 Hello and welcome to my website. I am happy to be a part of the family at John Hancock High School, where I teach Biology. I have also taught Environmental Science, Chemistry, and AP Biology here. I have been with the Chicago Public Schools for over 15 years, and previous to that worked in research at the University of Illinois at Chicago. I hold both a bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in Biology, and a Master's degree in Education. I have extensive additional training and education related to enriching my teaching. Please feel free to contact me at jmstites@cps.edu if you have any questions. Thank you!-Jennifer Stitesphoto: Indiana Dunes State Park"We make the road by walking." Paulo Freire
MSC Showcase May 24th at Northwestern University -Many of our freshmen and sophomores presented, and they did very well!
Our Science Department:
We have a great science department and we are currently in our fourth year with the curriculum facilitated by the Meaningful Science Consortium. This year, all freshmen are taking the Environmental Science course (with an Earth Science component). All sophomores are taking Chemistry for one semester and Physics for one semester. Juniors are taking Biology. We are also offering courses in Forensics, Topics in Plant Science, and Advanced Placement Physics. Students are learning about the methods and nature of science in all of our courses.
******* Check your CPS grades here *******
Yes, kids, this article is talking about YOU!
Some neat stuff:
A gardening blog entry that gives some great examples of assumptions
Science in the news:
Jellyfish are taking over the world!!
A cool little video showing how you get viruses (not too technical)
a radio story on how gut bacteria may affect obesity
Websites you may want to visit:
(More sites on subject pages)
A great way to easily cite sources: The Citation machine site
Some nice science games
Improve your vocabulary & donate food at FreeRice
Collegeboard SAT question of the day
Can't get enough practice! ACT Math questions
Interesting articles at Discover magazine
Making Science Make Sense by Bayer
There's the Nova site
A U. of Wisconsin Chemistry professor's site: Science is Fun
Nobel prize site
More science news
Have fun with Mythbusters
| My Philosophy of Teaching and Learning The main purpose of education is learning, of course. The goal of teaching is to increase the knowledge of students. This knowledge is not relegated to only the subject content, however. I believe that we should also educate our students to help them become whole beings, with growth evident in all aspects of their selves. Part of this happens when we help students see the interrelatedness of the various school subjects, and part of this happens when we help students become better gatherers of information, better communicators of their ideas, and better independent thinkers. In addition, much personal growth is a product of the teaching our students experience. Learning to manage time and work, share ideas, participate collaboratively in teamwork, and be reflective in self-assessment will greatly aid the students’ social, emotional, and mental development. I believe that it is important to be a learner for life. What students learn in our classrooms should be one piece of this, and should help in their intellectual development that will continue throughout their lives. While many will not go on to study science as a career, all should come away from their science classes, from all of their classes, with a solid understanding and appreciation of the material. I always, when possible, take advantage of workshops and other offerings that are relevant to my teaching, as well as other learning opportunities in other areas. I feel that one can learn something valuable from almost any experience, and I try to do so always. Current Moon Phase
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