The Virtual Scientist Guest Lecture Series: Bridging the gap between the lab and classroom.
This entry has been selected as a finalist in the
Partnering for Excellence: Innovations in Science + Technology + Engineering + Math (STEM) Education competition.
Today's biggest challenges will require science-based solutions. But a study by the OECD's Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) found that while the majority of students (over 90%) agreed that science and technology usually improved people's living conditions, only 57% said that science was relevant to them personally. Currently opportunities for students to connect with professional scientists, and learn how science impacts us all, are rare. THE VIRTUAL SCIENTIST GUEST LECTURE SERIES addresses this gap by providing a forum for interaction between working scientists and students. Launched in 2010, this initiative has established the groundwork for a comprehensive national program that takes science out of the lab and into the framework of our lives.
About You
About You
First Name
Marie
Last Name
Gentile
About Your Organization
Organization Name
Allegro Productions, Inc.
Organization Website
Organization Phone
1-800-232-2133
Organization Address
1000 Clint Moore Road, Boca Raton, FL 33487
Organization Country
United States, FL, Broward County
Country where this project is creating social impact
United States, XX
Is your organization a
For‐profit
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
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Innovation
Entry Form title
The Virtual Scientist Guest Lecture Series: Bridging the gap between the lab and classroom.
What change do you want to bring to the world?
Today's biggest challenges will require science-based solutions. But a study by the OECD's Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) found that while the majority of students (over 90%) agreed that science and technology usually improved people's living conditions, only 57% said that science was relevant to them personally. Currently opportunities for students to connect with professional scientists, and learn how science impacts us all, are rare. THE VIRTUAL SCIENTIST GUEST LECTURE SERIES addresses this gap by providing a forum for interaction between working scientists and students. Launched in 2010, this initiative has established the groundwork for a comprehensive national program that takes science out of the lab and into the framework of our lives.
What are the primary activities of your project?
A successful visit requires extensive preparation. As a result a great deal of time is invested in planning calls between the presenters and classroom teachers involved. During these sessions we take a step-by-step approach as to how the entire process of the presentation will work -- logistics, timeframe, and the topic content. We discuss what the students do and don’t know about a given topic, and brainstorm ideas for pre-visit student research assignments.
Such careful planning has proven to be invaluable to ensuring a successful “virtual visit” from which the students will benefit. As such a timeline typically looks like the following:
Week 1:
• Calls to guest presenters to explain the project and obtain CVs/bios.
• Develop program overview with presenter names, titles and topics.
• Calls to schools in target communities to explain project to science department chairpersons.
• Email documented follow up.
Week 2:
• Development of bios. Email drafts for review and edits. Submit finals for sign-off.
Week 3:
• Schools and presenters followed up to obtain all appropriate contact information and to arrange dates and times for planning calls.
Weeks 4 - 6:
Planning calls take place with all parties to:
• Refine content of presentations.
• For presenters to learn more about the students they will be addressing.
• Ideas for pre-visit assignments.
• Dates and times for visits.
Confirm all details and logistics.
Weeks 7-12:
• “Virtual visits” take place.
• Follow-up survey for feedback. Final report issued.
What is innovative about your initiative? How is it a new contribution to the field?
Using videophone technology is based on the knowledge that while school visits are popular with science professionals, limited time often prevents this.Participating in “virtual” visits saves time and money for speakers and provides a valuable opportunity for schools.Similar initiatives e.g. Scientists in the Classroom (Biotech Institute)and some industry programs focus on one discipline. The Virtual Scientist Guest Lecture Series offers industry and academic speakers covering a range of disciplines e.g. civil engineering, robotics, hydrology, genetics, neuroscience, aerospace, physics, project management,energy and clinical diagnostics.
