TEACHER ADVISORY COUNCIL

Membership 2009

Robert Willis, (Chair), Science Teacher, Frank Ballou High School, Washington, DC

Roxie Ahlbrecht, Mathematics Teacher, Robert Frost Elementary School, Sioux Falls, SD

Nancy Arroyo, Mathematics Teacher, Riverside High School, El Paso, TX

Charlene Dindo, Director, Pelican’s Nest Science Lab, Fairhope, AL

Mario A. Godoy-Gonzalez, Science Teacher, Royal High School, Royal City, WA

Juliana Jones, Mathematics Teacher, Montera Middle School, Oakland, CA

Mike Koehler, Mathematics Teacher, Blue Valley North High School, Overland Park, KS

Steven J. Long, Science Teacher, Rogers High School, Rogers, AR

Edward Nolan, Mathematics Teacher, Albert Einstein High School, Kensington, MD

Jennifer Sinsel, Science Teacher, Bostic Elementary School, Wichita, KS

Dwight Sieggreen, Science Teacher, Hillside Middle School, Northville MI

Roberta Tanner, Science Teacher, Loveland High School, Loveland, CO

Darren Wells, Science Teacher, James P. Timilty Middle School, Roxbury, MA

Ex Officio

Bruce Alberts, Professor of Biochemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA

