Future teachers study rainforest in ASU-Smithsonian fellowship

A recent story on FOX 10 News featured Arizona State University education majors and faculty headed to the Panama rainforest this summer where students will hone their science teaching skills and confidence. The future educators will descend on Panama with ASU faculty for a 10-day field experience called Preparing Preservice Teachers for Science Success at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

The exotic rainforest locale known for packing a staggering number of plant and animal species into a geographical area smaller than South Carolina serves as the classroom where these ASU education majors will hone their understanding of scientific concepts and skills in order to develop effective science lessons as teachers. After the Panama trip, the ASU education majors will become student teachers this fall in the classrooms of mentor teachers from Higley Unified School District for a full academic year. The Higley teachers also accompany their ASU student teachers during the trip to Panama this summer.

FOX 10 Reporter Diane Ryan interviewed ASU Teachers College students Jennifer Allen and Abel Torres for the story. She also spoke with Penelope Adams Moon, director of ASU’s Arizona Science Education Collaborative, and Teachers College clinical associate professor Molina Walters, known as Dr. Mo.