I just got a quick note letting me know who I will be working with in Ghana. I will copy their bios below and then you will all know what I know. The two American teachers I met last week in DC and we are part of 11 teachers going together to Ghana. I left my bio on there too for your amusement.
Randy
Melinda Bennett, Biology Teacher
Minneapolis South High School
Minneapolis, MN
Melinda
has taught introductory and Advanced Placement Biology at South for her
entire 22 year teaching career. She is particularly interested in
developing progressive teaching practices that encourage students to
think creatively and drive their own learning and assessment. She is
currently working on an interdisciplinary team that develops thematic
units where students delve deeply into subjects incorporating World
History, literature/writing and Biology. She feels very strongly that
students are motivated to learn more deeply when they can see how the
subject is directly related to life and their own personal passions.
She recently took a group of interdisciplinary team students to Greece
and was invited to present and teach in China. Melinda earned her
Bachelor of Science degree in Oklahoma where she grew up and earned her
Masters at the University of Minnesota. She is married to a fellow
biology teacher and they have two teenage children who are very active
in sports, theatre, friends and school. Her primary motivation for
seeking this opportunity with TGC is to broaden her international
experience and perspective to continue to bring new ideas into the
classroom. She wants to continue to be a lifelong learner and model
that value for her students and family.
Randy French, Science Teacher
Geneseo Central School
Geneseo, New York
Randy
French teaches science at Geneseo Central School in Geneseo, a small
rural school in western New York state. He teaches general science to
mainly middle school students ages 12-14, but also teaches labs in Earth
Science, Chemistry, and Biology to high school students ages 14-18.
Often, Randy runs workshops at school in technology. He enjoys making
movies for and of his students as well as helping students create
movies. His interests at school include getting students outdoors to
generate curiosity and to develop dreams. Outside of school, Randy
runs, bikes, cross country skis, paddles, and generally enjoys most
outdoor recreation. Hios primary objective for participating in TGC is
to help students from a small school realize there is a big, exciting
world beyond their doors that they can access with technology, hope, and
hard work. He would especially like to develop ways for students to
learn about different ecosystems for a new course his school
administration has asked him to create.
Jeremy "Pete" Peterson, Chemistry Teacher
Oconomowoc High School
Waukesha, Wisconsin
Jeremy
"Pete" Peterson has been a teacher for the past 10 years. He began his
career working in schools in Utah, Texas, and in an international school
in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. He has been teaching high school chemistry and
physics for the last 6 years in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin --- a community of
about 12,000 people just outside of Milwaukee. Pete's classes average
about 25 students ranging between 15 and 18 years in age. Along with
many leadership roles at the school, he sponsors a popular community
service program called Students-4-Service. Pete is a National Board
Certified Teacher who graduated in 2001 with a B.S. in biology from
Gonzaga University and later received a M. Ed. degree from the
University of Notre Dame. Pete is currently finishing a second Masters
degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University
of Wisconsin-Madison. In 2010 Pete was awarded as a Kohl Fellow for
Excellence in Teaching. Pete is married to a beautiful doctor who he
says will always be his better half. In his free time he enjoys running,
cycling, grilling out with friends, and playing Scrabble. Through
participation in TGC, Pete hopes to better challenge his students to
think more globally about how their actions impact the world.
Osman bin Umar, Social Studies Teacher
Accra Girls' Senior High School
Accra, Ghana
Osman
bin Umar has been teaching history, social studies and government for
the past 4 years. The age of his students ranges from 18 to 20 years. On
average, there are 46 students in his class. Osman is an active member
of his school's parent-teacher association, where he has played a role
in promoting effective parental involvement in student education. Osman
received a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Cape
Coast, Ghana. His primary objective for participating in the TEA Program
is to explore new methodologies for engaging students in a more
participatory and active classroom setting.
Jonathan Mpete-Lah, Biology Teacher
Accra Girls' Senior High School
Accra, Ghana
Jonathan
Mpete-Lah has been teaching biology and integrated Science at a public
high school for the past 25 years. His students range from the ages of
16 to 19 years old with an average of 48 students per class. Jonathan
is an active member of his school’s parent-teacher association and the
50th anniversary planning committee where he has played an
effective role in getting parents and students to participate in student
education and celebrations. Jonathan received his bachelor’s degree in
science from the University of Ghana, Legon in 1979, a post graduate
degree in Education from the University of Cape Coast in 1999 and a
master’s degree in Administration and Management from the University of
Education, Winneba. Jonathan is married with a son and a daughter and
his hobbies include traveling, reading and playing squash. His primary
objective for participating in the TEA program is to explore new
methodologies for engaging students’ interactive and participatory
learning.
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