Father Judge High School
http://www.fjquest.com/

I have been teaching science for fifteen years. The last twelve years have been in the largest all male private high school in Philadelphia, Pa. We have a student body of about 1400 and a strong tradition of academic and athletic excellence. Father Judge High School presents many challenges and opportunities for me.

I began my teaching career as a social studies teacher. Obtaining my science certification was a challenge for me. I have seen a change in my students over the last five years. For the most part, I teach non eager learners. These students are accustomed to using technology but have a short attention span. I have developed an inquiry based, student-centered, environmental science program which includes field-based activities.

I am a GLOBE(Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) teacher (http://www.globe.gov) and I incorporate as much technology as I can into the curriculum. We have an ongoing working partnership with the Fairmount Park Commission. This partnership has enabled us to work on soil erosion prevention projects, stream bank restoration and other projects, in our community.

My classroom is a hub of activity and my students comment that class time goes by very quickly. I am learning along with my students and I can see, for the first time, a raising of consciousness for environmental concerns and issues.

The site below is very helpful and useful. My research mentor, John Hasse, has very graciously offered his power point presentation which is an introduction to GIS. This site also has activities that are interactive and which can be adapted to each teacher's individual needs.

http://geography.rutgers.edu/courses/98fall/420f98/index.html

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