Cornell University Marianne
Krasny mek2@cornell.edu
CSIP fellows engage students in
inquiry-based science. Teachers with no previous research experience told us
that they learned along with their classes by watching fellows guide students
in framing research questions, forming hypotheses, planning experiments, and
analyzing and interpreting the results. One teacher said, “It taught me that
there is a method to the madness behind science – it’s important to ask
questions, form hypotheses, look at why things worked or didn’t.” Another said,
“CSIP changed the way I think about inquiry – I’ve become more rigorous in the
types of questions I pose to kids, improved my research techniques – and have
passed this on to students.” This year we added a social sciences component to
address ethical, economic, and policy aspects of issues such as protection of
endangered species or use of genetically-engineered organisms. Current projects
include use of GIS to explore invasive plant ecology, research into whether
humans can detect pheromones, and investigation of energy processes involved in
the formation of urban heat islands. Fellows’ curriculum projects have been
published in The American Biology Teacher and Teaching Issues and Experiments
in Ecology, and on our website (http://csip.cornell.edu).
Fellows and project staff have presented at conferences of professional
societies including the Ecological Society of America, the American Geophysical
Union, and the National Association for Research in Science Teaching.
Duke University Gary Ybarra Ybarra/gary@ee.duke.edu
Pratt
School of Engineering
Our Track 2 K-12 math, science and
engineering outreach program is collaborating with the GK-12 Program at the
Duke University Marine Lab in Beaufort to generate inquiry based lesson plans
that have engineering and marine science components. Surveys of the Marine/Engineering
fellows attending the first workshop revealed these advantages of using
interdisciplinary teams to develop lesson plans: 1) marine scientists
excelled at background knowledge of topic areas while engineers were able to
visualize and form ideas into activities and flesh out ideas for the
engineering perspective; 2) incorporating different viewpoints produced more
comprehensive lesson plans; 3) increased ease in applying engineering concepts
to something tangible for kids; and 4) increased motivation of fellows in
groups; fellows complemented each others’ strengths and weaknesses.
Pennsylvania State University Dan
Haworth dch12@psu.edu
Access Science employs 10 graduate
Fellows and over 40 undergraduate Fellows, many partially supported by federal
work-study. Fellows work with individual teachers on hands-on activities, with
teams of teachers on multi-year and multi-classroom projects, and help develop
and implement academically-based community service (ABCS) courses. These courses focus on community problem
solving, which includes learning by teaching. Penn students design hands-on
curricula and then work in K-12 schools to implement it, guiding students and
teachers through labs and activities. Three Access Science ABCS courses are
being offered this year: Bio 150, Math 123, and EAS 296 (Computer Graphics
& 3-D Design). Five Access Science Fellows are designing two new ABCS
courses in Bioengineering and Chemistry.
Rutgers University Kathleen
Scott scott@biology.rutgers.edu
Fellows’ activities integrate
mathematics and science, and incorporate technologies such as graphing
calculators, CBRs, and CBLs for students in grades 4-8. Fellows also contribute their expertise
outside the classroom: one discussed the program at a national conference for
mathematicians, and another wrote an article about his experiences at an urban
school for the magazine of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. In addition, Fellows have presented
workshops for students in grades 4-8 who visit the Math and Science Learning
Center’s hands-on demonstrations and are assisting in the design and
development of a Science Bus, which will be used to disseminate the benefits of
the program to a larger audience and sustain the program beyond the funding
period.
San Diego State
University Walter C. Oechel/ ntaylor@sdcoe.k12.ca.us/
Nancy Taylor
Over 150 teachers from 14
school districts have participated, and the “Science Corps” fellows have
provided over 10,000 K-6 teacher/student contact hours each year. PISCES conducts seminars and in-class experiences
with over 35 Science Corps fellows every semester. K-6 teacher participants and
Science Corps members plan and implement a standards-based, inquiry-centered
science unit from the PISCES instructional materials matrix (http://www.sdsa.org/pisces). These long-term teaching relationships
encourage lasting change in K-6 teachers' attitudes about science, as well as
their content knowledge. Exemplary
instructional materials and correlated real-time data from the SDSU Global
Change Research Group are the focus of science learning in over 100 classrooms
each year. Fellows help design web-based lessons, correlated with inquiry-based
science kits and California Science Standards and that integrate streaming real-time
data from locations along the Pacific Rim. Fellows cite improved communication
skills at all levels and an appreciation of the importance of elementary school
science education as major benefits of participation. Teachers report more confidence in utilizing kit-based
instructional materials and academic content knowledge.
University of Arizona Michelle
Hall-Wallace/ seraphin@u.arizona.edu
Supapan Seraphin
Collaboration for the Advancement of Teaching,
Technology and Science (CATTS) was formed 4 years ago to team university
graduate and undergraduate science students with local K-12 teachers to enhance
science teaching at all grade levels. Results of CATTS I - Cultural changes were made in
both the K-12 and the university environment.
Acceptance that this type of partnership is valuable includes the
following: (1) Positive and measurable
outcomes like higher writing scores, (2) Greater comfort level for teachers
when teaching STEM subjects, (3) Greater career options for fellows, (4)
Increased interest in teaching and outreach among faculty members. Sustainability
Beyond Funding - We intend to weave CATTS into the fabric of the
university and partner school districts to ensure sustainability. We will join
forces with the new and highly popular Certificate in College Teaching (CCT)
academic program that prepares students for higher education teaching.
University of Hawaii Kenneth
Kaneshiro kykanesh@hawaii.edu
Fellows organized and presented two teacher
workshops on Oahu and Kauai. Classrooms Without Walls: Teaching Science by
Touching Nature, offered for Department of Education professional development
credit, focused on modeling scientific inquiry and standards-based lesson
planning. Workshops were designed to
help teachers to lead their students in field-based inquiry lessons using the
local environment. This year fellows
are actively engaged in projects on the islands of Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii. The Hawaii project has become the kuleana
(responsibility) of a group of teachers who previously worked with one of the
fellows to band birds at Haleakala research station. These teachers valued their experience so much that they have
requested the assistance of the fellow to develop a Hawaii Island-based ecology
through inquiry curriculum that focuses on native organisms found on that
island, particularly birds. Teachers
and fellows are developing a set of materials, including a DVD, for distribution
to other teachers on Hawaii. Our K-12
program impact is reaching beyond the Hawaiian Islands. In partnership with the
Nature Conservancy, a GK-12 fellow and University volunteers immersed six high
school students in the ecology of the Palmyra Atoll. The high school students
collected native insects and other organisms to help establish a baseline
biodiversity index, even discovering a previously unrecorded species of
freshwater eel from the atoll. In addition, a group of fellows, teachers, and
program administrators spent two weeks in Okinawa, visiting with University of
the Ryukyus researchers to experience biodiversity research in the “Galapagos
of the East.” While in Okinawa, the fellows shared their work with students
from Kaiho Super Science High School and took a field trip to the intertidal
zone of the Oda Coast with students and teachers.
