College Partners with Carpenter Technology and Reading School District to Improve Science Education
By: Lisa R. Weidman
The importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education has received a lot of media attention in the last few years. In fact, having a well educated and innovative STEM workforce is critical to the economic security and prosperity of the United States.
Penn State Berks and Carpenter Technology Corporation have joined forces to improve science education in elementary schools in the Reading School District (RSD). The effort is supported by a three-year grant from Carpenter, which began in 2008, and focuses on professional development for teachers of science, enhancements to the science curriculum, and hands-on enrichment activities for children and their families outside of school.
“It is critical to provide a strong foundation for learning science during the elementary school years so that children are motivated to achieve in the areas of science, math, and technology during the middle and high school grades,” said Dr. David Bender, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology and Registrar at Penn State Berks.
The plan’s objectives include revising the district’s written course of study in science for grades K-5 to match Pennsylvania’s academic standards, and keeping teachers and administrators better informed about national and state education standards.
Along with coordinating the grant’s initiatives, Amy Marsch, Instructor in Science Education at Penn State Berks, meets with the RSD teachers to discuss revisions to science lessons and consults with administrators to improve the delivery of science instruction in the district.
Marsch visits the elementary schools and coaches teachers within their classrooms, emphasizing inquiry-based teaching and learning. The goal is to cultivate a desire in the children to discover and solve problems while increasing their exposure to science.
In addition, Marsch also helps to organize “family” science events for children and parents in which the families return to the schools in the evening for hands-on activities and work together to develop skills in scientific inquiry. RSD teachers and Penn State Berks student teachers join the families for this lively approach to science.
These events have been met with great enthusiasm among students and their families, with 1,500 children and 400 parents attending twenty-six events in eight elementary schools.
The program has provided thirty-eight children with sponsorships to attend science-oriented summer camps at Penn State Berks. It has also provided funding for science enrichment sessions for children at four of the Olivet Boys and Girls Clubs in Reading.
In addition, students have taken field trips to Blue Marsh Lake, Nolde Forest, the Reading Museum, Crystal Cave, and French Creek Park as part of the program.
The project began with an assessment of the RSD elementary teachers’ knowledge of and attitudes toward science and the teaching of science. Then a graduate course on science education, taught at Penn State Berks, used the background information to help the college instructors understand what areas needed additional focus to meet the RSD teachers’ needs.
Bender and Marsch presented the data from the teacher assessment at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the National Science Teachers Association Conference this past April in Philadelphia. They are presently using the data to write an article to be submitted to a scholarly journal.
Carpenter Technology’s commitment funds Marsch’s time to oversee the initiative; science camps, field trips, and workshops; transportation for students; and instructional materials. Also included are scholarships for inner-city middle and high school students to attend summer science camps at Penn State Berks.