tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post7861010983859419353..comments2024-01-08T03:21:35.616-05:00Comments on DeKalb County School Watch: Fernbank Science Center - C'mon and Visit Y'allCerebrationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comBlogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-83829470123659785162011-02-23T11:44:42.754-05:002011-02-23T11:44:42.754-05:00Here's Greg's birthday party link:
http:/...Here's Greg's birthday party link:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.birthdaypartyatlanta.net/" rel="nofollow">http://www.birthdaypartyatlanta.net/</a>Cerebrationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-28821055015880912742011-02-23T10:59:47.578-05:002011-02-23T10:59:47.578-05:00I wanted to share a resource I recently stumbled u...I wanted to share a resource I recently stumbled upon who would be fun and educational for all schools -<br /><br />Greg Greer, former director of the Dunwoody Nature Center is a well-known history and eco-travel consultant who specializes in reptiles. In fact, Greg offers speaking engagements and reptile "shows" that you can book at your school, scout troop, birthday party, after-school science club - whatever. He will also consult on interpretive nature trails and help you set one up. Beyond that, his website is a very informative, interesting log of reptile information as well as notes on his travels and other animals he encounters. <br /><br />Check out his website and call him to book an event. I met him serendipitously and found him to be a very engaging, interesting, lively person.<br /><br /><a href="http://gregsnaturalhistory.com/" rel="nofollow">Greg's Natural History</a>Cerebrationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-2597554471305263562011-02-09T20:20:24.770-05:002011-02-09T20:20:24.770-05:00@ anonymous 8:09
"My suggestion is to elimin...@ anonymous 8:09<br /><br />"My suggestion is to eliminate what is not essential and allow FSC to hire more teachers to mentor more students and teachers. "<br /><br />But this will not and cannot happen with the number of science teachers and students we have in DCSS. $7,000,000 is just too much to put into 28 teachers who teach on a one or two shot basis. <br /><br />The activities that you are describing that were so exciting to your daughter should be occurring in her science class EVERY day, not just on an occasional basis. This will never happen when we have $7,000,000 going for 28 science teachers in a science center.<br /><br />Making exciting science an every day occurrence for your daughter will NOT happen with the millions and millions that are sucked out of the science classroom for FSC.<br /><br />BTW - My students built toothpick bridges - awesome experience. We also used three straws, a bandaid and a lump of clay to build the strongest structure and pans of water and tinfoil boats to design the strongest boat - great physics labs. But I have to say that I taught Discovery and had much smaller classes than regular education teachers of the science curriculum. <br /><br />It's because I strongly believe science should be exciting for kids on an EVERYDAY basis that the $7,000,000 FSC consumes needs to be directed back into the regular education science classrooms. Exciting science is for EVERY child EVERYDAY.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-16974416494107100202011-02-09T20:09:19.237-05:002011-02-09T20:09:19.237-05:00I respectfully disagree with most blog posters abo...I respectfully disagree with most blog posters about the Fernbank Science Center: I think that FSC is a tremendous asset to our county and to our children. I admit that the non-teachning staffing looks a bit odd, but that is something that could be evaluated and scrubbed.<br /><br />Last Friday, my daughter attended FSC's "Science Night Out" and spent three hours designing and building a toothpick bridge to withstand heavy loading. This was run by FSC teachers and volunteers. That night, the sky was unusually clear, so when the engineering program ended we joined others in FSC's observatory for awesome views of several deep sky objects. The guy operating the telescope was a FSC teacher who patiently explained to everybody what they were viewing. The next "Science Night Out" will be in two weeks on Robotics. We won't miss this.<br /><br />Fernbank's super teachers also offer advanced science courses that are available to ALL DeKalb high school students. These courses typically meet from 3-5:30 PM with occasional Saturday field trips. Next year's courses include ornithology, science of food, animal science, ecosystems alive, biology of amphibians and reptiles, stream ecology, wetland ecology, forensic science, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, and Robotics and Engineering. All this is on FSC's website. <br /><br />The FSC teachers also help train and provide resources to ALL DCSS science teachers. Who would you rather provide science materials and ideas to your child's teacher: DCSS subject area coordinators or real scientists who are also gifted teachers?