In June, the Environmental Leaders Fellows participated in two teacher professional development (PD) workshops hosted by TESI for the Scientist in Every Florida School program.
Shark AI PD
The first workshop, “AI Learning in K-12 with Fossil Sharks” guided middle school science teachers on how they can use ancient fossil shark teeth to introduce their students to Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The Fellows explored a branch of AI called machine learning with the guidance of paleontologists, education professionals and computer engineers. They learned how to train a computer model to use shape, color and texture to identify the teeth of the extinct giant shark megalodon.
Fish Collections PD
The second workshop, “Moving and Improving the Florida Museum of Natural History Fish Collection” gave the Fellows and 10 elementary school teachers hands-on experience working with museum collections. They were introduced to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s extensive “wet” collections from the Herpetology, Ichthyology, Invertebrate Zoology, Mammals, and Ornithology divisions and found out why they are so important to scientific research. With the guidance of museum scientists, they experienced a “day in the life” of collections managers and curators, learning how to identify, catalog, and properly store specimens.
Fellows also visited the UF Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences’ facilities to partake in their Fishing for Success program. Fishing For Success provides education, recreation, and rehabilitation therapy to a large, broad demographic slice of the population. Finally, Fellows and teachers were taken on a guided tour of the Florida Museum’s McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, the largest collections-based research and education center in the world focused on butterflies and moths.
Swipe through the photos below to see what hands-on experiences the Environmental Leaders Fellows participated in during these two weeks!
