Thirty teachers from the Madison and Milwaukee school districts will meet in Madison with Institute staff for three weeks in June and July, 1990 and 1991, to develop new approaches in three areas that are predicted to enhance the science classroom environment for minority students. The Institute is designed to foster changes in teachers' attitudes (toward minorities, role of teachers, organization of classrooms), and empower the teachers to develop the skills necessary to put those attitudes into practice. The three areas in which teachers will work are: 1) developing greater understanding of the strengths and needs of minority students; and investigating the applicability of 2) the cooperative learning approach and 3) the problem solving approach to enrichment of multicultural science classrooms. Throughout the Institute, teachers will themselves learn in the cooperative learning/problem solving mode, with continuing attention to the needs of minority students. Their major task will be to develop new instructional units for teaching their science classes the following year utilizing those modes. Followup will include three days at the end of the summer, four formal all-day sessions during the school year, and school visits by Institute staff.
