U Cincinnati Program Aims To Improve Elementary Science Education

• By David Nagel
• 03/12/09

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The University of Cincinnati's College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services is looking to improve elementary science instruction with a new program funded by a $1.5 million grant from the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences.

The program will use technology and in-person instruction to provide professional development to teachers serving grades in which science does not usually receive a major emphasis. It will initially focus on "six elementary schools from a large urban school district in Utah, a district with a high Latino population and children from impoverished backgrounds," according to information released by the university.

Individual teachers participating in the program will receive six credit hours in science education and a $900 annual stipend. Schools participating are receiving videoconferencing systems that they will be able to keep after the program ends. The videoconferencing systems will be used twice per month during the program for followup between teachers and U Cincinnati researchers. There will also be additional followup three times per year, as researchers observe science classes via Web cam.

The program is launching this month, with professional development science institutes to be held this summer--one in July and one in August. The program is headed up by principal investigator Carla Johnson, director of the Furthering Urban STEMM Innovation, Outreach and New Research (FUSION) Center at U Cincinnati. (The extra "M" is for "medicine.")

Further information can be found here.