This interdisciplinary program will involve graduate fellows from three of the physical science departments (Geological Sciences, Engineering, and Physics) at Brown University, who will immerse themselves in science pedagogy in two crucial pieces of the Providence Public School (PPS) system science pipeline: Elementary grades 3-6 and High School. Both levels of the PPS face significant challenges. All science specialist positions were eliminated across the system at the Elementary level four years ago, and the High School Science curriculum is moving toward a "Physics-First" sequence. In support of these changes, this program will be thematically broad, but with a focus relating STEM skills and concepts from the physical sciences to the environment and technology that surrounds the students. Graduate students at Brown and their teacher-partners will bring the excitement, stimulation, and modeling of science skills and modes of thought to students. Graduate students will bring creativity and insight from their own research to the classroom. This project also seeks to change the institution culture by demonstrating to science faculty that graduate student retention and communication skills increase through K-12 outreach activities, and by connecting faculty to a predominantly minority public school system.
Brown’s GK-12 Program "Physical Processes in the Environment" supported over 30 Brown graduate fellows who worked directly with the Providence Public Schools, along with a series of training and enrichment programs for K-12 teachers and students. Graduate Fellows and partner teachers participated in pedagogical training and professional development workshops, which provided the necessary background for developing and delivering weekly hands-on activities in line with Rhode Island’s Grade Span Expectations for science. Organized visits and outreach events on the Brown campus allowed the Providence schools to take advantage of science facilities at Brown University, and to help bridge the gap between K-12 students and the college experience. In one such event, Brown University professors and graduate students participated in what for them seemed like a fairly normal activity – a scientific conference. For the partnering elementary students, however, this day was out of the ordinary. Beginning with a keynote address in the school auditorium, the science conference was held in all of the 3rd-5th grade classrooms. The students rotated from room to room, visiting three scientific talks of their choosing. The event culminated with a reception for visiting speakers and K-12 teachers. Faculty, graduate fellows, teachers, and students alike benefited from these close partnerships. In fact, one fellow mentioned that the experience had, "Improved my public speaking skills" to "better discuss my research." Another fellow noted that "In the Providence Public School District, science has been absent except for GK-12 last year and Brown's volunteer efforts for nearly 5 years. At the particular school that I am involved with, testing has shown great improvements and I anticipate that proficiency in science will continue to rise. The kids love their science lessons." Teachers agreed and felt that students’ "awareness of science in connection with real world events is exciting." Teachers specifically benefited from "learning so much science content", "learning new ways to introduce hands-on activities for each lesson", "being exposed to an array of learning approaches, and "using feedback from my cohorts to better my own teaching." A unique component of Brown’s program was the inclusion of summer research opportunities for K-12 teachers and high school students. Chosen participants worked in labs of Brown faculty and engaged in cutting edge research projects in the physical sciences. Weekly group meetings provided participants with the opportunity to improve communication skills, assess summer progress, and make effective podium and workshop presentations. Summer research participants also attended weekly tours of campus labs (for example, at Rhode Island Hospital's Simulation Center). During the final week of the program, participants presented their summer research through a formal mini-conference presentation attended by Brown faculty, staff, and students, as well as attendees from the teachers’ host schools. Teachers were encouraged to work with Brown fellows and faculty to bring this research knowledge back into their K-12 classroom. Teachers felt that this "research experience at Brown was very enriching, enlightening, engaging and unique. This custom-made program is second to none." After the summer experience, teachers felt that they had obtained, "More content knowledge in order to teach better," a "better understanding of science in the field", and were "better able to teach students about opportunities available to them in the work force."
