Summer Workshop Plans

Keystone Summer Workshop Agenda

1. Course Description
   1. What are the special goals or purposes of the course?

      The students will:

      • enhance participants science and technology education background knowledge
      • be exposed to best practice in teaching: research supported
      • learn to apply the constructivist philosophy through direct hands-on experience with exemplary materials
      • learn to use telecommunications (MetNet, Internet, and modems) as a tool to get connected with other teachers
      • develop a strategic action plan based on the state and national science and technology standards, that will provide for a self-sustaining science and technology program
      • work with a scientist partner to increase conceptual knowledge and process skills
      • be actively involved in inquiry, problem-solving, model building, and the design process
      • explore activities that help them understand how to deal with misconceptions that students develop
      • become familiar with how a science and technoology center works and its advantages
      • use integration methods to critique their own distric's curricula for possible integration areas or topics
      • identify and map appropriate places where other subjects such as math may or should be integrated into the science unit
      • explore various methods of integrating subjects into thematic units
      • explore ways to open instruction through inquiry strategies

      The mentor leaders will:

      • practice mentoring, coaching, and presenting strategies
      • explore how to provide for positive change as they act as coaches
      • be exposed to good presentation skills such as questioning strategies as modeled in the inquiry activities that they do
      • present an inquiry kit based science workshop

   2. Course Outline containing all the major topics plus a brief description of the material to be covered under such major topic headings.
      1. Getting Connected with Telecommunications:
         
         • communicate in learning circles via MetNet
         • use materials that have high classroom utility
         • receive resources that help with state and national standards
         • remain current with curriculum and instructional developments
         • receive meaningful support for new innovations being deployed in classrooms
      2. Instructional Strategies
         
         • effective questioning
         • scientist/teacher partnerships in kit presentations
         • dealing with misconceptions
         • constructivism
         • inquiry
         • integration
         • assessment to guide instruction and assess program
      3. State and national science and technology standards
         
         • What are they?
         • Effect on local science programs
         • How to implement them?
         • Exemplary materials
      4. Content knowledge base enhancement (life, earth and physical science)
         
         • scientist partnerships
         • hands-on activity approach through kit explorations
         • mentor leader partnerships
      5. Reading list to be used
         
         • National Science Education Standards
         • Keystone Notebook with selected articles
         • Active Assessment for Active Science, George E. Hein & Sabra Price.
         • Classroom 2061 Activity Based Assessment in Science, Susan Dunn &l Rob Larson
         • Educator's Internet Companion, staff of Classroom Connect
         • Design Technology Children's Engineering, Susan Dunn &l Rob Larson
         • Pursuing Excellence: TIMSS Study
         • Inquiry Strategies for Science and Mathematics Learning It's Just Good Teaching, Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, May, 1997.
         • Notebook of selected readings
2. Level of Offering
   1. Has the course been offered previously? -- yes

   2. Does it represent an upgraded version of an undergraduate course? -- no

   3. What are the prerequisites for the course?

      Students must:
      

      • have successfully completed a teacher education program
      • be administrators, teachers of the NSF sponsored, Bozeman based, Keystone Project

   4. What performance requirements are placed on students which makes this a graduate level course? State the written requirements or products of the course. How is student learning assessed and graded?
      • The participants are required to have an advanced understanding of education, have an interest in teaching, learning and curriculum, have a strategic science and technology plan previous to the class, and be a member of a consortium school.
      • Performance requirements that indicate graduate level course work include:
        • synthesize the course offerings into further enhancing the science and technology plan
        • apply the strategies and techniques learned into their classroom action plan
        • redesign or adjust the implementation component of the strategic plan in order to provide a science program that is sustainable after the grant is completed
        • analyze the school's strategic plan's effectiveness and how it is meeting the state and national science standards
      • Student learning will be assessed through the following:
        • active participation in class discussions and activities
        • a typed or word processed 5-6 page paper describing how you, the individual participant (teacher, administrator, or other staff member), plan to meet the goals of the school's strategic science plan: (Areas that the individual should address in the paper. Please start your paper with a description of how science and technology are accomplished or enhanced in your job. Use references from your summer training to help explain what you will do in your individual classroom to help enhance your school's science and technoloyg efforts. What do you want your teaching to look like in two years and how do you plan to make it happen? What actual goals have you set for yourself in the area of science teaching for the coming year? In other words, I am really asking you to develop a strategic plan that can be accomplished in the position that you hold in your school.
          • What staff development needs do you have?
          • What will you actually try in your area of curriculum?
          • How do you think your individual plan dove-tails with the goals of the schoo?
          • What part are you wiling to play in the broader picture of staff development for you school?
          • How can Keystone help you next year with staff development?