Teacher Advisory Council

Biographical Sketches

	Robert Willis (Chair) is the science department chair and teacher of biology, AP Biology, Environmental Science, Botany and Zoology at Ballou High School in Washington DC. As a change facilitator and local school restructuring team member, he provided support for the implementation of the Ballou High School comprehensive reform program and planned professional development programs as part of his work. He has been involved with numerous training programs in biotechnology, and provided instruction for minority high school students as part of a grant from the National Institutes of Health. He assisted in providing workshops to train teachers to implement the District of Columbia Public Schools’ content and performance standards. He is also the student government advisor and works to plan and implement programs that serve the needs and desires of students. He is the recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and has been awarded research fellowships from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research, 1991 and the Foundation for Advance Education in the Sciences 1990 and 1989: and conducted biomedical research over a period of three summers at the National Institutes of Health.. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University and a Master of Science degree from Howard University in Washington D.C.
	Roxie Ahlbrecht is a second grade teacher and specialist in teaching mathematics to elementary students at Robert Frost Elementary School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where she has taught since 1976. She received National Board certification as a Middle Childhood Generalist in 2001, was awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching in 2002, and the South Dakota Teacher of the Year in 2004. She is a frequent presenter at workshops and professional development programs for teachers. Her presentation topics include the use of manipulatives in teaching mathematics in primary classes, “Algebraic Thinking,” and “Mathematics Through Literature” at the local, state and national levels. She has served on district curriculum committees, and has a successful track record of seeking out and receiving grants for the past 13 years. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota with a double major in elementary education and German followed by a Master of Arts degree in elementary education /Learning Disabilities. She is a member of the South Dakota Math Standards Committee, the South Dakota Every Teacher National Board Leadership Team and the South Dakota Department of Education Scientifically Based Research Advisory Committee in Mathematics.
	Nancy Arroyo Coming soon…
	Charlene Dindo Coming soon…
	Mario Godoy-Gonzalez teaches in Royal High School in Royal City, Washington, where he is the English as a Second Language/ Bilingual teacher of Science, Biology, Math, Reading, Writing and History. Mario came to this country from Chile in 1994 and began his teaching career working with children of migrant workers. He immediately began taking professional development workshops and encountered biotechnology at the Science Education Partnership at Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center in 1996, where he connected with other teachers just learning about that emerging technology. With biotechnology as his motivator for students, he began to focus all of his teaching around science. He received a summer research fellowship award allowing him to pursue scientific research on his own and carried the methods of science into his work with students. Mario has received numerous awards for his work including the Golden Apple for Excellence in Education in Washington State, Washington State Migrant Education Teacher of the Year, NEA/NFIE National Donna Rhodes Award for Innovation in Education Through the use of Technology in the Classroom, NSTA Gustav Ohaus Award for Innovation in Science Teaching and the MIT Network of Educators in Science and Technology (NEST) Outstanding Teacher of the Year, Boston. He has given numerous presentations at conventions, including the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science and National Science Teachers Association (NSTA); and been the recipient of grants including the NSTA TAPESTRY grant. Mario serves as the varsity Soccer coach, Little League Baseball coach, Scout pack den leader, all work with students after school. He is deeply involved with his community and his profession as he serves on the Washington State Hispanic Teacher Think Tank, as well as leading a learning project for parents in his community. Mario holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from la Universidád de Chile and a Master of Arts degree in Curriculum from la Universidád de Antofagasta, Chile.
	Juliana E. Jones teaches 7th grade mathematics and Algebra I at Montera Middle School in the Oakland Unified School District where she has taught since 2001. Ms. Jones earned a Bachelor of Science degree in General Mathematics and a Masters of Arts degree with a focus on mathematics education degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1997. Recently, she wrote an article about teaching mathematics and science for UCLA’s alumni magazine. She received National Board Certification in Early Adolescent Mathematics in 2003 and went on to coach other teachers in Oakland to achieve National Board Certification. Juliana has served as a Teacher Leader for the Bay Area Math Project for the past 5 years and participated in the Region 4 California Subject Matter Project Planning Meeting in October 2006. In 2005, Juliana was awarded Math Teacher of the Year by the Alameda – Contra Costa Counties. She was the only teacher to serve on the California Council on Science and Technology’s State Response to “Rising Above the Gathering Storm” Education Task Force. Last summer, she served on an NSF Review Panel for Academies for Young Scientists. She is an original member of the California Teacher Advisory Council.
	Michael Koehler is the mathematics department chair and teacher of Advanced Placement Calculus and Statistics at Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, Kansas, where he has taught since 1986. He has been a grader and faculty consultant for AP Calculus and author and presenter of Pre-AP Workshops on developing algebraic thinking. He is an adjunct faculty member at several colleges, teaching Graphics Calculators in Mathematics Classrooms and Statistics. He has given numerous professional development workshops and published many articles for Texas Instruments. Mike got involved with the Kansas City Area Teachers of Mathematics in 1985 and served in various offices including President. He also served on the Board of Directors for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics from 2002 – 2005. He is winner of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, and the Tandy Technology Outstanding Teacher Award. He also worked with the Standards and Curriculum Program, which is a collaborative effort to bring together mathematics educators, state mathematics supervisors and mathematicians together to work on mathematics curriculum standards of the states. Mike holds a Bachelor of Science degree, a Master of Arts degree in secondary Math and Ed. Spec in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Missouri.
