Encouraging Technology
and Hands On Science in Elkhart

$510,000.00

Promote inquiry-based/learning cycle approaches to K-6 science teaching that involve scientific methods of reasoning and problem solving (observing, questioning, hypothesizing, predicting, collecting, analyzing data and forming conclusions).

April 2005 – May 2008

1. Encourage professional development efforts that bring K-6 science teachers together with field scientists and engineers from Bayer, Inc. and other industry professionals such as higher education science instructors from Purdue University.
2. Impact K-6 science teachers to become more knowledgeable concerning science content and hands-on inquiry based methods of instruction.
3. The professional development activities and the change in student performance will be measurable, ambitious, and realistic.

Purdue University - Approval of course content, oversight of teacher training, program evaluation

ETHOS: Develop course content for each year, Serve as training staff and support group, Serve as facility and materials resource, Provide integration methods for math and language arts, Provide additional science educational opportunities

Two major community events were designed to help promote interest in science.  The first was Science Spooktacular that was a collaboration of scientists and engineers from Bayer Corp and the American Chemical Society joining forces with local teachers, ETHOS staff and professors and students from Purdue, Notre Dame and St Mary’s.  This event hosted over 1000 attendees and allowed the opportunity for teachers to interact and learn a diverse set of science activities that they could include in their classroom instructions.
The second was Science Night that included area teachers, Montessori School staff, and many scientists/engineers from community businesses that engaged over 200 attendees to many new hands on science activities.
Another experience was the in depth instruction from Purdue professors, Dr. Jerry Krockover and Dr. Dan Shepardson for the Elkhart Community School Science Liaison’s that was provided for by the MSP grant.

• K-6 teachers have been immersed in variety of eight workshops involving science content and process designed specifically for their class curriculum. 
• Week long inquiry classes have teachers exploring ways to create an environment within the classroom that is conducive to inquiry-based education which is based on the FERA learning cycle (Focus, Explore, Reflect, Apply)
• Liaisons are guided through the development of designing performance based assessment tools as they apply to measuring student achievement of content and critical thinking skills. 

The Master Science Teachers conduct on site visits, model science teaching sessions and provide support directly or via e-mail and phone to encourage all K-6 teachers in the district who are teaching science.

Workshop Training Comments: (Marsha Jones, 3rd grade teacher)
“The most beneficial thing about the workshop: Setting up and working with the equipment made me more confident about teaching the lesson.” 
“The most beneficial thing about the workshop was how it ties into student conceptual understanding and other content tie-ins.”  (P.Kurowski-6th grade teacher)
Classroom Visit Comment: (4th grade teacher)
“Wow!  My class and I are so thankful to the three of you. (The Master Science Teachers)  It was helpful to the students.  I was pleased with the writing responses I received and
apparent understanding” 
Science Summer Workshop Participant - Kindergarten Teacher
“I learned a lot, refreshed a lot, and I truly am excited to teach science this year with lessons I created that are actually useable and extremely useful.”
Community Events:  (Susan Sheets- School administrator and Science teacher)
“It was good for the kids to see and interact with real scientists and interact on a personal level.  This event helps students to alter their preconceived ideas about what is a scientist and lets them see scientists as “real” people.  At the same time, scientists were able to talk to the kids, engage them, and draw them into the concepts while being entertaining with their science activities.”
Total Program: (Dr. David R. Benak, Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction, Elkhart Community Schools)