Delaware GK-12

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Delaware GK-12
A partnership between the University of
Delaware and the New Castle County Vocational
Technical School District www.udel.edu/GK-12 Fun
ded by the National Science Foundation Graduate
Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12)
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GK-12 Project Leaders

• George Watson (UD physics)
• Deborah Allen (UD biology)
• Kate Scantlebury (UD chemistry)
• Amy Quillen (NCCoVoTech)
• John Madsen (UD geology)
• Richard Donham (UD-MSERC-bioogy)

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Delaware GK-12 Grant

• 1.7million over three years
• Funding up to nine UD graduate students
• (GK-12 Fellows)
• Paired with high school science teachers
• To create a learning community of teaching teams
  to examine and reflect on current issues in
  education while specifically addressing critical
  needs in science education in vocational
  technical high schools.

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Delaware GK-12 Activities

• In summer workshops, teaching teams will be
  introduced to a number of innovative teaching
  strategies, including problem-based learning
  (PBL).
• During the academic year, Fellows will engage in
  coteaching with their teacher partners.
• Fellows will gain a better understanding and
  appreciation of the complexities and nuances of
  teaching science in high school.
• Teaching teams will have the opportunity to
  develop PBL activities, aligned with curricular
  needs, for students to experience the benefits of
  guided-inquiry learning environments.

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Delaware GK-12 Benefits

• Expected outcomes include
• Improved communication, teaching, and team
  building skills for the Fellows
• Professional development opportunities for
  science teachers
• Enriched learning for the high school students
  and
• Strengthened partnership between University of
  Delaware and the New Castle County VoTech School
  District.

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GK-12 Fellow

• Mary Boggs
• Biological Sciences

• Her research is on communication of neurons with
  bone cells and causes of bone cancer pain.
• She has served as a science tutor as an
  undergrad, teaching assistant for introductory
  biology, and substitute teacher in private school.

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GK-12 Fellow

• Thomas Ekiert
• Physics and Astronomy

• His research is on finite-size effects on
  properties of metallic nanoparticles
• He has served as grad teaching assistant in
  introductory physics, as well as course
  instructor.

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GK-12 Fellow

• Erin Foster
• Biological Sciences

• Her research is on protein interactions in DNA
  replication and its initiation.
• She has served as teaching assistant for
  introductory biology laboratory.

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GK-12 Fellow

• Kristy Longsdorf
• Chemistry and Biochemistry

• Her research is on surface chemistry and
  modeling for better understanding cellular
  signaling.
• She has served as grad teaching assistant in
  introductory chemistry classes.

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GK-12 Fellow

• John Meyer
• Physics and Astronomy

• His research is on energy release processes in
  plasmas, leading to better space weather
  monitoring and fusion energy devices.
• He has served in a variety of educational
  settings introductory physics lab, one-on-one
  tutoring, summer camps.

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GK-12 Fellow

• Nathan Nasdrowicz
• Entomology and Wildlife Ecology

• His research is on environmental factors
  influencing populations of long-tailed
  salamanders associated with springhouses.
• He has served as grad teaching assistant in a
  variety of environmental and biology courses, as
  well as co-instructor of herpetology.

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GK-12 Fellow

• Christopher Russell
• Physics and Astronomy

• His research is on computational astrophysics of
  massive stars.
• He has served as grad teaching assistant in
  introductory physics courses, as well as drumline
  instructor in local high schools.

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GK-12 Fellow

• Katherine Skalak
• Geological Sciences

• Research on the transport of mercury in rivers
• Geology Departments Outstanding Teaching
  Assistant in 2004
• Teaching in the family her husband Nick is
  currently teaching in the Delaware Schools

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GK-12 Fellow

• Jeffrey Spraggins
• Chemistry and Biochemistry

• His research is on oxidized peptides and their
  alteration on exposure to ozone.
• He has served as a grad teaching assistant and
  has earned a Higher Education Teaching
  Certificate. In college, he served as student
  instrument instructor for local H.S. students.

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Delaware GK-12
A partnership between the University of
Delaware and the New Castle County Vocational
Technical School District Funded by
the National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching
Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12)