EMSI Research Experience for Teachers

Columbia has a an active high school teacher recruitment plan that brings local teachers to the University for summer research activities. EMSI has supported several of these teachers - as part of the Columbia RET - to do research in chemistry, geochemistry, and engineering with members of the EMSI team, and we expect to add a new teacher this summer. The program also includes a weekly lecture series in which EMSI principal investigators have given presentations. The EMSI RET Program is coordinated in conjunction with the Summer Research Program for Secondary School Science Teachers.

David Friedman, second-year EMSI RET participant and teacher at General Douglas MacArthur HS in Levittown, NY, lays down a traffic counting device that will collect data on the size & speed of vehicles passing through the street, and volume of traffic in the area as part of his research project on traffic-related particle exposure.

The Summer Research Program for Secondary School Science Teachers, established in 1990 by Dr. Samuel C. Silverstein and coordinated by Mr. Jay Dubner, contributes to the improvement of middle and high school students' understanding of science by providing their teachers with experience in the practice of science. Teachers participate in the Program for two consecutive summers as members of research teams led by Columbia University faculty. Teacher participants report that their experiences have engaged them intellectually, provided them with new avenues for personal and professional growth, increased their appreciation of the process of scientific discovery, and enhanced their ability to communicate the excitement of science to their students and fellow teachers. Teachers also report that these experiences have revitalized their science teaching by encouraging them to increase laboratory-based constructivist learning in their classrooms. They have given them insight into the personal qualities and technical skills needed to work as a laboratory technician, graduate student, postdoctoral fellow, and senior scientist, thereby aiding them in providing guidance and encouragement to students. Participating teachers are expected to share their research experiences and new skills with their students and fellow teachers. The Program's ongoing analysis of the effects of teacher participation on student outcomes shows that students of participating teachers demonstrate an increased interest and performance in science.