An example of this is the unique collaboration between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Science Foundation. By capturing a Presidential Award-winning math teacher on video and sharing the videos with public schools, these organizations have made it possible for teachers throughout the country to discover what it takes to inspire students to excel in math.
Teachers in the U.S. have heard much about new standards for math and science instruction. Rote memorization and abstractions are out. Emphasizing real-world applications and the relationships between math and science and other subjects is in. However, teachers are often left in the dark about how to implement this new way of teaching.
The broadcast of a PBS special, "Good Morning Miss Toliver," which first aired in the fall of 1993, gave many teachers a glimpse of the new standards in practice. The program, supported by the National Science Foundation, DOE and corporate partner ARCO, brought viewers into Kay Toliver's classroom at East Harlem Tech/P.S. 72.
Toliver has taught math at P.S. 72 for more than 27 years. She has developed a virtuoso's skill at engaging student interest in the subject. In her classroom, learning math becomes an adventure that touches on many other subjects, including art, literature, communication arts or history.
After its initial broadcast, "Good Morning Miss Toliver" was soon adopted as a tool to train new teachers and to sharpen the skills of veterans. "As I hired new teachers for the 1994-95 school year, I viewed the tape and discussed the tape individually with each new teacher," said Marlyn Geres, principal of Vestal Middle School in Vestal, N.Y. "I found that the discussions led to the importance of team teaching among teachers, use of learning groups and the value of interdisciplinary studies."
"Good Morning Miss Toliver", produced by the Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education (FASE), received a George Foster Peabody Award in 1994.
Several school districts around the U.S. have arranged for Toliver to present workshops incorporating the use of video. The most ambitious program to date is being conducted by Maurice R. Sykes, deputy superintendent of the Washington, D.C., Public Schools. He has designed an extended staff development program on topics ranging from developing mathematics communications skills to finding mathematics in the community.
The tapes are the beginning of a new FASE series designed to address requests from teachers for more examples of the teaching strategies presented in "Good Morning Miss Toliver." FASE has plans for an initial 12 tapes in this series, before expanding it to include other master teachers.
"We all agree that there's a need to help American students perform better in math and science," said Dave Hendry, Director of Teacher Enhancement for FASE. "But achieving this means changing the way we teach. Bringing technology into the picture - in this case, to disseminate effective classroom strategies - can accelerate the pace of change."
For more information, contact Stephanie Hamilton, FASE, 4801 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 215, Los Angeles, Ca 90010.