University of Colorado Jacquelyn
Sullivan jacquelyn.sullivan@colorado.edu
Our track 2 grant creates a
grades 5-8 engineering continuum at four feeder elementary schools and a middle
school that feeds a Pre-Engineering Academy program at a local high school.
Engineering Fellows teach all youngsters weekly throughout the school year,
using hands-on engineering as a vehicle for the integration of
science and mathematics. In the coming year Fellows will help introduce
engineering concepts to students in an urban, charter science and technology
high school, scheduled to open in fall 2004. Summer weeklong design-build
workshops motivate interest in the two high school engineering and technology
programs by giving rising 9th graders an opportunity to experience
engineering first hand in a team-based, project-oriented setting. Fellows
assist in instructing summer Professional Development workshops for teachers
that focus on specific K-12 engineering curricular units and in preparing
lessons and activities for the NSDL TeachEngineering digital library
collection.
University
of Maine Susan
Brawley brawley@maine.edu
This program appoints 12 Fellows across
the STEM disciplines to support needs of the State of Maine’s legislatively
mandated Learning Results for Science & Technology. We expanded our
outreach in 2003-04 to 7 additional districts from central to “downeast”
Maine. This was possible, in part,
because of initial steps towards sustainability of the GK-12 program—the
participation in 2003-04 of 4 Provost Fellows who are in STEM graduate
programs, a number that will rise in each subsequent year. Fellows spend most
of their outreach in weekly contacts with 60-100 students in 8 local
districts. Three distantly located
districts are being served by intensive visits between Fellows and classes 5
days/year, including one day for each class spent at the University. Some of this year’s program activities
relate to our focus on K-12 research in Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge.
Some students carried out biological surveys and watershed projects with
Fellows while others are designing bridges for several wet areas in the Refuge.
Students study appropriate physics/design principles as part of these
exercises. Other work developed a new
computer modeling/programming course for middle school students, which enhances
Maine’s grade 7-8 Laptop Project, and provides inquiry-based projects in
molecular biology and biotechnology. In
the last year, Fellows and Teachers presented results of their work at 14
meetings of scientific societies (e.g., American Geophysical Union, Society for
Conservation Biology) and 2 public meetings organized by legislators in
Maine.
University of Mississippi Clifford
Ochs byochs@olemiss.edu
The Mississippi River is the program
theme for the educational modules. The thematic approach allows K-8 students to
connect to a common topic in multiple classrooms and through multiple subjects
(biology, economics, etc.). The river was selected because of its proximity,
its regional impact, and its suitability for a broad range of study. Since June
2003, we have received approximately 80 project requests from over 50 teachers,
impacting approximately 800 students. Fellows gain academic experience by interacting
directly with professional educators, by teaching, and by serving as team
members.
Vanderbilt
University/ Virginia
Shepherd shephev@aol.com
Tennessee
State University
Our findings focus on three groups: teachers, GK-12
Fellows, and middle school students. Teachers who participate in our
program have increased their content knowledge and their confidence in doing
science experiments in their classrooms.
The Fellows are developing an understanding of issues in science
education and teaching and an ability to explain scientific research and
concepts in easily comprehended terms.
Middle school students in GK-12 classrooms are gaining a greater
appreciation for the field of science, developing a deeper understanding of its
relation to real world problems, and participating in more inquiry-based,
hands-on lessons than students in non-GK-12 classrooms.
FY2001
Arizona State University B.L.
Ramakrishna bramakrishna@asu.edu
Down
to Earth Science has worked to make a positive impact in schools with
underserved/ high minority populations. This year two fellows are working at
charter schools in Native American communities. Fellows report that working with
these dedicated teachers in under-resourced schools expanded their
understanding of the education challenges facing these communities. Graduate
fellows and teachers attended a week-long introductory session, and teachers
spent some time at the fellows’ labs to get a first hand look at their
research. Graduate fellows, in cooperation with the teachers, developed,
implemented and helped evaluate inquiry-based science lessons relating to the
graduate student's own research. During the academic year, fellows enrolled in
a course designed to enhance their ability to create these lessons and to
understand some basic ideas about science standards and teaching. Lessons
developed by the fellows are available at http://gk12.asu.edu.
This year, fellows presented posters about their lessons and experiences in the
K-12 classroom at the 2004 American Association for the Advancement of Science
meeting.
Clemson University John
Leudeman lued@clemson.edu
Fifteen
middle school teachers work with the Clemson Fellows on a weekly basis. This
contributed to a total of 1500 students in grades 6-8 that were directly
impacted by the Fellows each week. Besides serving as content resources for
teachers, the fellows judge local and regional science fairs, attend state
mathematics and science education meetings, attend national mathematics and
science education meetings, as well as the annual research meeting in their
research area. An Industrial Psychology fellow was added who assisted in a
mathematics class and showed students that other careers besides engineering
and teaching can use mathematics.
Fellows have developed classroom units in Forensic Entomology, Fungi
Growth and Coding Theory. These units
have been adopted by other fellows to use in their classes as well as by the
school districts in their curriculum guides.
A Research Experiences for Teachers component was added resulting in
more university faculty involvement with the middle school classroom and
students. Three fellows and three mentor teachers traveled to Thailand to
examine Thai schools, present 108 hours of in-service sessions to Thai
in-service and pre-service teachers as well as to begin research collaborations
with Thai faculty. Recent stipend
increases have fostered several interesting developments: (1) departments are
contributing several assistantships to this program as cost sharing to, in some
cases, double the number of fellows that can be funded; (2) other departments
are contributing cost sharing by recommending fellows that receive university
or private fellowships; and (3) the number of applications for these
fellowships has doubled over the last year
Georgia Institute of Technology Donna
Llewellyn
nna.llewellyn@ceti.gatech.edu
The
partnership strives to increase the number of minority students who have been
introduced to mechatronics and mechanical design, to increase their
understanding of career opportunities, and to assist them in creating an
academic pathway that can lead them into engineering. It is concentrated in high schools with high minority populations
(up to 88%) and a large number of students (up to 70%) who qualify for free or reduced
price lunch. This year in order to introduce scientific critical thinking
skills into the social science classroom and to better infuse this important
process throughout the curriculum a social science graduate Fellow from the
School of Public Policy and a Public Policy professor were added to the project
team. Through the use of an “Image
Lab”, the Fellow introduced students in three regular-level U.S. History
classes to a critical analysis of history; of social images and of the
influence they hold over the opinions of both educators and students. The process entailed examination of
historical evidence drawn from the US History syllabus. Particular attention was focused on the
images surrounding evidence and the effect they have on the interpretations,
inferences and conclusions drawn that are reflected in historical records. The student evaluations of the Image Lab
were very positive, and the teacher reported that the partnership allowed her
to see that there are highly creative ways to reach the desired goals: teaching
students to become critical learners, while preparing them for
standardized tests. We also facilitated
the partnering of another high school with the Georgia Tech School of
Mechanical Engineering. The teacher/Fellow teams adapted sections of the
Georgia Tech Introductory Mechanical Design course to serve Advanced Physics
students. The high school students are
preparing to enter the Georgia Tech end-of-term robotics contest. They designed a mousetrap powered car class
competition, participated in a Lego Mindstorm-based robotics competition, and
created a Robotics Club.
