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Board of Directors 2013-2015

LISA HEGDAHL

Lisa is an 8th grade teacher in the Galt Unified School District. In her 20+ years as a middle school science teacher, she has also taught 8th grade math and language arts intervention classes which she integrates into her science curriculum. She works with students outside of the classroom as an advisor for Club Live and Science Olympiad, and with new teachers as a BTSA support provider. Lisa served on the CSTA board in 2011-2013 as the Middle School/Jr. High Director, contributes to California Classroom Science, and has served on multiple CSTA committees including the Long-Range Planning committee, and as chair of the Membership and 2012 Conference committees.

Great science teaching can instill a love of learning in young people that will last a lifetime. As we look forward to the implementation of the Next Generation of Science Standards and the affect they will have on how we teach our students, science educators should take the lead in helping our students to become problem solvers, not just test takers. As problems solvers, students will have the skills that will prepare them for futures in STEM careers.

My 22 years of teaching, and experiences with CSTA, have shown me the value of strong professional organizations. As a member of several Conference Planning Committees, and the CSTA Board of Directors, I have seen how coming together as science educators helps us to adapt to new ideas. I am inspired to think of ways that CSTA can better serve the needs of its membership through existing structures while exploring new ones. I would like to see CSTA not only address the current educator community, but look ahead to a new generation of science teachers.

CAROLYN HOLCROFT

Carolyn is a full-time faculty member at Foothill College and has taught college biology for over 12 years. She has been actively involved with the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges for six years. Carolyn has served on the CSTA board as the two-year college director since 2011. She has served on CSTA’s Legislative and Conference committees. Carolyn is currently co-chair of the Publications committee which is responsible for orchestrating the monthly CSTA publication California Classroom Science.

I believe that quality science education benefits not only students, but society as well. Science is interwoven throughout our daily lives and helping all citizens understand these connections can empower them to solve problems at home, in their communities, and on a global level. In my years as an educator I’ve taught a variety of science courses. Although the subjects and delivery methods have varied, helping students understand science as a process and apply it in both their personal and professional lives has been the core, underlying premise of all my classes. I’ve found this to be an effective and rewarding approach to increasing student success.

As our state is poised to adopt new science standards, it is crucial for educators to remain informed and have opportunities to voice their needs and opinions. CSTA is well respected by education policy makers and will serve a vital role in advocating for science education during and after the implementation of the new standards. Perhaps most importantly, K-12 science educators are in critical need of PD resources and opportunities to help them implement the standards effectively, and CSTA is in great position to help meet their needs.

JILL GRACE

Jill has been teaching 7th grade science at Palos Verdes Intermediate School for the past eight years. She has also developed and taught numerous after school science enrichment programs and summer camps, worked as a content specialist for West Ed K-12 Alliance, and a professional development leader for the Toyota Intensive Summer Science Institute. Jill has presented several workshops at the annual California Science Education Conference and is the recipient of many awards including a two-time recipient of the PTA Honorary service award.

My teaching philosophy is to provide students opportunities that are inquiry based, student-centered, and challenge preconceptions. I believe every student has the capacity to learn. I am aware students have a need for basic understanding of the nature of science and its role in everyday life. Teaching should facilitate students taking charge of their learning and allow them time to think, gain confidence in their ability to “do” science, and think about content and to help students “see” the big ideas.

I see how important quality science education is for our students - the next generation of voters, leaders, and parents. My vision is to see CSTA continue to be a leader in the implementation of NGSS. We are fast becoming a fully global society and CSTA can certainly benefit from, as well as, contribute to science education conversations happening in other countries. There is also potential for CSTA to be a leader helping its members re-strategize how to teach our next generation of students, whose brains are rapidly changing as technology and the instant nature of information become staple.

VALERIE JOYNER

Valerie has taught elementary students for 35 years including over twenty years with grades K-2. She has worked in collaboration with her district, the Exploratorium Institute for Inquiry, and the Lawrence Hall of Science on the BaySci project to improve science education. Valerie helped develop and present a short course at the 2012 California Science Education Conference specifically designed for primary teachers and has served on the CSTA Board of Directors as Region One Director since 2009. Valerie is currently co-chair of the Publications committee which is responsible for orchestrating the monthly CSTA publication California Classroom Science.

