Exploratorium Institute for Inquiry
Formative Assessment
in Elementary Science
March 18-22,2003

Participant Biographies

Andy Johnson I serve as the Associate Director of Science for the Center for the Advancement of Mathematics and Science Education at Black Hills State University, and as a physics professor at BHSU. I facilitate workshops for the Black Hills Science Teaching Project (BLAHST) on concepts such as magnetism, light and color, and electricity. I also work with lead teachers in the project in co-facilitating workshops on inquiry-based modules such as FOSS and STC. I work with a teacher who has used the kit in their classroom to present professional development that provides a depth of coverage of the science content, as well as modeling inquiry learning.

Janet Briggs Major Responsibilities in elementary science education reform:The Black Hills Science Teaching Project (BLAHST) is a Local Systemic Change initiative funded by the National Science Foundation to improve science education at the regional level. The project works with approximately 450 K-8 teachers in 10 school districts in western South Dakota. As the manager of the project, I arrange the professional development opportunities based on the needs of the teachers and students. I determine the concepts and pedagogy to be covered, coordinate professional development activities conducted by lead teachers and scientists associated with the project, train facilitators, and occasionally facilitate workshops. We offer approximately 65 days of pd a year, with a third of them occurring during the school year, and the rest during the summer months. About 70% of the workshops focus on science content, another 20% on pedagogy, and the remaining 10% on topics such as leadership and integrating science with other subjects.

Connecticut Center for Science and Exploration

Holly Harrick It is my responsibility to oversee our replenishment/kit center. Fortunately, we have an extremely competent materials resource manager who actually inventories, resupplies and order materials necessary for the STC kits K-8. I also provide all of in house professional development in Science. In addition, I observe and coach all of the science teachers. I also chair the district-wide science management team.

---

Fort Worth Museum of Science and History

Anne Herndon Many of my responsibilities at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History revolve around professional development of inservice teachers. It is my responsibility to facilitate the relationships between schools and districts involved in the Hands on Science Partnership program, a professional development program at the Museum. Our partners are offered professional development experiences for teachers, rich investigative opportunities for children as well as family learning experiences throughout an entire school year. My role in the Hands on Science Partnership team is to serve as the liaison to the school district, organize all informational and evaluative material, provide teacher resource material and facilitate the professional development sessions with science content staff. Teachers involved in the program have the opportunity to bring their children to the Museum for an extended learning experience in Hands on Science, one of our galleries. I facilitate the children1s1 experiences and serve as a resource for Partnership teachers throughout the school year. Summer Science Institutes, another program requested by area school districts and focus on intensive experiences in science content and pedagogy, are another area of responsibility. I will also be a part of the team involved in the Museum1s collaborative inquiry work with the Exploratorium and the Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin.

Colleen Blair I have worn many hats over a 23-year period: educator, evaluator, program "developer", exhibit development team member. My current job, Director of School Services and Evaluation, is about advocacy, relationship building, and creating access for the K-16 formal education system. My daily passion is supporting museum staff and classroom teachers as we learn more about creating learning environments that support systemic reform efforts. We work with a number of partners: both state and rural systemic initiatives, university faculties, school districts, teachers and families to create programs that hopefully are about deepening science learning. As a member of the informal science community, my role is centered around understanding how we can best support the formal education community.

Marry Jane V. Schott Marry Jane V. Schott is the Project Director for Science at the Charles A. Dana Center located at The University of Texas as Austin. Schott's position is housed within the Texas Statewide Systemic Initiative (Texas SSI) at The Dana Center. In this capacity she oversees the work of an eight-member science team. This team functions to provide resources to communities who want high quality science and mathematics education for their school children. Schott personally oversees the science professional development program, TEXTEAMS, TEXas Teachers Empowered for Achievement in Mathematics and Science. TEXTEAMS is a Kindergarten - Grade 12 program that provides leadership development to regionally located science educators. These educators, in turn, provide professional development to teachers in their regions. The science program is in its 2nd year while the mathematics program is in its 14th year. Kindergarten-Grade 8 modules are focused on scientific principles, System, Properties, patterns, and Models, and Constancy and Change. High school institutes are focused on high school courses, such as Biology. The TEXTEAMS program will be instrumental in our efforts towards science education reform. The science team also works in the area of informal science education. The work here focuses on informal education sites improving their exhibits and programs by incorporating the state's science standards in developing those materials. Family learning is also addressed at informal education sites and at schools. Members of the science teams develop family learning kits based on the state's science standards. These kits are inexpensive and bilingual. The science team also maintains a network of science educators trough the Building a Presence for Science Program. This network includes some 4,000 members who disseminate information across the state for The Dana Center. All of the work and resources of the science team are available on the World Wide Web on our Science TEKS Toolkit. A vast website, it provides multiple resources for science educators, including examples of teaching the state's standards to laboratory safety requirements to other resource site around the state.

