Bertha Vazquez

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Bertha Vazquez
Berth Vazquez CSICon 2018 Tying Up Creationism in the Classroom.jpg
OccupationMiddle school science teacher
Known forTeacher Institute for Evolutionary Science (TIES)
AwardsNational Association of Biology Teachers Evolution Education Award
Academic background
EducationB.A., Biology
Master's, Science Education
Alma materUniversity of Miami
Florida International University

Bertha Vazquez is a middle school science teacher at the George Washington Carver Middle School of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools[1][2] and the director of education for Center for Inquiry.[3] Bertha Vazquez is the director of the Teacher Institute for Evolutionary Science (TIES), a program of the Center for Inquiry[3] and a project of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science.[4] In addition, she manages the educational aspects of ScienceSaves and Young Skeptics, two other CFI programs. She has been made a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry in 2020.[5]

Education and career[]

After having reading The Selfish Gene at the age of eighteen and becoming a self-described fan of Richard Dawkins,[6] Vazquez pursued an undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Miami and a masters in science education from Florida International University.[7] She has been teaching in Miami-Dade County Public Schools since 1990. She has taught Sixth Grade Integrated Science, Seventh Grade Integrated Science, Earth/Space Science, Physical Science, and Biology. She has also taught French in Miami-Dade County Public Schools and started her teaching career at Lycée Bellevue, Albi, France in 1989. Vazquez's main teaching interest was in environmental education,[8] and she encouraged her fellow teachers even in non-scientific subjects to incorporate climate change in their curricula.[9] Her efforts were recognized with the Charles C. Bartlett Award, National Award of the National Environmental Education Foundation in 2009.[10]

She also worked for the National Board For Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) from 2001 to 2009 as a Certification Council Member, Scoring Director, Science Portfolio Trainer, Faculty Member for the Development of National Mentoring Standards, Renewal Document Development Team Member, and Portfolio Development Team Member. She started her educational career as a Frost Miami Museum of Science Exhibit Guide in1989.  

She became focused on evolution education in 2015 after meeting with Richard Dawkins.

TIES[]

In 2013, she met Dawkins at the University of Miami and discussed evolution education with him. This and the understanding that teachers learn the most from each other inspired her to conduct workshops on evolution for her fellow teachers. Dawkins followed up with a visit to Vazquez's school in 2014 to speak to teachers from the Miami-Dade County school district. This encounter along with the encouragement of Dawkins and Robyn Blumner led to the beginnings, in 2015, of the Teacher Institute for Evolutionary Science. Vazquez sees TIES as not only about evolution education but also about empowering teachers to be leaders in their educational communities.[11][8] Since its inception, TIES has presented over 300 teacher professional development workshops in all 50 US States.

Bertha Vazquez and Richard Dawkins at CSICon 2016
Bertha Vazquez and Bill Nye at CSICon 2018

Publications[]

Vazquez, Bertha & Landorf, Hilary & Simons-Lane, L. (2016). Next Door to Old Smokey: Engaging in Scientific Measurements and Public Action. Middle Level Learning. January/February 2016. 12–16.[12]

Vazquez, Bertha (2017) Helping Teachers Teach Evolution in the United States, Skeptical Inquirer Volume 41.3, May/June 2016[13]

Vazquez, Bertha (17 July 2017). "A state-by-state comparison of middle school science standards on evolution in the United States" Evolution: Education and Outreach. 10 (5)[14]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "School Staff". G.W. Carver Middle School. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  2. ^ "How to Teach Climate Change Without Terrifying Your Students". WLRN. 10 July 2016. Archived from the original on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Programs". Center for Inquiry. 3 September 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  4. ^ "Bertha Vazquez". Center for Inquiry. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  5. ^ "Ten new Fellows elected to Committee for Skeptical Inquiry". Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. 23 November 2020. Archived from the original on 23 November 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  6. ^ Myers, Melissa. "Evolution Is for Everyone with Bertha Vazquez". YouTube. Center for Inquiry. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Author: Bertha Vazquez". Skeptical Inquirer. Center for Inquiry. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  8. ^ a b Cara Santa Maria (2 July 2018). "Bertha Vazquez". Talk Nerdy (Podcast). Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  9. ^ Schwartz, John (11 February 2016). "Science Teachers' Grasp of Climate Change Is Found Lacking". New York Times. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  10. ^ "Richard C. Bartlett Environmental Education Award". OSTA. Oklahoma Science Teachers Association. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  11. ^ James Underdown (24 January 2019). "The Battle For Young Minds – Bertha Vazquez On Teaching Evolution In Schools". Point of Inquiry (Podcast). Center for Inquiry. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  12. ^ "Middle Level Learning January/February 2016 | Social Studies". www.socialstudies.org. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  13. ^ Kreidler, Marc (2017-05-01). "Helping Teachers Teach Evolution in the United States | Skeptical Inquirer". Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  14. ^ Vazquez, Bertha (2017-07-17). "A state-by-state comparison of middle school science standards on evolution in the United States". Evolution: Education and Outreach. 10 (1): 5. doi:10.1186/s12052-017-0066-2. ISSN 1936-6434.

External links[]

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