Ragan Webb

Columbia, MO | K-6, Science, 2012

What motivates you to contribute to excellence in STEM teaching?

Teaching through STEM engages students in real world problem solving. It fosters collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, while also encouraging creativity and a growth mindset. We are preparing students for careers in the real world where these skills will benefit them even if they choose a path outside of a STEM field.

What has been the most transformative moment that affirmed your impact on STEM education?

The most transformative moment came while working with teachers at our STEM Elementary School. Working with teachers to teach standards through a STEM lense not only made the content more engaging for students it made connections between content areas. The teachers were looking more closeley at the standards and had a better idea of what it was they were supposed to teach. They began asking better questions and improving their skills as educators. All of this benefits their students who are activily engaged in their learning and their community.

Using your platform as a Presidential Awardee, how do you hope to advance our nation in STEM?

Winning the Presidential Award had impacted my career in so many ways, including helping me become our districts Elementary Science Coordinator. This gives me the opportunity to educate teachers about STEM and write it into our curriculum. This position helps to advance STEM throughout our district, not just my classroom. The Presidential Award has given me a larger platform to influence science education.

Biography

Ragan Webb has been an educator for since 1998 years and has worked in Columbia Public Schools since 2002. She currently the Elementary Curriculum Coordinator for Columbia Public Schools. Prior to that she taught fourth grade at Fairview Elementary School and was a science specialist for Columbia Public Schools. She has taught third grade at West Park Elementary School and seventh through eighth grade science at Immaculate Conception School. Ragan’s passion for science teaching goes beyond the classroom. She organizes science field experiences for all fourth grade students at Fairview Elementary School. Through her partnership with the University of Missouri’s Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education program and 2BGreen grant, her students participate in ongoing ecological research. Ragan has also planned trips for 5th graders to travel and learn at The Great Smoky Mountain Institute at Tremont and middle school students to Wyoming’s Teton Science School. Additionaly, Ragan has helped to open the Boone County Nature School in partnership with the Missouri Department of Conservation. This is a unique partnership that is open to all 5th graders in the county where students engage in place-based learning. Ragan is a leader in her school community, where she has helped write curriculum and train teachers. University students and colleagues have observed her in order to learn best practices in teaching inquiry-based science. She has also presented at local, state, and national conferences. Ragan has a Bachelor of Educational Studies and an M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Missouri. She is certified in first through sixth grade elementary education.

High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph

The views expressed in awardee profiles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF or the PAEMST program.