My philosophy of science education encourages students to think, access knowledge, and apply science in everyday life through a hands-on, inquiry-based approach. Science education begins at home and in informal settings likes gardens, kitchen, museums, and parks. It is enriched and solidified as children enter school and go through the grades. When students personally experience scientific explorations, whether in kindergarten or AP Chemistry, they deeply understand and confidently use science concepts and practices. With the increasing demands by our society to increase scientific literacy; all science educators must teach students to “think” and act scientifically.

My vision is to promote science teaching into every child’s daily curriculum and life experiences. Primary/elementary students in particular are missing crucial skills for success if we fail to capitalize on their natural curiosity. To understand our ever expanding body of knowledge, students need specific understanding of science subjects, and at the same time, a connection with the scientific ways of thinking. Only then can students eagerly apply critical thinking and science concepts to participate in the technological revolutions of the future.

DAVID PUMMILL

David began his science teaching career in 1973, and after 37 years of teaching he retired in 2010. He is currently the co-director of a California Postsecondary Education Commission/California Department of Education Improving Teacher quality grants working with MJUSD intermediate school science, ELA, and special education teachers. David is a member of CTA where he served on the local association executive board chairing many different committees as well as a member of NSTA, ASCD, and is a lifetime CSTA member.

My personal philosophy of science education is that science is the core of an integrated curriculum. Science teaching should be BAD—balanced, articulated and developmentally appropriate. It is never too soon for a child to learn science in the home and then at every grade pre-K through 16 and beyond. The role of science education in society is to prepare students and all citizens for the ever-changing global economy that will require more and more science understanding

CSTA’s vision to “promote and support all aspects of effective science teaching” expands to the goal of supporting science learning. CSTA publications and sponsorships prove its indispensable role in the global education community. My vision for the association is to see it grow in its effectiveness lobbying Sacramento and Washington, D.C. as an advocate for more and better science teaching and learning in California and the USA. I will actively support CSTA in my “retirement” with strong leadership skills; the vigor of a sixty-something year old; and the willingness to devote the time needed to represent Region 1, the entire Board of Directors, and the teachers of California.

FRED NELSON

Fred is in his 16th year as a science educator. During the first nine years of his career, he was a high school science teacher and was involved with professional development, and leadership in his home state of Kansas. He served as a Board Member of the Kansas Association of Teachers of Science and recently completed his doctorate in science education at the University of Florida. Fred is new to the state of California and is enthusiastic about being engaged in science education particularly with respect to the Central Valley and Region 3.

The critical message pre-service teachers take from my science methods course is the need for a culture of inquiry, where learners are empowered to construct their own understanding of natural phenomena, based on logical and collaborative analysis of evidence and connections to scientific knowledge. Teachers must know their learners and work to establish a safe place for sharing and interacting with physical phenomena and each other. These contexts and connections do not provide simple applications of science, but rather rationales for why we learn science, and should not stop with simple utility, but must extend into curiosity and wonder.

I am particularly interested in engaging pre-service and early career teachers in membership in CSTA. I feel it is critical for science teachers to begin development of their professional dentities sooner rather than later. Active involvement in CSTA is the ideal catalyst for that process. CSTA should be the preeminent voice for and authority on scientific literacy in the state, both as an advocate for effective policy and a provider of innovative professional development.

MARY WHALEY

Mary is the teacher programs manager at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. She began her teaching career 20 years ago as an elementary and middle school science teacher. During her time as a classroom teacher she was active in curriculum and instruction at the district level and served as a science mentor in her school. In her role at the aquarium she continues to provide professional development to science teachers to deepen their content knowledge and pedagogy. She will co-lead a workshop to help informal education groups understand the NGSS and how to align their curriculum to support local schools with implementation. Mary has been a presenter at two CSTA conferences.

Science is an active endeavor, not passive. Fundamental to exemplary science education is the need for students to interact with the natural world in a variety of ways, participate in scientific processes and discourse and view science as an accessible, interesting enterprise for them as individuals. It is the role of science educators-formal and informal-to provide students with authentic, engaging and rigorous science-rich experiences from a very young age. To this end, we can build a scientifically literate society that understands how science works and can continually question and discuss current issues to make well-informed decisions.

CSTA is a fundamental support system for all science educators, and membership is a vital part of being an education professional. It provides crucial opportunities for professional growth, networking, support, and advocacy. It serves as a unified voice supporting science education reform and promoting rigorous science education at all grade levels. CSTA will continue its leadership in supporting California educators with implementing NGSS-supported exemplary practices and high-quality STEM techniques, and providing K-12 students with equal access to science.