Feedback from schools in “virtual scientist” pilot programs validates that connecting working scientists to students has an immediate impact on their enthusiasm in STEM:
“The students were really excited about (the) talk. It seems to me that, they got a boost of enthusiasm for science from the Virtual Visit and as their teacher, I thank you for that!” Biology Teacher, English High School, Boston, MA
“Almost every child asked a question because everyone wanted to 'talk to a real scientist'. We had never done Skype before in the building and it was a huge hit with the teaching staff also. We are making plans to use more outside speakers … to enhance our instruction." 6th grade teacher, Barberton School District, Barberton, OH
“Skyping with an actual engineer not only increased the students’ motivation, but gave them a real sense that what they were doing was important." 7th Grade teacher, P.S. 21, Brooklyn, NY
What stage is your project in?
Operating for 1‐5 years
Tell us about the community that you engage? eg. economic conditions, political structures, norms and values, demographic trends, history, and experience with engagement efforts.
The decline of science literacy in general, and students graduating with STEM degrees in particular, has had significant impact on America’s economic growth and global competitiveness.
For the past 15 years, business leaders have decried the lack of STEM professionals to fill their demand for such talent, resulting in many technical jobs being sent overseas. Even now thousands of openings remain unfilled as reported in a recent New York Times article:
“(Domestic manufacturers) are looking to hire people who can demonstrate higher math/ technology proficiency … Makers of products like... medical devices and wind turbines are ...looking to hire, and they too, need higher skills.
For more than 40 years, Allegro has been engaged in STEM education through the production and distribution of the critically acclaimed SCIENCE SCREEN REPORT DVD series, and its elementary school edition, SCIENCE SCREEN REPORT FOR KIDS. This trusted resource of science news is actively used in about 7,000 schools nationwide and is produced in cooperation with the Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology. It examines recent developments and discoveries and helps students understand the vital role science plays in our everyday lives as well as addresses critical issues facing society today. Our K-12 Science Teacher Advisory Board ensures the integrity of the content and correlation to National Education Standards for Science instruction.
Our goal is to create a schedule of monthly “visits” to which K-12 schools can "subscribe" (FREE!) and increase science literacy by demonstrating how science plays a role in every aspect of modern society.
Influencing student motivation and attitudes towards STEM is particularly important because:
• Continued investment in scientific endeavors relies on broad public support, which is influenced by citizens’ responses to science and technology.
• Scientific and technological advances create jobs and as such are important economic influences in everyone’s life.
• A continued supply of scientific personnel requires a proportion of the population to take a close interest in science. Attitudes at age 15 have also been shown to influence whether students continue to study science and take a career path in science.
Share the story of the founder and what inspired the founder to start this project
Scott Forman, President, Allegro Productions,has been producing and distributing science documentaries for schools for more than 25 years. A dynamic and passionate leader in STEM education, he has, over the years, participated in the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, and STEM professional meetings such as the K-12 STEM Education Policy Conference July 2011, and leading STEM organizations such as Junior Engineering Technical Society, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, the National Science Teachers Association and the National Museum of Education.
The idea of a visiting guest lecture series emerged from working with technology companies whose professional staffers were interested in doing more school outreach programs. The experience of using Skype as a communications tool was a logical technology to integrate in this initiative, and the first test of the concept took place in January 2010 between a group of 7th graders at a school in south Florida and a biologist at the Florida Atlantic University. The experiment was an instant success and resulted in several follow up visits, some in-person and some “virtual”: http://www.ssrvideo.com/Virtual_Scientist_Video1.html.
To date Allegro has arranged more than 30 virtual visits including one simultaneous “multi-point” presentation between an engineer and three schools. Mr. Forman is a long-standing member of the Palm Beach County Film Commission as well as a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Social Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
Please describe how your project has been successful and how that success is measured
Allegro has arranged over 30 virtual presentations in the past 18 months including one “multi-point” discussion between a Los Angeles-based engineer and 3 schools in Texas and Pennsylvania. Immediately afterwards teachers are sent an electronic survey to gauge their feedback and ideas for improvement:
100% rated the "virtual scientist" CONCEPT to engage students about science and enhance the instructional value of their classroom content: “Good” to “Excellent”.
88% rated the CONCEPT of the "virtual scientist" as a teaching tool: “Good” to “Excellent”.
100% rated the preparation for the “virtual visit”: “Good” to “Excellent”.
