Science in Education

Dr. Weber is an artful scientist, creating holistic ways STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) can be taught, studied, and disseminated. Dr. Weber also directs the graduate Science in Education M.Ed. program, and teaches with the graduate and undergraduate schools.

As the world becomes more culturally and biologically interconnected, people are becoming less connected to their natural surroundings. Through an intersection of conservation biology (research) and science education (application), Dr. Weber bridges students’ scientific understanding to local issues in their community and natural environment on a personal, local, and global scale. She looks for ways of connecting conservation to students’ local community, through authentic experiences focused on social and environmental issues, to support students in developing a better understanding of common scientific misconceptions and the interplay of social and environmental issues.

In partnership with Dr. Susan Rauchwerk, Nicole also co-directs the EcoNet Lab, a creative space where educators can connect with scientists to create a learning community that supports local environmental literacy efforts, and as a result have created a critical exploratory space for young minds (STEAM WonderLab). Their collaboration has begun a new dialogue around the embedded pedagogical goals within their science methods courses that ignited new research methods to study the pedagogical shift in a teacher’s experience.

In addition, Dr. Weber realized the need and benefit of making the learning path more visual for students, and as a result enrolled in the Lesley University MFA in Visual Arts Program. As Dr. Weber shifts and finds comfort within the art discourse, her current work looks at the female experience within the science disciplinary silo. Dr. Weber is a lead on the Mt. Auburn Citizen Science project and provides support for STEAM Beans.

Education: PhD, University of Massachusetts, Boston; Postdoctoral Research, Engineering Education, Purdue University; MFA in Visual Arts, Lesley University

Susan has a strong background in science, education, administration, and teacher professional development through her work in informal STEM learning with Earthwatch Institute and the Massachusetts Audubon Society. Her teaching-research method involves all students in hands-on explorations that invite learners to become critical thinkers and reflective practitioners.

In partnership with Nicole Weber, Susan is co-director of the EcoNet lab, an incubator for innovative STEAM programs that provide authentic learning programs focused on conservation and sustainability programs, including WonderLab, an afterschool and homeschool program. She is the Educator in Residence for the Mt. Auburn Citizen Science project, provides support for STEAM Beans, and has developed and delivered public programs that include Restoring Urban Environments  the Climate Café and STEAM Exploration Party. 

In collaboration with non-profit organizations in Ethiopia, teacher candidates in Dr. Rauchwerk’s science methods classes have been supporting science literacy development in Ethiopia through the creation of culturally relevant, scientifically accurate lesson plans and science stories. Thanks to a generous grant from Lesley University, she traveled to Ethiopia in 2016 to train Ethiopian educators and librarians in Addis Ababa and Awasa. She is working with her classes to produce ten science stories  for WEEMA that will be translated into three languages and distributed through WEEMA and Ethiopia Reads libraries. She is a member of the Book Centered Learning Committee of Ethiopia Reads and has authored a pedagogical review and published a paper about her work with Luminos Fund’s Ethiopia Speeds School. She will return to conduct training for Ethiopia Reads in November 2018.

An avid gardener and environmental/sustainability activist, Susan helped Lesley students establish an organic garden, and continues to engage her students and WonderLab in using the garden to learn more about sustainability through growing organic food.

Read" A Conversation with Educator-in Residence Susan Rauchwerk" on the Mount Auburn Cemetery website.
More about the Mount Auburn partnership.

Read about Susan's elementary education course Ethiopia partnership, wherein Lesley University students are researching and building culturally relevant lessons, and thinking more broadly about how poverty affects learning.

Education

BS in Ecology, Rutgers
M.Ed. and Ed.D., Harvard University 

Bill teaches in the educational technology and science programs at Lesley.

He believes that learning is an ecological process, occurring between the ears, eyes, fingers and toes and among people, mediated by cultural and semiotic resources. A child reading a science book by herself is not learning alone. Over many years, scientists created the words and grammar that make up her book. The book itself is the product of print innovations. Chances are that many others have helped the child to the point where she can read the book. Should this child become a scientist, she too will contribute to advancing the field. Should she become an innovative teacher, she will improve how we teach science. In these ways, effective learning reshapes the cultural contexts that give rise to it.

Education: PhD, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; MS, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; BS, University of Massachusetts, Amherst