---

GEMS-NET (Guilding Education in Mathematics and Science Network)

Beth Brocato My responsibilities in the project's elementary science education reform effort:As a Teacher in Residence with the GEMS-NET program, I have the following responsibilities:* Contact trainers/science mentors to coordinate basic and follow-uptrainings. *Insure quality of Professional Development trainings offered by GEMS-NET.*Facilitate, attend, participate in and lead trainings. *Continue to facilitate and expand Inquiry based curriculum and leadership trainings.*Provide support to schools and central offices.*Help monitor GEMS-NET curriculum to meet standards and best practices.

Kenneth Kelly Ken Kelly is a teacher of 7 years who has taught 1,2,3,4 and 5. he has learned to use the kits for grades 4 and 5 and is a basic kit and content trainer for all the kits for grade 5 these kits are "Microworlds", " Levers and Pulleys" and "Floating and Sinking". Ken has over 200 hours of training experience with GEMS-NET and has also helped to create writing curriculum for science assessments for the grade 5 kits. Ken is also involved with the National Geographic Society Geo Bee.

---

Minneapolis Public Schools

Dawn Cameron In teacher programs at the Science Museum, I work with Nils Halker and Lee Schmitt to provide professional development opportunities through teacher focused day long workshops and week long institutes. My main responsibilities are facilitation and planning for our 5 discipline-specific, day-long conferences for teachers co-sponsored by the Minnesota Science Teachers Association and held at the Science Museum.

Nils C. Halker Coordinator of teacher programs, Science Museum of Minnesota. I design, coordinate and lead workshops and institutes for teachers in a variety of topic areas, including discipline-specific (such as weather, physical science, water monitoring) and methods such as inquiry. I also teach in K-6 classrooms as part of a long-term project with a consortium of districts in southern Minnesota. For Crossroads School in St. Paul, we have done one Introductory Institute on Inquiry. The Science Museum will be providing ongoing staff-development to support curriculum writing, integrating inquiry more fully in the classroom, and will be providing the "Next Step" Institute next summer.

Sandy Smith Coordination of the STEP-uP Project’s Assessment Componento Attend assessment classes o Assist in the design and revision of assessments for science kits in conjunction with other STEP-uP staff, local classroom teachers, scientists, and consultants o Design pilot and field-test process o Work with schools, teachers and timelines in carryout out the pilot and field-test processo Monitor implementation of assessments with structured observations of assessments conducted in classrooms, interview teachers and students; collect and organize anchor papers and products.o Document the assessment process and ensure final publication* Professional Developmento Provide after school professional development in science content.o Develop the course design and implementation* Other Duties As Assigned

Anson Lee The Fleet Inquiry Institute (FII) is a professional development program available to teachers in identified districts within San Diego County. Teachers attend a five-day summer institute to experience in-depth inquiry investigations, case discussions and curriculum planning. In addition, participants have opportunities for curriculum and assessment reflection, team planning and exhibit exploration during the two Teacher Think Tank (T3) Saturdays at the Science Center. After experiencing inquiry in their classrooms, teachers return to a two-day spring institute for more investigations, experience discussion and future planning.My role is implementing the professional development and more importantly support in the classroom. I work in the classroom helping teachers build confidence with inquiry and guiding them through the experience.

