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At Cincinnati's Hughes High School, they're taking a page from a Hollywood script to spark student learning. Working with the University of Cincinnati, the school has started a program based on the success of the "Freedom Writers" project that started in the early 90s in Long Beach, California, later featured in the 2007 Hilary Swank film of the same name.
 
As part of the "Reading and Writing" (RAW) literacy initiative started at Hughes in 2010, the program groups teachers — ranging from college juniors to graduate students — with groups of Hughes students in writing and discussion groups to explore social and education issues.
 
Meeting in small groups over an 11-week span, different groups focus on different areas including photography, literacy, creative writing and reading.
 
While some of the groups are an outlet for self-expression or exploring career options, the creative writing group — the Freedom Writers — read books, learn to relate to them and are then encouraged to pen their own essays about the issues that affect their lives the most, ranging from the most superfluous (dating, school life and cliques) to more dire and pressing issues (gangs, drugs, racism, suicide and death).
 
The program is based on the national model started by teacher Erin Gruwell in California. Working with "at-risk" students, Gruwell encouraged them to participate in a dialogue and write pieces based on their own lives and observations. Their anonymous articles were later combined in a book, "The Freedom Writers' Diary." Many of the former "at-risk" kids moved on to graduate high school and some even attended college.
 
Fifty-three college students from UC started the program in Cincinnati working with Hughes students. The effort received an early boost from a visit from Gruwell herself, who visited Cincinnati in May 2011, and spoke to students from Hughes and several other schools in the area. She was also joined by two of her original students for a special event at the city's National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.
 
The local program is already deemed a success, and is returning for the 2011-12 school year.
 
As well as its impact on the Hughes students, it also prepares the college participants "for teaching diverse populations, specifically in urban settings. Prepares teachers to more effectively meet the needs of all students by learning to collaborate and meet the needs of the Hughes STEM high school students," says Chet Laine, an associate professor of literacy and secondary education at the University of Cincinnati and an organizer behind the literacy initiative.
 
According to Laine, it's hoped that the program will continue and expand to other area schools. A similar initiative has already established a foothold at Rothenburg Elementary in Over-the-Rhine, an urban area just north of downtown Cincinnati.read on…

With the aim of inspiring young minds to explore careers in STEM fields, Bowling Green State University is luring 9 to 12-year-olds to its campus for a hands-on introduction to science through Kids’ Tech University, a semester-long program that exposes young students to real scientists and their work.

“We want to put the kids in front of a practicing scientist to foster and maintain their excitement in science and make them start to think about this as a possible future for them,” says Paul Morris, an associate professor in biological science at BGSU and a coordinator for Kids’ Tech.

The program originated at Virginia Tech University in 2009 and is based on a program started in Germany in 2002 by two journalists who saw the value in young children exploring questions of “why” in science.

As part of the German model, kids as young as eight can attend interactive classes in a university setting, led by professors.  Studies showed that afterward, the students had a more thorough awareness of the session topics compared with students who had not enrolled in the program.

“For many kids, this is the first opportunity they’ve ever had to be on a university campus, so there’s a bit of excitement associated with the venue,” says Morris. “We want to target this age group before they become jaded and lose their interest in science.”

Kids’ Tech is open to students 9-12 who live within an hour of Bowling Green. They will attend a lecture program in the morning, followed by lunch and an interactive period in the afternoon.  The session includes four Saturday classes that run from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 21, Feb. 11, March 31 and April 28 and cover topics such as patterns in nature, proteins and their function, fossils and horticulture. The $25 registration fee includes lunch and a free Kids’ Tech t-shirt. Scholarships for the program are available.

Kids’ Tech is funded through 4-H and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and also offers teacher development programs. “Patterns in Nature: Math Concepts Explained,” will be offered Jan. 21 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and an additional teacher development program will be offered in April. For more information and to register for any part of Kids’ Tech, visit their website. read on…

Biologically speaking, humans have more similarities than any other species. But long-held social beliefs often cause us to view other races as completely different from our own.