Illinois State University Cynthia
Moore cjmoor1@ilstu.edu
In
Spring 2002, we sponsored the first PRISM (Partnerships for Research in Science
and Math Education) High School Student Research Symposium. Students from
Clinton and Gridley High Schools presented 46 posters at the Illinois State
University campus. This event was a great success in providing a forum for students
to present semester-long research projects. In Spring 2003, we hosted our
second symposium, with 83 posters from students at five regional high schools.
We included two types of poster sessions: experimental research and exploration
or job shadowing. This second category allows students to do scientific or
mathematical research on a complex topic that interests them. Fellows and ISU
faculty judge posters and provide feedback to the presenters. The quality of
the posters has been impressive, and the students have expressed pride in being
able to present their research results at the university. We are again
expanding the symposium for Spring 2004 to include more schools and students.
North Dakota
State University Dogan
Comez Dogan.Comez@ndsu.nodak.edu
The
GraSUS program: 1) increases the engagement of K-12 science and mathematics
students; 2) provides effective in-class professional development for
science/math teachers; and 3) has developed a sustainable
faculty-undergraduate/graduate student-teacher collaboration culture. It combines development and implementation
of specific classroom interventions with reflection on their relationship to
science and mathematics standards and student learning. Progress has been
monitored via teacher-fellow team reports, surveys, questionnaires, pre- and
post assessment of classroom-lab projects during the academic year and during
summer academies. Fellows report that their involvement
positively influenced their communication skills, increased their understanding
of content material, and boosted their understanding of secondary education and
their appreciation of teachers’ roles in the educational system. Teachers
reported that the project provided professional development
opportunities, enabling them to develop curriculum enrichment projects that
would have been otherwise impossible. Three teachers presented at the North
Dakota Council of Teachers of Mathematics and North Dakota Science Teachers
Association meetings about team activities.
In questionnaires, the overwhelming majority of Grade 6-12 students commented favorably about the project’s impact
on their learning. Several NDSU faculty have assumed roles as
technical and content support resources for the learning of science or
mathematics in secondary education. During the 2002-03 school year,
teacher-fellow teams named 24 faculty who had an impact on creating or
enhancing some of the learning units, projects, labs, or activities
collaboratively implemented during the academic year. Over 100 easy-to-implement, user-friendly classroom-lab projects were developed. Project information is at .
San Francisco State University John
Stubbs stujod@sfsu.edu
Our partnership with the San Francisco
Unified School District (SFUSD) is in its 6th semester. One-to-one partnerships
are established between graduate students in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and
Geosciences with teachers in grades 6-12. Twelve partnerships are in progress
in 3 middle schools and 6 high schools, most of which are designated as
underperforming in scores on standardized district wide tests. This semester,
fellows and their partner teachers have direct impact on 775 students. Since
2001 there have been a total of 29 partnerships in 11 different schools with
direct impact on over 3000 students. These partnerships have been highly
praised by all, including school principals, and have provided or adapted over
120 inquiry-based learning activities, a number of which have been compiled
into complete course portfolios. Strategies for jumpstarting successful
partnerships include a required 3 day summer workshop, weekly 1 hour planning
sessions between Fellows and Teachers on-site during the school year, attendance
of all Fellows and Teachers at four, 2 hour group meetings each semester, and
co planning and co-presentation of a poster session of activities at the annual
SFSU Research Science Fair. A new feature is the design of embedded assessments
as part of each inquiry-based activity. These assessments are scored
immediately and provide rapid feedback to inform teaching strategies to improve
student learning. Teachers state that this will be a sustained component of
future activities. Another notable product has been the development of Fellows’
roles in supporting improved timed essay writing by high schools students in AP
Biology courses.
Southwest Missouri State University Tamera
Jahnke tamerajahnke@smsu.edu
SMSU Fellows serve in
Springfield middle schools as resource personnel for science and technology,
role models for students, science tutors and laboratory teachers. Biology
Fellows presented lessons with live bats and animal skulls in efforts to bring
their research into the classroom and share their love of the field. Chemistry
Fellows helped with chemical storeroom cleanup, presented explosive
demonstrations, and facilitated chemistry labs that weren't previously
possible. Math Fellows helped students understand the relationship between math
and science and can answer the question "Why do we need to know math in
science class?" Physics Fellows presented demonstrations and labs using
Van de Graff generators, Hot Wheels(r), and household supplies to help kids
experience physical science first-hand.
Fellows and middle school teachers organized and implemented a summer
science enrichment program for at-risk students on the SMSU campus and included
field trips to engage the students in hands-on activities in an outdoor
setting. The program has increased the number of students involved in
extra-curricular science activities. In the past year, over 250 students
competed in academic competitions in science and math, and Study Middle School
competed at the State Science Olympiad competition. Hundreds of science fair
experiments were completed and 30 students won 42 awards at the Regional
Science Fair due to the dedication of the Fellows. Surveys of middle school
students indicate that motivation and effort to learn science increased over
the course of the school year, but anxiety about learning science did not. The SMSU website is http://www.gk-12fellows.smsu.edu/.
State University of New York Nancy Stamp nstamp@binghampton.edu
at Binghamton
For three summers we have
conducted 1.5 weeks of workshops for the teaching Fellows (biology, chemistry,
geology and physics graduate students) and elementary school teachers (grades
3-6). The emphasis has been on the use of the 5E teaching cycle (Engage,
Explore, Explain, Elaborate and Evaluate) to develop conceptually linked
lessons matched to district and state standards. The school district, the
teachers, the fellows and the elementary school students are very enthusiastic
about the project; the district is committed to the 5E approach; the teachers
are getting the assistance they need in implementing science lessons; the
fellows are learning how to teach for learning; and the students are enjoying
science. We use pre-and post-assessments to ascertain how successful we
are in challenging students' misconceptions, which the research literature
indicates is quite difficult.
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Deanna Raineri raineri@uiuc.edu
Teams
of fellows, university faculty, and high school teachers integrate the use of
computer-based modeling and scientific visualization into science and
mathematics. Fellows work with a teacher in two or more classes, reaching more
than 500 students. One fellow in civil and environmental engineering instituted
a program whereby rural high school students conduct experiments to determine
the effects of agricultural runoff on water quality. A fellow in animal
sciences created and conducted project-based lessons featuring web-based
bioinformatics tools such as BLAST: "We show how normal nucleotide
sequences are mutated and how that changes the DNA and causes disease."
