A long range cooperative effort between the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), the Educational Service Region of Cook County (ESRCC) and the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) initiated in the summer of 1986 to meet the educational needs in mathematics and science identified by teachers and administrators at the Chicago Board of Education will continue for three years. The key features of Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE) are an emphasis on the phenomenological approach to the subject matter, a format in which teachers in grades 4-12 work together to develop and critique mini-teach presentations of specific topics and the establishment of a permanent teacher based interactive network of 450 teachers to further program objectives. In each of three summers 60 Chicago area teachers will take part in an intensive five week summer program where participants are separated into two groups, either Biology+Chemistry or Mathematics+Physics. Each group is supervised by a senior IIT faculty member and two high school teachers who are members of the project staff. Activities include plenary lectures, shop and preparation sessions, computer awareness, cross disciplinary interactions and mini-teaching in three member teams reinforced by college faculty members. This project is designed to increase expertise and communication skills as well as an attitude shift to increase classroom effectiveness. In the academic year four courses will be conducted paralleling the staffing and structure of the summer program with an increased enrollment up to 100 teachers. At the end of the three year program it is anticipated SMILE will have developed a cadre of master teachers who would play key roles in a teacher enhancement activity focussed on elementary science and mathematics. The Illinois Institute of Technology has a long record of commitment to and successful implementation of programs for high school teachers directed by PI Dr.Earl Zwicker, Professor of Physics and coPI Dr. Kenneth Schug, Professor of Chemistry and Department Chair. In addition Dr. Arthur Devito, Associate Professor of Mathematics at Loop College and Dr. Daniel Koblic, Associate Professor of Biology at IIT will be consultants for mini-teach presentations and develop and maintain teacher networks in their respective discipline areas. Four master high school teachers will coordinate the direction of day-to-day activities and serve as role models who understand the phenomenological approach: Steve McVeigh (Biology), Val Dyokas (Chemistry), Larry Freeman (Mathematics), Roy Coleman (Physics).