This is one of the myths to be tackled by the new exhibit at the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus titled, RACE: Are We So Different?  Starting Jan. 28, students will have the opportunity to tour the exhibit and then take what they’ve learned and use it as a starting point for discussions about race and culture in their schools and homes, says Kim Khiel, chief strategy and operations officer for COSI.

The exhibit examines race issues from three perspectives - biology, sociology and history.

“Race is a social construct,” says Khiel. “There is no biological basis for the differences we perceive in other people. Socially and culturally there are differences, however. This exhibit examines the myths versus the realities.”

RACE is the first nationally traveling exhibition to tell the story of race from the biological, cultural and historical points of view. It includes photos, multi-media presentations, artifacts and interactive exhibits to draw guests into the topic. The exhibit was developed by the American Anthropological Association in collaboration with the Science Museum of Minnesota.

“Whether you are a STEM student or an art student, this exhibit gives you a place to begin a conversation about race,” says Khiel. “This is still a very divisive issue in our society. We want kids to go back to school, or even to go home, and talk about it.”

COSI will offer numerous special programs in conjunction with the exhibit, including:

Workshops[A1]  targeted at different age levels;
—Diversity in Science Day on Jan. 28, which explores scientists of different races and what they do;
—Sciencemakers, a panel discussion on March 30 of four African American geneticists who will talk to children about their careers and their role models;
—Girls Discover, on March 31, which shows girls the career possibilities in genetics;
—And a book discussion on April 18 covering Race Matters, a book authored by Dr. Cornell West.

For information about admission to the exhibit and hours, go the COSI website.
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Metro Early College High School will be open to all students in Ohio starting this fall when it becomes an independent STEM high school for the first time since it was founded in 2006.

Until now, students at Metro were enrolled in their Franklin County home district high school, the only county eligible for admission, and attended Metro after their district agreed to pay a portion of the Metro tuition. With budget cutbacks, it became increasingly difficult for county school districts to cover those costs.

Starting this fall, students will apply directly to Metro just as they would any other public high school. The school is eligible for state per pupil funding just like other public schools, and it is also open to seek federal grants and private funding.

“All of the great things about Metro will not change,” says Aimee Kennedy, principal of Metro. “We’ll still be a public high school focused on STEM, and we’ll still be providing an early college opportunity at The Ohio State University. Our admission will remain non-competitive and extra curricular activities will still be available to students at their home high school.”

Metro will continue to be supported by Battelle and The Ohio State University, who each cover a portion of the per pupil expenses. Some differences are that students who graduate from Metro will now receive diplomas from Metro, rather than their home district high school. Also, the school will be recognized more directly for student success as test scores will be reported as Metro test scores, rather than be credited to a student’s home district school.

For more information about Metro, go to themetroschool.org.read on…

On an evening last April, chemistry was celebrated game show-style during Ohio's very first "You Be The Chemist Challenge Competition" at Imagination Station in downtown Toledo. Fifth through eighth grade students from nine Toledo schools competed and the winning participants advanced to The National championship that was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania last June.

The series will continue as an annual event and the 2012 Challenge is already well underway. This year, You Be the Chemist Challenge is sponsored by the Chemical Educational Foundation with challenge events being held at local schools. Top scorers will go on to compete at the State Challenge Event at Imagination Station in Toledo this Feb/March 2012. The winner at Imagination Station will receive an all-expense paid trip to the YBTC National Challenge Competition in Philadelphia this summer. There are 10 schools competing including six Toledo Public Schools, Maumee Valley Country Day School, Lake Elementary, Franciscan Academy of Lourdes and Toledo Islamic Academy.read on…

Bridging science from the classroom to the working world by allowing  students to “get their hands dirty” is the goal of the It’s About Discovery project, which  brings together secondary students and teachers from Ohio and North Carolina to collaborate on a unique approach to learning and teaching science.
 
Brittany Collier-Gibson, the Ohio coordinator for the project, says the curriculum is about “introducing a new way of teaching students that allows teachers to act as a guide while students form their own ideas.”
 
This project is funded by the National Science Foundation’s Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program and works closely with the Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies (PAS) program in Dearborn, Michigan. Currently, It’s About Discovery involves 14 high school science teachers, 12 from Ohio and two from North Carolina. They are helping their students take part in hands-on science experiments, such as comparing seed growth with or without radiation, with an eye toward sustainability, which is the focus of the curriculum.
 
