News Release

Educator Concludes 2018 Teacher-Ranger-Teacher Experience

Ron Roskelly in the field

News Release Date: July 16, 2018

Contact: Daniel Banks, [phone]

Contact: Christopher Derman

Ron Roskelly recently concluded his Teacher-Ranger-Teacher (TRT) experience at Obed Wild and Scenic River.  A sixth grade science teacher at Lake City Middle School in Rocky Top, Tennessee, Ron worked as a National Park Service (NPS) Teacher-Ranger-Teacher at Obed, where his main focus was to create new educational resources that highlighted the diverse plants and animals within the park. He created a new lesson plan which will introduce students to the macroinvertebrates found within the Obed and the impact of human activity on water quality. Ron also created a new teacher workshop which will help local teachers gain a better understanding of the Obed and its unique ecosystem. 

As to why Ron applied, he said, “I applied to be a Teacher-Ranger-Teacher because I love being outside, and with the biodiversity educational standards changing, this would be a great opportunity for me to share what I learn over the summer with my students in the classroom.”

When asked what his experience as a TRT was like, he said, “I learned about place-based education. That is going to be my biggest takeaway. I learned that the point of the park is to preserve the history of the area as much as anything else. I learned firsthand about invasive species and different animal species and tendencies in the park. learned how to rock climb outside and more importantly how to relate the parks to my students' lives.”

The TRT program is a professional development opportunity for K-12 teachers to spend the summer acquiring new skills in experiential learning through a program provided by a partnership between the National Park Service and the University of Colorado at Denver (CUD). The participants spend between four and six weeks in a National Park Service unit developing a major educational project and participating in an online graduate course from CUD. The goal of the program is to train teachers in the resources and themes of the NPS so that they can return to their schools in the fall and incorporate their new skills into their classrooms.

For more information, please contact Obed Wild and Scenic River at [phone].