how to spread the knowledge of physics beyond the walls of the classroom … and still get tenure

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How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

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Page 1: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom

… and still get tenure

Page 2: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Diandra Leslie-PeleckyDepartment of Physics &

AstronomyCenter for Materials Research &

AnalysisUniversity of Nebraska

Scientists in the K-12 Classroom: Can We Make a Difference?

Page 3: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Acknowledgements

Gayle Buck (Dept. of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education)

PF Co-PIs Sue Kirby, Clinton Elementary Roger Kirby, UNL Physics Pat Dussault, UNL Chemistry Barb Jacobson, Lincoln Public Schools

Pat Dixon (National High-Field Magnet Lab), Evaluator

Page 4: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Outline• Motivation

What am I doing here? Why should you care?

• Can scientists meaningfully participate in K-12 education? Project Fulcrum Case Study

• Can pre-tenure scientists meaningfully participate in K-12 education? Some suggestion to help you make a

decision• Conclusions

Page 5: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Outreach

(n.) 1.The act of reaching out

(n.) 2. The extent of reach(n.) 3. The extending of

services beyond usual limits

According to Webster

Page 6: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Outreach

Those things your

colleagues know aren’t teaching or

research

Academic Definition

Page 7: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Will Working on Education/Outreach Affect My Research and Teaching?

Yes.

Page 8: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

#1: Negotiate!

• Not just outreach – Anything beyond standard expectations

• Reduced teaching load? – probably not good idea

• Reduced service load? – usually more feasible

When something is added, something else has to give

Page 9: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Balancing ActTenureDecision

• Negotiated trading part of my teaching responsibilities for ‘education/outreach’ activities

• Included in tenure contract

• Managed to negotiate other ‘perks’ in exchange

Page 10: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Why?

Page 11: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Abraham Lincoln

“Public opinion is everything. With public sentiment nothing can fail; without it, nothing can succeed.”

Page 12: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

the characters in the Star Trek television program

Source: USA Today 123(2591), 15 (1994)

Other interest promoters were teachers, parents and the TV program 'Beekman's World.'

A survey of 30,000 students found that:

had the strongest influence in getting the students interested in science.

Page 13: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Vocabulary of Science Constructs

Light travels faster than sound

Humans did not live at the same time as the

dinosaurs

The Earth goes around the sun once each year

Electrons are smaller than atoms

The Earth travels around the sun

20% 40% 60% 80%

Electrons are smaller than

atoms

The Earth goes around the sun once per year

Light travels faster than

sound

The father’s gene determines whether the

baby is a boy or girl

Lasers do not work by focusing sound waves

Antibiotics kills viruses as well as

bacteria

Cigarette smoking causes lung cancer

Source: 2002 Science and Engineering Indicators

Page 14: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Public Belief in Paranormal Phenomena

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Astrology or position of stars and planets can

affect peoples’ lives

People can hear from or communicate mentally with someone who has

died

Ghosts or spirits of dead people can come back in certain places

and situations

Houses can be haunted

Extrasensory perception

20011995

1990

Page 15: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

“…pseudoscience is a sort of background noise, annoying, but rarely rising to a level that seriously interferes with scientific discourse…

Page 16: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

“…The more serious threat is to the public, which is not often in a position to judge which claims are real and which are not. Those who are fortunate enough to have chosen science as a career have an obligation to help the public make that distinction.”

Robert L. Park, 2001

Page 17: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

But I Don’t Have Time for

AltruismThe Case for Self-

Interest

Page 18: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Bachelor’s Degrees in Physics

Source: AIP

0.7%

0.36%

0.8%

Page 19: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Bachelor’s Degrees in Physics

Source: AIP

Page 20: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Ph.D.s in Physics

Source: AIP

Page 21: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

NSF’s Role in Education & Outreach

Page 22: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Motivation

NSF: Integration of Research and Education

“One of the principal strategies in support of NSF's goals is to foster integration of research and education through the programs, projects and activities it supports at academic and research institutions.” NSF - GPG

Page 23: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

#2: To CAREER or Not to CAREER?

