|"The STS approach teaches science in an every day context and develops connections to cutting-edge technology and societal issues."|
The Orange County STS Network project establishes a permanent science, technology, and society (STS) network which provides continuous updating of science and technology issues in middle and high school curricula. The project is sponsored by the UCI Science Education Advisory Board which overseas a partnership of K-12 and postsecondary schools with technology-based corporations in Orange County. The STS Network is one of many programs coordinated by the UCI Science Education Programs Office.
This 5-year NSF funded project has produced classroom materials in the 9 topic areas below. Take a look for yourself - you might find some interesting and stimulating lessons and activities for your students.
Present Topic Areas:
|Energy Technology||solar powered car, energy resource conversion|
|Space Technology||rocketry, space travel, communication from satellites|
|Biotechnology||'blood' typing, Mendelian genetics, DNA 'fingerprinting'|
|Water Technology||resource use, pollution|
|Petroleum Technology||oil worldwide, fractionation, uses|
|Materials Technology||bridges, lasers|
|Medical Technology||eye structure,eye exams, and corrective surgery|
|Communications Technology||radio, telegraph and morse codes, Internet and World Wide Web, and Global Positioning Satellite|
|Environmental Technology||soil science, air quality, water science|
|TQM/ Risk & Benefit Analysis/ Societal and Ethical Issues (embedded)|
Any qualified middle or high school teacher of science in Orange County may become a STS Fellow. As an STS Fellow, the teacher will collaborate with a corporate/university Mentor to infuse STS related activities into the classroom.
Teachers MUST commit to the STS Network a minimum of 2 years beginning in summer of 1997. They must attend two STS Summer Institutes of 3 weeks each as well as 20 hours of after school meetings held each month during the academic year. Most importantly of all, teachers must interact on a regular basis with corporate/university Mentor to coordinate efforts to field test the STS classroom materials during the academic year. In addition, during the second or third year, STS Fellows are expected to do 30 hours of inservice --i.e. consultation, presenting workshops, etc., particularly in conjuction with local CSP Teams, SS&C and CSIN schools. Lastly, Fellows must also participate in action research.
As part of the Communications Unit developed by the STS Focus Work Group, Orange County teachers participating in the 1996-97 STS Network learned about the science resources available on the Internet/World Wide Web this past summer. Some had prior exposure to the WWW, while for others, this summer's Internet sessions were their first. In addition, they all learned to develop their own websites. The following are links to their various websites, giving brief biographies of the teachers and their affiliated schools. You may know some of the participating teachers!
For further information on the STS Fellows, or if you wish to make a comment, please contact Ann Miller at (949) 824-6390, or at email@example.com.
Any qualified science/technology/medical related professional may become an STS Mentor. An STS Mentor will be teamed with a STS Fellow to form a dynamic partnership that will infuse the latest science and technology issues into the classroom.
Generally, for the STS Mentor, there are five steps along the STS Network:
The benefits to the science/technology/medical related professional
The STS Mentor must commit to the STS Network a minimum of 2 years. During that time the Mentors are expected to work with the teachers in their classrooms, by phone, by E-mail or via internet with an anticipated interaction time of 3 hrs/month. In addition, Mentors must attend the monthly meetings (4-7 p.m.) during the academic year. But most importantly, Mentors must attend an evening awareness session (scheduled for summers) to instruct them in the classroom culture in Orange County.
The Boeing Company
Chevron Petroleum Technologies
Crime Lab -- Orange County Sheriff
Discovery Science Center
Garaghty & Miller Inc.
Harvard Eye Associates
Institute Advancement Engineering
Island Caves Research
Jet Propulsion Lab
Long Beach Dept. Oil Properties
Medical Data International
|Micronix Integrated Systems
OCEC VP Education
OC Department of Education
P. L. G. Inc.
Sony Trans Com
Star View Services
Tidelands Oil Production
UCI - Biology
UCI - Engineering
UCI - Physical Sciences
UCI - Psychiatry
UCI - Radiological Sciences
Zysman & Associates
For further information on the STS program, or if you wish to make comments, please contact Ann Miller at (949) 824-6390, or at firstname.lastname@example.org.