Another fellow is teaching an AP Computer Science class about computer
graphics. High school students are learning Maya and OpenGL, which they will
later integrate into a programming project with Java or C++. A history fellow
trained students to use primary resources in historical research, to understand
the use of digital artifacts in research, and to employ information literacy
principles using electronic resources. This team also created a “Technology in
the Civil War” unit. Team members
presented one paper and two posters at the 2004 Soc. for Info. Tech. in Teacher
Ed. meeting (What Science and Technology Mean to the High School Learner:
Impact of the NSF GK-12). Teacher Gabric published a web article, Incorporating
Bioinformatics into the Biology Classroom.
University of Maryland Ellen
D.Williams edw@physics.umd.edu
Fellows
from the departments of chemistry, materials, engineering, mathematics, and
physics work with K-12 teachers in three local counties. The teams develop
curriculum and materials to support and extend the teaching of science,
engineering, math, and technology. Examples include: 1) biomaterials, AutoCAD,
and electronics course - high school level; 2) crosslinking polymer units,
curriculum-based demonstration development, and Saturday School – middle
school; and 3) physics of sound curriculum and robotics - elementary school. In
addition, the program has developed and implemented six summer camps, such
as Engineering Design Camp, Materials
of Sports Camp, and Science, Engineering, and YOU! Outcomes include improved
communication and teaching skills for the Fellows, professional development for
teachers, and strengthened partnerships among the University of Maryland,
off-campus partners, and local school districts. The program is successfully
motivating and improving science education. As a middle school student noted,
“I never thought I would like science or think it was cool. I just wasn’t
interested before. I really liked learning about waves. I now think about my
speakers in a technical way.” Details of the program can be found at http://mrsec.umd.edu.
University of Puerto Rico Juan Lopez
Garriga sonw@caribe.net
GUEST
Fellows performed a total of 315 visits to schools and 8 Saturday academies
with 203 K-12 teachers. Fellows presented a wide variety of GLOBE protocols,
including methodologies to analyze environmental data using CBL equipped with
probes and sensors. Activities include measurements of photosynthesis,
pressure, pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature, among others. Data measured by
the K-12 students is integrated into the GLOBE database and is available as a
public domain at http://www.globe.gov. This
team-based approach is providing hands-on, inquiry-based training to 5,575 K-12
students representing each of the ten Puerto Rico educational districts.
University of South Carolina Jed
Lyons lyons@sc.edu
Our program includes:: (1)
fall teacher partnering, (2) the course EDTE 701, (3) spring teacher
partnering, and (4) a summer institute. As the fellows and fall teacher
partners implement engineering-related and inquiry-based science and math
activities, the graduate fellows take EDTE 701, a course to introduce them to
fundamental principles of teaching and learning. Discussions in EDTE701 about
the concepts discovered in the K-12 school improve the fellows' ability to apply
good teaching practices. The summer institute is planned and taught by the
fellows to thirty teachers from across the state. It disseminates the best
activities that the fellows implemented with their fall or spring teacher
partners. During 2002-2003, our fellows worked with 40 teachers and about 1000
students. The SC Commission on Higher
Education committed 5 years of support for fellows in our program to work in
high-needs schools. Our qualitative and quantitative assessment data support
this teacher's comments: "My fellow helps me connect science to math so
the children can see that relationship. The kids just love him...and their
science test scores have improved. It's a partnership, I'm learning from him,
and he's learning from me.” We have
experienced many unanticipated positive outcomes. For example, a Fellow whose second language is Spanish helped a
5th grader, newly arrived from Guatemala, to learn English during science
class. The hands-on activities
developed and taught by the Fellow gave the child concrete experiences upon
which to build his vocabulary and mastery of the English language.
University of Southern Maine Monroe
Duboise duboise@usm.maine.edu
USM and Foundation for Blood Research
Education Division founded the Maine ScienceCorps in 2001. This effort is being
integrated into bioscience graduate studies to enhance graduate student
teaching opportunities and address critical needs for laboratory based active
learning opportunities in chronically under-funded rural high schools. Ten
immunology and molecular biology graduate students are partnered with teachers
in twelve high schools to bring science education standards related laboratory
activities to about 1,000 students each year. Significant benefits include: (1)
Students and teachers have gained access to molecular biology and immunology
laboratory experiences not previously possible; (2) students in remote rural
schools now know at least two graduate student scientists connecting them with
the scientific world; (3) graduate students more effectively develop teaching
and communication skills and are introduced to effective ways that scientists
can support K-12 education; and (4) highly motivated teachers and students have
opportunities to collaborate in research projects with university students and
scientists and to participate in presentation of the educational and scientific
partnership at scientific meetings.
Duke University Marine Laboratory Celia
Bonaventure bona@duke.edu
The GK-12 Track
2 Program in the School of Engineering at Duke is working closely with our
Program at the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort to share expertise and generate
lesson plans that have engineering and marine science components and activities
that foster inquiry-based learning. Highlights of the partnership are: designation of two jointly-sponsored Marine
Engineering Teaching Fellows who began work in the GK-12 Program in the
Pratt School of Engineering and will transfer to the Program at the Duke Marine
Lab next term; creation and delivery of hands-on lesson plans and activities
that integrate marine engineering with the North Carolina Standard Course of
Study; and design of three curricular units on water quality, fisheries
problems, and mapping of marine habitats and animals.
Florida State University Paul
Cottle cottle@nucott.physics.fsu.edu
An important feature
of our project has been a four-credit, graduate course grounded in the National
Science Education Standards that opens with a unit on child development and
learning, how this learning is affected by various factors, and how to use this
knowledge effectively in the science classroom. The second unit, Communicating
Science, was designed by educators and scientists at the University of
California, Berkeley, Lawrence Hall of Science, and introduces fellows to
effective, widely tested, K-8 instructional materials as exemplars of important
educational strategies in science teaching. The last unit explores other
high-quality K-12 curriculum resources. Ongoing, formative evaluation indicates
that this course is a powerful tool for preparing graduate students to enter
the classroom. Evaluation of their placements has indicated a second, important
feature for project design: the most effective teaching and learning
partnerships between fellows and K-12 teachers are developed when fellows
remain in the same classroom for at least 2 grading periods (i.e., half of the
academic year).
Medical University of South Carolina George Tempel tempelge@musc.edu
Our project
involves ten teachers and fellows and directly impacts over 1000 students in
ten schools. Fellows and teachers have developed and implemented an objective
rubric to evaluate pedagogy that has been shared at local and national AETS
meetings. All teachers have begun laboratory research with the fellows and
seven have attended the APS Frontiers in Physiology conference. Preliminary
assessment of capability and context beliefs (STEBI, CBATS) show: Program
participation has increased teacher and fellow efficacy, their use of inquiry
in instruction (CLES data), and perceptions of how responsive the environment
will be. Teachers perceived that their training was adequate and continued
professional development better prepared them. By contrast, fellows recognized
their inadequacies, confirmed in their classroom. Participation also
demonstrated to the fellows that science content alone is not sufficient for
classroom effectiveness.
