TEA Collaborative Learning Group
Annual Report

Ellison
2004

Back to Login Page

How did your work with your team help you meet the professional growth goals you set for yourself?
Our team has helped make the rest of the staff more aware of science and the importance of science education. I feel that I have met my goal of increasing awareness of the importance of science education throughout the staff of YMHS. While this might not sound so amazing, it is important to realize that I am the only science teacher on school (besides our principal).

How did your work with your team impact your content knowledge and pedagogy?
Working with my team forced me to learn new information about inquiry-based science as well as information about specific science concepts that I was trying to bring to the group. The group's focus on integrating science concepts and education with social studies and math provided a framework for examining scientific principles and ideas and translating them towards a broader audience. The addition of social studies and math concepts provided an increased relevance for our students, as well.

What materials / resources / workshops did you use / produce / host with your team members over the last year?
We did not attend any workshops as a group this year. Instead, I brought information to the group from the National NSTA conference that we reviewed and that was used as 'inspiration' for teacher-generated 'passages' (curriculum guides) that were made available to our students. One member of our group produced 4 independcent study guides for students to use for the following topics: alternative energy, scientific inquiry, rock climbing and geology, paleontology

Based on the past year, what ideas do you have to improve the effectiveness of your team interactions?
Our work follows much the same format as we use with our students-meetings for discussion of ideas and brainstorming, followed by working individually on topics of interest. This format seems equally effective with the staff. I would like to have more group sessions and attend meetings/conferences/classes, but it seems that schedules are too disparate to allow that to happen. I am hoping that the grant we submitted to a local foundation will be funded and that the project we iden tified will provide the unifying theme for the rest of our required hours.

Total hours of collaboration with each team member:
Leigh McGowan-Kauffman--40 hours (74 total for MRG) Mike Podmore--40 hours (94 total for MRG) Aaron Garland (joined the group when Diana Davis dropped-out)--20 hours Diana Davis--0 hours (54 total for MRG) I am combining the hours for a composite Diana Davis/Aaron Garland team 'member'--74 total for MRG

Additional reflections:
The MRG has been an effective means of elevating awareness of science and science education at YMHS. More staff members are including science concepts in their classes and the members of the MRG are more confident in their evaluation of student-generated science passages.