Her early passion was art. In college she began to study painting,
but switched to science. She majored in applied physiology, with a
minor in biology, and drew inspiration from the people who taught
her kinesiology, and physiology, the application of science. Mary
Elizabeth went on to earn a masters degree in exercise physiology—a
form of therapy with a range of fitness pplications that is used to
create exercise programs. A lifelong learner, Mary Elizabeth went
on to earn an advanced masters in applied physiology and is currently
pursuing a Ed.D. in science education at Columbia University.
Originally a physical education teacher in an academically rigorous
school, Mary Elizabeth decided it would be more challenging to teach
science. Now a high school biology teacher in the New York public
school system, she is exactly the kind of science teacher we all wish
we'd had. She loves her job, and believes that there's a huge creative
component to science that is often unrecognized, and rarely addressed.
Contrary to popular myth, she sees science as a creative pursuit.
"We are nurtured in the arts, but science is creative, so I try to
convey that to my students. A large part of science is visualization-looking
at things in a variety of ways," she says. Mary Elizabeth often uses
film in the classroom as a teaching tool. Her students watch Lorenzo's
Oil to discover that the science they are learning does have applications
in the real world, and to see it in a context. And they discuss the
representation of science—and often the misconceptions about
it—in Hollywood movies.
As an attendee of several workshops at the American Museum of Natural
History, Mary Elizabeth met people in the Education Department. When
theLost Worlds team was looking for educators to consult
on the project, her name came up. She helped develop the project goals,
then read and commented on drafts of the script, advising on language
and the kinds of issues relevant to young people. And she worked on
the early development of the teacher's guide for the film. Later,
she reviewed film clips, and an early cut of the film. She loved the
inclusion of Margarita's story—the strong depiction of this woman
scientist both as a researcher and as a regular person.
Mary Elizabeth is an advocate for guiding young people to focus on
environmental stewardship. Much of what we learn in the U.S. about
the devastation of biodiversity-rich areas, focuses on other, poorer
countries. As an educator, Mary Elizabeth is concerned that many U.S.
students, who are often not given the facts to interpret images of
burning rain forest or devastating dam projects, are quick to condemn
people in the third world for destroying their environment. Committed
to giving her students a global perspective, she encourages them to
see that many people are simply trying to grow enough food for their
families. In classroom research and discussion, students arrive at
a better understanding of the complexity of conservation and the role
economics plays in many of these decisions.
Mary Elizabeth believes that IMAX is an effective way to take young
people to places to which they may never otherwise go. It can spark
an interest and encourage them to think about how other people live.
Students can gain an understanding of science and nature from images—if
they can't go there in person, a film is often a great substitute.
But she also believes that Lost Worlds lends a much-needed
local flavor to biodiversity-related issues and that the film will
encourage young people to think in terms of their local environment
and the conservation issues in their communities. Ultimately, she
would like them to leave the theater feeling empowered, with a strong
sense that they can get involved and make a difference in their own
local environments.