Old Dominion University Keith
M. Williamson kxwillia@odu.edu
Recently one of our teacher-fellow teams
combined ideas from baseball and game theory to create a collaborative learning
resource for Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) science objectives.
SOL-Scienceball is being published and will be distributed to 30 elementary
schools later this year. The combination of professional development seminars
throughout the school year and inquiry-based activities in the classroom
provide a framework for teachers and Fellows to work together to help 4th and
5th grade students improve achievement in mathematics and science. Since the
start of the program, student achievement in mathematics and science has
improved at all participating schools.
Oregon State University Sujaya
Rao sujaya@bcc.orst.edu
The Rural
Science Education Program (RSEP), a partnership between OSU and 7 rural schools
to integrate biotechnology and ecology into their curriculum, has impacted 1435
students including Hispanic and special needs students. A unique aspect is utilization
of rural landscapes for classroom activities. With additional funding from
Toshiba America Foundation, a biotechnology consortium for advanced biology
students was offered in 2 school districts, and biotechnology activities
implemented in 5 schools. K-12 students benefited from the increase in science
vocabulary and inquiry activities. Analyses of ''before'' and ''after'' quizzes
indicate an average improvement of 7 points out of 28 in science content test
scores, and a more positive attitude towards science. For teachers, the program
provided a network for communication with teachers at similar schools, and
access to OSU resources and professional development opportunities. Three
teachers presented lessons implemented in classrooms by OSU Fellows at
professional meetings. Benefits for OSU Fellows include increased
self-confidence, enhanced communication skills, development of skills in
working in teams, and a fresh perspective towards their own research.
Saint Joseph's University Karen Snetselaar ksnetsel@sju.edu
In addition to refining the
semester-long project-based units that are the hallmark of GeoKids LINKS, we
developed six-week thematic "mini-units" that provide more
flexibility in addressing district-mandated curriculum for the Philadelphia
elementary school children we serve. The mini-units also helped us
develop a program whereby Fellows' activities follow a logical progression as
they refine their teaching and curriculum development skills. New Fellows
began the year by assisting teachers and more experienced Fellows with existing
units. Experienced Fellows developed, piloted, and refined mini-units,
and were excited about alternating with teachers in "leading" the
mini-units. Second-year Fellows have also taken on leadership roles with
respect to developing a “Fellows Manual” for new Fellows and planning an
end-of-year celebration for all participants. Evaluation data indicate improved academic outcomes for participating
children as well as benefits to Fellows and teachers. In 2002-2003 all
Philadelphia children were tested in the spring and fall to measure progress
during the year compared to students nation-wide taking the same test.
Children participating in GeoKids showed more progress not only in science, but
also in reading, language, and math, compared to non-participating students at
their schools. Information including curriculum outlines,
outcomes, and forms are available on our website: http://www.sju.edu/biology/ksweb/GK12/main.html.
University of Arkansas Art
Hobson ahobson@comp.uark.edu
Graduate
students in Microelectronics-Photonics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, and
Biological Science programs were paired with teachers selected from four area
middle schools and one rural school and trained together during the summer,
focusing on team building and the use of inquiry-based learning
techniques. Teachers and fellows
developed inquiry-based laboratory experiments with teachers providing the
connection to the appropriate state standards and curriculum. The amount of time spent on inquiry in the
classroom increased after the teachers participated in GK-12 summer training,
while time spent on traditional activities decreased. The Fellows’ confidence in pedagogical process knowledge and
implementing inquiry educational activities increased after the summer
training. Students, as well as the
Fellows and teachers, experienced a metamorphosis. Females in inquiry
classrooms perceived science and math to be more useful to everyday life and
their future careers than females in the control group. Outreach efforts this
year were not confined to the classroom. Fellows teamed with the Northwest
Arkansas Mall to offer Community Science Day. They developed interactive
science activities for children and community members of all ages. The Fellows gained a better understanding of
how to introduce the community to the science in everyday life.
University of California Santa Barbara Beth Gwinn bgwinn@physics.ucsb.edu
LEAPS (Let’s
Explore Applied Physical Science) collaborates with 8th grade Physical Science
and 9th grade Physics/Conceptual Physics teachers. Three-Fellow groups join
science classes of ~ 40 students twice weekly to enable small-group
problem-solving and experiments. LEAPS works with the Endowment for Youth
Committee (EYC) and with teachers and administrators on after-school science
clubs partially funded by EYC. Each
Club has 2 Fellows responsible for planning and implementing weekly activities
for ~ 40 students. Fellows pair with 8th graders to develop science fair
projects and have expanded this mentorship program by recruiting volunteer UCSB
graduate students.
University of Cincinnati Anant R. Kukreti
anant.kukreti@uc.edu
Graduate and undergraduate
fellows, an area coordinator, secondary school teachers from 7 schools in 3
school districts, and UC faculty have worked in teams to design, develop, and
implement hands-on, technology-driven, inquiry-based projects suitable for
grades 7-12. The projects include:
Photosynthesis Through Satellite "Eyes;” Acids and Bases; Rocket Cars;
Viva Las Vegas - An Energy Project; Electromagnetic Induction, Magnetic Field
and Magnetic Force and Applications to Motors and Other Modern
Alliances/Equipment; Gears; Sound Activity; Cell City; and Water Rockets. Through pre- and post-evaluations it appears
the presence of the fellows in the classrooms resulted in increased interest in
math and science by the K-12 students. Nine papers and presentations have already
resulted based on our first year experience.
University of
Maine John
Vetelino vet@eece.maine.edu
The GK-12 Sensors! Program
brings cutting-edge research in sensor technology to high school students.
During the 2003-2004 academic year, GK-12 Sensors expanded its services from 2
to 6 high schools because of an NSF Research Experience for Teachers (RET)
supplement which brought high school math and science teachers to the
University of Maine for a 10-week summer research experience. In the fall, we
were able to quickly establish ourselves at these teachers’ schools making 4
new sites. To ensure that our program is capable of demonstrating similar
technologies at schools with different resources, our Fellows have created 25
portable modules. In addition to
portable modules, Fellows have been organizing community outreach programs in
Bangor, such as the GIS Emergency Response Mapping Project which enables students
to produce valuable maps for local police and fire departments. In addition to
community-based programs, Fellows in the Bangor School system have developed a
pilot program called Sensor Sensitive in which students take an interest survey
geared towards science and technology. The program helps students understand
which choices they will need to make to pursue the occupation they find the
most interesting. During the summer of
2003, Fellows and teachers from Bangor High visited Magdeburg, Germany and
Brescia, Italy. The European research and educational experiences have resulted
in the creation of several new modules.
