Fostering Science Learning Through Inquiry Based, Student-Centered Pedagogy and Learning Communities

1
Fostering Science Learning Through Inquiry Based,
Student-Centered Pedagogy and Learning Communities

• Progress Report on a Cycle II DHE Improving
  Teacher Quality Grant Project
• Michael Ottinger, Martin Johnson, John Rushin,
  David Ashley, Y Wacek
• Missouri Western State College (University)
• Jay Meyers
• Saint Joseph School District

2
Introduction

• Description of MDHE Grants
• MWSC Project Design
• Teacher Demographics
• Summer Workshop Projects
• Follow-up Seminars
• Thoughts on On-going Project

3
MDHE Improving Teacher Quality Grants

• Approximately 1.2 Million Dollars of Federal
  Funds Annually from No Child Left Behind Act.
• Projects Long Term Goals
• Increases in the number of students at high need
  schools completing the high school core
  curriculum
• Increases in Science MAP scores and ACT
  sub-scores of middle and high school students at
  high need schools.
• Increases in the content knowledge and pedagogy
  skills of practicing teachers at high need
  schools.
• Increases in the number of students taking
  rigorous science courses at high need schools,
  and
• Better prepared newly-certified teachers (through
  changes in collegiate-level undergraduate science
  curriculum based on best practices from these
  funded professional development projects.
• (Cycle II - DHE Improving Teacher Quality Grants
  RFP, page 3)

4
Cycle II Objectives

• Increase teachers knowledge and understanding of
  key concepts in at least one of the three
  targeted science content areas
• a) Matter and Energy
• b) Force, Motion, and Mechanical Energy and/or
• c) Living Systems
• Improve teachers knowledge/understanding of
  hands-on, inquiry-centered science that
  incorporates best practices in instructional
  technology
• Improve student achievement in the three targeted
  science content areas
• Have a measurable impact on science education at
  the partnerships higher education institutions.
• (Cycle II - DHE Improving Teacher Quality Grants
  RFP, page 7)

5
MWSC Project Design

• MWSC Chemistry Department partnership with St
  Joseph School District
• Developed long-term relationship to increase use
  of inquiry-methods in the classroom.
• Applied for Grant based on RFP guidelines
• Change in MDHE Directors ? Change in RFP ? Change
  in eligible partners ? No Central High School
  (SJSD)
• Chemistry Department Withdrew

6
MWSC Project Design II

• Grant Resubmitted by LAS Dean, Biology and CSMP
  Departments.
• Similar to Chemistry Department proposal, but
  focused on regional high-need school districts
  (as newly defined).

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Fostering Science Objectives

• Improve teacher participants ability to use the
  learning cycle approach to increase student
  learning of the Missouri Show-Me objectives
• Improve teacher participants ability to
  establish themselves as facilitators within
  student learning communities at their
  respective schools.
• Improve teacher participants knowledge and
  understanding of inquiry-centered teaching
  methods in middle and high school biology,
  physical science and physics.
• Improve student achievement on MAP in the areas
  of life systems, matter and energy and
  force, motion , and mechanical energy.
• Create a learning community of teacher
  participants to share ideas and methods.
• Have all teacher participants become part of a
  larger learning community by participating in the
  Junior Division of the Missouri Academy of
  Science (JD-MAS) and the Mid-America Regional
  Science Engineering Fair (MARSEF)

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Project Activities

• 10-day Summer Short Course (July 12-21)
• 3 Saturday Follow-up Workshops During School Year
  (September, December, and May)
• Participation in JD-MAS and MARSEF in March

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Teacher Recruitment

• All High-need schools (as defined in the revised
  RFP) in NW Missouri were invited to participate
• Incentives
• 1000 stipend to teachers
• Two hours graduate credit from NWMSU
• Data Acquisition Equipment
• Meals during workshop.
• 15 Teachers Participated from 8 schools

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Demographics of Participating Schools