Collier-Gibson along with the other leadership team members, Principal Investigator, Dr. Dean Cristol (Ohio State University), Dr. Chris Andersen, co-Principal Investigator (OSU) and Dr. Lynn Sametz, co-Principal Investigator (University of North Carolina at Greensboro), believe that while most educators have long known that kids learn best through hands-on discovery, it is rare that schools take the time for this approach to learning science.
 
“We’ve known all along that kids learn best through hands-on experiences. This program allows us to put that into place. They’re learning how to really think and be problem solvers, just like in the STEM workforce,” said Collier-Gibson.
 
Another attribute to the project is encouraging students to pursue STEM careers, and allowing teachers to take part in inquiry based professional development. . Community members, such as scientists, engineers and business people act as mentors, host field trips, advise teachers and students, and engage in on-line conversations in the classroom.
 
“This really ties in many different people who are STEM professionals. It allows the kids to practice their communication and science skills. The same 21st century skills they will need in the real world,” said Collier-Gibson.
 
The program started in 2009 and will continue through 2012.  The project’s leadership team is preparing the teachers to carry on this work when the funding ends. The leadership team believes that they have prepared a cadre of committed teachers to teach science in this innovative method.
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Perkins Middle School students got a chance to work with NASA this fall to learn about aliens in their midst.

The aliens they encountered were of an earthly nature, not an extraterrestrial one - an invasive species of Barberry plant.  During a visit to NASA’s Glenn Research Center Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, the world’s largest vacuum testing chamber, they put on gloves and helped NASA environmentalist Rosemary Walker “pull weeds” as they lent a hand to eradicate this fast-spreading plant that gives NASA experts much more worry than flying saucers.

“The NASA testing center site is being overtaken with this invasive species of Japanese Barberry plant,” says Mary Darr, gifted intervention specialist with Perkins.  “The plant is overtaking the native prairie grass and trees in the acreage around the NASA center.  They asked for our help to get rid of them.”

The plants were introduced years ago as a landscaping specimen, but have spread rapidly because their seeds are easily ingested by birds and then deposited widely through the birds’ droppings.  They now threaten to crowd out native plants and alter the landscape, says Darr.

About 200 seventh graders took one of two shifts working at Plumbrook in early October.  Darr says the students had such a good time that she hopes to hold a similar project next fall.

“They loved it,” she says.  “They could have spent the whole day there.”

In addition to pulling out the unwanted Barberry, Darr says the students collected native prairie grass seeds and they will return in the spring to plant the seeds on the grounds.  At the same time, they will study native frog species that thrive on the 6,400-acre site.

“This is such a great resource to have,” she says of NASA.  “The scientists are great role models for the kids.  Seeing these different jobs exposes them to the career possibilities out there.  We will look for more projects to collaborate on.”
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Dennis Ullery’s science students at Withrow University High school in Cincinnati recently got a taste of what it’s like to be a working scientist. Juggling constraints like cost, space and time while carrying out experiments is a daily struggle.

The creative challenge was part of the Cincinnati Public Schools’ first-ever participation in the Student Space Experiment Program (SSEP), a NASA project that allows students to design an experiment that will actually be carried out on the International Space Station.  The winning experiment from one of the 12 participating cities will be chosen later this month.

The Withrow teens finally decided on using a portion of a tooth to carry out their experiment.  The logistical challenges and the pressure were daunting, but Ullery feels that it made them even more excited about science.

“It sparked an interest for many of these kids that wasn’t there before,” says Ullery, a chemistry and physics teacher.  “They want to do more projects like this, and they’ve decided to compete in the Cincinnati Science Bowl because of this project.”

More than 100 students from nine Cincinnati schools participated.  The finalists and their experiments were: Quebec Heights Grade 5, Spider Development and Gravity; Cincinnati Gifted Academy Grade 6 (two teams), both Yeast in Space and Sea Monkeying Around in Orbit.

The SSEP is a real on-orbit STEM research program. Each SSEP participating community formally engages in the recruitment of students in actual microgravity experiment design and proposal writing.

