INTEGRATING ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCE IN RURAL SHCOOL

将环境健康科学融入农村学校

• 批准号: 6210756
• 负责人: LARRY JOHNSON
• 金额: $ 26.68万
• 依托单位: TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2000
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2000-09-01 至 2001-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6210756
• 关键词: Internet; continuing education; curriculum; education evaluation /planning; educational resource design /development; environmental health; human subject; information dissemination; interactive multimedia; learning; rural area; science education; secondary schools; teacher

The long-term goal is to develop an engaging model for integrating environmental health science into math, English language arts, social studies, and science of rural grades 6-8. Rural is emphasized because of public concern for increased numbers of environmentally-related diseases in rural Texas (birth defects, lead poisoning, etc.). Rural schools are less likely than metropolitan schools to receive state of the art information on environmental health, but may need it most. Rural schools have less interaction with college professors that might influence their career choices. Middle school was chosen as it is the prime developmental period for social skills and is central to channeling young adolescents into the mainstream of American life by making vast improvements In their academic and personal competence (and resulting societal contribution). It is the most powerful venue to ensure our nation's leadership in math and science, but this period has received little education reform in recent years. Environmental health information and research experiences provided by faculty from the Center for Environmental and Rural Health will be integrated into the four disciplines by the College of Education and disseminated into rural settings via existing mass media distant learning methods and professional teacher development programs through the Texas Rural Systemic Initiative. The scientist-teacher approach will direct faculty human interface within public schools. The specific aims are: 1) to integrate existing environmental health materials/issues into engaging multimedia learning materials tailored for rural middle school students [develop integrated curricula (math, English, social studies, and science) transmitted to public schools via currently established and popular Internet Web sites]; 2) to provide professional teacher development programs [(develop/execute short courses for teams of teachers from the same school) that integrate implementing Web-based environmental health science curriculum units that enhance teachers' awareness of environmental health problems and solutions]; and 3) to provide a human interface and online interaction to establish partnerships among middle school and scientists directly (faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates visit and present environmental health issues and the excitement of conducting research to public school students directly or online). Through information on new discoveries and integration of local /rural environmental health themes, the knowledge that certain behaviors/situations increase risk of human disease and that basic research is needed to improve public health will be publicized. Important rural environmental health science themes integrated across disciplines will help reduce barriers to learning, improved enthusiasm and ownership for learning, and improved overall academic performance. A greater depth of understanding of how the environment interacts with individual age and susceptibility to impact human health through the proposed educational themes that arch disciplines will reduce the burden of human illness or dysfunction from environmental influences.

长期目标是开发一种引人入胜的模式，将环境卫生科学纳入农村6-8年级的数学、英语语言艺术、社会研究和科学。之所以强调农村，是因为公众对德克萨斯州农村地区与环境有关的疾病数量增加（出生缺陷、铅中毒等）感到关切。与城市学校相比，农村学校不太可能获得最新的环境健康信息，但可能最需要这些信息。农村学校与大学教授的互动较少，这可能会影响他们的职业选择。之所以选择中学，是因为这是社交技能发展的主要时期，而且是引导青少年进入美国主流生活的关键，因为他们的学术和个人能力（以及由此产生的社会贡献）都有了巨大的提高。它是确保我们国家在数学和科学领域领先地位的最有力的场所，但近年来这一时期的教育改革很少。环境与农村健康中心的教师提供的环境健康信息和研究经验将由教育学院整合到四个学科中，并通过现有的大众媒体远程学习方法和德州农村系统倡议的专业教师发展计划传播到农村地区。科学家-教师的方法将指导公立学校教师的人机界面。具体目标是：1)将现有的环境卫生材料/问题纳入为农村中学生量身定制的引人入胜的多媒体学习材料[开发综合课程（数学、英语、社会研究和科学），通过现有的和流行的互联网网站向公立学校传播]；2)提供专业的教师发展计划[（为同一学校的教师团队开发/实施短期课程），整合实施基于网络的环境健康科学课程单元，提高教师对环境健康问题和解决方案的认识]；3)提供人机界面和在线互动，直接在中学和科学家之间建立伙伴关系（教师、研究生和本科生访问并向公立学校学生直接或在线介绍环境健康问题和进行研究的兴奋）。通过提供有关新发现的信息和结合地方/农村环境卫生主题，将宣传某些行为/情况会增加人类疾病的风险以及需要进行基础研究以改善公共卫生的知识。跨学科整合的重要农村环境卫生科学主题将有助于减少学习障碍，提高学习热情和自主性，并提高整体学习成绩。通过提出的教育主题，更深入地了解环境如何与个人年龄和易感性相互作用，从而影响人类健康，主要学科将减轻环境影响造成的人类疾病或功能障碍的负担。