newsminer.com

FAIRBANKS — The Science Teacher Education Program’s grant ends this year, but the program will continue to help Alaska teachers.

In addition to providing STEP Summer Institutes during the past three years, STEP teachers have been working on compiling a database of science lessons, which can be used by teachers all over the state.

Kathy Bertram, Geophysical Institute information and education outreach director, said teachers can go to the program Web site, www.gi.alaska.edu/STEP, and access lessons about scientific subjects that have been field-tested and are grade-appropriate. Lessons range in topic from volcanoes to the aurora and are for grades three through 11.

“It’s an alternative to teaching to the test,” Bertram said.

The lesson bank was developed so teachers could have free access to the latest scientific information for their students. Bertram said the Geophysical Institute, located on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus, is committed to maintaining the bank by working with scientists to develop new programs that are aligned with state standards and have been field-tested in classrooms.

Each STEP Summer Institute brings in 30 teachers from around the state to learn science concepts and hands-on activities for the classroom. Teachers can earn credits toward higher certification with no cost to them.

The program was made possible with a $2.2 million grant from the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development. The grant paid for the summer institute, airfare, lodging and expenses for selected teachers. It also provided $700 for materials for teachers who were field-testing lessons.

Teacher Tanya Wimer said the stipend has provided her students with goggles, beakers and other scientific supplies.

“It’s not only learning science basics, the funding is awesome as teachers are on a budget,” Wimer said.

Wimer, an educator based in Fairbanks, has attended all three summer institutes and said she didn’t start off as a science major. The STEP program not only provided science education for her, but also helped her teaching as well.

Tim Johnson, a teacher from Chalkyitsik, also has attended all three summer institutes and field-tested lessons as well.

Johnson said his favorite things about STEP are hearing scientists and professors speak and being able to take hands-on activities back to his classroom.

“You also get to draw on the experiences of other teachers from a variety of places,” Johnson said.

Wimer and Johnson also point to networking with other teachers and researchers as another benefit of STEP.

Betram said during the summer institutes, teachers work with scientists to learn new science information.

They then work with Alaska Science Consortium master teachers to learn how to use that information to conform to grade level expectations, which were established as part of the national program No Child Left Behind.

After the summer session, teachers can still get in contact with the researchers or the instructors if they need to. Bertram said STEP also will fly researchers to various places around the state if the teachers request it.

Bertram said the purpose of STEP is to invigorate teachers who in turn will pass their enthusiasm on to their students.

“Some teachers start with no real interest, but at the end come alive and become enthusiastic,” Bertram said.