Teacher Experiences
Science is Everywhere
What began as a casual conversation, one teacher to another, ended in an experience of a lifetime affecting both teacher and her students. “I heard about it [SWEET program] two years ago from two teachers in a neighboring town,” says Alvarez-Ziegler. “They had done it and highly recommended it.”
"It opened my eyes, there were a lot of things I didn't think about as far as careers in engineering. I learned a lot about engineering and in turn, I can pass that on to my students."
Ziegler, two years into her teaching career, joined teachers from all over the state to participate in the Summer 2005 SWEET program. “One of the best things about the program is the collaboration with others,” noted Alvarez-Ziegler. Collaborating with a pre-service teacher, and mentored by a WSU faculty member, Alvarez-Ziegler created the Observation of ph Shifts Using the Process of Ionic Exchange module. “First, we talked to a staff member to determine what was feasible to do,” said Alvarez-Ziegler. Then they began the work, attending lectures in the morning and working in the lab in the afternoon. The work was well worth the effort as Ziegler quickly found out when her students came to spend the day testing the module.
“It was very powerful for the kids. They were amazed and proud of themselves because they fit right in,” said Alvarez-Ziegler. “It made it real for them. They realized they could succeed in this environment if they chose to go this route.” Students beyond just those who attended were also impacted. “The local newspaper did a write up on me. A girl from high school contacted me. She was getting ready to go to college and decided to get hold of the engineering department in her college.”
“It opened my eyes, there were a lot of things I didn’t think about as far as careers in engineering. I learned a lot about engineering and in turn, I can pass that on to my students,” concluded Alvarez-Ziegler.
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Teacher: Teri Alvarez
Class Module: Observation of ph Shifts Using the Process of Ionic Exchange
Setting: Pride High School in Mabton, Washington. This school serves a largely Hispanic student body.