	Steven J. Long currently teaches AP Chemistry, Pre-AP Chemistry, and ChemCom at Rogers High School in Rogers, Arkansas. RHS currently houses 1800 students in grades 11-12, but will split into two 9-12 high schools in 2008-09, each with a student population of over 1600. Rogers Public Schools have experienced significant diversification over the past decade, and have a current student population of about 65 percent Caucasian, 30 percent Hispanic, and five percent Asian and African-American students. Steve has served as the RHS Science Department Chair since 1997, and was the Rogers Public Schools Secondary Science Curriculum Specialist from 2001-2007 coordinating the science instruction for 5,000 students in grades 6-12 and the professional development of about 45 secondary science teachers. He serves on local and national committees, and he is a frequent participant and presenter at state and national conferences. In his 33-year career, Steve has taught chemistry, biology, earth science, and life science. He is active in professional organizations including the National Science Teachers Association, the Arkansas Science Teachers Association, and the American Chemical Society. Steve served on the Board of Directors of NSTA as the elected High School Director from June 2005–May 2007. Currently, he is a member of the NSTA Executive Director Search Committee. He has also been a national teacher leader/trainer for the ACS ChemCom program since 1995, and has been involved with both the Third and Fifth Editions of the ChemCom textbook. He was a presenter for the Flinn Scientific Foundation Summer Chemistry Workshops from 2002-2006. Steve has written a semi-annual column for the Journal of Chemical Education since 1997; he has written commentary articles for The Science Teacher; and he has co-authored a chapter with Dr. Mary Kirchhoff for the ACS publication (in progress), Chemistry and the National Science Education Standards, 2 Ed. Steve has received numerous awards for his leadership, service, and classroom instruction including the 2001 Milken National Educator Award, semi-finalist for the National Teacher Hall of Fame in 2003, the 2000-01 American Chemistry Council regional Catalyst Award, the 1998 ACS Southwest Region High School Chemistry Teaching Award, and the 1996 Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and science Teaching. In addition, Steve was the first teacher in Arkansas to achieve National Board certification in AYA Science in 2000. He is passionate about teaching and about chemistry.
	Edward C. Nolan is the mathematics department chairperson at Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, Maryland. He currently teach Algebra 1 and Pre-Calculus and has taught most courses offered in both middle school and high school in his seventeen year career in Montgomery County Public Schools. In addition to his current assignment, he has been the head of the mathematics department in four different middle schools, taught in a fifth middle school, and served as the Program Supervisor for Pre-K to Grade 12 Mathematics in my district. His many educational experiences have given him a broad perspective on how students learn and how the needs of students differ in different communities. He has worked in schools within diverse communities, currently teaching in a school in which the student body is 38% Hispanic, 24% African American, 24% white, and 13% Asian. He works hard to try to craft lessons that will meet the needs of all of the students in the classroom. He enjoys working to improve his craft as well as the craft of the teachers within his department. His goal of constantly improving his own teaching led him to earn National Board Certification in 2002. In addition to the experiences within his school district, he has benefited from participation with educators from across the state and across the county. He has served as the president of the Maryland Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM) and currently serves as the Executive Secretary of this organization. He am also the editor of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ (NCTM) Student Math Notes issues (a 5-time per year activity that is sent out to every NCTM member). He has been honored as a Maryland Outstanding Mathematics Teacher by MCTM in 2002 and received the 2005 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. These experiences have allowed him to discuss mathematical pedagogy with people from all over the country. His own students have benefited from the ideas that he has learned and he has also been able to indirectly influence the education of other students through dialogues with other educators, presentations, and publications. His experiences and his joy for teaching truly define the person he is today.
soon	Jennifer Sinsel currently teaches gifted elementary students in Wichita, KS, an urban school district serving approximately 50,000 students. She received her B.S. in Earth Science Education in 1997 and her M.S. in Space Studies in 2000, both from the University of North Dakota. Recently, she completed a second Master’s program in Gifted Education from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She has 11 years of teaching experience, and she loves using science to excite her students about learning. Each year, she uses the knowledge she has gained through numerous space-related fellowships, including a National Space Biomedical Research Institute Teacher Academy Fellowship and a NASA Ames Airspace Systems Educator Fellowship, to integrate aerospace activities into reading, writing, and mathematics. In 2003, Jennifer was selected as one of 35 teachers from across the country to interview for a NASA Astronaut position. She has also received numerous awards for her teaching, including Kansas Aerospace Educator of the Year, AIAA Educator of the Year, and the National Middle Level Science Teacher’s Award for Creative Teaching and Leadership. She has traveled the country presenting teacher workshops with an aerospace emphasis, and she recently published two teacher’s guides containing standards-based science activities in order to further share her ideas with others.
soon	Dwight Sieggreen is a Science Teacher at Hillsdale Middle School in Northville, Michigan. He is committed to improving science education at all levels. He has given his professional skills and his personal time to this end. He has presented at local, state, national and international science conferences. He has worked with the Fulbright Memorial Fund Master Teacher Program in Japan as a consultant, participant, and grant recipient He was consultant to WGBH Boston, a Public Broadcasting System to review their teacher homepage. He wrote lessons for WGBH PBS NOVA Teacher Magazine. He has written lessons for the PBS ONLINE series Living Edens, including lessons for the programs, Manu, the Peruvian Rainforest, Palau, Garden in the Pacific, Denali, Alaska's Wilderness, Namib, the Desert of Africa, and Patagonia, the Wilderness of Argentina. Mr. Sieggreen’s life is an example of continuous learning as he participates in professional development programs. He received two Earthwatch grants, one in Switzerland and the other in the Fiji Islands, two University Research Expedition grants to Africa and the Arctic, two NOAA Teacher a Sea grants, the Gulf of Mexico and Pacific. Mr. Sieggreen has had NASA opportunities, including one summer 2007, MY NASA DATA, Four Fulbright experiences in Japan, including