Annual Report for Betty Trummel
January 15, 2004 - January 15, 2005

Teacher Info Page | Annual Login Page

Field Experience

Were you in the field this season? No

Continued Collaboration with Research Team Members

Type of Interaction / Outcomes / Dates / Locations / Parcticipants: Continued email correspondence with Gary Wilson, Ken Verosub, and Fabio Florindo concerning their research and upcoming projects. In person meeting with Fabio Florindo in March in Rome, Italy. Phone and email correspondence with Tim Naish and Cliff Atkins (Antarctic New Zealand), Giuliana Villa and Sonia Sandroni (in person as well in Italy...June 2004), and Ross Powell (Northern Illinois University). All contacts are part of the Cape Roberts Project team. Also, contact via phone and email with Richard Levy, education coordinator for the upcoming ANDRILL (Antarctic Drilling) Project.

All contact with Cape Roberts team members is made to continue learning about their research, gathering ideas for classroom use, keeping my knowledge base concerning the Antarctic research community going, and to learn as much as I can from these scientists. Although there is no specific outcome involved, I feel that the continued contact and communication network is quite valuable to me as an educator. It promotes my vision of life-long learning and staying current with the scientific community.

I also do a great deal with Gordon Bain, formerly from the Australian Antarctic Division, in regard to our traveling trunks of Antarctic teaching matierals called the "Ice Box." I have one box here in Illinois loaned to teachers in my area. Gordon has split up materials in his trunk (initially funded through a grant from the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International and presented to Tasmanian teachers 3 summers ago) into several smaller boxes on loan to teachers in Tasmania. He is retired and officially has taken charge of the bookings and distribution of Ice Box materials and use. We are in constant contact about new educational supplies and materials, books, and he keeps me informed of the Australian Antarctic program news and events. We are still working to establish a teacher network and possibility of their AAD supporting teachers on the ice to create a program similar to TEA in purpose. Now that air support has become a reality for the AAD, this idea could take off (pun intended) and more teachers can be involved in science in Antarctica.

Has a member of your research team visited your classroom in the last year? N/A

Transfer

How are you sharing your research experience with your colleagues, district, community, etc? I am still actively doing presentations within my school and for surrounding community groups. Although I am not allowed to take any time away from school, I've become quite innovative, and have invited classes TO my room, during my plan time, so that I give up my planning periods to do presentations. This has extended beyond my own school and I have one school that has used this visit to my classroom as a "field trip" for the past three years.

I have been active with Louise Huffman in planning a second Chicago area TEA Regional Workshop and we have one coming up in March 2005. I still provide science research information to my fourth grade team members and other interested colleagues throughout my district. Our administration is not supportive of any science efforts at this time, which makes it nearly impossible to be outside of my classroom or promote TEA or Antarctic/Arctic science research (or science in general). But, with lots of creativity, I've found ways to incude it in my curriculum, as part of reading, math, social studies and just about every area I can think of. :-)

TEA Collaborative Learning Group

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Have you submitted your TEA Collaborative Learning Group Annual Report? N/A

Associates Network

Number of Associates in local network: see below

Type of Interaction / Outcomes / Dates / Locations / Parcticipants: I no longer have an active Associates network (officially under the TEA program) but remain active recuiting people to learn about the science research and keeping them informed of information/programs/ and whatever I can through my own interests. The lack of commitment to science in general has been very frustrating, but I wont' give up. Our administration has changed and our current superintendent calls any time away from classroom "trips" and won't allow that. I've pulled in my teammates at Husmann and teachers in grades 2 and 3 are also active with planning for science activities that bring research to children.

Presentations and Real Audio Sessions

Presentation Date, Title, Number of Attendees, Etc. We are blocked from parcticipating in Real Audio sessions because of our filters through our District #47 computer network. I'm still trying to get that worked out, but no luck yet. I used to have a phone connection in my classroom, but that was removed last year, making it now impossible for me to connect with Real Audio. That's a shame, because I used it a lot and loved it. Keep that going...I'll keep trying on my end.

As far as presentations, I was somewhat limited because of major foot surgery in December 2003. I had to move by way of a wheeled contraption for all of January and half of February and continued with a cast on my foot until April. This slowed me down a little. But, I've had a number of TEA presentations this year, and list appears below: January 22nd: Husmann Elementary School presentation for fourth grade level; 126 students; 5 adults; TEA experience and science research January 27th: Sales meeting for AET Films; 32 adults (topic was TEA and how that inspired me as an educator; used as inspiration to show how people can work within their field to increase knowledge and keep motivated). January 29th: Four first grade classrooms visited my classroom at Husmann Elementary School from a neighboring community; topic was TEA experience and Antarctica as a continent; 118 students; 7 adults February 11th: Husmann Elementary School; 4 third grade classes; TEA experience and science research; 104 students; 4 adults February 19th: Husmann Elementary School; one second grade class; 28 students and one adult; TEA experience February 22nd: Community group presentation (sorry, for some reason in my calendar I have the numbers and date, but not the name of the group, and I can't remember now); 32 adults; TEA experience March 13th: AAUW breakfast meeting: Victory Lakes, Lindenhurst, IL; 46 adults; TEA experience and how it has inspired me as an educator September 22nd: Northern Illinois University "Science Methods" course for elementary education majors; 33 university students; TEA as professional development; mentoring component; science research; classroom transfer; etc. November 18th: 4 fourth grade classrooms at Husmann Elementary School; 117 students;; 5 adults; TEA experience December 15th (next week): Fremont Public Library; Mundelein, IL; TEA experience; unknown number of parcticipants/attendees since it hasn't happened yet.

Have you presented to your local board of education this year? N/A

Activities Development

Title: n/a

Has this activity been submitted to the TEA Web Site? No

Title: n/a

Has this activity been submitted to the TEA Web Site? No

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Has this activity been submitted to the TEA Web Site? No

Other Classroom Connections: My own classroom is connected to Antarctic science research through Myrna Gary, who spent last season on the ice and is currently at McMurdo Station. She keeps us informed about science related events; TEA journals and website (even using MANY of the past TEA teachers' experiences as a springboard for current activities in my classroom; OAE network also provides a number of important and current connections for my classroom concerning Antarctic science research.

ECW gear monitoring; planning with Louise Huffman for March 2005 TEA Regional Workshop in Naperville, IL. Would love to be a part of any network created or to mentor new TEA (or related) teachers.

Connected with Jean Pennycook in McMurdo and her program there.

Have you submitted all press-related materials concerning your TEA experience to the TEA Archives? N/A

Have you submitted 20 digital images to the TEA Archive with electronic captions? N/A

Have you submitted 6-8 photos to the TEA Archive? N/A

Release Days

Number of Release Days Covered by School/District for TEA Program/Activities: zero -- they will not fund this any longer since my TEA official obligations are completed

TEA Meetings Covered by School/District/Corporation

Names of Meetings: zero--none will be covered (reason stated above)

Permanent Materials and Equipment Provided by Institution/Corporation/District for the TEA Program

Type of Equipment: n/a

Date of Purchase: n/a

Approximate Cost of Equipment: n/a

Other Grants

Type of Grant / Grant Title: n/a

Other Shared Costs
The cost of travel to/from all presentations I give is covered on my own. At times an organization (such as the AAUW meeting I presented at in March)will cover the cost of my fuel to attend the meeting, but that is the only shared cost I can think of.

March 2005 TEA Regional Workshop with Louise Huffman;

Continued connection with Cape Roberts scientists and Richard Levy from ANDRILL;

Connection with Jean Pennycook in McMurdo; hopefully NSTA in Dallas in April