University of Massachusetts Julien
Tyson tyson@chem.umass.edu
STEM Connections put Fellows in classrooms ranging from kindergarten to
high school, in districts ranging from rural to urban. Six projects with
environmental themes linked this diverse group of nearly 400 students,
providing them the opportunity to visit UMass and tour laboratories all over
the campus. In addition, our K-12 Teachers, Fellows, and Faculty
presented their projects at NSTA as well as professional society
meetings. The culminating activity of the 2002-2003 academic year was the
first annual STEM Connections Science Conference, "Science and Scientists
in the Making". Some 315 students
came to UMass to present posters and discuss findings at this conference
modeled after scientific professional society meetings.
University of North Carolina W. Burleigh Harrisw@uncw.edu
at Wilmington
We
prepare science graduate students to teach science through inquiry; team
Fellows with teachers to assist in introducing standards- and technology-based,
hands-on activities; prepare teachers for teaching science by inquiry and then
train them to serve as resource persons for their colleagues; provide middle
school students with role models; enhance the communication skills and teaching
abilities of the Fellows; and promote Fellows’ desire to serve as community
volunteers when they enter the workforce.
All Fellows reported that they are more confident in their abilities to
provide a positive experience through volunteering. An Academic Advisor survey revealed that the oral and written
communications of graduate students had improved. Most faculty advisors of this year’s Fellows indicate that they
would like to have their future students participate in the program. A year 1 teacher received National Board
Certification in science and another who is math certified has asked for
assistance in becoming science certified as she has become more interested in
teaching science. Teachers have stated
that middle school students who previously showed little interest in science
classes and had behavior problems have suddenly become interested in school and
are easier to manage in class; some middle school students have said that
science class was not fun unless the Fellow was there.
University of North Texas Rustin Reeves rustyr@hsc.unt.edu
Health Science Center
The classroom teachers see
improvement in their students' understanding of science, and better grades were
achieved on exams. Overall, our biology teachers saw improvement in the
Fellows’ classroom presentation skills and highly recommend the program to
their colleagues. Faculty mentors noted enhanced communication skills and
better time management by Fellows. Faculty mentors are positive about the program and
see it as a valuable asset to the school and to the Fellows' development in
their graduate research programs. Several fellows are using their acquired
classroom skills in teaching at community colleges. For area science teachers, we added the
"Teachers As Scholars" workshop funded by Project SCORE and the
Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. Fifteen science teachers were
invited to our campus for lecture and laboratory sessions on the "Anatomy,
Histology and Physiology of the Cardiopulmonary System". Participants
indicated that knowledge gained from the workshop would be beneficial to their
students, and they planned to use it in their classrooms.
University of South Florida Geoffrey Okogbaa okogbaa@eng.usf.edu
Project
STARS focuses on K3-5 students through a strong partnership among USF,
the Hillsborough County Public Schools, and a Private School. Notable developments include: one Fellow has
shown interest in obtaining Teacher Certification and is working towards it;
many schools in the County have shown interest in joining STARS Project and
especially the Summer Science camp. The
partner teachers are showing increased confidence in teaching math and science.
The Fellows are strengthening their communication skills and increasing
appreciation of other disciplines. All Fellows seem to be on target for
graduation
University of Texas at Austin Katherine
Ellins kellins@ig.utexas.edu
Using funding from the Research
Experience for Teachers (RET) program, the ESI RET participants will work on
hydrogeological, chemical, and biological investigations of the Edwards Aquifer
and UTIG RET teachers will participate in marine geophysical research cruises
as part of UTIG’s Texas Teachers in the Field program. An additional supplement
is funding a fellow in the social sciences who will focus classroom visits on
the planning and development processes in central Texas with emphasis on the
Edwards Aquifer. For more information
and to download learning activities developed by fellows, teachers, and
scientists visit the GK-12 web sites at:
·
· www.geo.utexas.edu/esi/ (ESI)
·
·
www.utmsi.utexas.edu/outreach/index.htm
(MSI), and
·
·
www.ig.utexas.edu/out/gk-12/index.htm
(UTIG).
Washington University Keith
Truman
ktrum@seas.wustl.edu
We
have developed 8 engineering-related teaching modules and 2 after-school and
weekend outreach programs for 2 large public schools in St. Louis. The modules
teach and illustrate engineering principles in civil, electrical, mechanical
and applied mathematics and are also transferable, stand-alone lesson plans for
grades 6-8. Due to our existing GK12 collaboration with Gateway Middle School,
Washington University agreed to add the school as a Project Aria site and
include the middle-grades students in their Remote Exploration Program (REP).
Project Aria, www.aria.seas.wustl.edu, is a Washington University outreach
program that involves approximately 150 schools and 3000 students and focuses
on developing experiments to fly on the NASA shuttles as well as manned and
unmanned balloon flights. The Remote Exploration Program or REP is a hands-on
program where students work with robots and robotic research. The work involves
a partnership between our GK-12 program, St. Louis Science Center, the Idaho
National Engineering and Environmental Labs and our K-12 partner schools. The
purpose is to involve K-12 students in remote robotics through remote or
distance operation of robots.
FY2003
Bowling Green State University William
Midden midden@bgnet.bgsu.edu
Fellow/teacher
teams are developing and implementing content-rich, inquiry-based math and
science instruction that aligns with the new Ohio math and science content
standards. The Fellows are working to effect change building-wide by
assisting other teachers in their partner teacher’s school. Other
activities include presentations at Women in Science events and preparation of
standards-aligned sets of science activities suitable for use in grades
4-6. Fellows and teachers will share the inquiry-based lessons they have
developed at a Best Lesson Symposium in May and through the Ohio Resource
Center web site.
California State University, Los Angeles Susan Terebey susan.terebey@calstatela.edu
The Science For Our Schools (SFOS) program is providing
science teachers in the Los Angeles area with activities and demonstrations
based on California’s new science content standards. Graduate students from
Biology, Chemistry, Geology, and Physics are partnered with highly experienced
science teachers in middle and high schools, most of which have high minority
enrollment and large numbers of students from low-income families. In addition
to developing and implementing standards-based curricula and related
assessments, Fellows plan field trips, scout funding opportunities, facilitate
lab equipment purchases, and help organize special events such as science fairs
and “Ask a Scientist” nights. The SFOS website is http://sfos.calstatela.edu/.
