Delaware GK-12 A partnership between the University of Delaware and the New Castle County Vocational Technical School District www.udel.edu/GK-12 Funded by the National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12)

GK-12 Project Leaders George Watson (UD physics) Deborah Allen (UD biology) Kate Scantlebury (UD chemistry) Amy Quillen (NCCoVoTech) John Madsen (UD geology) Richard Donham (UD-MSERC-bioogy)

Delaware GK-12 Grant $1.7million over three years Funding up to nine UD graduate students (GK-12 Fellows) Paired with high school science teachers To create a learning community of teaching teams to examine and reflect on current issues in education while specifically addressing critical needs in science education in vocational technical high schools.

Delaware GK-12 Activities In summer workshops, teaching teams will be introduced to a number of innovative teaching strategies, including problem-based learning (PBL). During the academic year, Fellows will engage in coteaching with their teacher partners. Fellows will gain a better understanding and appreciation of the complexities and nuances of teaching science in high school. Teaching teams will have the opportunity to develop PBL activities, aligned with curricular needs, for students to experience the benefits of guided-inquiry learning environments.

Delaware GK-12 Benefits Expected outcomes include: Improved communication, teaching, and team building skills for the Fellows; Professional development opportunities for science teachers; Enriched learning for the high school students; and Strengthened partnership between University of Delaware and the New Castle County VoTech School District.

GK-12 Fellow Mary Boggs Biological Sciences Her research is on communication of neurons with bone cells and causes of bone cancer pain. She has served as a science tutor as an undergrad, teaching assistant for introductory biology, and substitute teacher in private school.

GK-12 Fellow Thomas Ekiert Physics and Astronomy His research is on finite-size effects on properties of metallic nanoparticles He has served as grad teaching assistant in introductory physics, as well as course instructor.

GK-12 Fellow Erin Foster Biological Sciences Her research is on protein interactions in DNA replication and its initiation. She has served as teaching assistant for introductory biology laboratory.

GK-12 Fellow Kristy Longsdorf Chemistry and Biochemistry Her research is on surface chemistry and modeling for better understanding cellular signaling. She has served as grad teaching assistant in introductory chemistry classes.

GK-12 Fellow John Meyer Physics and Astronomy His research is on energy release processes in plasmas, leading to better space weather monitoring and fusion energy devices. He has served in a variety of educational settings: introductory physics lab, one-on-one tutoring, summer camps.

GK-12 Fellow Nathan Nasdrowicz Entomology and Wildlife Ecology His research is on environmental factors influencing populations of long-tailed salamanders associated with springhouses. He has served as grad teaching assistant in a variety of environmental and biology courses, as well as co-instructor of herpetology.

GK-12 Fellow Christopher Russell Physics and Astronomy His research is on computational astrophysics of massive stars. He has served as grad teaching assistant in introductory physics courses, as well as drumline instructor in local high schools.

GK-12 Fellow Katherine Skalak Geological Sciences Research on the transport of mercury in rivers Geology Department’s Outstanding Teaching Assistant in 2004 Teaching in the family – her husband Nick is currently teaching in the Delaware Schools

GK-12 Fellow Jeffrey Spraggins Chemistry and Biochemistry His research is on oxidized peptides and their alteration on exposure to ozone. He has served as a grad teaching assistant and has earned a Higher Education Teaching Certificate. In college, he served as student instrument instructor for local H.S. students.

Delaware GK-12 A partnership between the University of Delaware and the New Castle County Vocational Technical School District Funded by the National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12)