Donald L. Birdd DUE 9551402 SUNY Research Foundation FY1995 $ 26,534 Albany, NY 122010009 ILI - Instrumentation Project: Interdisciplinary Title: Improvement of a Science Teaching Center for Pre-Service Teachers Science instruction at the secondary level must change if we expect to improve the level of science literacy in the U.S. Many students now age 13 will be the consumers of science-based technological advancements in the year 2061 and beyond! Furthermore, a science teacher who graduates in 1995 may not retire until the year 2030. With this in mind, it is essential that pre-service teachers learn to use the most current classroom technology. This project is the upgrading of the Science Teaching Center (STC). The courses which use this laboratory emphasize hands-on activities in a laboratory of 15 computers and other demonstration equipment. Faculty work with pre-service science education majors to better prepare them for entry into the modern science classroom. Three courses (SED 307, SED 308, and seminars for SED 408) are targeted in this proposal. Each of four activity centers in the STC are being furnished with two networked computers. Five computers are being placed in the student work area, and two computers are being placed in the curriculum library. Data collected by the pre-service students is stored and displayed on the networked computers. These data are the basis for increasing the students' understanding of science concepts and how to teach these concepts to students in grades 7-12. The STC is also being furnished with computer accessories (i.e., transparency adaptor, MacHandwriter pen input pad, color scanner, color printer, and nView LCD projector), commonly found in secondary schools. Project evalu ation includes usage of the facility, student surveys of student perception of the impact on their learning and preparation for teaching, and follow-ups of the students in their field and teaching experiences. The outcome of this project will be disseminated through presentations at professional meetings and in educational journals.