To complete the experiment, the schools receive a mini research laboratory capable of conducting a wide range of experiments across multiple disciplines.  The winning experiment, selected through a real 2-step process, is guaranteed to fly on the International Space Station after passing a NASA flight safety review.

Students assemble, load, seal and ship the actual flight hardware to Houston and harvest their samples on the lab's return from orbit.  Students then have their own research conference at the National Air and Space Museum.read on…

Educators are exploring a new wrinkle to traditional STEM teaching – adding an “A” for the arts into the mix to create STEAM.
 
For example, biology students at the Dayton Regional STEM School recently combined microscopes with water colors in a special project to study cells.
 
“Teaching about cells is always difficult,” explains Kate Cook, the school’s life sciences teacher. “I wanted to help my students understand how cells really look and how their structures relate to their function.”
 
Cook contacted Jenny Montgomery, the school’s art teacher, to explore the possibility of integrating art into a science project.  “What we came up with was the idea of having each student explore a different cell and then create a water color of that cell, along with a written explanation of its function,” says Cook. Cook and Montgomery teamed up to teach the project.
 
Students first looked at different microscopic depictions of cells in biology class. “Then we introduced the art element,” Montgomery notes. “We looked at the work of contemporary artists who have made paintings inspired by cells. Students were able to identify scientific structures they had been studying, as well as respond to the artistic choices that artists made in rendering the cells.”
 
According to Montgomery, the interchange between identifying the scientific component of the cells and how the artists interpreted them was a very fluid.
 
The project enabled the students to experience how artists and scientists have common methodologies in observing the world around them, she noted. “I think both artists and scientists start with curiosity and investigation and inquiry,” says Montgomery. “Artists explore and reflect on things in depth and create a body of work. Scientists do the same thing and conduct a series of experiments.”
 
Cook adds that scientists also participate in peer critique and re-evaluation. “We asked the students to do this as well by developing portfolios to demonstrate their understanding of the project and then present their work to their peers and community and business partners.”
 
By successfully engaging their students in interpreting scientific information through the artistic process, Cook and Montgomery have demonstrated that art can have an important impact at Dayton Regional STEM School.read on…

Sorry, kids. The winter tradition of praying for a snow day and listening intently to the radio and television for the announcement could soon be a thing of the past.
 
Taking advantage of technology, Columbus' Metro Early College High School is launching a pilot program this January that might end those unplanned winter breaks, while helping students accelerate their studies or catch up on work from the school's first term. If deemed a success, the six-week "J-term" (named for its January start-up) could become a staple for other schools throughout the state.
 
The idea started last March, says Metro principal Aimee Kennedy.
 
"We were looking at adjusting our calendar, and that middle trimester that runs from November all the way through March is where all the mayhem tends to fall, between the holiday breaks and snow days," says Kennedy.
 
A new, shortened term, designed with online "webinars" that could be substituted in case of weather issues, seemed to be the best solution.
 
"We want the kids to get their credits, so we thought that the J-term could be a time when they could remediate and fix credits that they missed during the first term. The kids who earned all their credits initially could take a new class and earn additional credit, all the while giving teachers time to plan and adjust for the rest of the year," she adds.
 
Instead of canceling school because of inclement weather, students would instead be directed to an online session, assembled previously by their teachers. During the lesson, students would have access to Adobe Connect teleconferencing software to enhance their experience. The online lesson would be followed by face-to-face instruction and labs when they return to the classroom.
 
Metro began putting the final touches on the program in October, and then had two test runs of the system in November and December, Kennedy says. Both went off without a hitch, and teachers are excited about the possibilities, she adds.
 
If it proves to be a success when snow coats Columbus’ streets, the "J-term" could easily spread to other schools, particularly rural school districts, even when weather isn't a problem.
 
"It could be big for rural school districts that cover a large area or those with financial issues if, say, you cut the need for transportation for two days a week. Instead, students could complete a webinar from home," she adds.read on…

The National Science Foundation recently bet big on STEM education in southwestern Ohio, awarding a $9.2 million grant to a partnership between the University of Cincinnati and 14 school districts to further engineering, math and science instruction efforts in the region.

