INSTRUCTOR BIOGRAPHIES
SUE E. BACHUS
Sue E. Bachus holds a Master of Arts degree in Secondary Science Education and is a Ph.D. candidate in K-12 Science Education at The University of Texas at Austin. She is a certified Texas secondary teacher in Earth Science and Physical Science.
Over the past 18 years, she has trained thousands of K - 8 teachers. Her teaching style is a mixture of Mystery, Eureka!, and Oh! Wow! That's really cool! Her objective for teachers is to help them enjoy science so they will teach more science in their classrooms.
At The University of Texas at Austin, she was an instructor of Elementary Science Methods for pre-service teachers and was directly involved in the creation of a new integrated science course for undergraduates. At Austin Community College, she taught courses in Physical Science and Marine Science.
As faculty in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Arizona State University, she was Director of three, multi-year, grant-funded programs for K-3 and 4-8 teachers. The mission of these state-wide programs was to create and field test hundreds of grade level science activities, then train selected teachers as peer trainers. She later directed a K-3 science and health curriculum development project for a large Phoenix school district, directed several activity-writing workshops for K-6 teachers, and conducted hundreds of hours of science education workshops for Arizona K-8 teachers.
Upon returning to Texas in 1993, Ms. Bachus focused her workshops toward TAAS science objectives. District Science Coordinators frequently requested workshops that emphasized specific TAAS science skills and objectives. Activities were often created or rewritten especially for a particular school district to encourage teachers to provide more hands-on science experiences. Additionally, teachers requested more activities for concept development for science topics that were difficult to present to children, such as physical science.
STEVE JAMES
Steve James is the owner of Science Quest and provides hands-on science labs for over 350 students weekly in Austin and surrounding areas. His classes are known area wide for their fast-paced engaging style. His success can be attributed to the highly refined labs that engage the students and leave them hungry for next week. Steve's teaching style has been compared to a cross between Steve Irwin (the Aussie croc hunter) and Bill Nye (the science guy).
A native of Houston, Steve grew up in a chemistry family, working with his chemist grandfather, father, and brothers in the family chemical business. After graduating from Houston Baptist University in 1977, Steve continued working in the chemical industry as a seminar speaker and trainer. After relocating to the Austin area, Steve began teaching in private school before taking over Science Quest in 1999. His background in the “real world” and his motivating teaching style combine into exciting and practical instruction in the classroom. He is presently working on his MA in curriculum and technology.
STEVE LANORE
Steve LaNore has been a Meteorologist for 18 years; he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology from Texas A&M University in 1985. His career in television has been spent almost entirely in the Lone Star State; the exception being a three-year stint in Arkansas in the 1980s. After nine years in San Antonio and two years in Dallas, Steve and his family settled in central Texas three years ago. He says he's tired of moving (so are his wife and son!) and hopes that this will be his last stop!
Over the years, Steve has enjoyed getting youngsters excited about science. He considers it a privilege to be invited into classrooms to share on the subject he enjoys so much. He has lost count, but estimates that he has visited at least 500 schools over the years. Steve comments, "If I can have a positive impact on even one young mind, then it's certainly worth it. I try to get kids excited about the great opportunities we have as Americans. It is my hope that the enthusiasm I share with them will 'rub off,' and the children will view school as an opportunity, not a burden." His goal is to bring his same enthusiasm for discovery and a "science is neat" attitude to this summer's weather wonders workshop!
MILES JONES
As Associate Director of the Lozanov Learning Institute in Dallas, Dr. Miles Jones became a respected international specialist in accelerated learning during the 1980s. In 1990 he was the Head of the English Basic Skills Center of the United Arab Emirates Univ. where he set up a rapid learning program for 2500 students. Since returning to Texas, Dr. Jones taught in Dallas public schools for six years as a classroom teacher, served as Advantage Charter Schools' Direct Instruction Specialist setting up the Oak Cliff Academy in Dallas, and he was Assistant Professor of Education at Texas A & M - Commerce. Dr. Jones now devotes himself to the rapid learning curriculum for children he has developed over decades of research and practice.
Dr. Jones graduated from the Univ. of Texas at Austin with a doctorate in foreign language education specializing in accelerated learning. He has a Master's degree in bilingual education from Antioch University and a Bachelor's in languages and linguistics, also from Antioch. He is the author of numerous texts, tapes, films, and articles on accelerated learning, language acquisition, memory training, literacy, speed-reading, and mathematics.