• Not competing against established scientists

• Prestigious• 4-5 year grants

carry you through tenure

• ‘Regular’ grants requiring education portion, too

• Giving reviewers two targets

• Weight of education/ outreach activities varies among programs

• Have to do both if you get funded

Pros Cons

Page 24: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

NSF CAREER AwardWorked with teachers and students in a Title I school

97% of students eligible for free- or reduced-price lunch

30% ‘turnover rate’ Kids came to school in the winter

without coats – or shoes Teachers on first-name basis with

probation officers, police

Page 25: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

TeachersNeeded Science equipment More (and more current) science

knowledge More time for teaching/planning Experience with the excitement of

science

Had Incredible dedication to kids Desire to learn about science and

science teaching

Page 26: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

NSF develops large $ education and outreach programs

Motivation

Administrator

Large research centers (MRSEC, NSEC, ERC) require education/outreach components

Page 27: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

#3: External Funding

• $$$ Overhead Resources for

outreach

• Infrastructure• Demonstrates

ability to Write grants Organize large-scale

projects

• If it’s a really bad idea, probably won’t get funded

• Have to write the grant

• Can’t decide to just stop doing it

• Reports• PI meetings• Everybody expects

you to do it for them

Pros ConsShirley Mills• PF Project

Manager• Former

elementary school teacher

• Grad student in Higher-Education Adm.

Page 28: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

#3b: Pace Yourself

One $1,000,000 grant

is better than 10 $100,000

grants

Page 29: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

NSF’s Primary Goal

Produce scientific research leaders who are aware of and sympathetic to the

challenges addressing K-12 education

Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Schools

Page 30: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

NSF’s GK-12 Program Partnerships with schools STEM graduate students learn new teaching

methods and improve communication skills;  Increase teacher content knowledge Increase teacher confidence Increase the content knowledge of K-12

students Provide professional role models with whom

K-12 students can relate.

Page 31: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

U. Hawaii’s Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology Grad Program

Cornell’s Environmental Inquiry Research Partnership

University of Washington’s Engineering Educators

NCSU’s Math/Science Integration Project

Georgia State’s ‘Science on a Bus’ Harvard, BU (2), Tufts, U. Mass Boston…

GK-12 Models

Page 32: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

#4: Treat Your Project Like Research

• Define the problem and approach• Assemble Resources

• People• Equipment• Infrastructure• Money

• Take/analyze data• Re-do the experiment the right way• Publish• Ask for more money

Page 33: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Scientists as Role Models: Are We Really Having Any Impact??

Eisenhower Professional Development ProgramNational Science Foundation

Page 34: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Graduate students work with 4th/5th graders at a Title I school

Pilot Study

Do student attitudes toward science change?

Does student content knowledge increase?

Do teachers change the way they teach science?

Page 35: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Experimental Setup 8 weeks of

Magnetism/Circuits 80 fourth/fifth graders

Title I school Large ELL population 2 hours/week

4 teachers 3 science

graduate students

Page 36: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Pre-surveyed students about their attitudes toward science and scientists

Image of Science & Scientist Scale (Krajkovich, 1982)

Student Opinion Survey (McMillan, Simonetta, Singh, 1994)

Student Interviews

Teachers provided measures of the students’ prior and current performance in science

A selected sample of students was interviewed every two weeks

Assessment Details

Page 37: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Psst….

…You know, the kids don’t believe

you’re scientists

Page 38: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Emphasize graduate students as scientists from the university

Have students talk about their research

Videotape Lead graduate student In her lab, explaining her

research Shown in week #4

Addressing Role Models

Page 39: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Students did not accept that their visitors were scientists

87% described the visitors as ‘teachers’

When asked whether the visitors were scientists, 75% explicitly said NO

Results

Page 40: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

The visitors didn’t look like scientists

‘They were too pretty to be scientists. Only women who aren’t pretty enough to be in the movies would be scientists’

‘Scientists would be wearing white coats with glasses, have grey hair and be old’

Results

Page 41: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

The visitors didn’t act like scientists

‘They showed expressions’ ‘They let us do fun things’ ‘Real scientists talk about

complicated things’ ‘They are trying to make things

easier for us to understand’

Results

Page 42: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

The parents didn’t get it either

‘When will the real scientists show up?’

