Posts Tagged ‘Brown Education Center’

Dec
01

Passing the Torch

Posted by in Camp,Classes/Programs

 

I'm helping a participant with her camera.

I have mentioned before that my favorite program to teach here at the Houston Zoo is our beginner-level adult photography class called Point, Click, Zoo.  It’s a good thing that I like it, because until recently I was the only person in the department who could teach it!

Now, there are six of us Education Specialists in the Education Department, and it seems a little unfair for me to hog all of the photo classes.  The issue is not that I’m unwilling to share; rather, it is a technical class and the other specialists did not have the background needed to be comfortable teaching it.

We’ve changed that now!  This fall, we did several sessions together to get everybody trained on camera techniques as well as the specifics of the curriculum.  Not everyone is quite comfortable with the program yet, but we have a couple who are ready.  On December 10, it’s time for me to pass the torch as two of my coworkers, Amy and DeAndra, team up to teach their first Point, Click, Zoo!

Elizabeth took this awesome tarantula photo during our staff training!

It’s a little bittersweet for me.  I’m excited that I can share the program with others and proud of Amy and DeAndra for tackling it head on, but at the same time I am a bit sad that I don’t get to teach it.  Our photo program has grown like a weed, though, with Wildlife Photography offered as a summer camp this year and as a Winter Camp in December!  Perhaps getting everybody ready to teach Point, Click, Zoo will mean that I can start working on more photography possibilities!

If you’re into photography, I hope you can join us for the next Point, Click, Zoo on December 10!  I’m certain that Amy and DeAndra will do an amazing job!

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Nov
25

What Does an Education Specialist Do? Part III

Posted by in Classes/Programs,Education Office

Ever wonder what an Education Specialist at the Houston Zoo does on a daily basis? You may remember being introduced to all the specialists in earlier posts and we all gave you our own description of what we do around here. Well, in this series I’m going to take you through a day (or three) in the life of an Education Specialist!

So, you now have an idea of the types of classes we teach as Education Specialists. We are not always in the classroom or going to schools. Sometimes we use nature as our classroom!

 

Marine Seining

One of the FREE (yes, I said free!)  programs we offer is a field research trip to Texas City Prairie Preserve. During the school year 3 specialists go to the preserve and lead activities such as marine seining, water quality testing, and insect sweeping with different age groups. During marine seining, the kids go out in the water with a net and try to catch whatever they can. This is usually their favorite activity because they like to get in the water. They catch all kinds of aquatic life such as crabs, different kinds of fish, and tons of shrimp!

 

Testing for salinity

 

My favorite activity to teach at Texas City is water quality testing. I take my group down to the gazebo and we talk about why water quality is important to animals and us too! We do pH and dissolved oxygen tests. We also test for salinity, turbidity, and take the temperature. All important tests when collecting water quality data.

 

 

 

We like to wrap up the day by teaching the group the Attwater’s prairie chicken dance. The male prairie chicken does a mating dance to attract a female. The kids think this is hilarious but it is actually a really important piece of the prairie chicken’s survival.

So, now you know what an Education Specialist at the Houston Zoo actually does. It is a very exciting and rewarding occupation. I feel very fortunate to be able to share the knowledge and experience I have with kids all over! I hope you enjoyed reading this blog series. Stay tuned to see what happens next in the life of an Education Specialist!

 

 

 

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Nov
11

What Does an Education Specialist Do?

Posted by in Classes/Programs

Ever wonder what an Education Specialist at the Houston Zoo does on a daily basis? You may remember being introduced to all the specialists in earlier posts and we all gave you our own description of what we do around here. Well, in this series I’m going to take you through a day (or three) in the life of an Education Specialist!

North American Porcupine

So, on this particular day I am scheduled for an Adventure Class. This is my favorite class to teach because I can bring all the “cool” biofacts.  Not that they all aren’t cool, but I can bring the really big, impressive mounts and skulls. This particular Adventure Class’s topic is Survival Gear. We are talking about animal adaptations! AND not only can I bring the “cool” biofacts, but I also am bringing 3 live Education program animals!

Once the students arrive, it’s go time! I have 45 minutes to make them all experts on adaptation. The kids are always excited to see and talk about animals, which is what make my job so wonderful!
 
After it all said and done I clean up my classroom, take the animals back to the Children’s Zoo, and go back to the “behind the scenes” portion of my job. This could include anything from meetings to writing camp curriculum.
 
Stayed tuned next week to find out what it is like to go on a Zoomobile with an Education Specialist…
 
 

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Oct
19

A Day JUST for Educators!

Posted by in Education Office,Events,Teacher Resources

Working in the Education Department here at the Houston Zoo gives us the opportunity to work with a variety of ages, from infants to senior citizens. One of the groups we see is educators, which is why we dedicate an entire day every fall just for them.

