Stevens to host two-day event for middle school teachers, August 4-5

HOBOKEN, N.J. ― Stevens Institute of Technology will play host to a two day program next month that bolsters teachers’ understanding of energy and provides them with research-based classroom activities to foster the next generation of scientists, engineers and energy consumers. The program will be conducted by the Center for Innovation in Engineering & Science Education (CIESE), in partnership with the Department of Physics and Engineering Physics.  

“Energy production and consumption and the impact those activities have on the environment are among the most critical long term issues facing the United States at the beginning of the twenty first century,” said Dr. Ed Whittaker, Professor of Physics, who will co-lead the workshop.

“Research shows that as many as 93% of U.S. public school students in Grades 5-8 are taught physical science by teachers who are under-prepared in this discipline,” said Beth McGrath, CIESE director. “This program will help to bolster teachers’ content knowledge and expose them to research-based instructional resources that will help elucidate physical science concepts with their students.”

During the workshop to be held on August 4-5, middle school science and technology education teachers will explore the key scientific and technological concepts needed to understand energy.

The program is sponsored by PSE&G who worked with Stevens in the selection of 20 middle school science and technology education teachers for the two day workshop. “Many of today’s middle school students will be tomorrow’s “green jobs” candidates, and incorporating energy and environmental awareness into the teaching of physical science seemed like a natural fit,” said Jo Ann Dow-Breslin, manager, community affairs, PSEG.

On day one teachers will participate in structured discussions and small-group, hands-on laboratory activities in the Stevens Department of Physics to build teachers’ understanding of and confidence in teaching energy topics. On the second day, putting their understanding into practice, the teachers will construct a working wind turbine generator and receive a resource binder of lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations and other classroom activities suitable for teaching energy in the middle school.

PSE&G’s sponsorship of the program includes the supporting the cost of tuition for the program, as well as a $200 completion stipend for teachers who implement the materials in their classroom, and $100 of classroom materials. Teachers will also receive professional development credit and classroom coaching and support as part of this program..

Additional information may be found at: http://www.stevens.edu/ciese/pseg/.

Below is a list of participating schools and districts:

Avenel Middle School, Woodbridge

Burlington Township Middle School, Burlington Township

Crockett Middle School, Hamilton

Glenfield Middle School, Montclair

Hedgepeth-Williams Middle School, Trenton

Lincoln Park Middle School, Lincoln Park

Livingston Elementary School, New Brunswick

Orchard Valley Middle School, Washington Township

Park Middle School, Scotch Plains

Reynolds Middle School, Hamilton

Veterans Memorial Middle School, Camden

Warren Middle School, Warren

West New York Middle School, West New York

Whitney E. Houston Academy for Creative & Performing Arts, East Orange

About Stevens Institute of Technology

Founded in 1870, Stevens Institute of Technology is one of the leading technological universities in the world dedicated to learning and research. Through its broad-based curricula, nurturing of creative inventiveness, and cross disciplinary research, the Institute is at the forefront of global challenges in engineering, science, and technology management. Partnerships and collaboration between, and among, business, industry, government and other universities contribute to the enriched environment of the Institute. A new model for technology commercialization in academe, known as Technogenesis®, involves external partners in launching business enterprises to create broad opportunities and shared value.

Stevens offers baccalaureates, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science and management, in addition to a baccalaureate degree in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. The university has a total enrollment of 2,150 undergraduate and 3,500 graduate students, with about 250 full-time faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.stevens.edu.  

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