Refresher and Enrichment for High School Chemistry Teachers in Rural Midwestern U.S.

本项目旨在加强来自美国中西部农村的高中化学教师的背景和准备。来自该地区的25名中学教师将被选为第一阶段的参与者，他们被分配教授化学，但他们在化学方面没有正式的副修课程。这些教师将在第一个夏季（1990年）花四周时间进行密集安排的实验室和讲座研讨会，在此期间，将强调适用于高中化学的主题，并进行适当的实验室和示范活动。参与者将与导师密切合作，以5名参与者/导师的比例，这些导师被认为是该地区强大的化学教师以及项目工作人员。在夏季研讨会之后的学年计划有两个星期五/星期六的会议。SMSU的Vernon Thielmann博士和导师将对这些教师进行广泛的跟踪访问。在项目的第二年，第二阶段将开始，其中至少15名第一阶段的教师将继续他们的化学研究，并进一步提高他们的高中化学教学策略。这个为期四周的暑假将包括几个理论主题，更多的有机、生物化学、环境化学和计算机辅助教学与模拟方面的培训。为了使第二阶段的教师人数达到25人，将选择被认定至少辅修化学的其他教师。这个更新项目是先前成功的努力的高潮，以提高高中化学教师的背景和教学策略。该项目将惠及阿肯色州、爱荷华州、堪萨斯州、密苏里州、内布拉斯加州和俄克拉荷马州中西部农村地区的大量中学化学教师。农村地区的教师往往是最孤立的，与同龄人的互动最少。这个项目不仅解决了内容和教学策略问题，而且建立了同事、导师和大学员工的网络。大约3%的小额费用分摊表明该地区的财政状况相对较差，而不是愿意分享专业知识和设施。

This project is designed to strengthen the background and preparation of high school chemistry teachers from rural Midwestern United States. Twenty-five secondary school teachers from this region who are assigned to teach chemistry but who have less than a minor of formal preparation in chemistry, will be selected as Phase I participants. These teachers will spend four weeks during the first summer (1990) in an intensively scheduled laboratory and lecture workshop during which topics applicable to high school chemistry will be emphasized along with appropriate laboratory and demonstration activities. The participants will work closely with mentor teachers, in a ratio of five participants/mentor, who are considered to be the area's strong chemistry teachers as well as with the project staff. Two Friday/Saturday sessions are planned for the academic year following the summer workshop. Dr. Vernon Thielmann of SMSU and the mentor teachers will conduct extensive follow-up visits with these teachers in their classrooms. During the second year of the project, Phase II will commence in which at least fifteen of the Phase I teachers will continue their study of chemistry and further enhance their strategies for teaching high school chemistry. This four-week summer will include several theoretical topics, more training in organic, biochemistry, environmental chemistry and computer-aided instruction and simulation. Additional teachers who have been identified as having at least a minor in chemistry will be selected in order to bring the number of Phase II teachers to twenty-five. This renewal project is the culmination of a previously successful effort to enhance the background and teaching strategies of high school chemistry teachers. This project will have reached a large number of the secondary chemistry teachers in the rural areas of the Central Midwest states of Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Teachers in rural areas tend to be among the most isolated and the least interactive with their peers. This project not only addresses the content and teaching strategies issues, but establishes a network of colleagues, mentors and University staff. The small cost-sharing of about 3% of the grant request is indicative of the relatively poor financial status in the area, not the willingness to share expertise and facilities.