Education Alumnus committment to equitable science classrooms
To me, education has always been about helping students transcend what they think is possible to achieve.
That is why I chose to become a high school science teacher- to provide students with knowledge, tools,
and thinking skills to access greater opportunities in life. In particular, I became interested in how the very
act of uncovering what students know and can do (i.e. assessing) has such a powerful influence on moving
students toward higher levels of thinking. I also recognized that there were inequitable opportunities for English learners to learn and demonstrate what they have learned in science. So, I enrolled in the
doctoral program at UCSC to study the intersection of science education, assessment, and teaching English learners. The education faculty at UCSC is fully committed to issues of language and equity. Faculty members provided me with the intellectual support and resources needed to study how new science teachers transcend their own understanding and practice of assessing in linguistically diverse classrooms.
Now, as an Assistant Professor of Science Education at Arizona State University, I have experiences and expertise to study more sophisticated ways in which science teachers use assessment to ensure that students, regardless of English language status, access and thrive in a rigorous and equitable science classroom.
Ed Lyon won the California Council of Teacher Education’s 2012 Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award. He is an assistant professor in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. Ed received his PhD from the UCSC Education department in 2012.