This year’s Educator Day is Saturday, November 12th. The event runs from 9:00am to 3:00pm and gives educators the chance to learn new animal facts, discover creative activities to use in their classroom and explore what’s new at the Zoo! We offer 3 to 6 continuing education credit hours for participants, as well as a raffle and giveaways for all registrants. The price is $20 per person and includes admission into the Zoo.

Green sea turtle-native to the waters of the Gulf of Mexico

We tailor our workshops, activities and tours to educators, so we only allow adults over the age of 18 to participate. We welcome college students studying education, administrators and teachers of all disciplines to register!

This year we will be offering three special opportunities. The first is a meet and greet to start off the morning with some of our most special birds of prey from around the Zoo.

One of our conservation workshops will be conducted by Carole Allen, the Gulf Office Director of Sea Turtle Restoration and HEART. Carole will be presenting a workshop called “Sea Turtle Conservation in the Classroom” where she will be giving educators fun craft and project ideas as well as playing a documentary about the endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle.

We will also offer discounted tickets for participating educators to the Call of the Wild Speaker Series that afternoon. Dr. Douglas Smith from the Yellowstone Wolf Restoration Project will be in the Brown Education Center speaking about his experience with wildlife from 4:00-5:00pm. The event kicks off at 3:30pm with informational booths about some of our North American conservation projects. Educators who attend this speaker series can not only buy discounted tickets at Educator Day, they will also receive an additional 1.5 hours of continuing education credit hours. How could you say no?!?

Join us at the Call of the Wild Speaker Series to learn more about the Wolves in Yellowstone!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Registration information as well as our schedule of events can be found on our website at www.houstonzoo.org/teachers. We hope to see you at the Zoo on Saturday, November 12th!

If you haven’t joined the education conversation yet, make sure to do so by becoming a fan of Houston Zoo Teacher Talk on Facebook. It’s the easiest, fastest way to keep up-to-date with all of the educational happenings at the Houston Zoo!

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Jun
03

Introducing… Martha Petre!!

Posted by in Classes/Programs,Education Office,Teacher Resources

Martha gets inspected by our big male giraffe, Kiva

One of our fearless bloggers, you can always learn more about Martha from her blog bio and frequent posts.  Now you have a chance to find out even more about her!

Name: Martha Petre

Department and Title: Education – Education Programs Specialist

Job Description: I write curriculum as well as teach all of our programs. My area of responsibility includes all things teachers-educator days, overnights, career days and professional development!

Hometown: Chautauqua, NY

Favorite animal and why? Sea turtles! I was lucky enough to study leatherback turtles in west Africa during an interim session of college and ever since then I’ve been hooked on all things sea turtles!

Favorite class to teach at HZI: I love our ZooMobile and Adventure Class programs. They are structured the same however our ZooMobile program goes off grounds while our Adventure Classes are held in our classrooms here.

How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo? I started here in September of 2009.

Describe your education and experience prior to working at the Houston Zoo: Before coming to the Houston Zoo I worked at a preschool in Austin, TX. I graduated from Lafayette College in Easton, PA with a major in International Affairs and a minor in Spanish. Although my formal education may not line up with the job I have now I volunteered and interned with wildlife organizations throughout college and always knew I had to work with animals in some capacity!

What do you enjoy most about working in the EduTeer Department? Everything! I am fortunate enough to have an ever-changing job where I’m never doing the same thing on a daily basis. I also have a fabulous group of people to work with-not only are they passionate about what they do, they are funny, easy to be around and dedicated workers!

What animals do you have at home? Unfortunately I am not allowed to have pets where I live, but if I move I’ve already picked out what type of dog I would like and what I’d name him!

Tell us a fun fact about yourself: I am the youngest of 4 and the only girl. Since I am much younger than my brothers (and not as strong), I had only one thing I felt I could hold above their heads-I am the only child in the family that could become president of the United States. This certainly is not a career goal of mine but my brothers were all born in Taiwan, making them ineligible.

Martha and DeAndra (another Education Specialist) with Tupelo-our baby Asian Elephant

We’re getting near the end!  Only 2 more Specialists to go before you’ve met our entire staff!

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May
20

Introducing… Amy Barnhill!

Posted by in Education Office,Zoomobile

Amy working with our North American porcupine, Ernie

Our next Education Specialist to meet is one of the more colorful characters in our department.  We’ve all enjoyed getting to know her, and I hope you do, too!

Name: Amy Barnhill

Department and Title: Education Department; Education Program Specialist

Job Description: I teach and write all the education programs that the Houston Zoo has to offer. I also take care of the invertebrates and sand boa here in the education department.

