Program of Institutes. The Lead-Scientist
Institutes usually have about 50 participants from all
over the country. In a combination of hands-on workshops,
discussions in small groups, presentations by nationally
known experts, simulation's of the change process, a
careful inspection of the reform program in the nearby Montgomery
County Public Schools(MCPS), including its
materials support center, and case studies of other
school districts, the three to five person
scientist-educator teams discuss the following:
- The goals that they have for science education
and the relationship of these goals to the
national consensus that has developed and is
reflected in the National Science Education
Standards of the National Research Council
and the Benchmarks for Science Literacy of
the American Association for the Advancement of
Science.
- The nature of hands-on, inquiry-based education.
With national experts, the participants explore
cognitive development of children and
constructivist approaches. Participants visit
schools in the Montgomery County Public Schools
(MCPS) and observe children who are involved in
active, inquiry-based science content and process
learning.
- What constitutes exemplary curriculum materials.
The participants learn about the criteria such
materials must meet, observe such materials being
used in classrooms, and directly experience these
materials in hands-on workshops. Some of these
workshops are led by the science educators who
have developed the materials.
- How thousands of kits of hands-on materials can
be used and maintained with maximum efficiency
and the budget aspects of this enterprise.
Participants visit the MCPS
materials support center to see how it
works and to ask questions.
- What must be done to provide a professional
development program for teachers to learn a
hands-on inquiry-based way of teaching (standards
for this are given in Chapter 4 National
Science Education Standards). During the
Institute, national experts discuss the
challenges of providing professional development
for elementary school teachers, and MCPS'
experiences are analyzed.
- How one can measure or "assess" what
children are learning in hands-on inquiry-based
classrooms, and what this means for standardized
testing. Participants receive presentations from
national experts on various aspects of the
"assessment challenge," perhaps the
most difficult of all the challenges that must be
overcome to achieve sustainable improvement in
science education programs.
- How dramatic change can actually occur in a given
school district. Considered as a system, school
districts are surprisingly complex. Causing
change to occur in such a system, particularly
sustainable change, can be very difficult.
Participants play the "Change Game," a
simulation that exposes many of the complexities
of this process and highlights the challenges to
lead scientists when they become involved. (For
more information about the "Change
Game," contact Susan Mundry at The
Network--1-800-877-5400.)
- The roles scientists can play in the reform
process. Participants and experts explore several
roles and emphasize three:
- supporting teachers in learning to teach
with hands-on kits of materials organized
into teaching modules
- partnering lead teachers (who teach other
teachers) to deepen their understanding
of relevant science content and
scientific habits of mind
- being advocates for change in these
districts and validators of what the
children are learning as science
Participants have an opportunity to interact with
national leaders in several of these areas and to receive
a Sourcebook of selected articles on relevant
topics as well as copies of several key books on science
education reform.
Responsibilities of Lead Scientists. When they
return to their home areas, the Lead-Scientist teams are
expected first to work closely with school district
leaders to plan how scientists can most usefully support
the district's reform. Together with the school district,
the teams then arrange for a one-day workshop for area
scientists, recruit scientists to participate, and assist
American Physical Society personnel in conducting the
workshop. Finally, they work with school district leaders
to put participating scientists to work in helping to
improve science education in that district.
Cost. The APS covers all costs of attendance at
the Lead-Scientist Institutes, including travel, lodging,
breakfasts, lunches, and an evening banquet for all
participants.
Recruiting Lead Scientist Institute Teams. To
recruit scientists for the Lead-Scientist Institutes,
TSAI usually starts by identifying school districts (or
consortia) that have sent leadership teams either to the
www National Elementary Science Education Institutes of
the National Science Resources Center or TSAI's own
annual Regional Leadership Institutes. Sometimes
districts are identified by local scientists who have
learned independently of TSAI programs.
In each of the identified districts, TSAI then locates
from two to four scientists, engineers, or other
technical professionals who are willing to make a
leadership commitment. Sources of these potential leaders
include various professional societies and their
educational outreach activities, technology companies,
institutions that are supporting local systemic reform,
and key individual scientist recommendations. In
anticipation of the role the lead scientists will be
expected to play, TSAI also recruits educators who are
playing key roles in their local districts' reform
efforts.