Colorado
School of Mines Barbara
Moskal bmoskal@mines.edu
The project
concentrates on increasing student understanding and interest in technology. K-12 partnerships are becoming
an accepted and embedded component of the CSM community Examples of current and anticipated projects
include:1) To increase project impact a group of Fellows are dedicating their
summer to developing and delivering a workshop for teachers outside of the
participating district with supplemental funding from the Colorado Department
of Education. Pre and post assessments
from last summer’s workshop indicate that the teachers’ knowledge of science
and mathematics has increased; 2) Two Fellows organized an after-school web
design club to spark interest in technology and give middle school students the
capabilities to design web pages from home. The club’s success led to a free
summer technology camp at CSM for economically disadvantaged middle school
students. The school district is donating buses to transport the students, the head
of the CSM Mathematical and Computer Sciences Department is providing a
classroom and computer access, and the CSM Minority Engineering Program is
providing funds for student lunches; and 3) To obtain a better understanding of
student uses of technology, make educational software more enjoyable for them,
and give a glimpse of the computer science field, two Fellows designed a
computer game focused on the needs of 7th grade mathematics students in Adams
County. Teachers can change the questions asked to reflect the
mathematics topics covered in their classes. They report the software has been
highly effective at increasing students’ enthusiasm for and understanding of mathematics. Other indicators of early success are: evaluators report that the project is increasing
use of hands-on activities in K-12 classrooms, and the head of CSM’s
Mathematical and Computer Sciences Department stated that the fellows are the
“best set of graduate students that we have ever had”.
Columbia University Leonard
Fine fine@chem.columbia.edu
Interdisciplinary
teams of middle school teachers and graduate fellows in mathematics, chemistry,
and biology expand and enrich the middle school curriculum in three Manhattan
schools. Graduate students from History and English Literature assist the
fellows and teachers to make connections between science, math, and the
humanities. Fellows report that their classroom experiences are enjoyable, that
they feel they are making a difference, and that their students are excited
when they are in class. Teacher partners tell us they enjoy having someone with
whom to discuss content, who can help them understand or present topics that
have proved challenging. Many teachers feel that the middle school students’
interest in science and math has increased as a result of the Fellows’
presence. Parents report that their children talk about science and the
graduate students at home, and one teacher has commented that more parents have
been inquiring about science summer programs.
Eastern Kentucky
University Tom
Otieno tom.otieno@eku.edu
Teams of fellows
and EKU faculty work with middle school teachers in six rural schools. All participants attended a five-day
training workshop. The teams are
developing lesson plans, incorporating new or adapted inquiry-based activities,
for use by middle school students in the areas of physical and biological
sciences, computer science and mathematics.
Emory University Joseph
Justice jjustice@emory.edu
A cheating boyfriend exposed
through the wonders of kitchen chemistry, a dying ethnobotanist saved by the
last minute identification of a medicinal plant in the field -- these and other
lessons developed by our graduate students, undergraduates, and middle/high
schoolteachers are exciting precollege students. Using problem-based
learning(PBL) and investigative case-based learning pedagogies (ICBL), we
motivate precollege students to develop life-long problem solving strategies
based on asking appropriate questions, uncovering answers through
investigation, and sharing knowledge with peers.
In Year 1, Problems and
Research to Integrate Science and Mathematics (PRISM) teams developed and
tested over 20 units in life science, chemistry and physics. Materials include
learning issues, student assessment tools, case notes, and corresponding state
standards. At biweekly reflection sessions, graduate and undergraduate students
share best practices and develop teaching philosophy statements and portfolios.
Workshops for all participants address curriculum development, implementation,
gender equity, and group dynamics. We already see evidence of excitement about
science, interest in science careers, and increased scientific literacy in
precollege students. Working in 4 metro Atlanta school districts, PRISM has
provided over 1200 students with a “compelling need to know” through the
excitement of real world applications of science. (http://www.prism.emory.edu).
Three PRISM fellows
introduced PBL and ICBL into Renfroe Middle School (RMS) and established a
culture of stewardship and community involvement for solving real-world issues
in science. PRISM fellows help the
students create a culture of stewardship and establish connections to community
resources. The middle school students
are restoring pond and garden areas at RMS and have applied for funds from the
school PTA to carry out their improvement plans. PBL was used to engage students in the process of science and to
address the Georgia state-mandated learning objectives. The importance of this project lies in its
ability to do the following:
Eight fellows and one
teacher are presenting posters and papers at the International PBL conference
this June. One of our first year fellows won a Dean’s Teaching Fellowship and
will be developing and teaching a problem-based section of college general
chemistry. One of our fellows modified
his dissertation project to work with the school where he conducted his
fellowship. One fellow is working with
her mentor to develop cases for college level biological anthropology. Two fellows are working with Biology faculty
on a HHMI award to develop cases for introductory biology. One fellow plans cases for her graduate
program in Nutrition. Our first year graduate and teacher fellows assisted in
design and implementation of the summer institute for second year fellows and
are mentoring new fellows. Many of our first year teachers are continuing to
develop and implement cases in the curriculum.
Lehigh
University William
Pottenger billp@lehigh.edu
Our
partnership enhances the educational experience of students in grades
4-12. Graduate and undergraduate
Fellows help teachers introduce inquiry-based learning using mobile robotics,
multimedia, wireless and other innovative technologies. Outreach teams consisting of Lehigh
University teaching Fellows, faculty, and industry partners from Air Products
and Chemicals, Inc., Binney & Smith, Inc. and other local industries, train
and exchange ideas with STEM teachers and administrators from the Allentown and
Bethlehem Area School Districts. Project goals are to: increase interest and learning in STEM
disciplines for women and underrepresented minority students; instill a
life-long awareness and appreciation for educational issues in our Fellows; and
provide our STEM Teachers with training and resources to incorporate
inquiry-based learning methods in STEM education. As a result: the Computer Science team recently incorporated
programmable mobile robots into one of the participating middle schools’ curriculum
for technology instruction; the teachers and administrators have requested
discussions with the project teams regarding application across other subject
matters and across the district and may replicate this approach to the
Bethlehem Area School District; and parents are noticing that their children
are enthusiastic about learning science.
Louisiana Tech University David
Mills dkmills@latech.edu
Our experience shows it takes at least 3 months for Partner
Teacher/Teaching Fellow pairs to develop a really effective working
relationship. Based on initial lessons learned and to ease the process of
partnership development we have developed a Teaching Fellow Survival Guide and
Handbook with important information on university and school policies and
procedures as well as suggestions and tips from Teaching Fellows and Partner
Teachers.
New Mexico State University Nancy
J McMillan nmcmilla@nmsu.edu
Graduate fellows in geology, physics,
chemistry, and biology are paired with a middle school teacher in one of the
eleven middle schools in southern New Mexico (three school districts). They
attend a two-week summer workshop presented by our partner, the Chihuahuan
Desert Nature Park, the local experts in inquiry-based science learning. Skills
developed in the workshop are then implemented in the classroom. Fellows are
developing and teaching interdisciplinary, inquiry-based modules on
teacher-chosen topics. Modules are being translated into Spanish to reach our
many ESL middle school students and will be used for all Chihuahuan Desert
Nature Park activities. Fellows and teachers report increased student interest
in science and increased science knowledge and understanding in teachers. The interdisciplinary
thinking skills developed by fellows as they combine two or more disciplines in
the modules are being applied to their own thesis/dissertation research.
