Dear Teachnet Visitor,

I teach Biology II (human biology) to 11th and 12th grade students and Biology I to 9th grade at East Chapel Hill High School, Chapel Hill, NC. (http://www.echhs.org/) My students are terrific! They are a heterogeneous group of young adults that works well together. They are continually "teaching" me about life and helping me to stay young.

My students have access to a math/science technology lab where they can collect and analyze data using Vernier probeware and IBM compatible computers. At the end of the year, my biology I students create a brochure on a zoo animal as part of their study of animals and their trip to the North Carolina Zoo. My Biology II students do an exhibition project on a human disease or disorder. They do a great deal of research on the web and they present their research at an evening "medical symposium" using many different media.

As I introduce technology into my courses, I am continually asking myself how this will help my students become better thinkers and analyzers. I believe that it is vital to see technology as a tool for learning better and not as the driving force behind education. I battle with the problem of seeking valuable information on the web but having to sift through trivia to find reliable resources. My goal is to help my students learn to use our new technologies in useful and productive ways.

I am a "young" woman in her 50's who returned to teaching in 1984 after 14 years of enjoying the job of raising three children. I love to teach and have filled my biology classroom with various reptiles and other species to spark an interest in our living world. I am (fondly, I hope) known as "the snake lady!" You can visit Critter's Corner to learn about my menagerie. It is a real zoo in "Chapel Hill."

Sincerely, Judy

jjonesAE@ix.netcom.com