You would expect to see a group of fairly drowsy, possibly grumpy, people who can’t wait for the day to end.
At the Southwest Ohio Science Institute (SOSI) held last month at Monroe Elementary, you would see something completely different. The teachers attending these seminars looked more like... well, like bubbly, wide-eyed schoolchildren who are leaving their first day of kindergarten and can’t wait to come back tomorrow.
The Institute is run by Miami University, in conjunction with the Ohio Department of Education. Sixty teachers from as far away as Tipp City attended classes designed to help teachers learn new methods for teaching science to 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th graders. Learning the science of how children learn is coupled with teaming between grade levels to help teachers provide appropriate instruction that is also consistent with state standards.
“This method is all interactive. You hardly use the book – no fluff... it’s all very exciting,” said Monroe’s Mrs. Shafer. “Children learn concepts multiple times, multiple ways.”
Making use of students’ preconceived notions about science helps the teacher choose activities that demonstrate concepts, so that students understand, rather than memorize, the material.
Mr. Decker (also of Monroe) explained that Mrs. Baker had taken this course last year and shared ideas with other teachers. Decker credits these techniques with the high number of advanced and accelerated scores on last year’s science test.
Kathleen Reed, SOSI Project Director, noted that the two-week course is followed with web-based learning over the school year and another week of seminar training next summer. “I can’t tell you how much we love this building and location. The principal [Mrs. Shull] has been great to work with,” she said.
Hopefully, SOSI will be back in Monroe next year. We have some teachers here who just can’t wait....