2008 - 09 GK12 Fellows
Jan Blom (blom@bu.edu)
Brighton High School
Headmaster: Toby Romer
Teacher: Stephanie McMilian
Jan Blom is a fifth year graduate student in the Molecular Cell Biology and Biochemistry Program. He works in a visual neurobiology lab and is studying signaling pathways in the retina and how they play a role in diabetic retinopathy. He is working with Stephanie Beamish who teaches AP Biology at Brighton High School. Jan plans to bring his experiences to the classroom, and expose the students to modern laboratory techniques. He will be responsible for conducting the laboratory portion of the course. Some of Jan's goals are to introduce the students to the scientific method, teach them how to conduct experiments, and keep track of them in a scientific notebook, and finally to report there findings in the form of a laboratory report. He would also like to introduce them to his research and the field of neuroscience, as well as have some of them attend N.E.U.R.O.N, a local neuroscience conference for undergraduate research that encourages the participation of high school students. Click here for Jan's Curriculum Activities.
Kaca Bradonjic (kacha@physics.bu.edu)
English High School
Headmaster: Jose Duarte
Teacher: Bristol Konjoian
Kaca Bradonjic is a fourth year Ph.D student in Physics conducting theoretical research in classical and quantum theory of gravity. She is working with Bristol Konjoian at English High (the oldest high school in the U.S.), where she assists in teaching 9th grade Active Physics classes. Kaca supplements the curriculum with physics demonstrations, develops worksheets that enhance math and critical thinking skills, gathers materials such as educational videos, and manages a bulletin board and a question box where students can submit extra questions. Kaca really enjoys being able to present demonstrations that puzzle, amaze, and teach her students about physics. Click here for Kaca's Curriculum Activities.
Matthew Walker (Mwalk79@bu.edu)
Noonan Business Academy
Headmaster: Kwesi Moody
Teacher: Diana Christian
Matthew Walker is from Baltimore, Maryland, and earned his B.A. in biology from Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. Currently he is a Ph.D. student in the Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry department at Boston University. As member of Dr. Joyce Wong's lab, Matthew's research centers around understanding mechanotransduction in vasculature. As part of the GK12 fellowship, Matthew was assigned to work with Ms. Christian's AP biology, biology and chemistry classes at Noonan Business Academy in the Dorchester Education Complex. Also assigned to this class was Ms. Gray, a Teach Next Year fellow from UMass. Together, the three endeavor to design a more hands-on, multidisciplinary approach to the teaching the sciences. Specifically, one of Matthew's primary goals is to bring current scientific issues into the classroom in order to engage the class and challenge them to be good "science consumers", a skill which he hopes will serve his students throughout college and beyond. Click here for Matt's Curriculum Activities.
Mikkel H. Jensen (mikkel@bu.edu)
Boston Latin Academy
Principal: Maria Garcia-Aaronson
Teacher:
Elizabeth Hansel
Mikkel H. Jensen, a native of Denmark, completed his bachelor's degree in physics and math at the University of Southern Denmark before moving to the U.S. He is currently a third year graduate student in physics and uses various spectroscopic techniques to study the structure and function of a family of visual proteins commonly found in nature. He is paired with Elizabeth Hansel, who teaches 10 th grade physics and 8 th grade unified science at Boston Latin Academy. His goal is to enhance everyday teaching in the classroom by introducing technological resources, such as computer hardware, online learning resources, and digital personal response systems. He also plans to supplement lab resources that would otherwise be unavailable to the school. Mikkel hopes to differentiate the teaching and give more personal attention to students either in need of extra help, or looking for more advanced challenges. In the second part of the school year, he will help develop a new unit on waves, electricity, and magnetism. Click here for Mikkel's Curriculum Activities.
Sebastian Rémi (sremi@bu.edu)
Boston Community Leadership Academy
Headmaster: Nicole Bahnam
Teacher: Keith Magni
Sebastian Rémi grew up in Munich, Germany where he studied physics at the University of Munich. He is now 3rd year graduate student in the physics department at Boston University where he investigates fundamental physical properties and applications of graphene, a recently discovered ultrathin carbon membrane. Sebastian is paired with Keith Magni at Boston Community Leadership academy, a small pilot school in Brighton, where he works in 9 th and 10 th introductory physics classes.
Sebastian provides the students individual help during classroom activities and contributes to the curriculum with interesting demonstrations on topics such as free falling bodies and energy conservation, which excite the students and enhance the subjects taught in class. One major project he will working on in the coming months will be helping to develop a new format for the student science fair projects. Click here for Sebastian's Curriculum Activities.
Xiaojuan Khoo (xiao@bu.edu)
Fenway High School
Headmaster: Peggy Kemp
Teacher: Michele Goe
Xiaojuan Khoo is a 5th year Ph.D. student in the Biomedical Engineering department, and is researching bacteria-resistant coatings for titanium implants and devices. She is working together with Michele Goe in her 10th and 11th grade Biology classes at Fenway High School, located right by Fenway Park. Together, they plan to enhance the current curriculum by planning stimulating lessons that encourage learning and interest in biology. Xiaojuan designs and prepares challenging lab and demo activities to reinforce the material taught in class. Most recently she taught students about osmosis by having them measure the change in mass of potatoes that were diluted in different concentrations of salt water. In the second half of the school year, she plans to engage her students in more sophisticated scientific exploration by using the resources available in labs at Boston University. Xiaojuan also enjoys working with individual students and small groups to help reinforce their understanding of new and advanced concepts. Click here for Xiao's Currculum Activities.