Faculty Mentor: Dr. Simon Gray, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science

TSP Manager: Karen Skubik, Director, Wooster Science Education Center (WSEC)

1. Attendance

• A classroom attendance schedule will be developed that meets teacher (Teacher) and student (Scholar) needs. In-class time during science should average about 3 hours per week between September 4 and December 8, 2006, for a total of 39 in-class hours. The Scholar is required to attend all scheduled sessions. In case of illness, the Scholar must notify the Teacher between 7:00 and 7:30 am or as arranged by the pair. Absences must be made up.

• The Teacher and Scholar will determine a meeting time for planning and review. This meeting should take place about once a week for approximately 20 minutes or as needed and should occur outside of science class time.

• Attendance at an orientation meeting with the WSEC Director in early May of 2006 is required to provide an overview of the program. To facilitate scheduling classroom time and Teacher-Scholar pair formation, Scholars will provide the WSEC Director with their fall academic schedules, transportation situation, and other scheduling constraints.

• Attendance at two (2) scheduled program meetings is required.
o Workshop I: Program Orientation; August XX, 2006
o Workshop II: Program Evaluation; December XX, 2006

• Attendance at 4 monthly meetings with the WSEC Director is required. Dates will be scheduled to accommodate students’ and Director’s schedules. The purpose of the hour-long meetings is to clarify the course requirements, provide an opportunity to discuss classroom experiences, and help students with course assignments.

Meeting 1 (August XX, 2006): Training in professional classroom behavior, inquiry-based learning, classroom management, journaling, and lesson planning.

Meeting 2 (September XX, 2006): Discussion of classroom experiences, review the assignment to jointly develop/implement a new science lab/learning activity, and review spending guidelines.

Meeting 3 (October XX, 2006): Discussion of classroom experiences and new science lab/learning activity under development.

Meeting 4 (November XX, 2006): Final discussion of learning activity, prepare/post the learning activity to the WSEC website, and discuss final course requirements (final paper and evaluation).

• Scholars will meet with the Faculty Mentor XX times/XX at a time agreed upon during the Program Orientation Session on August XX, 2006. Discussions will include review of recent journal articles, inquiry-based learning and assessment.

2. Assignments

• Pre- and Post-Program Surveys: The WSEC director will administer two brief surveys to assess programming objectives.

• Annotated bibliography: Provide reviews of 2 articles selected in consultation with the faculty mentor.

• Journal: Weekly entries discussing your experience with the Teacher-Scholar Program. These should be substantive reflections about what did and did not work in the classroom, what changes might be made, particular challenges in teaching students the materials, etc. Scholars will share their journals with the Teacher for discussion.

• Lesson plan: A lesson plan, which the Scholar has developed and taught using materials provided by the Teacher, will be required for course completion. In October, the Teacher will assign a topic and guide the scholar’s work. The plan must include an objective, a list of materials needed, relevant Ohio science standards, a list of procedures, and a method of evaluation. The lesson plan will need approval by the faculty mentor or TSP manager before the lesson is taught.

• Science learning activity: Using the lesson plan, the Scholar will work with the Teacher to develop and teach a hands-on science learning activity in November that uses new materials or approaches, and meets the Teacher’s instructional needs. The activity will follow the requirements of the lesson plan described above. This new activity will be submitted to the WSEC in December for posting on the website as an instructional resource for other teachers and students. Submission will be as appropriate computer files ready for uploading to web site. This assignment may use or modify existing activities or labs, but it should expand the Teacher’s repertoire of science activities/labs and address an appropriate Ohio science standard. A $300 supply stipend is available to the Teacher-Scholar pair and can be used for materials and supplies to cover costs of the new activity, other teacher science resource needs, and any incidental expenses related to the TSP activity.

• Final Paper: The faculty mentor will assign a 5 page evaluative narrative in which the Scholar describes the inquiry-based learning project developed and reflects on the overall experience. This paper will be due by the last day of class, December 8, 2006. The paper should include:

• A description of the class out worked with and a brief list of topics covered.
• A brief review of the relevant literature on problem-based learning/inquiry-based learning/discovery learning as it applies to your project/activity.
• A description of the specific tasks you completed to aid learning, including the project/activity you developed.
• The amount of time you spent on the task(s).
• A conclusion in which you reflect on the entire experience; what was learned about the practice of inquiry in elementary scientific education; and any suggestions for improving your activity/project based on its use in the classroom.

3. Dress

Dress should be professional and appropriate for the context of the teaching situation. Guidelines will be provided.

4. Confidentiality

Refrain from discussing confidential information with students and colleagues. It is unprofessional.

• The grade for the IDPT 407 Internship in the Teacher Scholar Program is SATISFACTORY (S) or NO CREDIT (NC).

In order to receive a satisfactory grade the Scholar must complete all of the above requirements.