88% of teachers indicated they would be interested in a monthly “virtual” visit.
33% of teachers indicated this was their first distance learning experience.
Current post-visit surveys have gauged teacher assessment of the “virtual scientist” as a teaching/learning tool. Future surveys will include pre- and post visit student surveys to determine their level of comprehension of the related topic and how the “visit” impacted their understanding and opinions.
Additionally, the creation of a regularly scheduled “visiting scientist” guest speaker program will enable better integration of the presentations into the classroom curriculum as this comment indicates:
“I would love to be able to tap into the knowledge of your scientists based on the projects we are working on at the time e.g. for our weather project, we could consult with a meteorologist. I think the concept of Virtual Scientist is terrific, and I wish more fields would have something like this available.”
How many people have been impacted by your project?
101-1,000
How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?
More than 10,000
How will your project evolve over the next three years?
Pending funding our three year plan will include the following:
• Establish a monthly “virtual scientist” schedule to allow for better integration of the initiative into the science curriculum.
• Additionally while we have been successful with basic science, technology and engineering topics, we have yet to cover MATH – an oft neglected component of many informal STEM education initiatives.
• Create a year-long pilot program that will follow the introduction of neuroscience to NYC area high school students by university graduate students under the direction of a lead scientist and monitor in-depth the impact of “virtual visits” on learning outcomes.
• Increase the number of “multi-point” simultaneous visits between multiple schools to expand the audience reach.
Sustainability
What barriers might hinder the success of your project and how do you plan to overcome them?
Efforts to arrange “virtual presentations” between schools and scientists have, for the most part, gone smoothly; our challenges have been primarily technical. To date presentations take place via Skype, an internet-based videophone service. This technology, while user-friendly and cheap (the software is free), has its limitations. A low bandwidth connection results in poor picture quality, and sound out of sync with the visual. Note: Skype audio seems to be unaffected by low bandwidth, it is the visual component that is subject to distortion.
In the past 12 months however, more schools have signed up for Skype service and currently more than 14,000 teachers are now actively using Skype for interactive/distance learning projects. In the past, much of the distance learning has been directed to students at the post secondary level, but with teacher layoffs, severe budget cuts, distance or “virtual” learning is poised to move into the K-12 realm. A recent TV report illustrated how one AP English teacher uses Skype to teach two classes simultaneously at schools 13 miles apart. http://news.yahoo.com/video/newyorkcbs2-15751042/nyc-teacher-instructs-2...
We anticipate that our technology issues will lessen over the next 3 years as schools expand their bandwidth and train more teachers to use interactive technology. In addition, our partnership with Indiana-based Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration which has a network of school districts with videoconferencing facilities provides an alternative method for “virtual presentations”.
Tell us about your partnerships
Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC), a nationally recognized not for profit with a network of more than 2,000 schools districts with videoconferencing facilities. CILC provides consulting and workshops to help develop, support and evaluate video distance learning programs as well as interactive content and professional development programs, collaboration opportunities, and site directories. Access to this network will provide gateways for the scheduling and dissemination of “virtual visits” as well as evaluation of programs. www.cilc.org
ACCREDITATION BOARD FOR ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (ABET)
ABET is a leader in assuring quality and innovation in applied science, computing, engineering and technology education. Founded in 1932, ABET accredits almost 3,000 programs at over 600 colleges and universities worldwide. It is a federation of 30 professional and technical societies, recognized by the Council for Higher Education (CHEA), state and national licensing and certification boards, and quality assurance organizations around the globe. ABET has been an Allegro partner for 30 years. www.abet.org
JUNIOR ENGINEERING TECHNICAL SOCIETY (JETS)
JETS coordinates competitions and develops career resources to help young people by highlighting the real value and intriguing work of engineers. Through an innovative approach—Explore, Assess, Experience—students learn about the contribution of engineering in a global society and assesses their potential for participation in the profession. JETS has been an Allegro partner for more than 20 years. www.jets.org
Current annual budget of project, in US dollars
$250,001‐500,000
Explain your selections
Funding for the “Virtual Scientist” to date has come from a variety of sources including corporate support and Foundation grants. Through collaborations with our non-profit partners: CILC, ABET and JETS we have submitted proposals to fund a variety of “virtual scientist” programs. We are also working with a university partner on a prospective NSF grant for a 2012-13 school program that will introduce neuroscience to students in the NYC area in a year-long initiative. The concept of the “virtual scientist” is appealing to corporate donors who have internal Speaker Bureaus consisting of professionals and executives who are the face of their respective companies in the various communities in which they operate. The experience that comes from interaction between an industry-based scientist or engineer and students is invaluable for encouraging greater science literacy. The idea that science is a real-world job that results in new innovations is often one that is simply never considered by many children. Foundations that support STEM initiatives have also been funding sources and it is through this opportunity that we have been able to engage academic speakers, thereby exposing students to various college/universities that have strong science and engineering programs. Regional governments often fund specific programs such as energy conservation or teen health that relate to specific state-based issues that need to be addressed through an education outreach campaign.
