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Mrs. Cindy McGlynn at the JASON Summer Institute.

Mrs. Cindy McGlynn, an Earth Science and Oceanography teacher at the Goshen High School, at the Goshen High School, recently traveled to Arizona and California from July 23-Aug. 1 to visit various premier educational institutes and research facilities as part of the Summer Teacher Institute with the JASON Project, a leading provider of experience-based science and math curricula and professional development for grades 4-8. 

Mrs. McGlynn worked alongside NASA Engineers and leading scientists in order to study similarities and differences between Earth and Mars at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Mojave Desert, Meteor Crater, and Grand Canyon National Park.

"Thirty teachers from around the North American continent, as well as myself, had a truly fantastic and intense expedition," said Mrs. McGlynn. "Immersing teachers in the expedition sites, working elbow to elbow with our host researchers and local experts and the programming that we put together worked so well. We are all exhausted but equally as excited to get into the classroom and bring our experience back home to our students."

In California, Mrs. McGlynn traveled to NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, to observe the testing facility and see how engineers build the latest Mars Rovers, and to Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex, where they send and receive messages between Earth and the Mars Rovers.

While in Arizona, Mrs. McGlynn journeyed to Meteor Crater to examine how the best-preserved impact crater site on Earth compares to Mars impact craters, and to Grand Canyon National Park, to analyze the river-cut geologic layers that span nearly 200 million years. Upon return, she will lead local face-to face workshops and trainings to share her experience and technique with local teachers. 

Mrs. McGlynn has been with the district at the high school for 12 years, where she also taught an environmental science elective and is the advisor of the environmental club. She also coached softball for 12 years. 

Mrs. McGlynn has brought the JASON Expedition curriculum to Goshen since she began teaching, and is a certified JASON trainer. For the past five years, she has served as staff leader during the Summer Teacher Institutes. Mrs. McGlynn also works with Orange/Ulster BOCES, which is our JASON network site. 

Mrs. McGlynn is currently pursuing National Board Certification, which is an intense certification process that includes developing, implementing, analyzing, and video taping lesson sequences, and creating a portfolio and a certification test. To find out more about the JASON Project, visit www.jason.org.