The Exploratorium Digital Teaching Box Project: A Professional Development Tool S

描述(由申请者提供)：新兴的新一代科学标准将挑战教师以一种新的方式来处理他们的实践--让学生参与核心概念，也包括科学的过程，并拥抱横向主题。为了让教师为这一过渡做好准备，探索教师学院将在NIH支持的研究科学家的帮助下，为455名6-12年级的生物教师提供创新的专业发展，使他们能够创建数字教学盒子--特定主题的、基于平板的数字活动集合--为他们的教室定制。科学家将直接与教师合作构建教学盒，提供他们实验室的图像和研究信息，从而将课堂生物学与正在进行的生物医学研究联系起来。与此同时，科学家们将学习如何将他们的研究转化为新的、基于标准的课堂。 使用苹果的iBooks作者，教师们将能够收集他们自己的显微镜图像和延时视频、科学活动、科学家采访、文本、动手课堂活动和其他资源，以教授完整的科学单元。探索博物馆将为教师提供其独特的高质量图像集合(来自国家环保总局资助的显微镜成像站)、科学活动、教学技巧和其他与教师合作超过25年的材料。此外，探索博物馆和研究科学家将与教师合作创建新的数字资产(显微镜图像、活动、访谈、课堂活动)，教师认为这些资产最有助于他们满足新标准。 在该项目的最后一年，师范学院将提供关于该项目的免费网络研讨会--一个为教师设计的版本，一个为专业开发人员设计的版本。他们将通过教师组织和社交媒体在全国范围内宣传网络研讨会。所有由教师创建的数字资产和样本工具箱将在项目网站上免费提供给教育工作者。六到八个教师和科学家合作的案例研究将突出如何最好地合作来满足标准，以及什么产生最有效的数字教学盒供教师在课堂上使用。 教师将从北加州师范学院的大量校友中招聘，其中至少60%将是贫困学生的教师。在新的科学标准的指导下，生命科学的课堂经验最有可能激励和准备代表不足和经济困难的学生从事生物医学事业，但教师需要支持才能实现这一转变。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The emerging Next Generation Science Standards will challenge teachers to approach their practice in a new way--engaging students in core concepts, but also the processes of science, and embracing crosscutting themes. To prepare teachers for this transition, the Exploratorium Teacher Institute, assisted by NIH- supported research scientists, will offer innovative professional development to 455 biology teachers of grades 6-12 that will enable them to create Digital Teaching Boxes--topic-specific, tablet-based, digital activity collections--customized for their classrooms. Scientists will work directly with teachers in constructing the teaching boxes, providing images from their labs and information about their research, thus linking classroom biology to ongoing biomedical research. At the same time, the scientists will learn how to translate their research for the new, standards-based classroom. Using Apple's iBooks Author, the teachers will be able to assemble their own collection of microscope images and time-lapse videos, science activities, interviews of scientists, text, hands-on classroom activities, and other resources to teach a complete science unit. The Exploratorium will offer teachers its exceptional collection of high-quality images (from its SEPA-funded Microscope Imaging Station), science activities, teaching tips, and other material from more than 25 years of work with teachers. In addition, the Exploratorium and the research scientists will collaborate with teachers to create new digital assets (microscope images, activities, interviews, classroom activities) that teachers decide will best help them address the new standards. In the final year of the project, the Teacher Institute will offer free webinars about the project-ne version designed for teachers and one for professional developers. They will publicize the webinars nationally through teacher organizations and social media. All digital assets and sample toolboxes created by teachers will be available to educators free on a project website. Six to eight case studies of collaborations between teachers and scientists will highlight how to best work together to address the standards, and what produces the most effective digital teaching boxes for use by teachers in the classroom. Teachers will be recruited from the large pool of Teacher Institute alumni in Northern California, and at least 60 percent will be teachers of underserved students. Classroom experience in life science, informed by the new science standards, is most likely to inspire and prepare underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students to pursue biomedical careers, but teachers need support to make this transition.