Enhancing the Public Understanding of Science and the Professional Development of Pre-college and University Science Teachers

Janice Koch, Ph.D.http://www.hofstra.edu/IDEAShttp://people.hofstra.edu/faculty/janice_koch

Presentation to the Association for Science Teacher EducationJanuary 20-23, 2005

Institute for the Development of Education in the Advanced

Sciences

Hofstra University - 25 miles east of New York CityA private coeducational non-sectarian university with 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students studying in schools of education, law, communication, business and the liberal arts and sciences.

An outreachinstitute Professional

development for science teachers

The Public Understanding Of Science

Workshops for college sciencefaculty

Our Mission: Enhancing the public engagement with and understanding of science….

The Tortoise and the Lava Flow: Geology and Evolution in the Galapagos Islands

Computational Physics of the Heart: Normal and Abnormal Rhythms in Heart Disease

Treating Lower Back Pain without Medication: Alternatives

Dead Stars Do Tell Tales: The Exciting Case of Supernova 1987A

Turtles in New York City

Supplying Long Island with Fresh Water

Pandora’s Baby- The Reproductive Revolution

A Chemical Cure for the Common Cold

The Search for Extra- Solar Planets

Free Public Lectures on…….

Initially funded by the New York State legislature…now a permanent structure of the School of Education

IDEAS has been assembled to provide a focus on cutting edge issues in science and technology, for the general public, local publicand private school teachers and administrators, and college educators.

Turtles in New York City-Sept 23, 2004

High school students, the college community and senior citizens attend and visit the Hofstra Observatory after the lecture….we begin the fall season!

Did you know that that the world's largest population of terrapins nest primarily on a small island in Jamaica Bay, in New York City? They are struggling to survive the predation of over 300 raccoons!

Science Writer Robin Henig visits Hofstra for IDEAS PANDORA'S BABY: How the first Test Tube Babies Sparked the Reproductive

Revolution Robin Henig specializes in writing books

and articles about medicine and science and is a frequent contributor to The New York Times Magazine and Science Times.

She met with some students first and then presented a public lecture –November, 2004

Our Mission: Providing for the professional development of science and technology professors…

First, on October 8- IDEAS welcomes Dr. David Hanson

POGIL- PROCESS ORIENTED GUIDED INQUIRY LEARNING

The POGIL approach involves creating a learning environment where students are actively engaged in mastering a discipline and in developing essential skills by working in self-managed teams on guided inquiry activities.

Next… More Professional Development for University Science Faculty- featuring the Biology Grant

IDEAS evaluates the NSF Bio Grant….Faculty Institutes for Reforming Science Teaching(FIRST)

Re-inventing college Biology

Pedagogical innovations- Electronic Response systems, labs that match lecture and workshops following inquiry labs.

Our Mission: Professional Development for pre-college science

educators

Geology for teachers and travelers…. Oct 16-17: The goal of this weekend is to

investigate the geologic history revealed in the natural feature of southeastern New York State.

Opportunities to collect specimens; Earn in service or grad credits; New York State asthe Geology Lab…

Ten teachers- on the Geology Field trip-fall 2004

Exit surveys reveal….

This was an important opportunityFor me…even teaching earth science, I never understood the formationsIn New York [state]

Great two-day experience with no cares-All details were pre-arranged- and we could maintain our focus…

I learned a ton of stuff that helped me to understand geologic history-because there was a relevant context…

Although I had no prior knowledge of geology I had no problem following the presenter…

Professional development for elementary and secondary science teachers

Science in the daily life of the classroom;

Teachers as Researchers;

Classroom Demos in the physicalsciences

Professional development for Elementary and Secondary teachers…con’t… Keith Sheppard from Teachers College, NY present the

i-video workshop- the use of teacher made videos to enhance teacher scientific understanding while presenting difficult concepts that can be dangerous in the classroom to secondary students.

Greg Stefanich from the University of Northern Iowa presents doing Science with Students with Disabilities to elementary and secondary science teachers.

Ken Appleton from Queensland, Australia presents Science Activities that “work” to teachers in the elementary school.

Alec Bodzin from Lehigh University presents “Using the Web to promote Science Learning.”

How have we done? 2004 At the public lectures

there were an average of 31 people at each lecture;

People expressed that they heard about IDEAS from the web site…. from word of mouth, from the list serve of

Long Island School administrators and

from the mailings.

Evaluating the professional development workshops To what extent…

Did the program meet the educational objectives stated in the IDEAS Institute flyer?

Was the presentation level appropriate? Was the faculty or presenter effective? Was the information current? Did the instructor present in a clear and orderly

fashion? Did the instructor maintain your interest? Did the program help you professionally? Were the facilities comfortable? Overall, would you recommend the program? Session Comments……………….. _______________________________________

Some results and comments! Where “5” represented “great Extent” in response to survey

questions, participants rated the categories a “4” or “5” ninety-five percent of the time.

Comments included… Excellent presentation; wonderful ideas for the classroom; I

learned to think outside the box; A great program-I am ready to buy an iMac; presenters were

extremely helpful, well informed and this seminar was a great one!

This workshop should be brought to the school for the entire faculty;

The IDEAS Institute is great! Do more….. This was an amazing example of teachers as learners; thank you

IDEAS for supporting this workshop. Great program- excellent presenters-thank you for making it

possible.

Does your university have a science outreach institute?

I am interested in starting a consortium of outreach institutes-sharing ideas and programs…

Contact me at Janice.Koch@hofstra.edu