---

STEP-uP Project (Science Teacher Enhancement Unifying the Pikes Peak Region)

Cynthia Pechacek Plan, coordinate, deliver professional development Attend project planning team meetings Facilitate cluster meetings Observe in classrooms Mentor Science Liaisons and new teachers Model inquiry-based science Maintain regular contact with school principals Gather data/exemplars for performance assessment development

Kasie Jones National Science Foundation Step-Up Project Coordinator Day to day operations of $5.9 million grant Supervise six science resource teachers Plan, implement staff development courses for Step-Up grant Public Relations for all five districts involved in grant

Kathy Nall Plan, coordinate, deliver prifessional development Attend project planning team meetings Facilitate cluster meetings Observe in classrooms Mentor new teachers, getting them on board with science Connect with experienced classroom teachers, answer questions, support kit-based science Model inquiry-based science Maintain regular contact with school principals Gather data/exemplars for performance assessment development Help develop authentic assessment prompts/rubrics

Paul Kuerbis Provide overall management of the following: Conceptualization of the project Design of the project Implementation of the project Primary consultant for: Participating districts Evaluators of STEP-uP Colorado College instructors of STEP-uP courses STEP-uP staff Project coordinator & staff

Anita Holley Three years ago, a selected group of teachers were asked to pilot a new program using inquiry science modules. A professional training model called "Trainer of Trainers" evolved from this pilot program. Our primary responsibility has been to train our school district's teachers and to take a trainer leadership role in a state-wide initiative through several Professional Development Institutes.

Annie Ortiz Responsibilities include: Workshop presentations on grade level modules as member of science cadre team. Workshop design for science leadership institute; facilitation of content study groups; coordinate with OSU faculty on content workshops to support STC modules, and model inquiry-based Science using modules.

Carol Schoenhals As a member of the training cadre, responsibilities include: Conducting module workshops for Stillwater teachers; teachers from Ponca City and teachers attending the Science PDI Coaching and training new teachers to the second grade in Stillwater and Ponca City Teaching the module kits (STC) each year in the classroom Participating in and conducting leadership institutes for Cadre Members from Stillwater, Ponca City and other districts

Dee Atkins I am a 2nd-grade teacher and a cadre trainer. I go out in the State of Oklahoma and train other teachers on 2nd-grade science kits and inquiry learning.

Colleen Wallace As a twenty year teacher at Cumberland County High I have been privileged to serve on the Tennessee State Curriculum Writing and Framework Teams for Science. Additionally, I have served as chair of the Biology End-of-Course team for the Tennessee Department of Education. The Appalachian Rural Systemic Initiative has given workshops for incorporating National Standards and I served as a presenter. Presentations on Building a Presence and Incorporating the Tennessee Science Framework are also a part of my resume. Currently, I serve on the Board of the Tennessee Science Teachers Association and I am a member of the State Department's Committee on System Accountability.

Geraldine Farmer My current job title is Science and Health Curriculum Coordinator for the Metropolitan Nashville Public School system, with the responsibility for K-12 curriculum development. I coordinate teams of curriculum developers to write science and health curriculum content that is aligned with National Standards and developmentally appropriate for the intended audience. The curriculum alignment also includes appropriate implementation strategies and multiple methods of assessment. Our school district is in the third year of a five-year National Science Foundation local systemic initiative grant for improving science education in grades K-5. In this project, teachers are receiving professional development to include research in learning theory, inquiry teaching and the use of a learning cycle. I am responsible for influencing local policy so as to provide a climate for systemic change in grades K-12 science and to connect all science and health professional development programs within the school district and the Nashville community.

Ramona Nelson My job title is research associate/technology coordinator for the Center for Excellence for Science & Math Education. I work with teachers from across the state and from all grade levels. One of my responsibilities is to supervise the NASDA Education Resource Center (ERC). Our ERC program plan includes designing inquiry-based workshops for teachers to integrate space science into their curriculum, using the NASA materials. I am also working on a gender equity project in which we want to emphasize inquiry learning. There are many other projects in which I am involved, there are two other major responsibilities: (1) I design and edit our quarterly newsletter, and (2) I am in contact with hundreds of teachers to help improve science education in Tennessee. I routinely make presentations at local, state, regional and national conferences and other meetings.

Terry Lashley I have twenty-two of experience in science education as a classroom teacher and as a project manager for science, mathematics, and technology education programs. My work includes the development and delivery of K-12 science and mathematics workshops/institutes and participation in educational reform activities for K-12 teachers and students. Currently, I am a Resource Collaborative Director for the Appalachian Rural Systemic Initiative at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and have the responsibility for managing a multi-disciplined K-12 education and curriculum reform project and promoting improved mathematics and science instruction. Prior to my current job, I was a program manager in the Office of University and Science Educational the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In that position, I designed, managed and implemented creative science, mathematics, and technology activities/programs for K-12 educators.

Tulare City School District

Wallingford Public Schools