Judith Richards McDonald

7640 Swinford Place

Charlotte, North Carolina 28270

judithmcdonald@bac.edu

Goal:

To implement change by working with policy for teaching, mentoring, and preparing teachers for the classroom using the rapidly changing world of technology using innovative ideas and strategies.
Education:

Ph.D.University of North Carolina, Greensboro                2008

Curriculum and Instruction

Science

Dissertation:      A Case Study of Second-Career Alternatively Certified Science

Teachers: What Research and Educational Experiences and

Understanding of Nature of Science Do They Bring to

Classroom Practices?  (Dec. 2007)

M.Ed University of North Carolina, Charlotte 1999

Curriculum and Instruction

Science (Middle Grades)

BS University of West Virginia 1979

Secondary Education

General science/biology

Educational Experience:

Belmont Abbey College –Full-time faculty teaching education classes and serving on

committees including teacher cadet coordinator for Gaston County

(Fall 2007 – present)

Winston-Salem State University –Teach undergraduate and graduate science

methods classes (Spring 2007)

University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Center for Mathematics, Science and

Technology Education– Curriculum writing and training (Summer 2006 – present)

Charlotte Secondary Schools –Curriculum writing for charter school

math/science (May 2007)

Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools– Supervised middle school science on curriculum and instruction, worked with teachers through professional development (largest school district in NC). Assisted in design with NC Standard Course of Study NCLB exams (July 2004 – July 2006)

Covenant Day School– Taught, earth science (7th grade), life science (6th grade), biology

(9th grade) and computer technology, certified GLOBE teacher and laptop anytime

learning teacher, coordinated science for K – 9, track coach, girls running club, Super

Science Day Coordinator for several years and Science Olympiad

coach (1995-1999 and 2001-2004)

Weddington Middle School – Taught 8th grade science (2000-2001)

University of North Carolina, Charlotte– Assisted with lateral entry teacher

observations (Fall 1999)

Charlotte Christian School– Taught life science (7th grade) and earth

science (8th grade) to middle school students (1993 – 1995)

Mustard Seed School, Hoboken, NJ– Taught math/science block 5th – 8th grade and

physical education inner city students (1991 – 1993)

Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD– Taught algebra and science to

middle and high school students (1980 – 1983)

Londoun County Public Schools, Sterling, VA– Taught middle school science (1979 – 1980)

Current Research:

Presently working on a study of inquiry with pre-service teachers – completion Fall 2009

Licensure and Certifications:

North Carolina Class A license in Elementary Education K – 5 concentration in science

North Carolina Class A license in Biological Sciences grades 9 – 12 valid through 2009

North Carolina Class G license in Middle Grades science valid through 2009

New Jersey permanent license: general science 5 – 12 and biology

CDL – Commercial Drivers License for North Carolina

GLOBE teacher – (1997 – present)

Professional Organizations:

Forming a group of Science Educators for Uniform Teaching – (Presently)

National Science Teachers Association NSTA – active member for several years

National Middle School Association NMSA – active member for several years

North Carolina Science Teachers Association – active member for several years

Southwest Alliance of Science Educators – active presenting member

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development – active member

Charlotte Area Science Network – CASN

Technology Knowledge:

Blog author www.teachingelementaryscience.com – Offering lessons, instructional strategies

and discussions of current issues in elementary science (August 2008 – present)

Actively use e-journaling during teaching

Web based professional development mentoring content courses for 5 – 8th grade teachers

Taught 6 – 9th grade computer using Microsoft Programs including Excel, Word,

PowerPoint, Access and FrontPage.

Implemented laptop anytime learning with all biology students at CDS (1999)

Comprehensive knowledge of the Internet and many interactive websites for science

teachers.

Written Work and Honors:

Article in North Carolina Middle School Association – Effective Warm- ups in Middle

School Science Classrooms (November 2008)

Contributing Author for SRA Science Books (January 2008)

Selected for Chancellor’s List for 2005 – 2006

Recipient of small grant from National Gardening Association for Alternative School

Wrote and submitted grant to NC DPI for MSP Grant for professional development for

middle school science teachers for Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (February

2005 and 2004)

Paper presented at National Geography Association, New Orleans on Weather and It’s

Effects on Aggression. (April 2000)

Presentations:

National Science Teachers Association Presentation – Electricity for Elementary

Classrooms (October 2008)

North Carolina Science Teachers Association – Soil for Primary Grades (March 2008)

Expanding Your Horizons – Girls in Science Presentations (March 2006 and 2008)

GIS Day – Prepared teachers and students to present (November 2006)

Southwest Alliance Science Conference at Charlotte (November 2006)

NCSTA Presentation at Greensboro (November 2006)

STEM ACT Conference – Alternative Certification Teachers (May 5 – 7, 2006)

North Carolina State University – Expanding Your Horizons Workshop (March 7, 2006)

Southwest Alliance Meeting – Science presentations (September 2005 & November 2006)

Classroom Management- How Do I Manage a Lab in Middle

School Science? (February, 2005)

Train new middle school science teachers – Organization and teaching Inquiry in the

Classroom (Summer 2004)

Organize and Train Middle School Science Teachers through Alliance Meetings (2004 –

present)

Secondary Alliance Meeting – What the issues in classroom management and where do I

begin? (Spring, 2005)

Inquiry – What is it and why use it? Presented to all middle school academic facilitators

in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (Fall 2004)

Recycling of Paper presentation at Greater Charlotte Association of Christian School to

science teachers – (March 2004)

Experience and Special Training:

Mentoring on-line to teachers (July 2008)

City Green (May 2006)

HOUSSE Evaluation Trained (February, 2006)

GPS/GIS Training (September 2005)

Summer workshop for teachers at magnet elementary school on inquiry activities

(Rockingham County, August, 2005)

Implementation and training of textbook adoption for the largest school system

in North Carolina (Summer, 2005)

Board of Directors for Connecting Families – a non-profit organization to benefit low

income families in the greater Charlotte area

Peer Reviewer for scholarly journal, Secondary Science and Math on Urban Science

Education (February 2005)

Writer for North Carolina Department of Instruction – writing questions for the new state

Science eighth grade test (November, 2004 – present)

Science Expert for North Carolina Department of Instruction for eighth grade science test for

students with IEP’s (November 2005)

North Carolina Association for Biomedical Research – certified in Science Literacy at

East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine (November 4, 2004)

Regional Science Fair Judge (Several years) – UNC Charlotte

AIM, Assessing Instructional Materials, Training – National Science Foundation funded

process to scientifically evaluate textbooks, based on learning research –

Charlotte, NC (Summer 2004)

Lead teacher in 7th grade and mentor teacher at Covenant Day School (2002 – 2004)

Science Olympiad Coach – took middle school teams to state level competition several

years (1997 – 2003)

Community Involvement:

Regional Science Fair Judge (2005 – present)

Regional Science Olympiad Judge (2005 – present)

Family Promise Mission – Coordinating homeless families educational needs (2006 –

present)

Mission Trips to urban cities to work and live in community for one week (2003 –

present)

Metro Prom Coordinator – volunteer to coordinate prom for Charlotte-Mecklenburg

special needs school (2001 – present)

Room at the Inn – volunteer to help with the homeless (2000 – present)

Youth Group Involvement with high and middle school students at Matthews United

Methodist Church (1983 – present)

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