James Weeks
Upper School Science, Robotics, Sustainability and Innovation Teacher
Franklin Road Academy
Nashville,
Roles at NAAEE
Languages
Interests
Why do I teach? This statement will provide my personal insights into these important questions. First, it must be understood that teaching is not an easy thing to do; it is hard and it involves a lot of struggle and personal sacrifice. At times, it can seem like there is an almost infinite amount of preparation and grading to accomplish in a limited time. Therefore, to teach you must be mentally strong and confident. In short, I believe, to teach you must love it. While searching for posters to put in my classroom, I stumbled across one that said “I’m not crazy because I teach; I’m crazy because I like it.” For me, it goes a step further, I teach because I love it. This also applies to my field, I teach science because I love science. Often, it is said that teaching is the noblest profession; a statement that I wholeheartedly agree with. Being in a position to positively impact the education and lives of young people is an incredible joy (and privilege) that few get to enjoy.
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Professional Information and Teaching Accomplishments
James L. Weeks, Ph.D.
EDUCATION
College/University Major/Emphasis Degree Type
Tulane University Major 1: Cell and Molecular B.Sc.
Biology
Major 2: Neuroscience
Vanderbilt University Molecular Physiology and Ph.D.
Biophysics
Stanford University and the Postdoctoral Fellow --
University of California San
Francisco
Vanderbilt University Postdoctoral Fellow --
Teaching Fellow
TEACHING
Vanderbilt University, Post-doctoral Fellow and Teacher (2010-2012)
Currey Ingram Academy, Teacher (2012-2013)
Franklin Road Academy, Upper School Teacher and Robotics Head Coach (2013-Current)
SUMMARY OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE AT FRA
Developed and implemented de novo a curriculum to teach the newly created AP Physics 1 course.
Developed and implemented de novo a curriculum to teach a new elective entitled "Science and Technology."
-focusing on 3D design, biomedical application, green energy, the explosive role of technology in the workplace, and overall design thinking and project-based learning
Developed and implemented de novo a for-fee after-school enrichment for both lower school and middle school students to provide hands-on learning and activities in biology, chemistry, and physics.
Developed and implemented de novo a curriculum to teach a hands-on biotechnology elective featuring laboratory experiments conducted by real professional in the various fields of biotechnology
Developed and implemented de novo a curriculum to teach at FRA, for the first time, AP environmental science.
Developed and implemented de novo a curriculum to teach, for the first time at FRA, a robotics coding class focused on hands-on robot-based projects
Certified by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) as a Green Classroom Professional and a USGBC Learning Lab Pro Reviewer
2014-2015
Developed and implemented de novo a curriculum to teach a new elective focusing on robotics and coding.
Developed and implemented de novo a curriculum to teach the newly created AP Physics 1 course.
2015-2016
Developed and implemented de novo a no-cost after-school robotics enrichment for both the lower school and the middle school
Applied for and received a NASA grant (administered by VEX robotics) to develop a competitive robotics program
Founded and established a competitive VEX robotics program for the upper school. Our team made it all the way to the state championship and finished second in the state for institutions and third overall (in our first year)
Head Coach of FRA Robotics (see above)
Ran two for-fee public summer camps (one for lower school students, one for middle school students) on robotics.
2016-2017
Developed and implemented de novo a new (and more college-based) curriculum for a standard high school physics course
Wrote and received a two-part major grant from the Scarlett Family Foundation. Part 1: develop and maintain a start of the art Innovation Lab at FRA. Part 2: Use this space in the summer to provide a fully subsidized institute focused on career advancement training to youth in the Metro Nashville Public School system (MNPS). This institute, called the Summer Innovation Institute, focuses on teaching innovation and design-thinking to middle-schoolers in the MNPS system.
This Innovation lab features state-of-the-art technologies for a fully immersive innovation lab and entrepreneurial space. Featured technologies are:
1. Laser cutting and etching
2. 3D printing (nylon, Kevlar, carbon fiber, and Fiberglas)
3. 3D scanning
4. Advanced drone capabilities for 4K Ultra HD filming of campus and production videos (advanced telemetric drones)
5. Advanced drone capabilities for inside the classroom HD filming and recording of class activities; this allows the teacher to teach a class while being filmed and recorded by a facial recognizing mini drone allowing the students to experience the lesson content in an immersive way.