The five-year grant will provide professional development for more than 1,900 of the districts' teachers, with the ultimate goal of encouraging advanced math and science curricula for almost 40,000 of its students.

The partnership, tagged the Cincinnati Engineering Enhanced Mathematics and Science Program (CEEMS), is truly innovative, offering teachers four different continuing education tracks with eight new courses focused on science, engineering and technology. It also sets up classes in those fields within the schools earlier, starting when students are sophomores and juniors.

The partnership seeks to meet the growing need for engineering-savvy teachers equipped to bring expertise to students who are facing a growing need for advanced science education in an ever-expanding technological world.

"The notion of doing this level of engineering and pre-engineering education in the schools is pretty novel. To combine STEM education and work directly with teachers from all of the districts to support that curriculum is new, too," says Dr. Nelson Vincent, associate dean of UC's College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services, one of the university's colleges leading the initiative. "The NSF only gives these kinds of awards to institutions and partnerships that show the maturity and scope of work to truly make an big impact."

Vincent notes that most of the principles have been working together in some fashion for the better part of a decade, which is a big reason that they were able to land one of the NSF's largest grants in years.
"Ours is a partnership that has evolved over time," he adds.

Still the grant was given a boost by the addition of the Ohio STEM Learning Network's support.
"Part of winning the grant was the work of OSLN, which really was the final piece. If we had tried this three years ago, it wouldn't have worked," says Vincent. 

Along with the OSLN and UC, the CEEMS partnership includes 14 core partner school districts — Cincinnati Public Schools, Oak Hills Local School District, Princeton City Schools, Norwood City Schools, Winton Woods City School District and a Clermont County STEM consortium of nine school districts.

The grant will be awarded in two stages: the original three-year funding of $5.3 million and an additional $3.9 million coming after an NSF review following the third year. A celebration to kick-off the program was held November 16 at UC.
 read on…

If you want to experience life on a salt water reef, at the bottom of an east African lake or in a southeast Asian river bed, you don't even need to travel out of Ohio. Just take a drive to Columbus and visit Peter DeWitt's classroom at Metro Early College High School.
 
DeWitt's classroom walls are lined with student-created versions of those ecosystems as part of the school's expanded aquatic science program, Living Aquaria. Forty LED-lighted, five-gallon tanks have been created by teams of students to mirror those exotic habitats, complete with appropriate flora and fish that inhabit them.
 
The project taps student interest in geography, biology and chemistry as teams set up their ecosystems, deciding upon what they should include and how to maintain a healthy environment for their occupants. However, the educational value reaches far beyond these three subject areas.
 
"It's a lesson in complete ecosystems, but it's also about business and financial management — the kids have to raise money for their supplies, so it's really an all-encompassing kind of project," says Metro's principal, Aimee Kennedy.
 
Metro students have worked on similar projects for two years with the help of partner Aquarium Adventure, a local aquarium supplies shop, and its owner, marine biologist and STEM supporter Bill Wymard. The shop has donated tanks and supplies, and offered discounts to students as they built the underwater environments. Wymard and his staff also served as advisors, visiting the school to offer expertise.
 
Earlier this year, Metro wanted to expand the class and open it up to more than 160 freshmen, sophomores and juniors. Upon hearing this, Wymard reached out to one of his suppliers, the California-based firm, Ecoxotic, which manufactures tanks. Impressed by Metro's work, the company donated 40 of their tanks to the school to allow the additional students to participate.
 
Metro's students quickly got to work, choosing what habitat they wanted to create, then providing the surroundings and right water chemistry to support the aquatic life they selected. Once again, Aquarium Adventure chipped in with a $25 gift card for each student to help them furnish their tanks.

"They've been really great partners; coaching the kids about the different species of fish, what they need to have in their tanks and how to maintain their tanks to support the kinds of fish they decide upon," says Kennedy. They will also return at the end of the project to judge results.

"You walk in and the tanks are everywhere," Kennedy continues. "It's beautiful, and the kids are learning so much."
Students' ongoing work in setting up and maintaining the habitats is followed online via a class blog at Living Aquaria blog.read on…

Ever try on an article of clothing labeled “one size fits all” only to find out that it doesn’t?

