Remedial Courses — Or Less College Emphasis?
Posted on May 17th, 2010 by Jaimie Schock
President Obama wants American high schools to graduate kids who are college- and career-ready. But, statistics on remedial education indicate that that’s not going to be an easy goal to meet. In 2007-08, a third of first-year college students required at least one remedial education course in either math, science or English.
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Giving students compelling, hands-on lab exercises is a way to ignite their curiosity and interest and should be commonplace in all American high schools, writes Francis Eberle, executive director of the National Science Teachers Association. Yet, he adds, too many school labs are “dismal at best” and these sub-par facilities are a big reason why students get turned off by science and don’t go on to study it at college.
This lesson uses candy as a medium to illustrate the creation of glass, engaging students in three separate experiments as they predict, observe, and record the outcome of varying controls. The lesson is drawn from the curriculum “Contrasts: A Glass Primer,” developed by the Museum of Glass in Takoma, Washington, which aims to help students comprehend the medium of glass, while emphasizing oppositions in its creation, use, and aesthetics.
Math and science teachers are having a tough time making the transition from traditional teaching methods to more effective inquiry-based learning, a prize-winning elementary school teacher told U.S. senators May 6, appealing for more professional development programs. Susan Naylor, a mathematical instructional coach from Woods County, West Virginia, testified before the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
The one-week ASM Materials camp at Missouri University of Science and Technology, July 25-30, 2010, offers rising juniors and seniors an opportunity to explore materials science and engineering principles through a combination of mini-demonstrations, field trips, and group projects. Past projects have included microelectronic circuitry, friction-stir welding, ceramic magnets, metal casting, glass processing, and heat treatment and mechanical property evaluation. Cost: Free. Application Deadline: May 31, 2010. 2011 dates to be announced.
Penn State Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Summer Camp, June 27-July 2, 2010, for grades 11. In this program, students spend time in state-of-the-art laboratories guided by veterinary and biomedical sciences faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and graduate students. They interact with veterinarians, immunologists, and toxicologists, and learn veterinary and biomedical professions through laboratory exercises, lectures, and a tour of a local veterinary practice. Level: 11th grade students. Cost: Program cost: Day-Camp Option price: $405; Residential Option price: $550. Application deadline: June 11, 2010. No new information posted for 2011.
The Aquatic Systems: Emerging Problems and Creative Solutions Institute, University of Florida, July 12-16, 2010, highlights significant research on Florida coastal and inland aquatic systems. Activities include field work and laboratory activities suitable for all classes. The course emphasizes contaminants that affect human and environmental health. Eligibility: Secondary School Science Teachers. Cost: $450. Application Deadline: Not stated, but early registration encouraged. Update to be announced Spring 2011.
