Summer Institute
Breaking New Ground in Alaska
by Leslie Sears Gordon
The sky was deep blue and the sun had been up for hours as three boats set off from the landing on the Tanana River near Fairbanks, Alaska. The boats were filled with 19 teachers from all over the state. They had come to Fairbanks to attend a 10-day summer institute that is part of the Global Change Education Using Native Knowledge and Western Science program. Each teacher paid $100 tuition to attend the four-credit graduate course offered by the University of Alaska.
The goal for this three-year project, funded by the National Science Foundation, is to support teachers in Alaska, especially those in rural areas, by melding science from the Western tradition, Alaska Native knowledge, and best practices in math and science education. Our belief is that the native knowledge and best practices (especially constructivism and inquiry) components of the project will improve the learning of Western science and math in rural schools where students have traditionally had difficulty with these subjects.
The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program provided the Western science of the summer institute. In this program, teachers and students can participate in real scientific studies by collecting data that are then used by scientists who are studying environmental issues.
During the summer institute, teachers are trained in the basic GLOBE protocols, a set of directions for taking measurements and other techniques. They receive instrument kits that provide the equipment their students will need to participate in long-term research on global change
The institute was structured around the five GLOBE strands: Atmosphere, Hydrology, Soils, Land Cover/Biology, and Earth Systems. For example, the trip on the Tanana River introduced Hydrology. On the river, at a fish camp, and from the stories of the boat pilots, teachers learned how the Athabascans, the Native Alaskans in this region, viewed the river and how the river has changed over time. Teachers could see for themselves that the pilots respected and understood the river because this knowledge meant their survival.
Teachers also read and discussed Handbook for Culturally Responsive Science Curriculum by Sidney Stephens, one of the principal investigators on the project. The book addresses how to create curricula that are standards-based and integrates native knowledge and Western science. It also discusses best practices and assessment.
Best
practices were modeled and discussed throughout the institute. Teachers
wrote in their journals and shared their writings with the staff. The agenda
was adjusted on a daily basis to accommodate the teachers' needs. The teachers had the opportunity to work in small groups and pursue their own inquiries in the field. They also had the opportunity to demonstrate what they had learned at the institute during a final presentation in any "intelligence" they selected (Gardner, 1983). Presentations ranged from native dance, song, and puppet shows to lesson plans for teachers to use in their classrooms.
Evaluation of the institute was accomplished through the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data, including pre- and post-attitude assessment (which will be repeated yearly for all teachers).
When
teachers return to their classrooms, they continue to receive support from
the program staff and scientists through email, phone, fax, and occasionally
onsite visits. The environmental data that their students have collected
are available on the GLOBE web site. Leslie Sears Gordon is co-principal investigator on the Global Change Education Using Native Knowledge and Western Science program with Sidney Stephens and Elena Sparrow. The project is housed in the School of Agriculture and Land Resource Management of the University of Alaska. Now retired, Gordon was a teacher and staff developer for Fairbanks Northstar Borough School District. She received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching and the Milken National Educator Award.
References
Gardner, Howard. (1983). Frames of Mind. New York: Basic Books.
Stephens, Sidney. (2000). Handbook for Culturally Responsive Science Curriculum. Fairbanks: Alaska Science Consortium and Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative.
GLOBE: Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment
GLOBE is a nonpartisan effort of the U.S. Government to gather environmental data globally. Based in primary and secondary schools, the program reaches nearly every corner of the world and engages young people in a common scientific endeavor. Teachers in more than 8,000 schools in 96 countries are involved with GLOBE. Participants range from elementary youngsters to college students. GLOBE participants form a powerful Internet community, as students and scientists work together to gather environmental data that can help everyone better understand our world environment. For more information, visit GLOBE's web site at www.globe.gov, or call 1-800-858-9947.
 |
 |
 |
The Website for National Science Foundation Grant No. ES1-9910219
Last Modified on May 20, 2002 by Sidney Stephens