one with his administrator, a parent and four students to Japan to study amphibians, including the Japanese Giant Salamander. He facilitated NASA Education Workshops at the John Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, a global change workshop with Dr. Sally Ride at California Institute of Technology, NSTA summer Board of Directors meetings, and a marine biology program in Cozumel, Mexico for Schoolcraft College. As a professional he believes it is his responsibility to serve other science teachers. He has served as President of the Michigan Science Teachers Association, the National Middle Level Science Teachers Association, the National Association of Presidential Awardees for Excellence in Science Teaching, the Northville Education Association, the 7D Coordinating Council of the Michigan Education Association, and currently is Vice President of Phi Delta Kappa, University of Michigan Chapter. As a member of the Board of Directors of the National Science Teachers Association, Mr. Sieggreen served as chairperson of the Chapter and Affiliate and Associated Groups (CAAGS) and chaired the summer board/CAAGS meeting at Calloway Gardens, Georgia. He was appointed chair of the Detroit-Windsor National Science Teachers Association Area Convention and served on the NSTA Awards and Recognitions Committee, Nominations Committee, Middle Level Committee and Aerospace Advisory Board.
	Roberta Tanner grew up in East Lansing, Michigan, and completed her undergraduate work in Physics and Mechanical Engineering at Kalamazoo College and Michigan State University. Upon graduation, Roberta worked as a mechanical engineer in product development at IBM in Boulder, Colorado. When her sons were born, Roberta chose to leave the workforce until they entered school. Roberta had never intended to teach, but during her time at home she started teaching ninth grade students at church. She found that interacting with students was rewarding, exciting and meaningful. Instead of returning to engineering when her youngest son entered first grade, she returned to school and earned her teaching certificate and a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Roberta has been teaching in the Thompson School District in Loveland, Colorado for fifteen years. During the 2006-2007 school year she served as "Teacher in Residence" with the Physics Education Research group at the University of Colorado in Boulder and as mentor to her temporary replacement. She will return to the classroom again in the fall. Roberta has taught many subjects including Chemistry, Earth Science, Algebra, Pre-Algebra, several levels of Physics, and Microcomputer Projects. Wanting to spur her students to higher levels of achievement, Roberta started Advanced Placement Physics in her district and developed Microcomputer Projects, a project-oriented microchip and electrical engineering course, with help from a local engineer. Along with understanding content and concepts, Roberta's focus is to help students of all abilities learn analysis, problem solving, organization, and the joy of working through difficulties to accomplish a goal. Roberta was honored with the international Intel Excellence in Teaching Award in 2004 and has served as an associate to the Teacher Advisory Council of the National Academy of Science for the past two years.
	Darren T. Wells is an Instructional Team/Science Teacher Leader in Middle School Science, Boston Public Schools. Mr. Wells appropriately called the “Nutty Professor” provides mentoring and training to new and veteran teachers in the middle school science curriculum for the Boston Public Schools. He is an integrated science classroom teacher and has taught for the past 14 years at James P. Timilty Middle School in Roxbury, MA. He has teaching experience in several areas in Hampton, Virginia, Hempstead, and Long Island New York and Brookline, Massachusetts. He firmly believes that this is the best time in education for teaching and learning of science and mathematics. Mr. Wells is involved in many community/professional activities and has received numerous awards and grants. Just recently, he became the first teacher in Massachusetts to receive the MetLife Foundation Ambassadors in Education Award. As such, he earned a $5,000 grant for his school. He received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching Science and Mathematics in 2004. He is an officer/member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, Concerned Black Men of Massachusetts, Black Educators Alliance of Massachusetts, Network of Educator in Science and Technology at M.I.T., Tufts, Boston University and a Harvard Medical School Teacher/Mentor Fellow. Mr. Wells received his B.S/B.A. in Biology/Management from Hampton Institute in Virginia, M.Ed. in Mathematic, English, Science, Technology, Education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a C.A.G.S. Instructional Leadership at Simmons College and continues to take graduated level courses in all of the domains of science and education with the hope of earning a Ph.D.
	Ex Officio Bruce Alberts, past president of the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., is a respected biochemist recognized for his work both in biochemistry and molecular biology. He is noted particularly for his extensive study of the protein complexes that allow chromosomes to be replicated, as required for a living cell to divide. He has spent his career making significant contributions to the field of life sciences, serving in different capacities on a number of prestigious advisory and editorial boards, including as chair of the Commission on Life Sciences, National Research Council. Until his election as President of the Academy, he was president-elect of the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Born in 1938 in Chicago, Illinois, Alberts graduated from Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with a degree in biochemical sciences. He earned a doctorate from Harvard University in 1965. He joined the faculty of Princeton University in 1966 and after ten years was appointed professor and vice chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). In 1980, he was awarded the honor of an American Cancer Society Lifetime Research Professorship. In 1985, he was named chair of the UCSF Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Alberts has long been committed to the improvement of science education, dedicating much of his time to educational projects such as City Science, a program seeking to improve science teaching in San Francisco elementary schools. He has served on the advisory board of the National Science Resources Center¾ a joint project of the National Academy of Sciences and the Smithsonian Institution working with teachers, scientists, and school systems to improve teaching of science¾ as well as on the National Academy of Sciences' National Committee on Science Education Standards and Assessment. He is one of the original authors of The Molecular Biology of the Cell, considered the leading textbook of its kind and used widely in U.S. colleges and universities. His most recent text, Essential Cell Biology (1998), is intended to approach this subject matter for a wider audience. For the period 2000 to 2005, Dr. Alberts is the Co-chair of the InterAcademy Council, a new advisory institution in Amsterdam governed by the presidents of 15 science academies from around the world.