| |
Training and preparation will
have 6 components:
-
Summer Institute:(July 28-Aug 8, 2008)This two-week institute
will consist of 60 hours of instruction. To avoid the cognitive
overload associated with fast-paced survey courses, we will focus
on helping Graduate Fellows and middle school teachers develop
their inquiry-oriented teaching skills. Specifically, we will
target the following areas: approaches to hands-on science
inquiry, the learning cycle, conceptual change teaching, and small
group cooperative learning. Specific content topics related to
ecosystem health will serve as the context for learning these
teaching skills. All the lessons and activities will focus on
topics specifically addressed in the National Science and Sunshine
State Standards. We will also tour the participating schools and the labs of the graduate fellows. At the end of the Summer
Institute, Teachers and Fellows will be paired for the upcoming
year.
-
Scope and Sequence: Before the start of the school
year, each Graduate Fellow- Teacher team will meet to develop
lesson plans and come to final agreement on roles and expectations
for the upcoming semester. Together, they will prepare a "scope
and sequence" document, outlining topics and lesson plans for the
year. Particular attention should be paid to which inquiry-based
materials to adopt, how to modify them to be grade-level
appropriate, and how to ensure that national and state standards
are met.
-
Seminar: (1 credit course for Graduate Fellows) This
course will meet one evening per week. One
objective is to provide a mechanism for all participants to meet
on a regular basis, thereby providing a forum for addressing
logistical difficulties associated with the program. More
important, the seminar will provide an opportunity for Graduate
Fellows to share and discuss their experiences, while
simultaneously obtaining feedback and support. The goal is not to
"fix" particular problems in the classroom, but rather to raise
and resolve deeper issues that will resonate with all involved
(e.g., the emotional unpredictability of adolescents).
-
Short Course: All new Graduate Fellows
in SPICE will take a short course and follow-up workshops, specifically designed to focus on teacher-directed and
teacher-facilitated methods of teaching science in grades 6-8. (Date TBA)
- Workshops. We will hold 4 full-day workshops per semester for Fellows and Teachers. These will provide opportunities for participants to learn and practice new lesson plans, including modules created by SPICE Fellows and Teachers in previous years. Workshops also allow for Fellow-Teacher planning time.
-
GK-12 Summit and other conferences. One Graduate Fellow, one teacher, and
another Graduate Fellow or teacher will be chosen and funded to
attend NSF's "GK-12 Summit" in Washington, DC. This summit
provides a wealth of opportunity for learning about successful
practices of other GK-12 programs and for brainstorming about
common problems. SPICE will also fund participation by fellows and teachers in regional conferences.
|
 |
