This grant will fund a 1989 three-week summer workshop at Chadron State College, Chadron, NE, for local and regional elementary and secondary teachers. The course is in three phases: (1) classroom instruction focusing on content, recent research developments, methods and technology utilization in selected science areas, (2) fieldwork utilizing research in progress in this unique geographical region staffed by experts in those fields from other colleges, universities, and private institutions, and (3) application of audiovisual technology, along with the latest pedagogical developments to create classroom teaching materials resources. Chadron is also the center of ongoing field research and study in botany, archaeology, paleontology, endangered species, ethnobotany and the environmental sciences. The majority of elementary and secondary teachers work with a population of under-served and under-represented persons including Native Americans, Hispanics, and rural students. Regionally, elementary and secondary teachers are generalists, without peer networks. The goal of this pilot course is to provide teachers with experiential training, in on-site roles, introducing innovative pedagogical technology and methods, to expand their content knowledge and develop classroom materials. Participants will be drawn from a region including the largest Native American population of South Dakota, and the majority of counties representing the largest Hispanic populations in Nebraska, and the most rural districts of both states where the needs assessment was conducted. An amount equivalent to 33.3% of the NSF award is being contributed as cost-sharing.
