Hi, my name is Ms. Mackenzie Longo.

Science is all around us. Biology is the study of life, which is something in which each and every one is experienced with in some way. For me, the intrinsic curiosity to know more about the way of the world, how our world impacts us, and how we function as living beings is motivating. I understand that science may not be a motivator for every student, but I do believe that science is for everyone, regardless of who they are or where they come from.

While we as educators cannot bring every aspect of science to our students scaled fully, we can create immersive and engaging experiences to cater to a variety of learning styles, content levels, and even material availabilities. Not every school can have state of the art laboratory equipment, but that does not mean that students should not have the opportunity to learn about the related content. Through using the arts in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math), both students and educators alike can use our creativity as a part of the learning process.

I make a point to use all the resources available to me to create engaging lessons that incorporate student choice. Especially in recent years, students who are not physically present in a classroom are still able to engage in experiential learning through virtual labs and technology. This is particularly helpful to students with disabilities or allergies that may prevent them from being in the classroom (as some experiments do contain allergens that prevent students from being present).

All too often, students wonder when they are ever going to use the material they are learning “in the real world”. In addition to making material engaging for students, it also must be connected to real-life experiences. Through using curriculum like the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) aligned Storylines, case studies, medical simulations, and even experiments using household items, we can exemplify to students why science is important, and even how they can use their background in science to be a productive citizen. For example, I included blood typing and hands-on CPR training into a high school anatomy classroom, which allowed students to directly apply the knowledge from their notes to a life experience. I have also taught younger students about various science disciplines using household materials to perform experiments, which got students excited about topics they did not even realize were science!

Studies show that students who are more engaged in the classroom retain more information. Students may not walk out of my classroom knowing every detail, but they will be able to recall big picture material because of the way in which it was presented to them. I have seen first-hand how students make connections to material or will recall material faster because they were given a practical example. I will always advocate for engaging and applicable science education, and by extension, the ability to have fun while learning in a science classroom.