When teachers enroll in the series of workshops offered with
The Science House’s S3 model (Sustained STEM Support), they receive many learning opportunities to enhance their content knowledge and inquiry skills. After each session of the yearlong model, teachers practice these skills in the classroom, then meet to share successes and identify stumbling blocks. Inquiry isn’t always an easy strategy to implement in the class-
room because in many cases, students are accustomed to being told what to do. With inquiry-based learning, students have more free- dom to develop their own investigations. However, they must also utilize critical-thinking skills to be successful in developing pro- cedures or analyzing results. A National Research Council report entitled “How People Learn” (Bransford et al., 1999) details the close relationship between inquiry-based pedagogy and increased student learning. Providing experiential learning opportunities for students to interact with their environment, collect and analyze data, and communicate their findings enhances process skills and leads to a deeper understanding of the content. The Science House programs link the research university to the
Caldwell County science teachers learn to use the Vernier LabQuest with temperature and GPS sensors to compare air temperatures as they search for the coolest spot on campus.
needs of k–12 education and have a tremendous impact on the com- munity. Teachers become more effective in their teaching of sci- ence concepts through inquiry-based strategies. They also become more efficient through the use of data-collection technology. Inves- tigations that took hours can be done in minutes, leaving more time for data analysis. Students learn to investigate and analyze the world through technology. Analyzing and understanding their own data is more interesting than using data from a textbook. Students are engaged in the learning process and are able to conduct further investigations quickly when questions arise. Stewardship practices are enhanced as students collect and map data over time revealing changes in the environment caused by human or natural forces.
Parents often receive both technology education and a better understanding of science
concepts from their children. By educating students, we can also help parents understand the benefits of new technologies. The Community desires a world-class education system in which teachers assist students in developing technology, critical-thinking, problem- solving, collaboration, and communication skills necessary for a productive labor force. As students share their data with local governments and other organizations, they see the value of their work and may just find an exciting STEM career! !
Regina Barrier is the Lead Outreach Coordinator for The Science House, North Carolina State Uni- versity. The Northwestern Satellite Office of The Science House is located at The Education Center, 1914 Hickory Boulevard, Southwest, Lenoir, NC 28645.
gina_barrier@ncsu.edu
Acknowledgments
The Education Foundation Inc. of Caldwell County, the Google Data Centers Grants Fund of The Tides Foundation, and the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Foundation Ribbon of Hope grant programs pro- vided funding for these projects. The author would like to thank Michelle Benigno and science teach- ers in Burke and Caldwell Counties of North Carolina who participated in a yearlong S3: Sustained STEM Support program of The Science House and who provided some of the ideas in this article.
RESOURCES
Geocaching: Visit this site for program descriptions, merchandise and tools, and a forum for sharing. Vernier: This site includes the Vernier catalog, activities and programs, and support.
PAGE 10 • Connect ©SYNERGY LEARNING • 800-769-6199 • MARCH/APRIL 2012
regina barrier
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28