In addition to Lynn and Kasper, there are four other teachers who will be helping with the Joint Science Educaion Project: Rikke Jorgensen, Britta Culbertson, Sheryl Sotelo, and Christian Berner Skipper. Rikke's bio and photo will be in a later journal enry; the other three are below.
Britta Culbertson, Einstein Fellow 2012-14 (NOAA)
Britta Culbertson taught high school science and visual arts for eight years at The Center School in Seattle, Washington. Prior to that she taught Biology in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for two years.
Culbertson is currently serving as an Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the Office of Education. She spent the last year presenting at national conferences on topics ranging from corals and ocean acidification to NOAA professional development opportunities for teachers. She is also investigating how to make captivating and accessible presentations about climate change using satellite images and storytelling. Additionally, she is making real-time ocean and atmospheric data more user-friendly for classroom teachers and investigating the role of citizen science programs in formal education. Because of her dual interest in art and science she is always looking for ways to help connect students to science through the arts and encouraging the development of critical thinking and observational skills through the artistic process.
Britta enjoys outdoor activities such as rock climbing, mountaineering, and hiking and is also an avid traveler and artist. She served in the Peace Corps in Kenya and has travelled extensively in Thailand, Turkey, Egypt, Costa Rica, Mexico, Ecuador, China, India, and Indonesia. For two summers, she led students to Costa Rica to study tropical ecology. In 2010, she taught 6th-8th grade in New Delhi, India She believes these adventures have shaped her life, helped her to bond with students, and allowed her to reflect on her own place in the world. She is excited to learn more about research in the Arctic and is thrilled to interact with an international group of students and teachers. Culbertson believes that the immersive experience of fieldwork is a wonderful opportunity for in-depth learning, collaboration, and inspiration. The ability to do this work in an environment that is at the centerpiece of the global climate change dialogue makes it both a timely and extremely valuable experience.
Sheryl Sotelo, Einstein Fellow 2013-14 (NSF - EHR)
Sheryl Sotelo has been teaching for 31 years, 7 tears in Arizona and 24 years in Alaska. For the past eight years, she taught all subjects at the sixth grade at McNeil Canyon Elementary School in Homer, Alaska. She has taught intermediate elementary grades, middle school and elementary special services, and the intermediate level in a Montessori School. She has taught in rural Alaska villages including Gambell on St. Lawrence Island and Unalakeet in the Bering Strait School District. Sheryl and her husband, Ed taught at a two-teacher school, levels K-8 in Cooper Landing, Alaska. She utilizes a science thematic approach and project based learning in her teaching.
Sheryl Sotelo holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education with a content emphasis in Science from Northern Arizona. Her post-graduate work includes a Masters of Teaching degree from Grand Canyon University and an administrative credential from University of Alaska Anchorage.
Sheryl has earned many awards, including the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching in 2002 and the National Science Teacher’s Association Shell Oil Science Teacher Award in 2004.
“I believe that teaching must provide opportunities for active engagement with purpose, critical thinking, and innovation. Education must connect students with the natural world around them and build a literacy that empowers them to be responsible global citizens. “ This can be accomplished with powerful partnerships between students, schools, communities, agencies, experts and scientists. Teachers must seek out resources and professional development and extend the learning for themselves and their students beyond the classroom walls.
Sheryl Sotelo is married to Ed Sotelo, who is also an educator, and they live in Homer, Alaska. They have a grown daughter - Jess Sotelo, son-in-law Ron Kim, and soon to be, grandson Gus! Sheryl loves spending time with her family in Alaska and Arizona and her friends. She also enjoys learning, being outdoors, kayaking, reading, hiking, walking, and gardening.
Sheryl Sotelo will serve her Einstein Fellowship at the National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR), Human Resources Development Division (HRD) during 2013-2014.
Christian Berner Skipper, teacher from Rosborg Gymnasium in Denmark.
Hi, my name is Christian Berner Skipper. I’m a teacher in geoscience at Rosborg Gymnasium (High school) in Vejle, Denmark. I love my job as a teacher and enjoy the company of my pupils.
In my spare time I study biology at the University of Aarhus and practice my hobbies, which are earth science, biology and history. Whenever I get the chance, I take my family for at hike in the woods and along the beaches in our neighborhood. My wife Jette is a geologist like me, and we have 3 boys ageing from 10 to 18 years of age.
Before I became a teacher I worked with soil and groundwater pollution and remediation at an engineering company. My educational background is a master degree in geology and a bachelor in geography. It is my 3rd time of field work in Greenland and I’m very excited about this year’s summer school. I’m looking forward to meeting you.