Jamie Johnson

Johnson wants her eighth-grade students to aim high with her "Shoot for the Moon" program. A physical science teacher, Johnson plans to help her students gain access to equipment, facilities and resources that are the cornerstone to her use of inquiry-based instruction techniques. Johnson hopes to cultivate 21st century skills in engineering, optics, astronomy, and physics among her students. She encourages them to prove or disprove their pre-existing conceptions of real-world phenomena by testing ideas and by engaging in the practices real scientists use to explain the universe. Field trips to observatories and museums as well as access to telescopes, software and tool kits will help many of her students experience real-world phenomena in a way they may not otherwise be able to do. According to Johnson, obtaining, applying and communicating a firm understanding of basic physics concepts are the new "basic skills" required for success. She resides in Tacoma.