TED 5314 STUDENT BIOGRAPHIES
 
 
 
 
 



SAL'S BIOGRAPHY

My name is Adriana M. Fabela. I currently am enrolled in the Alternative Certification Program at University of Texas at El Paso and am employed as a secondary science instructor at the Ysleta Independent School District. I teach Integrated Physics and Chemistry (IPC) and Astronomy. Thank You for visiting our site and as you navigate please keep this quote in mind, "The real arena of reform is in the classroom" (Bybee, p. 33).
 
 

I was born and raised in Washington State. Living in a rural area, surrounded by mountains, the Puget Sound and thousands of trees gave me an appreciation for the natural world that has stayed with me my entire life. At university, my interest in ecology gained a more global perspective through several study abroad experiences in Costa Rica and Australia. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Biology in 1994 from Claremont McKenna College, traveled a bit in Europe and the U.S.

In 1996 I joined the Peace Corps as an Aquaculture extension agent in Cameroon, West Central Africa. From 1996-1999 I worked with subsistence farmers, setting up permanent farming systems that included earthen fish ponds, agroforestry and animal husbandry. I was also fortunate enough to work with local communities on water sanitation and other public health projects. I enjoyed informal education in Africa and was inspired to teach upon my return. Presently, I am in the Alternative Certification Program at University of Texas at El Paso. I teach Physical Science and Biology at Gadsden High School while completing coursework at night.

In addition to traveling, I love to read, hike, listen to a variety of live music amd spend happy times with my family and close friends.
 
 

Name: Antonio Avalos

Location: Bel Air High School, El Paso, TX

Grade Level: 10^th-12^th

Academic Background: B.S. in Psychology, minor in Microbiology, UTEP (’93); post-graduate level education in Biological Sciences, Psychiatry, and Pharmacology.

Areas of Interest: Biological Sciences, Medicine

Current Status: participating in the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) alternative certification program in education; currently seeking certification in Biology and Chemistry.

Educational Philosophy: every student should graduate from high school with the appropriate study and test taking skills in order to perform well in the undergraduate level.
 
 

I am a graduate of the University of the West Indies, from which I obtained a Bachelors Degree in Natural Sciences. I also hold a diploma in Medical Technology from the University of Technology, Jamaica. I currently teach Freshman Biology at a local High School. I have previously worked as a Medical technologist and as a Science teacher. My favorite quote is a Chinese proverb, which reads, ‘When you go to the well to draw some water, take a moment to say a prayer for the person who dug the well’.
 

My name is Sylvia Martinez and I am a participant of the Alternative Certification Program at the University of Texas at El Paso. I am currently seeking certification in the area of secondary science instruction. I am employed as a seventh grade science teacher with the El Paso Independent School District. I hope that our web site provides you with helpful resources to lead you on your journey to science education reform.
 
 

My name is Carmen Gutierrez. I am a graduate of New Mexico State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. Upon return from a year internship at the National Institutes of Health, I decided to participate in the Alternative Certification Program (ACP) at the University of Texas at El Paso. I am currently teaching seventh grade science in the Socorro Independent School District. In the first five months of my teaching career I have found the profession to be incredibly challenging as well as rewarding.
 
 

Hi! My name is Patricia Villarreal. I have a degree in Biology from the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara. My interest in science education reform stems from my experience as a teacher in Mexico, where I learned first-hand that education must be tailored to the individual needs of diverse students. At the present time I am a science teacher at San Elizario High School, teaching Integrated Physics and Chemistry and Biology. Believe it or not, I really enjoy my work, although sometimes I feel overwhelmed by time constraints, especially now that I am going through the Alternative Certification Program and have to go to school myself.
 
 

Together with the others who are involved in this project, I am part of the Alternative Certification Program that assists graduate students in earning their Teaching Certificate. I recently received my Bachelor of Science degree in Earth Science from The University of Texas at El Paso, where I was involved in the Pan-American Center for Earth and Environmental Studies, and am still a participant in the Partnership for Excellence in Teacher Education. I currently teach 7^th- and 8^th-grade science at Ross Middle School in the El Paso Independent School District.
 
 

Hello my name is Felix Barron, I am a University of Texas at El Paso graduate. I received my bachelor's degree in Kinesiology and minor in biology. I am currently teaching freshmen biology in the Ysleta Independent School District. I am also pursuing teaching certification in the state of Texas and in the future I plan to complete my masters degree in public health. I was born in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, my family and I moved to El Paso in 1975 and I have lived here since then. My love for the people of El Paso has guided me to the teaching profession and I hope to make a difference in my community. My hobbies are basketball, movies, and just a quite evening relaxing. My teaching philosophy is that every student has the potential to succeed. Finding that potential and exploiting it will be my task.
 
 

My name is Alejandro Armendariz. I am a teacher at Dr. Hornedo Middle School. I teach 6^th grade Physical Science and grade 7^th Life Science. I am also currently enrolled in the Alternative Certification Program at the University of Texas at El Paso. From one of my articles that I read, I have a quote for you. "It seems it is there that understanding should be grounded, with each inquiry, case, or research program providing the bounds for what science is about in that particular instance, and with each instance building toward a greater understanding of not what science is, but rather what science includes."
 
 

"My name is Jesse Gomez. I was born in Van Horn, Texas in 1973.  I graduated from Sul Ross State University in 1997with a Bachelor of Science.  I am currently teaching seventh and eighth grade science.  I consider myself a renaissance man, that is, a multifaceted individual.  My loves are golfing, hunting, fishing and gardening.  I like to smoke cigars and drink a cold Budlight.  I believe in treating people as you would like to be treated.  Its old, but if others believed as I do then driving on the freeway would be somewhat pleasant."
 
 
 

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