Battelle recognizes that “one size fits all” doesn’t work for technology platforms, either.

“Our goal is to facilitate interaction between the hubs, school leaders, and teachers for OSLN by providing them with appropriate online technology tools,” explains Glen Engel-Cox, communications manager at Battelle.

According to Engel-Cox, Battelle put into place a software product called Basecamp in 2008. Two years later, they wanted to expand online collaboration ability and switched to different software. “After people used it for about a year, however, we discovered it wasn’t working well for them,” he says.

Dustin Pyles, director of OSLN operations, notes that there’s a broad range of tech abilities among STEM users. “While whatever platform we work with isn’t going to be a 100% fit for everyone, our challenge is to make it effective across the board and user friendly at multiple levels,” he says.

To do that, Battelle re-visited Basecamp, its original collaboration software,  offered online by 37signals. “Since we last used it, 37signals expanded it to include a contact relationship tool, a page creator, and a chat system, in addition to the project management features, so we decided to switch back to it,” says Engel-Cox.

Change is difficult, and the lesson learned, according to Pyles, is that “a lot of up-front homework is important when it comes to selecting a technology platform for a broad range of users.” Engel-Cox echoes the sentiment. “We need to constantly evaluate the needs of our users and the tools available. The best collaboration technology is invisible, so that the users can focus on sharing, not on how to share.”
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Traci Buckner is devoted to the concept of STEM learning. She also believes, however, that creativity plays an important role in this educational approach.
 
Buckner is the Instructional Leader at Akron’s National Inventors Hall of Fame School... Center of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (NIHF School). NIHF School is in a collaborative community with the University of Akron.
 
Buckner showcased this collaboration in a presentation she recently made on “Creativity in a Collaborative Community” in Denver, Colorado. Her talk was part of a discussion series on “What Matters & What Counts in Education,” sponsored by Facing History and Ourselves, the Colorado Legacy Foundation and The Donnell-Kay Foundation.

“People think that, when it comes to encouraging creativity, students have to be immersed in the arts, and this is not the case,” Buckner explains. “Creativity exists across the content areas, and people can be creative in multiple ways and in multiple subjects.”
 
The reason for teaching creativity is simple but compelling. “Regular creative activity trains our minds to think and react faster and better,” she says. “It helps humans make the connection between point A and point B and create a way to point C.”

Buckner recommends two key ways educators can provide opportunities for creativity for their students. “Provide open-ended time for creativity so learners can explore what they’re interested in. Also, give them choice to follow where their curiosities and passions lead and then support their inclinations,” she notes.

Buckner champions the benefits of the collaborative community model. “We can learn from each other and be flexible with the way time is spent so that creativity is encouraged.”read on…

Did you know that you can can take a virtual round-the-world trip using Google Earth, where you can stop at an incredible number of points on the globe and learn about the local culture?  This is just one of the many technology tools that will be highlighted in a six month series of workshops about literacy and technology called Saturdays at the Center.

The workshops begin Saturday, Nov. 12, with “Google Lit Trips Hands On How To” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Center for Literacy Zook 1 on the University of Akron campus, which is sponsoring the series.

Each session is $25 and provides CEUs.  Graduate students who attend four sessions can earn a graduate workshop credit.

“This is aimed at teachers and college students to give them the hottest topics in literacy and technology,” says Lori Vargo, spokesperson for the Center for Literacy.  “It gives them three to four hours of the best practices in teaching.”

They are being held one Saturday per month through April to give teachers who otherwise are too busy to attend during the week an opportunity to come, says Vargo.

In addition to the Google Earth session this month, these titles are planned:  “Absolutely the Best Brown Bag Ever: Overcoming your iOS eLiteracy”  on December 10; “Creating Books and Journals with Young Children” on Jan. 21;  “So you Just Got a Smart Board.  Now What?” on Feb. 18; “Exclusive Apple Store Workshop” no date yet; and “Using Google Docs in the Collaborative Classroom” on April 21.

Registration is on a first come, first served basis and can be made by contacting Sandra White, whites1@uakron.edu for a registration form.read on…