6. Virtual reality and mixed reality capabilities
7. 3D carving with a CNC Lathe
Wrote and received a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) grant exclusively for the continued development of our robotics program.
Certified by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) as a Green teacher and a USGBC Learning Lab Pro Reviewer
Presented at the TAIS Conference in Chattanooga, talk entitled “Developing a campus-wide culture of innovation and philanthropy using maker spaces and robotics.”
Head Coach of FRA Robotics-One of our teams qualified past the State Championship level and attended and competed at the VEX Robotics World Championship.
2018-2019
Presented at the TAIS Biannual Conference in Memphis, talk entitled “Using Robotics as a seed for establishing a campus-wide culture of innovation.”
Certified to teach the new V5 VEX robotics system by attending a week-long training course at Carnegie Mellon University
Textbook reviewer for, College Physics for the AP® Physics 1 Course, by Gay Stewart by Bedford, Freeman, and Worth Publishing. Upcoming book, publishing date TBD.
Added a VR system (HTC vive) and an augmented reality system (Microsoft Hololens) to our innovation lab
Added a 4K ultra-HD drone to our lab for filming of campus events and athletics
2019 TN State Robotics Champions (VEX Robotics)
Head Coach of FRA Robotics-won the State Championship and attended and competed at the VEX Robotics World Championship.
2019-2020
Presented at the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools (TAIS) conference and the Tennessee Educational Technology Association (TETC)
“Using Robotics and Maker Spaces as a Means to Build a Campus-Wide Culture of Innovation”
Designed and implemented a home teaching studio with white boards, multiple cameras, audio pickups, and audience display to use during remote-based learning that was occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic
Transitioned and reformatted all of my current curricula into a format based on multiple platforms (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft OneNote) to facilitate a viable and immersive remote-learned based environment. Integrated the Microsoft HoloLens augmented reality (AR) platform as part of this environment.
2021-2022
2021 VEX Robotics Tennessee State Champion
Head Coach of FRA Robotics-won the State Championship and attended and competed at the VEX Robotics World Championship (virtual due to the pandemic)
Developed and implemented de novo a curriculum to teach a hands-on biotechnology elective featuring laboratory experiments conducted by real professionals in the various fields of biotechnology. A large focus of this class is applied biotechnology focusing on green initiatives.
2022-Current
Developed and implemented de novo a curriculum to teach at FRA, for the first time, AP environmental science. The main focus of this college curriculum is teaching, addressing, and having students learn and create ways to mitigate global climate change through green technologies and initiatives.
OUTREACH:
Since 2016 I have run the FRA Summer Innovation Institute (SII), which has provided a unique science and technology training experience for approximately one-hundred MNPS students during the summer using the resources of the FRA Innovation Lab. In addition, the SII has also served over twenty MNPS teachers whom have taken part alongside the MNPS students during these summer camps.
Through meetings and visits to our Innovation lab, I have helped the following institutions in the areas of maker spaces and how to set up and maintain competitive robotics programs:
Oliver Middle School
Montgomery Bell Academy
Christ Presbyterian Academy
Davidson Academy
Valor Charter School
Martin Luther King High School
Dayspring Academy
Lipscomb Academy
Oak Hill School
Johnson City Middle and High Schools (Johnson City, TN)
Coaching and Teaching Achievements
Five-time runner up in the VEX Robotics Tennessee State Championship
Five-time qualification for the VEX Robotics World Championship
2019 VEX Robotics Tennessee State Champion
2021 VEX Robotics Tennessee State Champion
2021 Service Above Self Award (highest award given to a teacher at FRA)
Professional and Teaching Societies
Member, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Member, Tennessee Educational Technology Association (TETC)
United States Green Building Council Green Classroom Professional and Learning Lab Pro Reviewer
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