Experience
SAT Teacher List, United States – Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission
Teacher/Tutor, Spring 2018 to present
- Approved teacher for SAT I (Mathematics, English, Essay), SAT II (Mathematics Level 1,2 and Physics) and TOEFL/IELTS. *SAT II tutored from Spring 2018 to Spring 2021 only as it is no longer offered.
- Created lesson plans; Conducted full length SAT I and SAT I timed practice tests for the students.
- Conducted in-person tutoring for 8 prospective undergraduates individually and in small groups to prepare them for 9 exams.
- Conducted SAT online tutoring for 6 students individually and in small groups.
- Tutored TOEFL online to a prospective graduate student (PhD in Engineering).
- Communicated the scores and the progress of the students with the Education USA adviser.
Academic Center for Excellence, SUNY College at Buffalo
Academic Mentor Position (Tutor), Fall 2015 to Spring 2016
- Worked with university students individually and tutored Calculus based University Physics, Geoscience, Calculus lab (Technology in Calculus) and Engineering Technology.
- Worked in collaboration with peer tutors to discuss subject content and assist students with homework problems.
Science Technology Entry Program (STEP), SUNY College at Buffalo
Math Mentor, Summer 2014
- Tutored 7th and 8th graders individually, using computer based math.
- Encouraged underrepresented and underserved students to complete high school courses in science, mathematics and technology and to pursue programs of post-secondary education leading to degrees in STEM.
Earth Science, Tapestry Charter High School, Buffalo, NY
Field Expert, Summer 2014
- Lead a tour for students to Devil’s Hole State Park and Goat Island Niagara Falls, NY, teaching local geology with the high school science teacher.
Educator Certifications
Certificate of Completion, Harvard Graduate School of Education – Harvard University
- Leaders of Learning, 2022
Certificate of Completion, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) – Educator
Professional Development Collaborative (EPDC) Texas State University
- Preparing to be Culturally Responsive, 2021
Certificate of Completion, Esri (Software package)
- Teaching with GIS: Introduction to Using GIS in the Classroom, 2021
(Attended the 2021 Esri Imagery and Remote Sensing Educators Summit )
Certificate of Completion, IRIS Center – Vanderbilt University
- Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD): Using Learning Strategies to Enhance Student Learning, 2021
- Accommodations: Instructional and Testing Supports for Students with Disabilities, 2021
- Universal Design for Learning: Creating a Learning Environment that Challenges and Engages All Students (middle school), 2021
- Cultural and Linguistic Differences: What Teachers Should Know, 2021
- Classroom Diversity: An Introduction to Student Differences, 2021
Certificate of Completion, Indiana University
- Social-Emotional Wellness in Virtual Instruction, 2021
Certificate of Completion, National Geographic & Adobe
- Storytelling for Impact in Your Classroom: Photography, 2021
Certificate of Completion, National Geographic
- Teaching Students to ASK Their Own Geo-Inquiry Questions, 2021
- Collecting Data to Explore Plastic Pollution in Our Communities, 2020
- Integrating Service with Learning Goals (grade 5-9), 2020
- Connecting the Geo-Inquiry Process to Your Teaching Practice, 2020
- Mapping as a Visualization and Communication Tool in Your Classroom, 2019
Educator Professional Development Event
Certificate of Achievement, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- The Role of Role Models in STEM Education, 2021
- NASA STEM: Climate Change Resources and Project Based Learning, 2021
- Explore Moon to Mars: Sculpting Lunar Geology, 2021
- Explore Earth: Sustainable Aquaculture from Space, 2021
- NASA STEM and 4H: Carved Canyons and Weathering and Erosion, 2021
- Explore Moon to Mars: Perseverance’s MOXIE, 2021
- NASA STEM at Home and School: Moon to Mars Exploring the Rock Cycle, 2021
- Explore NASA’s EPDC Resources, Internships and Career Opportunities, 2021
