My dissertation focuses on elementary teachers' experiences during a one year cycle of an adaptive professional development program.
At IU, I was a research assistant on a project titled Representations for Teachers as Learners (RepTaL) . This a multi-year, cross-site project where I serve as a coach and data analyst.
Most of my work involves elementary science teaching. I have experience teaching both informal and formal science education at the K-12 and college levels.I am currently a 5th grade science teacher and science department chair at Kairos Academies, a charter school in Saint Louis, MO.
My responsibilities at IU included being an associate instructor as well as managing/coordinating the Saturday Science informal science learning program. I was the instructor for the elementary science methods, advanced elementary science methods, elementary math and science field experience, and an introductory course to scientific inquiry. I am interested in the best ways to develop material and engage students in the classroom through phenomenon-based learning.
Science Education PhD May, 2021
Indiana University
B.S in Biology, 2016
University of North Carolina
Park Rogers, M., Roy, R., & Gerber, A. (2020) Using Core Ideas in Science to Teach Aspects of NOS in the Elementary Grades. In McComas, W. (Ed), Nature of Science in Science Education. Netherlands: Springer.
Danish, J.A., Johnson, H., Nicholas., C., Cross Francis, D. Hmelo-Silver, C., Park Rogers, M., Askew, R., Gerber, Alex., Enyedy, N. (Under review). Video as context for learning how to mediate inquiry learning with representations Learning, Culture and Social Interaction.
Hudson, R., Creager, M., Burgess, A., & Gerber, A. (2020) Nature of Mathematics and Its Impact on K-12 Education. In Akerson, V.L., & Buck, G. (Eds), Critical Questions in STEM Education. Cham, CH: Springer International
Newman, S., Khan, T. A., Guo, M., Gerber, A., Burgess, A., & Akerson, V. L. (2020) Public Portrayals of Indiana STEM Certified Schools. In Akerson, V.L., & Buck, G. (Eds), Critical Questions in STEM Education. Cham, CH: Springer International
Akerson, V. L., Burgess, A., Gerber, A., Guo, M., Khan, T. A., & Newman, S. (2018). Disentangling the Meaning of STEM: Implications for Science Education and Science Teacher Education. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 29(1), 1-8.
Gerber, A., Halsted, A., Foster, K., Hill, A., Riddle, L., & Hershberger, M. (2018). Prosthetic Hands: An Activity for Integrating STEM into the Science Classroom. Science Scope, 42(3), 66-73
Gerber, A., Park Rogers, M., Danish, J., Cross Francis, D. (2021). Exploring an adaptive professional development program and its contribution to teacher growth. Paper to be presented at Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE) International Conference.
Park Rogers, M., Cross Francis, D., Ceslijarev, C., Gerber, A., Phillips, A., Zhong, Q. (2021). “How do we show we are credible?”: Understanding the contributions of varied experiences and perceived expectations towards developing a professional identity as a teacher educator. Paper to be presented at Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE) International Conference.
Nicholas, C., Park Rogers, M., Danish, J., Hmelo-Silver, C., Zhong, Q., Stiso, C., Phillips, A., McClain, J., Gerber, A. (Accepted, March 2020). Rural Elementary teachers’ perceptions about incorporating representations into their science teaching. Paper selected for presentation (conference canceled) at the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) Annual International Conference. Portland, OR.
Park Rogers, M., Nicholas., C, Danish, J., Gerber, A., McClain, J., Phillips, A., Stiso, C., and Zhong, Q (January 2020). Elementary teachers’ developing perceptions of the role of representations in teaching science. Paper presented at the Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE) Annual International Conference. San Antonio, TX.
Akerson, V.L., Burgess. A., Gerber, A., Guo, M. Khan, T. A., & Newman, S. (2019, August). Disentangling the Meaning of STEM: Implications for Science Education and Science Teacher Education. European Science Education Research Association (ESERA) Annual International Conference, Bologna, Italy.
