Multimedia Gallery
Investigating effects of sun's energy
Eighth-grade students at Hartford Avenue University School in Milwaukee, Wis., investigate the effects of energy from the sun being absorbed on the Earth's various surfaces. The school is a participant in the Milwaukee Urban Systemic Initiative (MUSI), supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
MUSI seeks to create fundamental changes in the way math and science is taught in Milwaukee public schools. MUSI has aided the schools in setting curriculum standards and providing teachers with continuing education on inquiry-based teaching (IBT) methods. IBT is a form of teaching that operates on the premise that learning is not meaningful if a student is not curious about what they are being taught. The idea of inquiry-based learning dates back as far as Socrates, one of the first educators to use this form of education.
One of the most successful components of MUSI involves identifying lead teachers--those whose methods of teaching are especially interactive and exciting--and providing them with in-depth training on inquiry-based curriculum. The training is taught by instructors at the Center for Mathematics and Science Education Research at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Once they've completed their training, the teachers will take this knowledge back to their schools and classrooms and share it with the other faculty. The program operates on the premise that peers listen better to peers and will be more receptive to listening to each other and sharing, rather than listening to their administrators. (Year of image: 2001)
Credit: Sam Castro, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Research Profile Magazine
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