          This paper should contain a summary section about what you have learned in this institute and how you will apply the ideas in the implementation of your school's strategic plan. How will your students react to the strategies presented this summer? What do you envision your new needs to be due to Keystone involvement?

3. Relationship to Other Courses, Curricula, and Departments
   1. Does the course build on or interrelate with other courses in your curriculum or related curricula?
      • Since this course or institute addresses many topics that are common to teaching, this course will be a complement rather than a repeat of Montana State University classes. One intent of the class is to have participants apply and refine their already broad and diverse teaching styles.

   2. Does course replace one or more courses which will not be offered? -- no

   3. Do the topics in the proposed course duplicate or reiterate those in other courses in this or any other departments? If so, how do the coverage and educational experiences differ and why is the duplication or reiteration necessary? -- no

   4. What liaison has been conducted with other departments? State reations both favorable and unfavorable.
      • Ruth Johnson in the past has discussed this proposal with Gloria Gregg. Ruth felt that she reacted favorably to the ideas. Before our first application for this course, I discussed with Michael Brody whether or not this offering would compete with regular MSU classes. Mike stated that this was not a problem since this type of class is not given at MSU.
      • This will be the fourth summer for this course. In the past years, it has not conflicted with any university efforts. In fact, my discussions with MSU staff members such as Greg Francis, George Tuthill, Tim Slater, Bonnie Sachatello-Sawyer, John Etgen, and others indicate that Keystone's efforts enhance and complement the university endeavors in the science area.

4. Students Served
   1. Who or what group is this course particularly designed to serve?
      • This course is primarily designed to meet the needs of teachers and administrators of the Keystone Project (teachers and administrators from the grant consortium districts). If there is space, others may attend at their own expense.

   2. What is the anticipated enrollment?
      • There will be one session offered in June, 1999, with an enrollment limit of 50.

5. Resources:
   1. Are the department financial resources sufficient for this course?
      • This course will be self-sufficient in that it will not require financial resources of the education department or from MSU in general. It will be supported by Keystone NSF grant funds.

   2. What is the instructor's background for offering this course?
      • The instructors of record will be Myra Miller and Dr. Ruth Johnson.

        I, Myra, have organized and presented similar institutes with one difference: only OPI credits were awarded; however, I have taught the science methods class as an adjunct professor in which I used MSU's grading system. I have also been a teaching computer lab assistant for Montana State University. I have finished my course work toward a doctorate but have not completed the dissertation. For the past three Keystone summer institutes, I have to read and grade about 400 papers on which I wrote individual comments on each. I have been involved in many facets of education for the past thirty-one years. At the present time, I am the Keystone Project Director and the Science and Technology Center Coordinator for Bozeman Public Schools. See attached vitae.

        Ruth has been an adjunct professor for Montana State University. She taught the assessment class for several years as well other classes such as statistics. Ruth also held the position of student teaching director at MSU. She also observes student teachers and consults with schools on curriculum development projects. See vitae on file at MSU.

   3. To what extent has the adequacy of library holdings pertinent to this course been examined?
      • I have found the library resources to be adequate to meet our needs.
      • The Keystone Project has purchased an extensive library to support our objectives.

6. Other supporting Material:

   Many handouts and research articles in the Keystone notebook.

Montana State University (possible presenters: depending upon schedules)

The professors listed above have helped in the past Keystone sessions; however, sometimes their schedules and/or work load do not allow them the freedom to interact with our project. We have used and will use again many MSU graduate science students as content specialists in partnership with a classroom teacher to do kit based presentations when professors are not available. As the need arises, we will also be inviting other professors and graduate students to join us this year.

Other Consultants

Local Montana Talent

This institute includes:

• focus on best practice through exemplary materials such as kits
• modeling of constructivist philosophy
• a day at the museum: resources available
• exploring the great outdoors as a classroom: a field day
• introduction to Keystone and its goals
• introduction to MetNet and Internet as telecommunication tools
• strategic planning for science and technology
• questioning and integrating through adapted Exploratorium techniques
• introductino to the standards: materials provided
• enhancing content with science exploration led by teacher and a scientist

Who should attend:	This institute is designed for first time participants of a Keystone summer institute. (limit of 50 participants) (Preference is given teachers who teach science.)
For Participants:	* $360 stipend * travel at $.325 a mile except Bozeman participants and other districts' teachers who live in Bozeman (must car pool) * food and room costs for long distance participants (2 people to a room)
For Schools:	* a mini-grant of $200 per participant
Dates:	June 13 - 18, 1999
Where:	Bozeman Senior High School Cafeteria
Time:	8:00 am - 5:00 pm each day except Sunday dinner, registration, and speaker at 5:30 pm at the Elks at 106 E. Babcock in Bozeman
Credit:	3 grad credits pending or 50 Renewal Units (The longer days are needed to get the 3 credits.)