• High Need Schools
  Prof/Adv students
• Carrollton R-VII
  4.41 68.2
• King City R-I 4.13 30.3
• North Andrew R-VI 2.31 26.0
• North Nodaway R-VI 2.63 22.8
• Benton High School (SJSD) 6.65
  630.8
• Lafayette High School (SJSD) 6.65
  630.8
• Private School
• St Joseph Christian School N/A N/A
• Other Participating Schools
• Central High School (SJSD) 6.65
  630.8
• STATE AVERAGES 6.60
• SJSD district averages

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Demographics of Participants

• Middle School Science - 3 teachers
• Primarily HS Biology - 3 teachers
• Primarily HS Chem/Physics - 2 teachers
• All HS Science Courses - 7 teachers

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Summer Short Course Day 1

• Getting to Know You
• Each participant presented a demo representing
  their teaching style
• Pre-Workshop Surveys
• Concepts Quiz
• Attitude Survey
• Evaluator Questionnaires

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Summer Short Course- Day 1

• Presentations-
• The Learning Cycle
• by Dr. John Rushin
• Inquiry-Based Instruction I
• by Dr. Y Wacek
• Learning Communities
• by Dr. Martin Johnson

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Summer Short Course Day 2

• Introduction to Vernier Data Acquisition
  Equipment (LABPRO)
• Vernier Rep. John Schutter

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Summer Short Course Day 3

• Using Discrepant Events to Teach Inquiry-based
  Science by Bill Brent

Scotch Tape Electroscope
Electric Potential
The Cats Meow
Hovercraft
RGB Shadows
Picture in Space
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Summer Short Course Day 3

• Presentation Inquiry Based Instruction II
• Volcanic Cakes

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Summer Short Course - Days 4-5

• Life Sciences Activities

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Summer Short Course Day 5

• Motion
• Motion Detector
• Position, Velocity, Acceleration
• Free-Fall
• Force Probe
• Atwood Machine

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Summer Short Course Day 6

• Physics in the Park
• Rotational Motion
• Periodic Motion
• Cooling

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Summer Short Course Day 6

• Electricity Magnetism
• Series Parallel Christmas
• DC Motor
• Magnetic Slinky

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Summer Short Course Day 7

• Project Preparation Day
• Each Group was assigned to prepare 3-hour
  presentation on an investigative project that
  they would use in their class.
• Presentation could be 3 one-hour projects, 2
  ninety-minute projects, or 1 three-hour project,
  based on their school schedule.
• Equipment used should be available in their
  classroom, including the Vernier Equipment

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Summer Short Course- Days 8-10

• Presentation of Projects
• Optics Building a Telescope, observing sun
  spots
• Thermodynamics Designing and Building a Solar
  Oven
• Anatomy Sidewalk Chalk Drawings of Heart/
  Circulatory System
• Sound waves Recording Fourier Analysis of
  Various Noisemakers
• Zoology Pythons, Boas, and Tarantulas in the
  classroom

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Summer Short Course Day 10

• Post-Short Course Surveys
• Goal Setting and Discussion

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Fall Callback September 25

• Discussion of Inquiry-based methods employed in
  classrooms Plans
• Troubleshooting of Equipment Problems
• MARSEF / JD-MAS QA Session with successful
  teachers
• Rules Forms
• Encouraging students to participate

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Winter Callback Nov Dec

• Scheduling Conflicts so two sessions were held.
• Participants presented projects that had been
  done (or were going to be done).
• Participant groups completed the projects and
  rated presenter on used of Learning Cycle
• Group discussions on how to better utilize
  learning cycle.

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Spring Callback - March 4

• MARSEF
• 5 participants had 61 students entered in MARSEF
  (3 participants for first time)
• Several teachers brought students to view MARSEF
  preparation for next year.
• Junior High teachers had students participating
  in Jr. High Science Fair.

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Summer Callback May

• To be held
• Preparation of booklet of projects participants
  created from workshop
• Discussion of lessons learned this year
• Exit Surveys

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Summary of Project to Date

• Pros
• Teachers created strong Learning Community,
  especially among the rural school districts
• Equipment instruction acted as a seed for
  districts to acquire additional equipment for
  science classrooms.
• Cons
• Scheduling conflicts.