2010 Spaceward Bound Expedition

This spring break, a group of our MSTI Fellows and Members will be traveling to the Mojave National Preserve to participate in the 2010 Spaceward Bound expedition.

Spaceward Bound is a Field Expedition for Pre-Service Teachers and Undergraduate Science Majors interested in teaching K-12, in partnership with the The California State University Chancellor’s Office and San Francisco State University and the California State University Desert Research Station at Zzyzx, California.

The following students will be participating in this years expedition:

HI, I am Jacqueline Benitez. I am a physics / astronomy student at San Francisco State University. I grew up in Southern California and came to San Francisco for school and to live closer to my sister and nephews. My passion is astronomy. I work at the SFSU Observatory teaching students about the sky, the stars, and how they look through the telescopes. I have developed a program for the SFSU observatory for high school physics students. The students learn about the night sky, what cosmological objects we see in the sky, how to use a star wheel and have the opportunity to look through the telescopes at the observatory.

___________________________________________________________________

Hello everyone! My name is Amanda Chui. I am 21 and a native San Franciscan. I am in my last semester as an undergraduate Mathematics and Sociology major at San Francisco State University. I have been working with youth since my junior year in high school and have developed a strong interest in mathematics and urban education. While in the classroom, the students I work with frequently ask, “How does math and science work together, Miss Amanda?” (Their math and science classes were usually paired together). My science experiences include a college course in physics, animal diversity, and biology. In addition to these courses, it is my hope that the Mojave expedition will give me more “cool” experiences to share with my (future) students. I am looking forward to the experience and meeting more math and science educators.

______________________________________________________________________________

I am Tony Dunn.  I was born in San Francisco in 1964.  I attended St. Stephen’s grammar school, Riordan High School, and City College and Chico State, although I dropped out before earning a degree.  I spent the next 20 years working self-employed as a low voltage technician, installing and repairing alarms and communication systems.

I’ve always had a love for science, so when I decided it might be time to change directions, I went back to school to work towards a degree in Physics and Astronomy.  I am currently an undergraduate student at San Francisco State University.

Many of my hobbies involve the science I love.  I run an Astronomy-related website: www.gravitysimulator.com.   I also built my own telescope.  I have traveled far distances to witness solar eclipses.  I love to travel.  It’s fun to tell people I have been to all 7 continents.

______________________________________________________________________________

Greetings! My name is Brian Finley. I am 22 and I was born in San Francisco, raised in Daly City. I am currently in my last semester at San Francisco State University soon to graduate with a B.A. in mathematics: Concentration in mathematics for Teaching. I plan to teach middle school mathematics as my future career, hoping to make a difference among the youth.

I have been working with the youth since my senior year of high school. One of the best successful experiences I had when working with youth was when I was a camp counselor/naturalist. As a naturalist, I taught kids the extraordinary wonders and importance of nature, inspiring them to be nature conscious and to promote a healthy environment in our community. This profoundly inspired me to be a future teacher.

Not only do I have a strong interest in math, but I also have a strong passion for physical science, biology, astronomy, and oceanography. I even took college courses in astronomy, geology, oceanography, and physics to help me be prepared to learn more about science. I believe having an understanding of the interdisciplinary relationship of math with other subject areas, like science, is one of the many effective ways to successfully teach students.

Many of my hobbies include creating/drawing mazes, collecting rocks and coins, hiking, playing clarinet, piano, basketball, and video games. I am excited about the Spaceward Bound Mojave expedition and I look forward to meeting you all!

______________________________________________________________________________

My name is Elizabeth Lopez, I’m 24 and born and raised in San Francisco. I’m a math major at SFSU in my last semester. I’m currently enrolled in Modern Algebra, Geometry and History of Mathematics. I’m hoping my math knowledge comes in handy while I’m in the Mojave Desert. More importantly I want to learn something new. My only science experience is taking a college level bio class, astronomy class and working in my garden. Can’t you see I’m in desperate need of a real science experience, and that is exactly why I wanted so badly to be on this trip. Bring on the Science!

______________________________________________________________________________

Currently, I am a candidate of the San Francisco State University Single Subject Credential program for Mathematics. I am student teaching at Hebert Hoover Middle School for 6th and 7th Grade Math and definitely enjoying working with this age group. I am looking into teaching both Math and Science together, so I want to gain more experience with scientific research.

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. My past experiences with scientific research were primarily evaluating psychometric tests, field experiments, and survey. I am eager to get more hands-on experience outside the field of Psychology. Middle school science primarily focuses on Earth Science and Life Science. I am hoping that through this experience, I will gain more knowledge that I can ishare with my future students.

______________________________________________________________________________

I am a Marine Biology major, planning on earning my teaching credentials in the future.  I enjoy bicycles, music, the sea, and the stars.  This is me and my friends in beautiful Hawaii, I am in the plaid.

______________________________________________________________________________

My name is Stephanie Valverde, and I am a 23 year old senior at San Francisco State University. I love spending time friends, making new friends, playing basketball, painting, being outside (especially in the sun), taking long walks through the city or Golden Gate Park, going on trips to new places and take photographs of anything and everything.I was originally a photography major at State and did free lance work for newspapers in the city like The Examiner and The City Star.

I changed my major to liberal studies, though as the newspaper industry started to die out, I realized that photography would always be accessible to me in one way or another if I wanted to pursue it. My intention with liberal studies was to get a little bit of everything hoping to find one thing that I really loved, and after taking a geology class called “The Violent Earth,” I was done searching. Since then I have taught science adventures to grades K-6th and made my emphasis earth science. I intend to get my credential after I graduate in December 2010 and teach some form of high school earth science. I would love to eventually get my master’s degree as well and be able to do some research and teach community college.

I feel like I have a lot of goals that I want to accomplish; goals like wanting to be a great science teacher doing some forms of research and to always be learning. I have a lot of passion inside of me that will help me achieve these things, but Spaceward Bound Mojave will definitely be just another step in the right direction to fulfilling my goals.

______________________________________________________________________________

I am currently a Mathematics major at San Francisco State University, emphasizing in teaching and looking forward to graduation this semester. Once I get my BA I plan to move on to a credential program at either Cal Poly San Luis Obispo or at SFSU. In my spare time I enjoy running, biking, playing soccer, knitting, and most importantly, BAKING. I’m thoroughly involved in Intervarsity Christian Fellowship at SFSU and a part of the Presidential Scholars as well.

______________________________________________________________________________

Hi, I am a teaching credential student in the Secondary Education program at San Francisco State University. I also earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from San Francisco State University. I discovered my interest in education in 2008, and have worked with students in the classroom since.

I enjoy doing sports, such as swimming, jogging, badminton, and volleyball. They shake my worries away. I also enjoy cooking myself, or looking up information about gourmet food in the city. Recently, I fell in love with hummus, Middle Eastern style BBQ, and gyros. I also enjoy foods around the world and am ready to try any kind of authentic dish. My personal favorite food is steak and steamed fish.

I admire the endurance and the energy scientists spend in their projects. Additionally, I have always been fascinated by Madame Wu and Madame Curie; I admire women who have outstanding performance in science. I look forward to seeing my students do well in physics and math.

For more information about Spaceward Bound, click here.