Gerber, A. (2019, February). Forming an Understanding of What Represents Informal Science Education. Curriculum and Instruction Research and Creative Activity Symposium (CIRCAS), Bloomington, IN
Akerson, V. L., Burgess, A., Gerber, A., Guo, M., Khan, T. A., & Newman, S. (2019, April). Disentangling the Meaning of STEM: Implications for Science Education and Science Teacher Education. National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) Annual International Conference, Baltimore, MD.
Akerson, V. L., Burgess, A., Gerber, A., Guo, M., Khan, T. A., & Newman, S. (2019, January). Disentangling the Meaning of STEM: Implications for Science Education and Science Teacher Education. Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE) Annual International Conference, Savannah, GA.
Akerson, V.L., Burgess. A., Gerber, A., Guo, M. Khan, T. A., & Newman, S. (2018, May). Plenary session presented at the International Conference on STEM and Educational Sciences annual meeting at Mus Alparsian University, Turkey.
Gerber, A., Halsted, A., Foster, K., Hill, A., Riddle, L., & Hershberger, M. (2018, March). Engineering Prosthetic Hands: Integrating Anatomy into the Middle School Classroom. National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), Atlanta, GA.
Akerson, V. L., Burgess, A., Gerber, A., Guo, M., Khan, T. A., & Newman, S. (2018, February). Disentangling the Meaning of STEM: Implications for Science Education and Science Teacher Education. Curriculum and Instruction Research and Creative Activity Symposium (CIRCAS), Bloomington, IN
Park Rogers, M., Gerber, A., Yang, J., Roy, R., Lamichhane, R., & Allen, J (2018, January). Integrating instructional methods: A learning cycle approach to teaching ‘What is Science’. Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE) Annual International Conference, Baltimore, MD.
Gerber, A., & Park Rogers, M. (2017, February). Exploring PreService Teachers’ Abilities to Plan for the Teaching of the Nature of Science Using Contextualized Instruction. Curriculum and Instruction Research and Creative Activity Symposium (CIRCAS), Bloomington, IN
Associate Instructor
Indiana University Various Semesters
Taught an elementary science methods course a total of four semesters. This course focused on teaching preservice teachers how to implement inquiry and phenomenon based science lessons.
Taught the advanced elementary science methods course, which is the capstone class for preservice teachers with a science concentration. While teaching this class, I also coordinated the Saturday Science program. The students in my class were the instructors for the Saturday Science Classes.
Taught an introduction to scientific inquiry course, which is required for all education majors.
Saturday Science Coordinator
Indiana University Fall 2018
Managed the Saturday Science program at Indiana University. Lead a team of undergraduate teachers in the development and implementation of science lessons on various topics for grades K-8. I also developed and implemented a measure to evaluate the success of our program.
K-12 Teaching
Science Teacher and Department Chair (Kairos Academy, Saint Louis, MO) 2021-Current
Teach 5th grade science and provide instructional support for the science teachers.
Saturday Science Instructor (IU) 2016-2019
Developed the curriculum and taught two classes – paleontology (for Kindergarten) and astronomy (for 4th and 5th graders).
Saturday Science Mentor (IU) 2016-2019
Mentored undergraduate science education majors to teach K-1st graders as well as 6th-8th graders various science topics
Summer Camp Counselor (Camp Cordova, Sacramento, CA) 2018
Instructed K through 8th grade students in various science topics such as astronomy, chemistry, biology, and physics.
Summer Camp Counselor (Saint Louis Science Center, STL, MO) 2016-2017
Instructed pre-k through 10th grade students in various science topics such as astronomy, chemistry, biology, and physics.
Student Teacher (Chapel Hill High School, NC) 2016
Taught 9th grade honors and standard biology.
Summer Camp Administrator (Morehead Planetarium, NC) 2015
Supervised camp counselors and instructed them how to teach various camps
After School Program Educator (Morehead Planetarium, NC) 2014-2015
Taught various science topics to kindergarten through 5th grade students.
Science Stage Presenter (Morehead Planetarium, NC) 2014-2015
Presented science experiments in front of a live, general population audience.
Summer Camp Counselor (Morehead Planetarium, NC) 2014
Taught various science topics to kindergarten through 8th graders.