About me / CV
Hi, I'm Andrew. I like hiking, bike touring, gardening, birds, and fixing things. I live in Minneapolis with my wife and son. Drop me a line at andrew@lymanbuttler.com.
I taught high school chemistry and biology for 11 years before going back to school to pursue a second career in medicine. I started this site to share some of the curriculum materials and teaching resources I developed in the hope that other teachers and students can put them to good use. There are numerous evidence-supported benefits to students of the blended assessment system I developed, but how can it help teachers?
- I never grade papers at home.
- I have plenty of time during the work day to set up labs, so I almost never have to stay late.
- I spend lots of time with my friends and family, even during the school year.
- I don't have to police for cheating because every student has a different version of the test.
- I still have time to provide individualized tutoring outside of class to students that ask for it.
- I don't have to waste time making copies, clearing paper jams, printing extras for students who lose papers, etc.
- I can assess student work without lugging around piles of papers.
- I don't have to deal with students losing their papers.
- Creating makeup and retake versions of quizzes and tests is automatic and consumes no time.
Teaching is hard. I hope my online assessment resources can help make it easier.
Education
M.D. University of Minnesota Medical School (in progress, class of 2023)
M.Ed., Science Education. University of Minnesota College of Education & Human Development, 2012
B.S., Biology. University of Minnesota College of Biological Sciences, 2005 (minors: Chemistry, Political Science)
Minnesota Department of Education License
Chemistry, Life Sciences, Science 5-8 (file folder number 443170)
Teaching Experience
8/2018 - 6/2019 Science Teacher, Nova Classical Academy, St. Paul, MN
- Teach Chemistry and 7th grade integrated science
- Moodle server admin and content creator
11/2013 – 6/2018 Science Teacher, Thomas Edison High School, Minneapolis, MN
- Teach IB Biology HL, Chemistry, Physical Science
- Improved average IB exam scores by 60% after taking over the class
- Developed Moodle-based blended learning modules from scratch
- Led science department in two major curriculum rewrites
8/2009 – 11/2013 Science Teacher, The International School of Minnesota, Eden Prairie, MN
- Taught Chemistry, AP Biology, Adv. Biology, Biotechnology & Society, Biology
- Created and administered Moodle site for science dept. (http://ismscience.org)
- Designed and taught new course, Biotechnology & Society
- Implemented College Board’s AP Biology redesign
Military Service (Army National Guard + Army Reserve)
8/2019 - present Medical Student Officer (00E)
5/2017 – 8/2019 Health Care Specialist (Combat Medic) (68W)
8/2002 – 9/2015 Musician (42R)
Honors and Awards
- Kim Foglia AP Biology Travel Fellowship, National Association of Biology Teachers (2011)
- Award of Recognition, University of Minn. College of Education and Human Development (2010)
- National Science Foundation Noyce Scholarship (2008)
- National Merit Scholarship (2001)
Publications, Presentations, and Creative Work
- Retrieval practice and effective assessment in secondary science: a blended approach. ResearchED Philadelphia, October 2018.
- Using Moodle for student self-assessment of lab work. Chemistry Solutions, May 2018
- Blended assessment through retrieval practice: an equity imperative. Pre-publication; on medium.com
- CompoundIt!: The Chemistry Formula Word Game. 2017. http://bouncycastle.us
- “Patient Zero: The Origin, Risks, and Prevention of Emerging Diseases”. National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, University at Buffalo. October 2013
- “Inquiry-Based Activities in Genomics and Population Genetics”. National Association of Biology Teachers Professional Development Conference, Dallas, TX, November 2012
Medical School Extracurriculars
- Interprofessional Student Parent Community board member
- Knowledge Cooperative administrator
Professional Interests
- Using blended learning techniques to improve access and equity
- Instructional technology (probeware, student response systems, Moodle, student data systems)
- Statistics and data analysis
- Development and troubleshooting of educational laboratory exercises
- Curriculum and assessment design
Professional Affiliations
- American Academy of Family Physicians (student member)
- American Association of Chemistry Teachers
- American Chemical Society
- National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (cert. #E3337536)
- Minnesota Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board (cert. #930104)