How do you plan to strengthen your project in the next three years?
The “Virtual Scientist” concept will work best as a regularly scheduled service for which educators will register and integrate the presentations into their lesson plans. The framework for a national initiative has already been established and includes:
- STEM professionals registration page: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22AMVPL6QKT
Schools/youth organizations registration page: http://www.ssrvideo.com/virtualscientist.html.
- STEM educators are reached through the existing Science Screen Report network of more than 7,000 school districts developed by Allegro Productions, Inc. over the past 40 years.
-Participation in science-based social networking groups has generated more than 600 responses. Such groups include: Biotech & Pharma Professionals Network, American Society of Mechanical Engineers and Women in Physics.
- Memberships in, and partnerships with, science based organizations have already been established and have provided vast resources and contacts in the scientific community for the pilot programs. These include: the New York Academy of Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Museum of Education, National Science Teachers Association, Junior Engineering Technical Society, and the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.
- STEM conferences that yield contacts that are added to our outreach network. Recent examples include:
o Science Club for Girls
o Science Buddies
o Mass Math and Science Initiative
o Project Exploration
o Academy for Educational Development
Partnerships and Accountability
Please tell us more about how your partnership was formed and how it functions. What specific role does each partner play? What unique resources does each partner bring to the initiative?
CENTER FOR INTERACTIVE LEARNING AND COLLABORATION(CILC) – Allegro formed a partnership with CILC in 2010 to address some of the technology issues that have emerged when using Skype for “virtual visits”. CILC’s national network of more than 2,000 schools districts with established videoconferencing facilities provide an alternative conduit by which to schedule the presentations. www.cilc.org
ACCREDITATION BOARD FOR ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (ABET)
ABET has been an Allegro partner for 30 years. Their vast network of more than 3,000 programs at colleges and universities worldwide provide an extensive pool of prospective guest presenters especially in the engineering profession. www.abet.org
JUNIOR ENGINEERING TECHNICAL SOCIETY (JETS)
JETS has worked with Allegro for more than 20 years and provides technical expertise for our award-winning and nationally distributed SCIENCE SCREEN REPORT video-based news series. www.jets.org
How are you building in accountability for students' successful STEM learning outcomes? Please provide a summary and examples.
A study in the May 2011 issue of the journal Science Education looking at why students choose to pursue interest in science recommended more classroom discussion about the types of STEM jobs available and whenever possible, the interface of students with local professionals organizations in science, engineering, and medical fields to raise career awareness.
