What was your first job and what did you learn from it?

My first job was teaching seventh grade science in a small school in the middle of Ohio's farm fields. Many of my students were children of migrant workers and were only in my class for a few months before moving on. I quickly discovered that what they needed wasn't necessarily covered by the textbook. They needed to understand science concepts that were relevant to their life - what I came to think of as survival science. I also learned that my science lessons had to grab my students' attention and get them personally involved. So the textbook became a reference book and learning experiences became hands-on activities. In fact, I was just going back to my roots for my instructional approach. I was lucky enough to be in elementary school just when science became important (thanks to Sputnik) and before science textbooks were widely available. Fostoria, Ohio, my hometown, hired one science teacher who traveled from school to school, spending one day a week in each. His lessons were always entirely hands-on and, for me, learning science was like discovering how to do magic.

Who is your hero, mentor or person you most admire? Why?

My hero and mentor is Leanna Landsmann who is currently President of Time For Kids. She has led various organizations over the years, including Instructor Magazine and Leanna Landsmann, Inc. - and each has had a tremendous impact on how students learn and teachers teach. Leanna genuinely cares about the state of education in this country and puts her energy and effort into making positive things happen. She has also opened a whole building full of doors for me over the years, providing inspiration, encouragement, guidance, and friendship. Even when we're not working together, what I accomplish is made better because I'm always working to meet the level I know she would expect of me.

What is your favorite book?

As an educator and a children's author, books are my business and am important part of who I am. So I have favorites in many categories. Probably the first was Dickens' Great Expectations. I remember being moved to tears and feeling both embarrassed to be crying over a book and impressed that words on a printed page could have such an impact. Although I'm proud of all of the books I've written, I'm proudest of The Fledglings, the story of a fourteen year old girl who after being orphaned goes to live with a grandfather she has never known until that moment--a grandfather who, at first, doesn't want her. Kate convinces her grandfather to let her stay for the summer and as they begin to establish their relationship Kate also learns about his way of life. Kate's grandfather is a full-blooded Cherokee living on the Qualla Boundary (reservation) in Cherokee, North Carolina. Happily The Fledglings was named one of the best Young Adult novels in 1994.

What advances in your field do you envision over the next 10 years?

I believe the most important advance has to be making it possible for every student and teacher to have a computer with Internet access so he or she can be an active part of a collaborative network of learners. This has tremendous potential for having a positive impact on education. Such a network would connect learners and teachers to experts and a welath of instructional resources - even better this network would broaden the view of problem-solving situations and provide a more global outlook on possible solutions.

What do you see as the single most interesting element of your work?

What I enjoy most is turning ideas into reality. I have always enjoyed the challenge of brainstorming, particularly when I have the opportunity to work with a creative and enthusiastic group of people. Kit & Kaboodle has maximized this experience. Thanks to the $500,000 two-year pilot grant from the National Science Foundation, Kit & Kaboodle was launched to take advantage of the Internet to deliver positive science learning experiences. In that two year's time, I had the opportunity to work with a creative group that accomplished what I consider to be an outstanding project. Kit & Kaboodle (available for download at www.kitkaboodle.org) is a customized browser that enables teachers and students to collaborate on-line as part of a community of learners. Yes, there's that idea again, :-) but it is a crucial one for now and for the future. Through a suite of tools: CyberPad, Grapher, and TEAM Club Room, Kit & Kaboodle enables learners to communicate using a live chat with a real-time whiteboard to facilitate developing investiagations and sharing ideas. Then students can build graphs that up-date on the fly as new data is entered and they can build webpages together, adding graphs and pictures. Kit & Kaboodle connects learners and experts, provides guidance for hands-on problem-solving and delivers an opportunity to explore simulations whenever hands-on investigations are either impractical or unsafe. Directing the development of Kit & Kaboodle was not only interesting, it was exciting.

What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?

Hopefully, I haven't yet accomplished it because, for me, the joy of living is tackling new challenges.

What was your greatest challenge and what did you learn from it?

My greatest challenge was in securing the National Science Foundation grant that launched Kit & Kaboodle. I had never written a grant proposal before so I had to learn how while finding a way to communicate the value of my idea. I learned the importance of Sir Isaac Newton's philosophy that he accomplished what he did by standing on the shoulders of giants. Mentors who believed in my ideas and my abilities helped me learn what I needed to know, guided my efforts, and encouraged my persistence.

What advice would you give to young women who want to enter your field?

I'd tell them to believe in the value of their ideas and to try to find a way to transform those ideas into reality. The key is to be willing to develop the skills you need when you need them and to be persistent even beyond what seems reasonable. I've been told many times "Nobody can do what you're proposing." But over and over again, I've succeeded.