the Magazine, Volume 2 Issue 2 - The College of Coastal Georgia

Summer SchoolImproving Teacher Quality grants bring local teachers to campusdifferent kind of student can be found on campus duringA June and July: middle and high school teachers fromacross the region. They come to Coastal Georgia for summerscience camps – opportunities to learn new material andresources for use in their own classrooms.“I need to recharge over the summer,” observed RichardAnderson, a 7th grade life sciences teacher at St. Mary’sMiddle School in Camden County. “My passion is notsustainability, but rather, staying ahead of my students, whoare really smart. But I learned a lot – and I was a hard sell,”he laughed.“Good teachers are always learning,” noted Victoria Klahn,who teaches at Glynn Middle School. “Workshops are morerewarding than course work as a learning experience. Iempathize with students who prefer kinesthetic learning– get out there and get your hands dirty – and I value thenetworking and community relationship building theseworkshops provide.”Cynthia Tupper, who teaches earth sciences at MidwayMiddle School in Liberty County, wants her excitement tobe contagious - to convey the urgency of science. “I valuedlearning more about the economics of sustainability. As ateacher, I impact many students. The more knowledgeable Iam, the more effective I can be in sharing the message that weneed to take steps now to preserve this planet for our greatgrandchildren.The choices made today affect tomorrow.”“The challenge is translating such condensed knowledgeinto examples easily understood by students and theirfamilies,” concluded Anderson. “Energy-saving light bulbsare an example. The savings may be mere pennies per day,but annualized, it adds up. I can get their attention if I pointout that their Christmas presents might be more generous ifthey would turn off lights when they leave a room.”Three programs were offered during summer 2012:• Education for Sustainability (EfS) Summer TeachingInstitute, sponsored by Honeywell Hometown Solutions• “Inspiring Youth Activism Through Classroom CitizenScience Projects,” funded by a U.S. Department ofEducation grant for improving teacher quality (ITQ)• “Implementing Engineering and Technology ScienceEducation Standards Through Remotely OperatedVehicle (ROV) Classroom Missions,” a second ITQ grantfunded by the DOEThe Honeywell EfS program focused on experiences incoastal ecology, sustainable development and environmentaleducation, using an approach that stresses balance betweenTwelve local teachers participated in the Summer TeachingInstitute, sponsored by Honeywell Hometown Solutions.economic prosperity and environmental integrity. Interactivesessions included a shrimping excursion on the Lady Jane toexplore sustainability in business and a trip to St. Catherine’sIsland to observe sea level rise investigations.Community partners added to workshop content. Forexample, PJ Newcomb, sustainability program manager withCoca-Cola Refreshments, discussed water stewardship andsustainable packaging. Helen Adler, an energy analyst, carbonreduction manager and certified sustainable developmentprofessional with Honeywell, explained greenhouse gasemission and reduction.The College partnered with UGA’s School of Forestryand Natural Resources and the Coastal Resources Divisionof the Georgia DNR to present a professional learningopportunity on marine science and the use of citizen science(data collection by people who are not classically-trainedscientists) to improve scientific investigations. The weekincluded a visit to Sapelo Island to participate in sea turtleresearch and a day trip to Little St. Simons Island to explorecoastal biodiversity.The ROV program involved the College, NOAA Grays ReefNational Marine Sanctuary and Georgia Tech. Teachers tookan overnight trip aboard the Research Vessel Savannah tovisit the marine sanctuary and participated in workshopsbuilding and piloting underwater robots. “Robots promotehands-on practice of concepts and principles in electrical andmechanical engineering, teamwork, and problem solving.They can also utilize skills in video gaming,” Dr. TimothyGoodale, Assistant Professor of Education, explained. Dr.Goodale served as program director for the three summerlearning initiatives. u18 College of Coastal Georgia – the Magazine