C-1 educators to take
part in science leadership program
Thursday, May 20, 2004
By Shanna Lewis, Wet Mountain Tribune
Westcliffe, Colo. — A
team of seven faculty members from the Custer County elementary
school has been chosen to participate in the Mid-continent Research
for Education and Learning Elementary Science Leadership Institute.
McREL, based in Aurora, is a private non-profit group created to
improve education through applied research, product development and
service.
The institute program is designed to help school districts develop,
improve and maintain effective elementary school science programs.
The Custer team was one of just three chosen from applications made
by school districts from seven states.
Elementary school principal Muriel deGanahl said it was perfect
timing for the district as the science program in the elementary
school is ready for updating.
She said her staff has been “doing great science” in
their classrooms but they’ve been doing it without the guidance
of a complete plan or the benefit of current textbooks.
Additionally, the upcoming school year was already designated as
the year for intensive focus on improving the science curriculum
as the last phase in a three-year plan which had focused on math
and language arts last year and the year before, respectively.
Custer’s McREL team consists of teachers from across the spectrum
of experience and grades including: Lynn May, kindergarten; Keri
Thorpe, first grade; Deb Colgate, second grade; Jeanne Henrich, third
grade; Terri Wiebke, third grade; Jennifer Gee, fifth grade; and
deGanahl.
They completed the first part of the program at the end of April.
During this initial session, the Custer team plus teams from a science
magnet school in Fort Collins and the very large Laramie, Wyoming
school district, began to learn about what is involved in making
systemic changes including working with the many stakeholders who
are part of the school community.
They also began work on formulating a vision for a science program
that will be unique to Custer County’s specific needs.
‘Helping the students become powerful problem solvers by developing
a science curriculum that incorporates science into the students’ lives,” is
part of the preliminary vision statement, according to Colgate.
Emphasizing that this vision is in the earliest stages of development,
deGanahl said information they’ve gathered so far from faculty
and other community members, has shown a common theme, which is to “work
on a vision that includes the wonder and curiosity of childhood.”
May noted that because of previous professional development and
standards training, the Custer team was well-prepared, cohesive and
ready to take on the challenges of the institute program.
The institute program requires the team to commit to attending three
more multi-day sessions between now and the summer of 2005.
Several on-site visits by McREL staff are also part of the program.
In June, the team will return to McREL for five days to begin work
on the planning phase of the process.
Commenting on the program, deGanahl said, "We have a goal to
develop an integrated, sustainable, standards-based science program
for our school and community. McREL can help guide us to the next
level in achieving that goal.”
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McREL is a nationally recognized, private, nonprofit organization
located in Aurora, Colo., dedicated to improving education for
all students through applied research, product development and
service. Its staff of highly respected educators and researchers
focuses on providing educators and policymakers with the highest
quality, field-tested, research-based products and services available
in PreK–16 education.
