Title of the Project: Graduate and Undergraduate Students Enhancing Science and Technology in K-12 Schools (II): GUEST K-12 (II) Institution: University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus PI/Co-PI: Juan Lopez-Garriga, Luisa Guillemard, Hernan Santos, Dalas Alston, Jose Cortes-Figueroa Number of Fellows per year: 12 Fellows/year (10 graduates/2 undergraduates). Number of teachers (classes) served per year: 40 teachers per year in summer workshops and 100 classes visits/year. School District Partners: Puerto Rico Department of Education (10 Educational Districts) Target audience of the project (k-12 grade-band): Elementary, Intermediate and high schools (ca. 33% each). Setting: Urban, suburban and rural NSF supported disciplines involved: Chemistry, Biology, Geosciences, Mathematics, Physics, Social Sciences, and Engineering
The near, mid, and long-term future of our society depends on the development of the curiosity, imagination, diversity, efficiency, and learning of our societies members. Mathematics, science, and engineering, tied to the understanding of global perception and communication skills, are essential elements that our students must develop and transfer to further strength our society. Track II of Graduate and Undergraduate Students Enhancing Science and Technology in K-12 Schools (II): GUEST K-12 (II) continues to integrate GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) program and CBL (Calculator Based Laboratory) technology with scientific measurements as a means of enhancing science knowledge and communication skills of fellows, K-12 teachers and students. Typically fellows train 40 teachers during five, 8-hour days, each summer, in GLOBE protocols and CBL. These workshops link fellows with teachers so they work together more efficiently and develop a positive professional relationship. After the training, fellow; 1) make follow-up visits each week to schools, 2) lead Saturday follow-up workshops for teachers, 3) organize and attend visits of teachers to the UPRM facilities. This Track II initiative, by the third year, will institutionalize the GK-12 strategy by creating a permanent GLOBE and CBL Practicum course as an integrated element of the university graduate program. The GUEST K-12 (II) program will strongly interact with other GK-12 initiatives creating a significant interchange in STEM activities among diverse fellows, schools, teachers, and students. The intellectual merit of the project resides in: (1) the creation of an integrative model that helps graduate students adapt current curriculum strategies in science, technology, and communication skills as part of their graduate education; (2) new generations of graduate students using and transferring science inquiry as teaching tools to K-12 teachers and students; and (3) fellows acquiring additional communication skills to attain their careers, social achievement, and success in less time. The broader impacts of the proposed project include: (1) the institutionalization of the program; (2) synergistic teaching/learning process effect of the interaction with graduate fellows, K-12 teachers, students, and other GK-12 initiatives; and (3) an expository model, based on GLOBE and CBL technology, transferable to the K-12 schools of the Nation by the interchange of fellows, and the use of teleconferencing, and other interactive technologies. This project is partially supported by funds from the Directorate for Mathematics and the Physical Sciences.
