Posted: 7/23/03

Science teachers attend work session

Forest Lake High School teachers Rena Benedict of Forest Lake, and Cynthia Riesgraf of Wyoming, attended a workshop at South Dakota State University in Brookings July 7-11 that featured three national presenters from the Flinn Foundation, a non-profit science education group based in Chicago, IL.

The trio of master teachers instructed 38 elementary through high school teachers from across the country on chemical demonstrations.

ìEssentially, it's about developing instructional techniques such as laboratories and demonstrations for the secondary classroom,î said Matt Miller, on-site coordinator and SDSU chemistry professor.

The week included opportunities for participants to perform dozens of hands-on chemical laboratory activities and make-and-take activities to improve classroom instruction. Each participant also demonstrated their favorite lab experiment and provided written instructions, so everyone left with 37 other experiments they can use in the classroom.

Instructors for the SDSU workshop were Penney Sconzo, a chemistry and biology teacher from Westminster Schools in Atlanta, Ga., Bob Becker, a teacher from Kirkwood High School in St. Louis, MO., and Ed Brogie from Laurel Public Schools in Wayne, NE.

Of the 38 participants, there were 11 from South Dakota, four from Nebraska, four from Kansas and three each from Minnesota and Iowa. Illinois, Texas, Maine, California, Arizona, North Dakota, Ohio, Virginia, Wisconsin and Tennessee were also represented.

ìOn a social note, they get to associate with a lot of other teachers from across the country Ö but thereís also a large number of regional teachers,î Miller said.

ìThey gained techniques they can take back and use. From the knowledge gained in chemistry to the knowledge gained about the actual act of instruction, all of that was really improved here.î

The Flinn Foundation was established by Chicago-based science supply company Flinn Scientific, Inc., and sponsors several summer chemistry workshops throughout the country.

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