Hometown: Salina, KS

Favorite animal and why? My favorite animal is the octopus! I love all types of octopi but my favorites include the Giant Pacific, blue ringed, and dumbo octopus. I love these animals because they are unique in behavior and physical appearance. And there in nothing else like them in the world.

Favorite class to teach at HZI: I love to teach all of the classes, but my favorite would be the ZooMobiles. I love the chance to leave zoo grounds and bring the zoo to a group of children or people that may not otherwise be able to make it out to the zoo. We always take live animals with us and bio-facts and having those things in a child’s classroom gives the students a chance to feel that connection with the animals and the zoo without ever leaving there desk!

How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo? 2 years

Describe your education and experience prior to working at the Houston Zoo:   I attended Friends University for their Zoo Science Program. There I got a lot of keeper experience working as a student keeper in the program at Sedgwick County Zoo. I also did an internship at Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure in the education department where I helped teach and write their education programs. After my internship I started here at the Houston Zoo and have been here ever since. My years in an AZA accredited zoo total 5 years and I have been lucky enough to have worked with a varity of animals.

What do you enjoy most about working in the EduTeer Department?  The thing I enjoy most about working here is that everyday it is something new. I never have the same work day twice. I also enjoy the chance to meet hundreds of kids a year and help them discover their love for nature and the natural world.

What animals do you have at home? I have a terrier mix puppy that is almost 6 months old!

Tell us a fun fact about yourself: I was a baton twirler for 14 years and have even won a national title with the National Baton Twirling Association.

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May
06

Introducing… Viviana Valdez!

Posted by in Education Office,Fun on grounds

We got to meet Bennett a while back.  Now it’s time to meet Viviana, the other person on our two-person Interpretive team! 

Name: Viviana Valdez

Department and Title: Education Department; Interpretive Specialist

Job Description: My job includes, but it is not limited to, performing on gounds Educational programs, such as Story Safari, Zooper Challenge, and Zoo Adventures.

Hometown: Houston, TX

Favorite animal and why? Well I’m a big fan of all primates, but my favorite animal is definitely the mandrill. I love their beautiful colors.

Favorite class to teach at HZI: Story Safari.

How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo? 3 years

Describe your education and experience prior to working at the Houston Zoo:  I didn’t have much experience prior to the Houston Zoo. I was fresh out of high school when I joined the Zoo team, with only one year of clerical experience from working an intership at the U.S. Treasury Dept. The Admission’s department hired me as a part-time carousel operator, and I’ve been working my way up the ladder since.

What do you enjoy most about working in the EduTeer Department?  Well, I love my job and that makes working here enjoyable for me. If theres anything I enjoy most about working in the EduTeer Dept is the casual atmosphere within the team.

What animals do you have at home? I have a guinea pig named Mr. Man.  Although, I’m hoping to adopt a dog once I move out of my apartment complex.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself: I like to collect office supplies, especially post-its.

Now that we’ve gotten to the Specialists, be prepared for some more fun responses! The first of SIX Education Specialists is next week!

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Apr
22

Introducing… Megan Easely!

Posted by in Education Office

The newest additions to our EduTeer Team are the wonderful ladies who staff our Call Center.  They handle calls and program booking, and we’ll meet the first of them today!

Name: Megan Easely

Department and Title: Education Department; Group Reservationist

Job Description: I coordinate group field trips and Education programs.

Hometown: Houston, Texas

Favorite animal and why? Birds, because they are so interesting! Mice, because they are so cute!

Favorite class to teach at HZI: I am not able to teach classes in my position but I have an interest in Taxonomy and Adaptations.

How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo? 8 months

Describe your education and experience prior to working at the Houston Zoo: Bachelor of Arts. Experience in Non-profit work, Informal Education training, and studies in History and Anthropology.

What do you enjoy most about working in the EduTeer Department? Great Staff! Quality of Service!

What animals do you have at home? None at the moment :(

Tell us a fun fact about yourself: I LOVE the outdoors! … but I have bad allergies.

Join us next week to meet our next EduTeer staff person!

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Apr
08

Introducing… Anita Frey!

Posted by in Education Office

From Volunteer Staff to Bennett, our profiles of the Education supervisors continue with Anita…

Anita, feeding the giraffes at the new feeding platform in African Forest!

Name:  Anita Barron Frey

Department and Title:  Education; Academic Programs Supervisor

Job Description:  I do A LOT! From managing 6 amazing Education Specialists to promoting our programs, I dabble in lots of places here in the Education Department.

Hometown:  Dallas, Texas

Favorite animal and why?  Habor Seal, Phoca vitulina, one in particular, Porter, who was the coolest, smartest, best seal ever! Here at the Houston Zoo,the giraffe. This graceful animal always seems so peaceful. And I think it has awesome adaptations!

