Goal: To bootstrap your elementary or high school's science program by launching an annual science fair
Progressive teaching stresses group work, student driven activities, and lessons that allow students to actively "discover" new information and methods. Why is it that these approaches often fail in the classroom? Most staff development and training takes place OUTSIDE the classroom. Teachers attend workshops in which they are bombarded with concepts and theories that don't consider the day-day challenges that are specific to THEIR school environment.
Teachers are not given the opportunity to REFLECT on and IMPROVE their lessons in real time.
Solution: Teachers, like all people, learn best through doing and through taking ownership of their work. The most effective way for them to learn new methods of teaching is through a dynamic process in which they are actively involved in giving and getting constant feedback on their lessons while under the guidance of an educational consultant.
Our educational consultant will work closely with your teachers to design and implement a program that
- Provides staff with the tools necessary to integrate hands-on experiments into the pre-existing science curriculum
- Models teaching using active and student-driven lessons given the specific demands of your school
- Gives your teachers the materials and skills necessary to run this program independently
Results:
- Science teachers gain experience using new teaching methods.
- Students learn actively through doing experiments following the scientific method.
- Students learn skills and strategies for cooperative learning.
- Strong science students are able to delve deeply into subjects of interest.
- Weak and average science students demonstrate an ability to excel and an enthusiasm not seen before in the context of traditional assignments.
- Students carry out long-term projects that integrate different areas of study including math, reading, and science.
- During the Science Fair students are given the opportunity to discuss their work with parents and other students in a rigorous manner that is both fun and non-threatening.
- ALL students are given the chance to experience science as a positive and exciting field of study.