Scientist/Educator Partnerships: A Paradigm for Successful Education and Public Outreach Programs II Posters
Presiding: J R Thieman, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; M F Ireton, Science Systems and Applications, Inc.
ED13C-01 1330h
Radio JOVE: Science Education Partnering Universities with Middle and High Schools
The Radio JOVE project (radiojove.gsfc.nasa.gov) began over six years ago as an NASA education-centered program to inspire school students' interest in space science through hands-on radio astronomy. Students build a radio receiver and antenna kit capable of receiving Jovian, solar, and galactic emissions at a frequency of 20.1 MHz. The Radio JOVE project has made it possible to monitor real-time, research quality, spectrograph data and audio from professional radio telescopes in Florida (ufro1.astro.ufl.edu) and Hawaii (jupiter.wcc.hawaii.edu) using standard web browsers and/or freely downloadable software (Radio-Skypipe software, radiosky.com). Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) has created a Radio JOVE telescope online (physics.mtsu.edu/~mtro) in order to improve school participation and add to the geographical coverage for observations. We are currently working with West End Middle School in Nashville to have students learn the process of science through observations, testing, analyzing, and archiving data. Using the Radio JOVE project we will attempt to improve students' interest and literacy in science; we will highlight quantitative data on students and learning outcomes. We hope this can lead to a long-term partnership in education between MTSU and local middle and secondary schools.
ED13C-02 1330h
Redefining Scientist-Educator Partnerships: Science in Service at Stanford
The Stanford Solar Observatories Group and Haas Center for Public Service have created an innovative model for scientist-educator partnerships in which science students are trained and mentored by public service education professionals to create outreach events for local communities. The program, Science in Service, is part of the EPO plan for the Solar Group's participation in NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory mission. Based on the principles of service learning, the Science in Service Program mentors college science students in best practices for communicating science and engages these students in public service projects that center on teaching solar science. The program goals are to - Enhance and expand the learning experiences that pre-college students, from underserved and underrepresented groups in particular, have in science and technology. - Promote leadership in community service in the area of science and engineering among the next generation of scientists and engineers, today's undergraduate students. - Encourage science and engineering faculty to think creatively about their outreach requirements and to create a community of faculty committed to quality outreach programs. This talk will describe the unique advantages and challenges of a research-public service partnership, explain the structure of Stanford's Science in Service Program, and present the experiences of the undergraduates and the outreach communities that have been involved in the program.
ED13C-03 1330h
Is Our Educational System Flexible Enough? YUKOS Students: A Case of Inquiry-Centered Approach (GGD NSU)
At present the educational system in earth science should be flexible enough. On the one hand, universities and educators should take into account the employer requirements. On the other hand, the university system should be student-centered in order to be competitive enough. Since PERESTROYKA much has been done in Russian educational system: - New modern specialties as well as universities and colleges have appeared. - The 4+2 (Bachelor + Master) university system, flexible enough have been introduced (when a student can choose both the elective and a lecturer). - The country became more open to the world community. However, education in Russia still needs new reforms and improvements. This paper describes a new approach in Russian educational system. This approach is both student-centered and employer-centered. Both the university, and professors and lecturers can benefit from this way of study. This type of education is also very attractive for students, because it is free and allows them a good career possibility in an oil company. Since September 2003 at GGD NSU (Geology and Geophysics Department of Novosibirsk State University) there is a special YUKOS group of students earning their Master's Degree in Geophysics. 1. Only graduates of Physics or Mathematics Departments can study in this special YUKOS group (in this way the company can be sure that only the students with very good mathematical and physical background are chosen). 2. Only the students with very high scores are eligible. However the entrance exams are based on free competition. 3. The YUKOS students study general courses of geology at GGD NSU. Each student also has a scientific advisor of very high qualification in Geophysics. 4. During a year of study the students are supposed to earn their Master's Degree in Geophysics (they already have their MSD either in Physics or in Mathematics). 5. The graduates are supposed to continue their education in YUKOS center in Tomsk (for a year) and earn their Master's Degrees in Petroleum Engineering. 6. All education is free for students. 7. Both the university and professors and lecturers can benefit form this project, because all the work of teachers and professors is sponsored by YUKOS Company. The salaries for professors and lecturers teaching the YUKOS group are very high (as compared to other groups). 8. The employers save their own funds, because they will not have to hire the staff. 9. The university benefits from this Project financially, as well as the teachers and instructors will have to be competitive enough, and to raise their qualification level. To conclude, at present oil companies in Russia are interested only in very high-qualified specialists with both good mathematical, physical and geologic background. That is why the companies are ready to invest their funds to universities. Universities in turn can benefit from cooperation with commercial companies. However for students this high-quality education is free and gives them possibility to start a very successful career.
ED13C-04 1330h
Ocean Sciences as a Foundation for Curriculum Design
The GK-12 OCEANS program is an initiative of the National Science Foundation (NSF). This program provides marine science graduate students within the College of Marine Science, USF, weekly interactions with K-12 teachers and students in Pinellas County schools with the overall purpose of enhancing the quality and effectiveness of science teaching. The GK-12 OCEANS program provides hands-on and minds-on ocean science learning inquiries. Campbell Park Elementary is a Marine Science attractor school designed to provide a child-centered approach to learning that integrates marine science activities into the daily curriculum while meeting the required state education standards. In 2003-04 a GK-12 Fellow helped third and fourth grade teachers design new teaching curricula that integrated ocean sciences. The current 2004-04 Fellow and teachers are implementing the new curriculum, assessing feasibility and impact on students' learning. One characteristic of the new curriculum includes several field trips to local natural settings during which students have the opportunity to collect data the way scientists do, and use real scientific instruments and approaches. The information collected is then used in different activities within the classroom. These activities encourage the students to use inquiry as the basis of their learning experience, in which the application of scientific thinking and methods are keys. This process also requires the students to apply skills from other disciplines such as writing, reading, and math. Towards the end of the school year the students have the opportunity to highlight their accomplishments through two projects, 1) a hall display of different ocean zones, which includes habitat characteristics and species adaptations, and 2) a marine science experiment presented at the school science fair. The results and accomplishments from the implementation of these new curricula will be presented at the conference.