‘It was really nice of the scientists to let their wives do this’

Results

Page 43: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Students started with common stereotypes about scientists

The scientists in the classroom did not fit these stereotypes

Not only did the students not change their stereotypes, they rejected the visitors as scientists because they didn’t fit the stereotypes

Conclusion

Buck, Leslie-Pelecky and Kirby, J. Elem. Sci. Educ. 14(2), 1-10 (2002)

Page 44: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Public Stereotypes of Scientists

“The scientist is a man who wears a white coat and works in a laboratory. He is elderly or middle aged and wears glasses…. He may wear a beard, may be …unkempt… He is surrounded by equipment… and spends his days doing experiments.Mead and Mertraux, 1957

Page 45: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Introduce scientists via videotape first to establish identity

Have scientists start by dressing like stereotypes, then gradually becoming ‘themselves’

Have scientists start by doing ‘shows’, and then have them move into working with students in a ‘teaching’ mode.

Ensure that scientists are always referred to as ‘scientists’, not ‘grad students’ or ‘teachers’

Breaking Stereotypes

Page 46: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Psst….

…You know, the kids don’t believe

you’re scientists

Page 47: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

#5: Make Your Time Count

Dabbling is a waste of time Know what’s been done Collaborate: Find people

who compliment your experience and share your goals

You can do more harm than good

Page 48: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Archimedes

Project Fulcrum – Year 3– Give me a long enough lever and a place to stand and I can move the Earth –

Page 49: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Joint project between Arts & Sciences, Teachers College, Lincoln Public Schools

30 Resident Scientists/3 years in grades 3-8

Resident Scientists spend entire year as school-wide resources w/Lead Teacher

8 h/wk student contact; 2 h/wk planning, no more than 4 h/wk prep

Weekly ‘group meetings’ for teachers, Resident Scientists

Stipends same as NSF Research Fellows $27,500 2003-2004 $30,000 2004-2005

Project Fulcrum

Page 50: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Provide grad students with realistic picture of K-12 education and their possible role in it

Increase student access to inquiry-driven experiences

Improve student and teacher attitudes toward Science Scientists

Help Fellows improve pedagogical, communication and teamwork skills

Assess the program Strengthen partnerships

Project Fulcrum Goals

Page 51: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Access to Inquiry

Error analysis Reproducibility Learning to ask the right

questions Comparing data with other groups Graphing/Tables Troubleshooting equipment

Making Experiments “Real”

Page 52: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

7th Graders: Forces and Motion #1

0 10 20 30 40 500.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2.0

2.2

Ve

loci

ty (

m/s

)

Angle (Degrees)

Page 53: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

7th Graders: Forces & Motion #2

1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.00.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

a (m

/s2 )

F (N)

Page 54: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Access to Inquiry

Evening session with parents & kids

What makes a good experiment? You don’t have to know the

answer before you start Consultation hours throughout

year Direct kids to resources Get kids over ‘humps’

Practice presentations

Science Fair Projects

Page 55: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Access to Inquiry

Now: Teachers teach more hours of

science/week Trend seems to be continuing

With teachers who don’t have a scientist this year

At schools PF is no longer working with

Teachers report marked increase in student participation in extracurricular science-based activities

In many K-5 classrooms, science was taught less than one hour a week – if at all

Page 56: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Resident ScientistsExpectations

All went in expecting to change the school Reality of working in school quite

different than they thought All left happy with what they were able to

accomplish

Respect Increased respect for ‘what teachers have

to put up with’ (esp. discipline) Increased appreciation for process vs.

inquiry balance

Page 57: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

It’s About Them, Not You20 engineering students volunteer to teach elementary students

“The reason why you fell down and why it was harder for you to hold on with the backpack was – I paused momentarily to add more drama – ‘gravity’

I sounded like Beakman.

‘Gravity pulls things down and gravity is what makes thins feel heavy. Remember this word because you’re going to hear it every time I am here – gravity’, I concluded proudly.”

S.G. Hagerott “Physics for First Graders, Phi Delta Kappan, 78(9), pp 717-720

Page 58: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

It’s About Them, Not You

“Reading Physics for First Graders” was disturbing in a familiar way,similar to what I’m sure I would have felt watching the author… plugging a speaker into a wall outlet”

D. Hammer, “Physics for First Graders?”, Science Education, 83 (6), 797 (1999)

Page 59: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Teachers Teachers more confident in

their understanding of science Teachers feel more appreciated

by parents, principals, administrators

Teachers feel more like professionals“It is great to be part of community that treats science teaching as a

profession in which we can continue to mature and improve”

Page 60: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Kick-Off Event

Carl Wieman and Lead Teacher Linda Splichal (below).

