Tien Huynh-Dinh
thuynhdi@lalc.k12.ca.us
Berendo Middle School, LAUSD
The first time I took my dad to San Francisco's Exploratorium (the best hands-on science museum in the world), I fell in love with all the hands-on exhibits. Actually, I only had enough time to see one-twentieth of the museum's 700 exhibits but I knew I had to return. What I didn't know was that becoming a Target Science representative for Irving Middle school would be my ticket back.
Target Science "networking" meetings and "hands-on activities" workshops were exactly what a relatively inexperienced teacher like me desperately needed. Ever since Larry Brim, my science department chairperson, suggested I attend Target Science, many wonderful opportunities have fallen into my lap.
There have been "behind the scenes" tours of the Los Angeles Zoo, Partners (teaming up with industry professionals), Yosemite Institute trips (with fellow colleagues and Irving students), an Earthwatch expedition, CSTA, NSTA conferences, the California Science Project, and Praxis (a high point in my career, as well as the hottest one - some of us walked barefoot on hot coals to experience the "poor" conducting properties of "porous" oak wood chips).
The path I had chosen - to accumulate hands-on science activities - led to a two year Teacher-in-Residence opportunity at the Exploratorium's Teacher Institute. So I was returning to the Exploratorium (as Maxwell Smart would say, "and loving it"), but now I would be able to explore, discover, and form more questions about all the exhibits, including the new ones that are continually being developed.
Working with educators, biologists, physicists, the Mission Science Center -- a pioneer in informal science education, and museum staff was a wonderful experience that can directly help me serve my students better.
The Teacher Institute is responsible for publishing the "teacher-friendly" Science Snackbook, written by and for teachers. Through various Exploratorium Summer Institute workshops, the Teacher Institute has been sharing the Snackbook with middle and high school teachers.
As recently as May at the East Los Angeles Math/Science/Technology Center, the Los Angeles Systemic Initiative and the Department of Water and Power had a middle school "electricity-magnetism/electric car kit" workshop, using activities from the Snackbook.
The Exploratorium also gave me the opportunity to help train elementary students to present science "snacks," one of which "shocked" President Clinton and Vice President Gore (harmlessly, of course). While I was a "non-essential" staff member, my presence was felt as the "spark" in the "charge and carry" snack the students presented.
All these wonderful experiences occurred because I took a chance, moving away from being an "isolated" classroom teacher and taking "a few" professional growth workshops. What a stroke of luck!