Favorite class to teach at HZI:  So far I really enjoy doing Story Safari on-grounds. It is so silly and fun. I love getting kids involved in the stories, which in turn will hopefully encourage an appreciation for animals.

How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo? 8 months… whew! 

In one of her previous positions, Anita got the chance to paint with a Rockhopper Penguin!

Describe your education and experience prior to working at the Houston Zoo:  Wow… where to start? I began volunteering at the Dallas Zoo when I was 11 and continued there through high school. I later interned at Disney’s Animal Kingdom then graduated from Texas A&M University (WHOOP!) with a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science specializing in Conservation and Biodiversity. I quickly got a job working with/ training seals, sea lions and penguins. After 4 years working with animals, I traded my whistle in for a dry erase marker. I taught high school Biology for two years. Now I am very lucky to have an awesome job where I get to work in the eductaion department at the Houston Zoo. The perfect mesh of all my experiences!

What do you enjoy most about working in the EduTeer Department?  I love the variety of programs and people. It’s definitely a new Zoo everyday!

What animals do you have at home?  Husband, toddler, a lovable pit-mix- Zoe and a loud beagle- Scout.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself: I played women’s rugby in college and received the most improved player of the year award freshman year thereby earning me the nickname, “The Wall”.

Check back next week for another profile from one of our amazing staff!

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Mar
31

A Zimbabwean Visitor Turned Friend

Posted by in Classes/Programs,Education Office,Public Programs,Safari School,Zoomobile

Dought and the Education Department in our usual form

The Education Department was fortunate enough to have Dought Nkomo from the Painted Dog Conservation Project in Zimbabwe visit with us for a week. When we knew he would be spending time with us after working with the Facilities Department it was time to pack his schedule FULL of fun, educational Houston Zoo experiences.

Dought came over to our department from March 18th-March 24th. Over the course of the week he experienced many of our programs. The first day we took him around the Zoo to show him how some of our on-grounds tour programs work (Wild Wheels, Senior Safari, etc.) he even got to go on one of our Wild Wheels programs!

Dought and Elizabeth holding Makobe-a leopard tortoise after Wild Wheels

That same day he received a one-on-one training in Interpretation Skills from our Senior Education Specialist. As we do with anything we celebrate, we decided to have a potluck lunch to welcome Dought on his first day. Unfortunately he was feeling a little under the weather from all of the travel and new food so we kept it simple-corn casserole, mac and cheese, rice-the basics.

Dought then got to visit with our Wild Winks specialists and learn what we do during our overnight programs. Learning about this program was of increased significance since the kids sleep over at the Bush Camp in Zimbabwe for 4 nights.

Our ZooMobile program is one of our most well-known educational programs, and we thought it would be fun for Dought to tag along on one. He went with an Education Specialist to Lonestar College to teach college freshman about adaptations. He also spent some time with Bennett-our Interpretive Programs Supervisor to learn about theatrical programs on Zoo grounds (Story Safari, Zooper Challenge, Zoo Adventures).

Dought and DeAndra on a ZooMobile with a volunteer docent-Bonnie

Finally, we wrapped up his visit with a trip to the Texas City Prairie Preserve, a free field trip that we conduct on land owned by The Nature Conservancy. This program is very similar to the Bush Camp program in that kids study a local ecosystem from the bugs to the water and develop an appreciation for declining flora and fauna in the area. Dought had the chance to sweep for Texas insects, go seining in Moses Lake, learn the Attwater’s Prairie Chicken mating dance and test the quality of water in the brackish habitat. He said he really enjoyed seining and that he usually doesn’t like water because he can’t swim (Zimbabwe is a land-locked country) but he walked along the bank and used a net to catch some fish!

Dought and Bennett conducting a Zooper Challenge in the Children's Zoo

At the end of his stay Dought took home certificates to certify that he completed training in Community Outreach, Interpretation and Curriculum Design and Instruction. PHEW…not bad for a week! We hope Dought enjoyed his visit as much as we enjoyed having him here. It’s not every day you get to learn from such a well-spoken, friendly and knowledgeable conservation hero. It seems as though he learned quite a bit from his visit to Houston, but he may never know how much we learned from him.

To learn more about Painted Dog Conservation visit our conservation website: http://www.houstonzoo.org/painted-dog-conservation/ or visit the PDC website: http://www.painteddog.org/.

If you’ve enjoyed reading about Dought and Xmas you can read more about them on our main Zoo Blog and Conservation Blog: http://www.houstonzooblogs.org/zoo/ or http://houstonzooblogs.org/wildconservation/.

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