Lawrence Krauss poses with

several Project Fulcrum members (above).

Page 61: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Students Economically disadvantaged students

Initially showed less interest in science and less self-confidence

Differences were eliminated by mid-year; maintained through end-of-year

At start of new school year, students asked if they would have a scientist in their classroom this year

More girls are participating in science fairs

Parents are more aware of students’ science-based activities.

Page 62: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Partnerships

PF as a framework for faculty who would like to (or must) include an education component in a proposal

We know what works Contacts with Lincoln Public School

District Developed a cadre of teachers who want

to work with scientists

Example: All MRSEC participants are pledged to do 20 hours/yr outreach

Page 63: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

But What About the Role Models???

Page 64: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Role Model Project Don’t allow scientist to work with

students until after videotape is shown Teacher does short unit on scientists &

what they do Changed title from ‘Fellow’ to ‘Resident

Scientist’ Wear nametags: “Scientist” Role Model Project:

Diverse faculty, grad students, industrial scientists

Relate to content matter Scientists talk about why they are in

science, etc.

Page 65: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Role Model Project Results At midterm, majority of students

believed their Fellow was a scientist

By end of year, majority was back to believing he/she was a student teacher

Definite gender dependence Very Scientist-specific In some cases, image of a scientist

went down Passive F scientists/strong M or F

teachers Different results for girls/boys

Page 66: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Scientists as Role Models

How do graduate students negotiate being role models as they are becoming scientists?

Track male and female scientists throughout the year to see how their image of themselves and their image of themselves as role models changes.

Page 67: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Can Scientists Make a Difference in K-12 Education?

Yes.

Page 68: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

From a Teacher

“Thank you for caring enough about science and children to invest like you have… this opportunity has given me the chance to self-examine/mindfully improve my quality of teaching on a daily/weekly basis. It feels like I'm in 'seminar' every week - and what a great way to keep fresh and keep learning.”

Page 69: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Should Scientists Try to Make a Difference in K-12 Education?

Page 70: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Should Pre-Tenure Scientists Try to Make a Difference in K-12 Education?

Impact

LARGEEffort

Page 71: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

InstitutionalSupport/Resources

Getting Tenure

To Outreach or Not To Outreach?

Belief you will make a difference

Page 72: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Outreach and Tenure

The further you stray from the ‘traditional’ assistant professor

profile…

The more nervous you’ll be in the years prior to

tenure

Page 73: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Doing Both

• More invited talks

• More papers• More $$• More visibility• More invitations

to review grants

• More refereeing of papers and grants

• More travel to give talks

• More papers to write

• Real need to efficiently divide your time

Pros Cons

Page 74: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Balancing

Decide how much time you’re going to devote to your outreach (teaching, family, etc.) and STICK TO IT.

Page 75: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Getting Your Feet Wet

• Start small Work on someone else’s project Make sure that you like working

with teachers, students, etc.

• Local resources University office for recruiting Minority affairs College of Education

Page 76: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

InstitutionalSupport/Resources

Getting Tenure

To Outreach or Not To Outreach?

Belief you will make a difference

Page 77: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Risk Assessment• Ask dept. chair if these efforts

will be valued – in a tangible way Will it count toward tenure? Does your idea dovetail into

existing departmental programs? Can your idea provide visibility to

help the department?

You can always start AFTER tenure

Page 78: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Institutional Support

UNL pre ‘02

Research

Teaching

Service

UNL post ‘02

Research

Teaching

Service

Administration

Outreach

Page 79: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

•Use existing institutional structures• Secretarial• Organizational• Logistical• Managerial

Institutional Support

Invest your time in things that really require your

skills.

Page 80: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

InstitutionalSupport/Resources

Getting Tenure

To Outreach or Not To Outreach?

Belief you will make a difference

Page 81: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Do things you feel passionate about Listen to the needs of the people

you want to “help” Investigate what has already been

done – and whether it worked Involve specialists Infrastructure! Stay optimistic

Conclusions

Outreach

Page 82: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Is it a Waste of Time?

If you don’t do it, you definitely won’t make an

impact

-Tom Weber

If you do it, you may not make an impact.

Page 83: How to Spread the Knowledge of Physics Beyond the Walls of the Classroom … and still get tenure

Project Fulcrum:www.physics.unl.edu/~fulcrum

[email protected]