Site-Based Professional Development: Learning Cycle and Technology Integration.

According to the Nation's Report Card released by Education Secretary Richard Riley, 51% of students from Georgia scored below basic science understanding level, and 95% of African American students performed below grade level in science understanding. Valdosta State University serves in the region to improve science teachers' skills. This region contains a high proportion of minorities and students from economically disadvantaged homes. This paper describes a project that aims to assist middle school and high school science teachers to: (1) become knowledgeable and effective using an inquiry-based teaching procedure (learning cycle) that is consistent with both state and national science education reform movements; and (2) obtain the necessary experience and skills using instructional technologies to incorporate them into the inquiry-based teaching procedure. Results suggest that teachers felt positive impact from using the learning cycle and incorporating technology on students and themselves, and indicated positive self-efficacy and increased interest in teaching. (YDS) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. SITE-BASED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: LEARNING CYCLE AND TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION Brian L. Gerber, Valdosta State University Andrew J. Brovey, Valdosta State University Catherine B. Price, Valdosta State University Project Goals and Objectives PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 1 Recent state and national reports verify the academic deficiencies of science students in this region of the country and call for changes in the way science is taught. The Nation's Report Card, released by Education Secretary Richard Riley, tested the science understanding of students in grades four, eight and twelve. Georgia students scored in the bottom 25% of students in the 40 states tested (Henry, 1997). In Georgia, 51% of the students scored at the "below basic" science understanding level. Moreover, 95% of African American students and approximately 95% of economically disadvantaged students (based on free or reduced lunches) performed below grade level in science understanding. According to 1989-90 census data, African Americans comprise 30-50% of the population in 23 of the 50 Georgia counties surrounding Valdosta State University (VSU). In another nine of these counties, greater than 50% of the population is African American. Additionally, at least 30% of children (to age 18) live below the poverty level in 35 of these 50 south Georgia counties. BEST COPY AVAILABLE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) is document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. As a regional university of the University of Georgia System, VSU services the academic needs of the south Georgia region. This region contains a high proportion of minorities and students from economically disadvantaged homes. VSU must reach out to the science teachers of this area to improve their skills if their students are to become productive and contributing members of local communities. According to the 1995-96 Georgia Public Education Report Card, the school district participating in this project contains a high percentage of African Americans (66%) and students qualifying for free/reduced lunches (78%). Two primary aspects of this project involved assisting middle school and high school science teachers of the district to 1) become knowledgeable and effective with an inquiry based teaching procedure (learning cycle) which is consistent with both state and national science education reform efforts (GIMS, 1996; NRC, 1996); and 2) obtain the necessary experience and skills with instructional technologies to incorporate them into the inquiry based teaching procedure. Learning cycles consist of three phases: an exploration, a concept invention (also called term introduction) and an expansion. The exploration activities, usually laboratory experiments, provide students with the data needed to develop understandings of scientific concepts. The teacher-led concept invention phase follows the exploration. In this phase, students are guided in interpreting their data, thus inventing or constructing the science concept. As the students are developing understandings of the concept, the scientific terminology is provided. Following concept invention, the expansion phase provides for the application of the new concept; in other