to a broader audience.
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TeachingMy teaching philosophy focuses on passion for course content, independent and critical thinking, and active learning. My teaching career began at UNBSJ in Fall 2021, but my first full course was the following term when I was the Instructor for Introduction to Marine Science (a predominately first year course of ~80 students). I had to adapt to online, in-person, and hybrid learning during COVID times, and this proved to be a valuable teaching experience that, partnered with great student attitudes, gave me tools to use in future courses such as online polling (especially helpful with class engagement) and in-person discussions on relevant marine topics (this turned out to be nearly half the class's favourite lecture). I have since taught Intro Marine again, as well as 4 additional courses ranging from field-based to lab to traditional lecture styles, and I am consistently aiming to refine my pedagogy skills to current techniques and student needs.
Of the upper-level courses I have taught and co-taught, one of my favourite was Functional Ecology of Coastal Fishes, a field course that takes place in St. Andrews, NB at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre during UNBSJ's fall Marine Semester. The course focuses on the diversity, ecology, and physiology of fishes living in coastal habitats of Atlantic Canada. Students gain experience sampling wild fishes, identifying and quantifying fish assemblages in the various habitats of the Bay of Fundy region, and perform lab experiments to supplement what they learn in the field. |
Instructor for:
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OutreachI have been fortunate to work with many programs and schools as an educator, guide, pen-pal, and science fair judge. Some of my favourite science communicating has been with 1. Skype a Scientist where I shared my research and chatted with students from different schools about fish biology, climate change, what it's like to be a scientist, and a million other cool things the students ask, and 2. Letters to a Pre-Scientist, where was a pen-pal and had the opportunity to connect with students from high-poverty schools and hopefully help them to see themselves as future scientists. I have also worked with the Hammond River Angling Association and schools around the greater Saint John area educating classrooms on the Hammond River ecosystem, what students can do to maintain the health of the watershed, and even fly-tying.
In the past, I have worked with Sail Caribbean as a captain and outdoor educator teaching students from grade 8-12 tropical marine ecology and how to sail. Sail Caribbean gave me my first teaching opportunity and was where I discovered my passion for education (and sailing!). In addition to rad coral lessons, we were able to work with the local BVI community and the Youth Empowerment Program, where local youth could learn sailing on small boats and share experiences with our Sail Caribbean students. In partnership with ARK BVI and BVI Department of Conservation and Fisheries, we also participated in the turtle monitoring program, which was an incredible experience for the students - getting them passionate about conservation and excited to see turtles! You can read about how I got started with Sail Caribbean in this blog post, or check out this blog post sharing my first scientific conference experience with the Sail Caribbean community. |
Volunteer/Educator with:
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Skype a Scientist with Mrs. Libby's 6th grade class in Portland, ME
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Turtle tagging with Sail Caribbean and ARK BVI
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