Our own preliminary findings from teacher feedback support this claim:
“The material was really well presented, interesting and relevant to what we are studying and we would love to do this again next year in this course if possible. Thanks for arranging all this - it was great to be able to do something different and the kids really enjoyed it.” AP Science Teacher, Catlin Gable School, Portland, OR
“The presentation today was a winner … The topic was solid and highly correlated to our standards. The kids enjoyed (it) … one girl in particular was interested in the schooling and Dr. Olivier’s career pathway, which was great to see that her presence sparked or continued this young lady’s interest in pursuing science herself … I look forward to fostering this relationship and to further … interaction between my students and ‘real’ scientists.” Science Teacher, Calavera Hills Middle School, Carlsbad, CA
“The feedback is positive on our side. Teacher and students enjoyed the experience. We look forward to doing more with you. Perhaps we can be the initial try out for all new scientists. We would be interested in doing this in all subjects. Glad we could be part of this.” Principal, Fort Lauderdale Prep School, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
“It was great … the kids really enjoyed the presentation. Andre was great to work with as well - I am hoping to plan something similar with him next year.” Biology teacher (grades 10-12), English High School, Boston, MA
“Today's presentation went great - we have had a very positive experience with all of our speakers. Thank you for arranging the speakers and coordinating the program. We look forward to participating again next school year!” Science Department Chairperson, John D. O’Bryant School, Boston, MA
“Professor Howard was great.The students enjoyed the presentation and the chance to ask questions – her energy and message about careers in science was valuable. One girl said Professor Howard was ‘really cool’”. Biology teacher, Match Charter School, Boston, MA
“The students were so excited and it was informative and interesting to see what a scientist actually does. My students…received an experience that I would not have been able to provide them.” -- Science Teacher, Hope Elementary School, Carlsbad, CA
“I learned a lot about engineering in the Skype with Julie Owens! I wasn't a big fan of engineering but now I am...” Student blog: http://mrsalanizclassblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/skyping-with-engineer.html
Moving forward we plan to measure the effectiveness of our outreach program in the following ways:
• Development and inclusion of a pre-presentation survey to determine students’ knowledge and understanding about a given topic e.g. civil engineering.
• Post-presentation surveys will determine how this knowledge base was affected by the presentation in addition to the level of interaction by students with the proposed guest presenters.
• Using web-based e-surveys such as Zoomerang, we will conduct end of wrap-up surveys that assess overall end-user effectiveness and determine how programs are used in the teaching environment, their affect on learning outcomes and feed-back for future enhancements.
• Educators who do not respond to the survey will be phoned or emailed in order to acquire the relevant information needed to complete each survey. Our goal is to generate feedback from at least 80% of the participants.
Needs
Investment, Human Resources/Talent.
Please use this space to elaborate on your selection above and/or to add needs that may not be listed.
All STEM content produced and distributed by Allegro Productions, including the Virtual Scientist Guest Lecture Series, is made available FREE OF CHARGE TO SCHOOLS, as it has been for over 40 years. We are a small (under 10 people) family-owned business therefore we must continually raise money through corporate support, government funding and philanthropic grants in order to support the staffing necessary to continue this and all our programs. Additionally, we need to expand our databank of STEM professionals who are willing to volunteer their time to be guest presenters, as well as to building our network of schools and informal science education programs who are engaged in STEM education to ensure we are reaching our intended K-12 audience.
Offers
Marketing/Media, Collaboration/Networking, Innovation/Ideas.
Please use this space to elaborate on your selection above and/or to add offers that may not be listed.
Allegro actively seeks partnerships with organizations engaged in STEM programs and already has cross-marketing agreements with such organizations as: The New York Academy of Sciences Academy's Pathways to Science web portal, as well as Science Friday’s Initiative: Teachers’ TalkingScience, an online collection of free science lesson plans that can spark students’excitement about science.
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 | 32 weeks agoCeleste Endo said: Marie, Congratulations on becoming a finalist in the Ashoka Changemakers competition! I am intrigued by your website and am interested ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 42 weeks agoCameo Brown said: What a great, innovative way of utilizing the talent of STEM professionals to enhance student learning! Best of luck in the competition. about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 42 weeks agoMarie Gentile updated this Competition Entry. |
| 42 weeks agoMarie Gentile updated this Competition Entry. |
| 43 weeks agoMarie Gentile updated this Competition Entry. |
| 45 weeks agoMarie Gentile updated this Competition Entry. |
| 49 weeks agoMarie Gentile updated this Competition Entry. |
| 49 weeks agoMarie Gentile submitted this idea. |