Penn State’s Track 2 GK-12 project,
“Graduate Research and Education in Advanced Transportation Technology
(GREATT),” uses transportation technology as a unifying theme for introducing
inquiry-based STEM teaching and learning in central Pennsylvania middle and
high schools. Several assessment tools have been used to examine the impact on
project constituencies including faculty advisors, GK-12 fellows, school
districts, K-12 teachers, and K-12 students. Examples of outcomes noted in the
most recent assessments follow.
K-12 students: A high-school teacher
surveyed students in classes where the fellows have been active. The classes
range from remedial to advanced. 84% of respondents answered “yes” to the
question “Have the demonstrations helped better your opinion
about science?” Written comments explaining their answers included: “I began to respect the field
of science more,” and “At one time I literally hated science but I don’t mind
it now.”
State University
of New York College of Dudley Raynal djr@mailbox.syr.edu
Environmental
Science and Forestry
The project
builds upon an existing collaboration with the Syracuse City School District
(SCSD), and other Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) in the High
School partner school districts—a mix of suburban and rural districts. The
interdisciplinary nature of environmental science is employed as an innovative
means to enrich multidisciplinary learning and professional development in
science.
Syracuse
University Marvin
Druger mdruger@syr.edu
Ten
fellow/teacher teams have been invigorating classroom activities by
implementing instructional enhancements, especially new technologies, into
dated curriculum. The enhancements focus on local environmental issues, and
modern facilities of the Center for Excellence in Environmental Systems have
been used by GK-12 teams for analysis purposes. In all, more than 300 Onondaga
County students have been directly impacted by the GK-12 teams on a daily
basis, and one of the team's teachers has noted a 12-point increase in overall
grade point averages in this year's class over previous years, indicating that
student performance seems to be improving as a result of increased technology
and demonstrations in the classroom. Students have shown greater interest in
and awareness of local environmental issues, and they seem excited about being
involved in relevant environmental projects.
University of California Berkeley Rosemary
Gillespie gillespi@nature.berkeley.edu
We are in the
process of creating museum collections based on activities designed and
conducted on field trips led by our Graduate Student Fellows. Beginning in
September 2003, high school students in participating classes have collected
plants, arthropods and other natural history objects during field trips. In
addition to learning various field collection, observation, and census
techniques, the students are keeping field notes and collection records, to properly
preserve and label specimens, and to use field guides and keys to identify
organisms. Included among the specimens collected and catalogued are >1,000
arthropods, 85 plants, and 20 other items (mammal scat, skulls, skins, etc).
They are now actively adding records to our database for the materials they
have collected.
University of Florida Douglas
Levey dlevey@zoo.ufl.edu
Our partnerships
with middle school science teachers in Florida aims to improve and enhance
middle school science education by using inquiry-based lessons based on the
theme of eco-health. Teachers and Fellows attended a two-week Institute in June
where they learned or refreshed their knowledge of inquiry-based learning. In addition,
several eco-health curriculum packages were tested and ways to adapt current
curriculum to eco-health approaches were explored. This approach seems to have
helped the teacher/ fellow pairs develop mutually beneficial relationships.
Teachers have been excited by the impact that new ideas and assistance from the
Fellows have provided. Fellows express
amazement at what it takes to be a teacher and report that they thoroughly
enjoy their time spent in the classroom and highly value the impact they are having
on middle school students. The
teacher/fellow pairs are developing teaching modules that will be made
available to all Alachua County science teachers and to others through our
website (http://spice.ees.ufl.edu).
University
of Georgia David
A. Knauft dknauft@uga.edu
A two week summer institute
for fellows, teachers, PI, Co-PI’s, and Program Coordinator was fundamental to building
the community of resources that fellows and teachers can draw from to
supplement current classroom activities.
An overarching goal is to
provide resources and training for high school science teachers so they can
provide inquiry-based instruction. Fellows offer additional scientific
expertise to their teachers as well as serving as liaisons, technologists,
resource providers and co-teachers. Teachers and fellows collaborate to create
real world demonstrations and experiments related to hard-to-learn concepts.
The goal is to help K-12 students realize that science can be fun, scientists
are real people and that being a scientist is a reachable goal for them.
Universidad Metropolitana RicoAlberto
Rivera Rentas ac_alrivera@suagm.edu
The
projects’ Fellow/teacher teams work in 8 school districts (urban, suburban and
extremely rural) to integrate basic environmental sciences concepts and
research into curricular activities, as well as incorporate the use of basic
technological tools in the classroom. The most significant outcomes
include: (1) eight environmental science and research classroom lessons in
Spanish tailored to the needs of both teachers and students using
constructivism and meeting the academic standards for science education of the
Puerto Rico Department of Education; (2) increase from 1 to 8 in the number of
science fairs at the participating schools; (3) 100% of the participating
teachers use basic technology in the classroom; (4) active support from the
Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) project in Puerto Rico in assessing the
needs of the schools and collaborating in developing eight mini forests in the
school yards; (5) close collaboration with the GK12 project at the University of
Puerto Rico Mayaguez; (6) active participation of students, parents and the
school community; and (6) at least 80% increase in the number of students
successfully passing the science course.
University of the Pacific Jim Blankenship jblankenship@uop.edu
Seven
graduate students in the Pharmaceutical and Chemical Sciences Program at
University of Pacific are busily enhancing science instruction with 34 grades 7-12 teachers
in San Joaquin County, California. Teams are comprised of grad students,
teachers, university faculty, retired researchers, and master teachers. A
summer institute and ongoing, yearlong meetings of the teams promote the
success of the project. Significant
outcomes include strong partnerships developed between all project partners and
university-school district the communication connections forged to improve
classroom instruction and to support inquiry-based science and to foster the
development of classroom research projects.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Judith
E. Miller jmiller@wpi.edu
Massachusetts introduced technology and engineering
into its K-12 Curriculum Frameworks in 2001. Worcester Polytechnic Institute
(WPI) and the Worcester Public Schools (WPS) formed a partnership to develop
technology/engineering curriculum materials for grades K-6 and to support
elementary school teachers, who do not generally have a technical background,
as they introduce engineering into the curriculum. In the first year, we worked
with six classes, one each in grades 4, 5, and 6 in two inner-city schools. The
focus was on developing the infrastructure and relationships to support ongoing
collaboration, and developing an on-line catalog of engineering lesson plans.
Data are being gathered regarding outcomes for teachers and elementary school
students; fellows reported statistically significant improvements in
perceptions of their teaching skills.
The project has drawn consistent praise from WPS, due primarily to the
perception that WPI team members approach the project with respect for the
expertise and authority of the teachers, and with sensitivity to the culture
and constraints of the public schools.
Parental involvement in the project has blossomed as families have
learned of the project through school newsletters, PIEE brochures, school open
house nights, on television at School Committee presentations, and at
"Showcase Nights" at WPI where families have been invited to see
their children's projects and hear the children present them. Most remarkable are the 6th grade girls, who
express themselves comfortably and confidently to adults, and who say they want
to study engineering as they progress to middle school and beyond.
Back to NSF Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12)