I am a mathematician; my research area is chaotic dynamical systems. I have always been very interested in teaching (cooperative learning, use of computers in teaching, student projects, linking math with issues of civic engagement) and over the past decade have gotten involved in math and science education. I was a Co-PI of the Math Science Partneship of Greater Philadelphia (MSPGP) part of the  Math Science Partneship program of the NSF. As part of that project, I co-developed and taught a course for math and science majors called "Changing Pedagogies in Math and Science Education". The course  tries to interest math and science majors in education by exposing them to the exciting recent develops in learning theory and cognition and how these ideas are being applied in inquiry oriented, student centered teaching approaches. I am the PI of the joint Bryn Mawr - Haverford Noyce Scholarship Program (which gives scholarship to math and science majors who plan to get certified and then teach in high needs districts) and of the Philadelphia Regional Noyce Partnership which involves the 6 institutes in the Philadelphia region with Noyce grants. These projects apply social network theory (key connectors, Tipping Point) to try to bring about educational change.

One of my present activities is working to connect math and (environmental) sustainability. In spring 2012, I taught a quantiative reasoning course on this topic in which the students also had a service learning component in which they carried out a 'green project'  with a community partner. I will lead a two week institute for secondary teachers on Math and Sustainability in July 2012.

• math

• math content-specific pedagogy courses
• science content-specific pedagogy courses
• interdisciplinary approaches
• project-based learning
• recruitment
• retention
• support structures
• organizational culture

In a world that is growing increasingly complex, the ability to apply scientific thinking (or at least to understand what it is) to information evaluation and decision making can give meaning of one’s life and inspire greater responsibility in citizenship. As such, my goal as a science educator is not only to teach the history, facts and theories of science, but also, to build the critical thinking skills required for lifelong learning. I have worked with students in elementary school, high school, and college, and have found that providing interactive and inquiry-based opportunities are the most effective ways to create engaging learning experiences. I have attended many pedagogy courses offered by NSF and NASA and I was extensively trained to teach science as a National Science Foundation GK-12 fellow. Although the focus of the NSF GK-12 program was on educating students in grades K-12, many of the concepts that I learned from this program I have successfully applied to teaching students at the college level. As a fellow, I attended bi-monthly classes focused on science education, participated in scientific teaching workshops, worked with teachers and students in Hawaii to develop appropriate science curriculum, and traveled to Palau to work with teachers on constructing scientific curriculum based on the concept of scientific inquiry (learning the process of science by doing science). I apply the knowledge I learned from this and other programs to try to engage as many students as I can, effectively teach students with different learning styles, and create unique curriculum.

• biology
• environmental science

• science content-specific pedagogy courses
• urban education
• interdisciplinary approaches
• project-based learning

Heather Johnson recently joined the Education Department at the College of the Holy Cross as the Director of the Teacher Education Program (TEP). She previously worked as a mathematics specialist at the Rhode Island Department of Education and as a mathematics teacher in the middle grades at The Learning Community, a K-8 charter school in Central Falls, RI. Her interests are in mathematics instruction and in the preparation of all teachers through meaningful field-based experiences and coaching.

• social justice education
• urban education
• gender and education
• support structures
• organizational culture