- Explore Solar System & Beyond: Juno, 2021
- NASA STEM: What Can Trees Tell US About Climate Change and Forest Ecosystems, 2021
- NASA STEM: Space Games and Simulations Incorporating SEL (Social Emotional Learning), 2021
- Explore Solar System and Beyond: The Cassini Mission to Saturn, 2021
- NASA STEM: Explore the Importance of Soil in the Field and in the Lab, 2021
- Bringing NASA into the Classroom: Innovative Tools and Resources to Enhance Student Engagement, 2021
- NASA EPDC Virtual Learning Opportunities: Digital Badges for Educators and Students, 2021
- Learning Math with NASA Astrobiology, 2021
- Diversifying STEM Workforce: Using Culturally Responsive Practices to Engage with Diverse Public Audiences and Students, 2021
- Explore Space Tech: Making it Culturally Relevant, 2021
- Explore Moon to Mars: An Exploration of Models as STEM Learning tools with the Orion Spacecraft, 2020
- NASA STEM at Home or School: Picture Books with Activities, 2020Explore Moon to Mars: Explore Moon to Mars: The Artemis Mission and Teaching Science and Engineering Practices with The Gateway, 2020
- Exploring Space Biology: The Space Chile Grow a Pepper Plant Challenge, 2020
- Commercial Crew Program: What’s New?, 2020
- NASA STEAM: Exploring Ice and Snow, 2020
- Explore Earth: Sally Ride EarthKAM, 2020
- STEM Teaching Tips for Teachers, 2020
Certificate of Participation, National Science Teaching Association (NSTA)
- Lab Safety Considerations for Pre-service Secondary Science/STEM Teachers, 2021
- Developing a Competitive Teacher Award Application, 2021
- Looking for a Few Good Educators to Serve on the NSTA Council and Board of Directors, 2021
- Teacher Tip Tuesday: Learn and Lead on Twitter, 2021
- Book Beat Live! Instructional Sequence Matters: Using Explore-before-Explain in the Classroom, 2021
- Write from the Start (*learn how to publish in NSTA’s award-winning journals), 2021
- Science Update: NASA’s Perseverance Rover Landing on Mars…What to Expect, 2021
- Teacher Tip Tuesday: The Meaning Beyond the Words: How Language, Race, & Culture Impact Science Teaching & Learning, 2021
- Teacher Tip Tuesday: Taking Familiar Digital Tools to the Next Level: Padlet and Jamboard, 2020
Certificate of Participation, University of Colorado Boulder & Multidisciplinary Drifting Observatory
for the Study of the Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) Expedition.
- A Changing Arctic Ecosystem, 2021
Certificate of Participation, National Geographic Learning (NGL)
- Inspiring the Next Generation of Scientists and Explorers, 2021
- Designing Literacy Instruction for Today’s Multilingual Learners, 2021
- Teaching the Whole Student, 2021
- Are you a 21st Century educator? Exploring strategies for motivating learners in the 21st century, 2021
- Combining International Mindedness, Interdisciplinary Instruction, and Service Learning in the English Classroom (IB MYP), 2021
- How to Help Students Reflect and Build Background Knowledge, 2021
- Developing Confident Communicators for the Real World, 2021
- What I’ve Learned from Teaching English to Teens, 2021
- Exploring the Shifting Literacy Needs in English Medium Instruction, 2021
- How do we Evaluate Young Learners’ Writing?, 2021
- Engaging Very Young and Young Learners in Real Communication, 2021
Certificate of Participation, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
- Mission to Mars Student Challenge, 2021
- Teaching Space With NASA: Introducing the Perseverance Mars Rover, 2020
- Teaching Space With NASA: Exploring Mars Science With the Perseverance Rover, 2020
- Teaching Space With NASA: Engineering the Perseverance Mars Rover, 2020
Virtual Event, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM)
- Flights of Fancy Story Time: The Girl with a Mind For Math, 2022
Webinar, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Center for Education
- Navigating the Monitoring and Evaluation of Distance Learning Programming (Monitoring and Evaluating Radio/Audio and Video/Television Programming, Monitoring and Evaluating Online Learning), 2021
hiruni senarath dassanayake 