The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a grant of $746,312 to Monroe Community College (MCC) for support of its Workshops for the Improvement of Science Education (WISE) Project. The WISE Project is a collaborative effort between MCC and Western New York schools, designed to enhance the skills of secondary school science teachers through a series of workshops scheduled to begin in August 2004.
The WISE Project proposal was among 60 projects selected-out of over 200 proposals received-by the NSF's Division of Undergraduate Education and Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education to receive an Advanced Technological Education award. The grant will be awarded over a three-year period.
"MCC faculty have responded directly to educational needs identified by the National Science Foundation and the New York State Education Department," said Monroe Community College President R. Thomas Flynn. "Students will undoubtedly benefit if their science teachers are better supported. Monroe is well positioned to provide exposure to new technologies and science teaching methods to area teachers through the WISE Project."
WISE Project workshops will target four specific academic disciplines: biology, chemistry, physics and earth science. Teachers will work with MCC faculty to develop lesson plans that incorporate fundamental scientific principles with appropriate modern laboratory materials and equipment. MCC will invite 24 teachers to participate in each of the four subject areas for a total of 96 participants each summer. The five-day workshops will be held in mid-August over the course of the three-year project.
"The WISE Project will also help teachers address major revisions to the high school science curricula in New York," said MCC Chemistry and Geosciences Department Chair John W. Cullen, Brighton, the principal investigator and director of the WISE Project. "Fellow professors and I have been working on this proposal for about three years. We incorporated feedback from area high school teachers received through focus groups, surveys and discussion."
MCC faculty will provide instruction and supervision within the workshops. Key features of the project include:
*Hands-on training in the use of modern technology, instrumentation and software
*Equipment/software availability for teachers to bring back to their home schools
*Cooperative development of laboratory projects and experiments
*Follow-up activities to assist and reward teachers in implementation
*Emphasis on pedagogical content knowledge
*Web-based resource for continuous sharing of materials and networking
"MCC faculty have structured the workshops to include both hands-on laboratory experience and a focus on 'content knowledge,' combining the art and science of teaching within the workshops," said Cullen. "I am grateful to the NSF for its support of this project and eager to exchange ideas on how to best convey scientific knowledge to a diverse student population," he said.
Other MCC faculty contributors to the proposal included Richard Connett, Ph.D., Rochester, chair of the Biology Department; Paul D'Alessandris, Victor, professor of engineering science and physics; John Cottrell, Ph.D., Rochester, professor of geosciences.
The National Science Foundation funds research and education in science and engineering through grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. The Foundation accounts for about 20 percent of federal support to academic institutions for basic research.
Rosanna Condello
Public Affairs
06/03/2003 |