Nichole Mantas works with students at Lansingburgh High School. Mantas was part of the first cohort of teachers to complete Questar III’s Summer Science Research Program. An informational session will be held from 4-5:30 on March 10 at Questar III’s Central Office. Sign up…
In July a group of science teachers will leave their classrooms to go to work in lab settings throughout the Albany area. These individuals are not leaving the profession, but rather entering a professional development program pairing them with the scientists and researchers shaping their fields.
Questar III BOCES, through its School Improvement Office, decided several years ago to offer science educators the unique opportunity to discover new ways of teaching and learning by working directly in college and company labs.
The two-year program is modeled after a pioneering program started at Columbia University in 1990 by Dr. Samuel Silverstein. That program produced increased student achievement and improvement in meeting New York State graduation requirements.
“The reason for founding the program was to focus on students. And I reasoned the best way to improve student learning was to improve the capacity of their teachers,” said Silverstein.
After the Columbia program’s success – which was documented in Science magazine – Silverstein reached out to Questar III to establish the upstate program in 2014.
“I began partnering with Questar III because I realized they are the ideal center for expanding this program. This could become the model for how to develop high-quality science education,” Silverstein said.
The Questar III program offers teachers the opportunity to work in a science lab for two summers, four days a week, alongside a professional scientist or researcher. It also provides professional development and an opportunity to collaborate with their science peers on lesson plans and activities one day per week. Participants receive a stipend, as well as funding for classroom equipment.
Teachers have been placed in a variety of locations for their internships, including the University at Albany’s Cancer Research Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Wadsworth Center, Momentive, Albany College of Pharmacy, and College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering.
Like any good classroom project, the educational experience culminates with each fellow presenting their work to their peers.
Nichole Mantas, a teacher at Lansingburgh High School, was placed in the Royzen lab at the University at Albany for the past two summers, working with organic chemists.
“It truly teaches you how to actively think. We want our students to act and work like scientists, but as teachers, once we leave college, how often do we get that opportunity? In research, you’re pulled out of your comfort zone to once again think like a scientist because you are a scientist,” she said.
Nate Porter works with students at Maple Hill High School in Schodack. Interested in applying to this summer’s program? Learn more.
Maple Hill teacher Nathan Porter, who worked at the College of Nanoscience and Engineering located at SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Albany, said he sees more confidence in his students.
“Going through the program has given me a better idea of how to scaffold the process with them—where they need to start and where they need to be in the end.”
Porter says that now, instead of offering his students step-by-step instructions for a lab activity, he builds “one-sentence labs” that encourage students to navigate their way using the scientific method.
Porter and Mantas were part of the first cohort of teachers to complete the program.
Cairo-Durham teacher Sean Higgins is looking forward to completing his second year later this summer.
“It will give me more real-world experience, more information that I can bring back to my students,” says Higgins. “Plus it’s nice that they provide funding for equipment so that I can do some of these labs and experiments in the classroom.”
New Lebanon teacher Kara Sokowloski worked with Dr. Morgan Schaller from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, analyzing sediment from Lake George to study climate change.
Sokowloski said there was a huge learning curve at the beginning of her experience. She had to understand the background material first, in order to know what was going on in the lab. This made her think about making connections to prior knowledge and experiences in every topic.
“I teach so the students can connect the material to their own lives in some way,” said Sokowloski. “Throughout my summer at RPI, I saw Dr. Schaller solving problems every day. This school year, I have tried to incorporate more problem-solving into my curriculum with authentic problems for the student to work on.”
This learning experience is already catching the attention of STEM leaders across the state.
Dr. Phillip Ortiz, the Assistant Provost for Undergraduate and STEM Education at The State University of New York, praised the program at a reception honoring teachers and researchers.
“I think it’s an incredible opportunity for teachers to live what they do. They’re engaging in authentic learning and investigation, and in the process developing a lesson plan that they bring to their students,” Ortiz said.
Ultimately, these are lessons that may lead more students to pursue STEM-related education in the SUNY system and careers after college – something that business partners need to support the future pipeline of skilled labor.
“It was a natural fit, and a really great opportunity to have someone be able to come in and to see exactly what people do and put those skills to work,” said Dr. Mary Krenceski, a R&D process chemist at Momentive Performance Materials in Waterford.
For local superintendents, they are already seeing a return on the investment.
“We spend tens of millions of dollars developing teachers in this country, and many of these programs do not have measureable outcomes. The efficacy of this program is proven by Dr. Silverstein. It’s really exciting to see professional learning dollars being spent that has a direct impact on student achievement,” said Hoosick Falls CSD Superintendent Ken Facin.
Questar III District Superintendent Dr. Gladys Cruz believes this is the kind of professional development more teachers need. “This is an once-in-a-lifetime experience that we need to expand to other STEM disciplines and other parts of the state,” Cruz said.
In fact, Questar III is opening up applications beyond its BOCES region and to other STEM disciplines. For more information on the program please visit http://goo.gl/V6mtYh.
