June 25, 2003

Contact: Gary Webber, Center for Science Education, (785) 864-2379.

KU science education program draws 21 high school teachers from 14 states

LAWRENCE -- Twenty-one selected high school science teachers from 14 states are participating in a new science education program developed by the Center for Science Education at the University of Kansas, June 16 through 26. The program is funded in part with a two-year, $200,000 grant from the AT&T Foundation.

Teachers selected to participate are from Kansas, Arkansas, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Texas.

The two-week summer training session helps teachers create projects that will develop their students' problem-solving skills. The teachers will hone their technical, science content and teaching skills. In the process, they will utilize Geographic Information Systems, which are systems capable of combining data referenced by spatial or geographical coordinates.

"We are excited about reaching out to teachers across the country to strengthen science education in our schools," said Joseph A. Heppert, director of the Center for Science Education. "Information technology enables us to work with teachers from Maine to California, and those selected for this online course are both pioneers and leaders in their field."

In spring 2003, the teachers took part in the Web-Facilitated Professional Development Course for Science Teachers, which was taught over eight weeks. The online course taught the fundamentals of using GIS and integrated the technology into standard middle and secondary science curriculum.

The course is a component of KU's overall science teacher development program, Extending Scientific Inquiry through Collaborative Geographic Information Systems, funded by a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

In the fall, the teachers will take the projects they have designed back to their classrooms, refine their skills, report on student progress and encourage other classroom teachers to participate in the unit of study. Throughout the school year, the teachers will continue to report on their personal progress, using a digital communication network.

The KU Center for Science Education was established in fall 2000 in response to a recommendation from the Task Force on Science Education, appointed by KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway. The center seeks to improve science education at KU and throughout Kansas and to contribute to scholarship in science education on a national and international level.

Teachers' names and hometowns are listed below.

Hometowns: Lawrence, Mulvane, Olathe, Prairie Village and Shawnee; Mountain Home, Norfolk and Russellville, Ark.; Fresno, Calif.; Elgin, Ill.; Louisville, Ky.; Warrensburg, Mo.; Opheim, Mont.: Las Vegas, Nev.; Antrium, N.H.; Sanford, N.C.; Olyphant, Pa.; Rapid City, S.D.; League City, Texas; and Oconomowoc, Wis.

ARKANSAS
From Mountain Home
Jeanne Bushey

From Norfolk
Allan Geeny

From Russellville
Ed Roberts

CALIFORNIA
From Fresno
Eric Wheeler

ILLINOIS
From Elgin
Gary Swick

KANSAS
From Lawrence
Perry Kennard
Wendy Grant

From Mulvane
Bill Welch

From Olathe
Sarah Coddington

From Prairie Village
Steven Obenhaus

From Shawnee
Gregory Smith

KENTUCKY
From Louisville
Sandra Schroelucke

MISSOURI
From Warrensburg
Michael Holtz

MONTANA
From Opheim
Mariann Prewett

NEVADA
From Las Vegas
Jenelle Hopkins

NEW HAMPSHIRE
From Antrim
Melissa Champman

NORTH CAROLINA
From Sanford
Tara Wheeler

PENNSYLVANIA
From Olyphant
Jane H. Evans

SOUTH DAKOTA
From Rapid City
Christopher Kelsa

TEXAS
From League City
Judy Lee

WISCONSIN
From Oconomowoc
Greg Bisbee