Track 1 GK-12: Integrated Science Teaching Enhancement Partnership (InSTEP)

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The goal of the Integrated Science Teaching Enhancement Partnership (InSTEP) is to organize and expand an existing relationship between the Florida Institute of Technology and Brevard Public Schools designed to enhance and improve science instruction and increase student enthusiasm for scientific inquiry and discovery. Graduate students (GK-12 Fellows) are matched with high school (Grades 9-11) Integrated Science (IS) teachers and participate in workshops, seminars, and mini-symposia focusing on student learning styles, inquiry-based teaching methods, pedagogy, and national and state curriculum standards. Intellectual merits: Fellows work with IS teachers to design and pilot a series of learning modules linking core IS content areas, Earth science, biology, chemistry, and physics. Using ocean exploration as a common theme, the program takes advantage of Florida's extensive coastal resources and student awareness of local ocean-related issues to stimulate interest in science. This thematic approach is used to demonstrate the interrelatedness of science disciplines and the role the ocean plays in environmental and chemical cycles and physical and biological processes. Modules are based on state and national curriculum standards and include demonstrations and inquiry-based activities that emphasize the scientific process and rely heavily on instructional strategies that encourage experimentation and problem solving. A mobile laboratory [SEAS (Science Exploration At Sea) Lab] will be purchased and renovated to support hands-on activities at local field-sites. InSTEP teams work with participating resource faculty from Florida Tech programs in marine biology, oceanography, chemistry, physics, and environmental science to develop and revise the modules before they are disseminated through regional workshops and district-wide in-service training programs. Curriculum information is distributed electronically through an interactive web portal developed and maintained by Florida's NSF-sponsored Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (Florida COSEE; http://floridacosee.net). The broader impacts of the project are reflected in the benefits to the Fellows, teachers, and students. InSTEP Fellows learn valuable teaching, communication, and classroom management skills, gain a heightened awareness of their ability to enhance K-12 education, and experience the rewards and challenges of K-12 teaching. Teachers improve their understanding and mastery of science concepts and content, increase their comfort with inquiry based techniques, and gain a greater appreciation for the interdisciplinary nature of the IS curriculum. Students have an opportunity to interact with scientists and career role models and, through active participation in data collection and analysis, develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for the scientific process and the relevance of science to local community issues.This project is receiving partial support from the Directorate for Geosciences.