- SESP Assists with Lincoln Park Zoo Pond Project
- Jacquelynne Eccles Presents Neugarten Lecture
- Talent Development Program for Practicing Teachers Begins
- SESP Teaches Biology Teachers in Hospital, Lab
- Wayne Watson Inspires Grads at Convocation
- Inquiry Series Event to Probe Early Childhood Education for All
SESP Assists with Lincoln Park Zoo Pond Project
With software developed by SESP, about 40 schools are gathering data and shaping learning modules for a new pond area at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo.In preparation for the renovation of South Pond in the coming years, these schools are assessing the condition of the pond for the Zoo. To map and analyze the scientific data they gather, students use My World GIS, developed by the Geographic Data in Education (GEODE) Initiative under the direction of SESP professorDaniel Edelson. SESP is also providing professional development for teachers involved in the pond project.
"This is a unique project in that it's a real-world application," says SESP research associate professor Kemi Jona. "Students can use My World to learn about biology and ecosystems in the context of South Pond."
PHOTO: Graduate student Liza Pono and research analyst Matt Rossi display SESP software for a renovation project at Lincoln Park Zoo that involves 40 schools. PHOTO BY MARILYN SHERMAN
Jacquelynne Eccles Presents Neugarten Lecture
Jacquelynne S. Eccles presented the second annual Bernice Neugarten Memorial Lecture, "Where Do I Go From Here? Motivated Choices Across the Life Span." Her May 19 talk touched on topics including why males and females make different choices and why people's choices differ across a life span. According to Eccles's research, life choices are influenced by factors such as expectation of success, perception of a task's value, one's ability and the task's difficulty. "Goals change in response to major life changes," she said, adding, "Gender roles set the stage differently." One of her research findings was that students who like working with people are less likely to choose math, engineering or physical science courses and more likely to opt for biology.
Eccles, the McKeachie Collegiate Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan, has conducted award-winning research on topics ranging from gender- role socialization to classroom influences on motivation. She chaired the MacArthur Foundation Network on Successful Pathways through Middle Childhood and was president of the Society for Research on Adolescence.
The lecture series is presented in honor of the late Bernice L. Neugarten, a pioneer in human development and gerontology, and is funded through memorial gifts by friends. Neugarten founded the interdisciplinary Human Development and Social Policy program at the School in 1981.
Talent Development Program for Practicing Teachers Begins
A course on theories of giftedness and creativity is being offered this fall as part of new graduate programs in talent development for practicing teachers. "The course is directed at educators who want to understand more about the roots of intelligence and creativity so that they can better serve children with exceptional abilities in their classrooms," says Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, director of the Center for Talent Development, who is teaching the course.
A 15-course master's degree program and a six-course certificate program in talent development are new to the Master of Science in Education Advanced Teaching Program. They are designed for K-12 teachers and administrators.
SESP Teaches Biology Teachers in Hospital, Lab
Experimenting on heart cells and reviewing cardiology tests with physicians were part of an innovative summer institute for high school biology teachers directed by SESP research assistant professor David Kanter.
Chicago teachers spent two weeks as "disease detectives," conducting inquiry research in Northwestern's biology laboratories and at Northwestern Memorial Hospital to learn the biology behind coronary artery disease, all in preparation to teach Kanter's software-based Disease Detectives biology curriculum. "We're trying to give teachers a learner's-eye view of what it's like to learn through inquiry," says Kanter.
For the first time the annual institute took biology teachers to the hospital - where they were students, not patients. They worked with cardiologists, observing and learning to interpret echocardiogram stress tests, nuclear stress tests and angiograms. Teachers will use their new skills to review cardiology data from "patients" in the Disease Detectives case studies.
"Most teacher development," Kanter says with a hint of understatement, "isn't this intense." The program is part of his BioQ Collaborative studying how practice-based teacher professional development can improve K-12 minority science education.
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| Biology teacher Andrew DePaul prepares for using Disease Detectives by reviewing cardiology data with hospital technician Lyndsi Hay. PHOTO BY JERRY LAI |  |
Wayne Watson Inspires Grads at Convocation
 PHOTO BY CHAPPELL |
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Wayne Watson, chancellor of the City Colleges of Chicago and a three-time SESP graduate (BA69, MA70 and PhD72), inspired this year's SESP graduates with his message of turning commitment into action. "Loving what you do will undoubtedly make you a change agent," said Watson at Convocation on June 18. He challenged the graduates to make a difference. "I understand that many of you want to change the world," he said. "I pray that you do. My grandchildren are depending on you." |
Inquiry Series Event to Probe Early Childhood Education for All
Universal pre-kindergarten education will be the topic at an Inquiry Series dialogue on November 16, co-sponsored by SESP and the Inner-City Teaching Corps. David Lawrence Jr., president of the Early Childhood Initiative Foundation, and SESP professor P. Lindsay Chase-Lansdale, a senior developmental psychologist, will be the featured speakers.
This event will be held at the Union League Club, 65 West Jackson in Chicago, starting at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast. Anyone interested in urban education and school reform is welcome to attend. The fee is $25 per person, and registrations are being taken online HERE.
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