Who is Evelyn Erickson?

Evelyn was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to the United States at the age of 11.  She received her BS in Biological Sciences from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton, and completed a Master's degree in Science Education at New York University.  This five-year teacher is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at Teachers College, Columbia University in Science Education. She currently teaches at El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice, a New Visions High School in Brooklyn, New York.  This year she became a liaison between El Puente and the American Museum of Natural History, which gave her the opportunity to coordinate programs, implement curriculum and coordinate an integrated arts project on biodiversity while using the museum as a resource.  The opportunity to participate in the Woodrow Wilson's Environmental Teacher Institute to study biodiversity and global climate change in Costa Rica has been one of her most enriching experiences as an educator.  This program was conducted by the Woodrow Wilson national Fellowship Foundation (WWNFF) and the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS), and sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

What were her thoughts throughout the duration of this program?

At Palo Verde

Today was my first day in the field.  I didn't think I would enjoy my project so much.  We are focusing on the relationship between density and predation in the florecilla, a yellow wild flower prevalent in Palo Verde.  I felt like a kid again.  I definitely thought about my students.  That is how they must feel in the classroom when we go outside.  This activity reminded me of the importance of  field trips, hands-on science and respect for nature that our young people must experience.  Imagine if we could only be here in Costa Rica.  Listening to the monkeys in the background, enjoying the tropical weather, researching, doing science and having fun!  I want to learn about the OTS Program for high school students.  I would love to see my students come to Palo Verde.  I'm sure this experience will make more of them enjoy science.  In the process, they could practice Spanish and learn that there is a significant life outside of Brooklyn.  As a teacher, I can adapt this activity and use it with my students in the city.  I can't wait to bring my experience back to New York. I finally feel like I'm doing real research and learning about a specific area in the sciences.  Sometimes I feel like I have no science knowledge because I am not a strong scientist with a Ph.D. in Biology.  But today I did it and thanks to the facilitators of the program. Everyone here has been so nice, especially the people from Costa Rica.  Don Manuel, our driver, feels like part of my family.  Of course, I have the advantage of speaking Spanish and thus, get a more complete experience.  Can't wait until tomorrow.  I wonder what we will find!

At La Selva

This place is unbelievable.  I am really in a rain forest.  Not only does it rain often, but the variety of species is amazing.  I am seeing animals that I have only seen in books and I get to see them in their natural environments.  I am even seeing animals I never knew existed.  Now I know why a sloth is called perezoso (lazy) in Spanish.  They do everything in slow motion... The night walk through the rain forest was exciting.  Hearing all the sounds made by different animals and searching for animals in the dark.  What a way to get connected to nature!  I have even learned to identify several plant species.  One of the best experiences has been working with scientist Maura Maples during my stay here.  She is intelligent and yet so down to earth.  We helped her meet her research deadline and had a wonderful time in the process too. It gave us the opportunity to learn about the parental role of poison dart frogs, and conduct research that supports biodiversity. My challenge at this station?  Crossing the "Jewel of the Nile" suspension bridge.  After having to cross it several times a day, I soon mastered the situation.

At Las Cruces

It is great to stay at a Botanical Garden.  It is peaceful and beautiful.  I have realized that I have actually developed the skill of observing smaller things.  Today I noticed a half inch snail on the bark of a tree, a white-cup fungus growing on a dead leaf, a beautiful tiger beetle on the ground and leaves with red spots on them.  Scientists have no theories yet on why these red spots exist.  The stop by the stream was great.  The sound of the river was so relaxing.  After a few minutes, I wanted to take a nap... Today I also formulated my project.  I, along with my group, will be studying the biodiversity of the stream in the area.  We want to compare the stream nearby an agricultural area to one in the forest, and see if the macro invertebrates in them can be used as indicators of the water quality in these streams. Locating  these sites was possible with the help of one of the scientists, but finding it was even more challenging.  I hiked through very steep hills with a couple of snakes on the way. The view was out of a movie, although I have never been as exhausted or hungry when we completed the hike.  I am so thankful that my left foot is doing well even though I am recuperating from a fracture in my ankle. I have never consumed so much Advil!  I am so glad things have worked out, since at one point I thought this dream of visiting the rain forest would not come true. I am realizing the unique characteristics of each of the three sites we have visited and the incredible environmental haven that Costa rica really is.

Costa Rica.  ¡Pura Vida!

I would need many more pages to describe my experience in this country, not only as a teacher but also a scientist and an individual.  I will never forget my reaction when I saw a volcano for the first time.  It was one of those one-in-a-lifetime moments.  Another unforgettable moment was finding a scorpion on my bed in Palo Verde.  From now on I will be checking my bed every night for the rest of my life!   Interacting and learning  from Costa Rican scientists was a very rewarding experience for me.  I felt like bringing them back to my classroom.  Costa Rica is a beautiful country and environmentally so aware.  There is so much to learn from it.  It is truly a pure experience of life!

How is Evelyn planning to share this knowledge?

I want to bring this into the classroom by reinforcing inquiry based learning with my students and having issues of global climate change/biodiversity be a priority.  Bringing this experience to other teachers is also important.  I plan to do this through presentations, workshops and the development of a Teacher OutReaCH (TORCH) Institute that will benefit educators from both my district and other  areas.  Since I am connected to both the American Museum of Natural History and Teachers College, I am planning to make my experience available to these institutions as a resource to science education.  I am also willing to assist WWNFF and OTS in any way I can to make this experience accessible to other teachers and learners.
 

What skills has she learned from this experience?

As an educator, I have further developed skills in presenting, researching, writing, inquiry, hands-on, group work and content specifically within the area of science/scientific research.  For my students, I have again seen the importance of teaching skills such as, problem solving, scientific inquiry/method, mathematical calculations of volume and area, graphing, data construction, plant and animal interactions, water testing, the use of certain laboratory equipment, and knowledge of environmental issues.