<br /><br />STT is a highly successful program to help members of under represented groups pursue careers in science and engineering. I doubt there is more successful program in the state. As a recent poster pointed out; their strategy is obvious: have real scientists, who love teaching kids, spend a few hours everyday engaging the kids in real science. It is not cheap, but it is very successful. <br /><br />It has been suggested that FSC be closed and all of FSC teachers sent to various schools to serve as science teachers. Can you imagine these scientist-teachers having to answer to DCSS Assistant Principals and having to document their class prep to the satisfaction of Dr. Beasley? I would bet all would leave DCSS in less than six months. <br /><br />My suggestion is to eliminate what is not essential and allow FSC to hire more teachers to mentor more students and teachers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-79034754958569741982011-02-08T22:10:09.260-05:002011-02-08T22:10:09.260-05:00I, too, am a CDC scientist and have kids in DeKalb...I, too, am a CDC scientist and have kids in DeKalb county schools. The biggest problem with science education in DCSS and nationawide is a huge deficit of qualified, quality teachers at the high school level. Most folks with expertise in science chose much more lucrative careers, jobs where they are rewarded for performance and where they have upward mobility. We are lucky to have a cluster of exceptional teachers, trained first as scientists, and secondarily, as teachers, employed by DCSS at Fernbank Science Center. We need to do everything we can to GUARANTEE positions for these FSC teachers in our schools should the science center be downsized or closed. These teachers are a precious resource.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-32772631528344581902011-02-08T21:01:53.299-05:002011-02-08T21:01:53.299-05:00@ anonymous 7:39
"Kids chose to major in sci...@ anonymous 7:39<br /><br />"Kids chose to major in science because they are inspired by a exceptional teacher. The average science teacher at the high school level does not excite kids about science. And this is not due to large classes but to the teacher. "<br /><br />That may be true in the U.S., but not in the rest of the world. In China, South Korea, Japan and Singapore, and Europe students major in science, math and engineering because those are the pathways to success in a global 2st Centrue economy. They apply themselves to the task at hand which is to seek a major in a subject that is in demand for the ever accelerating future. <br /><br />My husband is a CDC scientist and my daughter has a biology degree. Both of them understood from a very young age that science and math are extremely demanding subjects, and they needed to put an enormous amount of time into mastering the content.<br /><br />80% of Chinese students major in science, math or engineering while only 20% of U.S. students major in these subjects. Do you really think that all of these Chinese students have "interesting" and "inspiring" teachers?<br /><br />U.S. students need to apply themselves to these rigorous subjects if they want good paying jobs, and schools need to be pouring money into science, math and engineering or we will most certainly be left in the dust.<br /><br />Students need daily science instruction. One or two interesting lessons a year will not be enough for our children to compete on a global level.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-33978959559367152442011-02-08T08:01:51.473-05:002011-02-08T08:01:51.473-05:00No Child Left Behind has been the most significant...No Child Left Behind has been the most significant driving force behind decline in scientific completency of our students nationwide.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-77408964427140008812011-02-08T07:39:37.704-05:002011-02-08T07:39:37.704-05:00"Science, math and engineering are hard subje..."Science, math and engineering are hard subjects and we only have 20% of our students majoring in these subjects in college"<br /><br />Kids chose to major in science because they are inspired by a exceptional teacher. The average science teacher at the high school level does not excite kids about science. And this is not due to large classes but to the teacher. My son was in an AP science class with 19 kids. Nice small class, lots of room to do labs, but uninspired, lackluster and incompetent teacher. Kids were turned off to science. <br /><br />Another problem is that due to NCLB, many of our kids in elementary schools are getting virtually no science instruction and exposure. Kids get to high school having spent most of their elem and middle school days prepping for math and reading CRCT. <br /><br />AGain, we must have a vision for science education in our k-12 school with leaders who can implement the vision.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-40261661421000008862011-02-07T22:56:17.442-05:002011-02-07T22:56:17.442-05:00"I have seenDCSS."
I meant to say that..."I have seenDCSS."<br /><br /> I meant to say that I have seen a steady decline in DCSS science scores. <br /><br />BTW - when FSC personnel talked to me about working there I was not interested. I knew that a one shot or two shot lesson was not an efficacious way to master science content.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-75243794573108857182011-02-07T22:55:25.546-05:002011-02-07T22:55:25.546-05:00Let's see. If the Fernbank Museum took over t...Let's see. If the Fernbank Museum took over the responsibilities of the Science Center and then back-charged the school system, how much would it cost? Say it's the full price ticket - $13 for under 12 plus $11 for an IMAX movie. So $24 per student for a full day at the Museum at full price (we all know schools get discounts - and the museum offers great ones here) -<br /><a href="http://www.fernbankmuseum.org/pdfs/education/FieldTrips/School-Programs-Guide.pdf" rel="nofollow">School Programs Guide</a><br /><br />But anyway - say each kid goes twice a year - that's $50 each - plus $10 transportation - $60 each x 100,000 = $6,000,000. That would be about a max - knowing fully that we would get serious breaks on the prices. Plus - they offer amazing programs... the planetarium could just be one more!Cerebrationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-73858661981631707512011-02-07T22:51:38.573-05:002011-02-07T22:51:38.573-05:00@ DeKalb Teacher
I have taken more students to FS...@ DeKalb Teacher<br /><br />I have taken more students to FSC classes than you ever will starting in 1972. I agree that many although not all of the instructors are excellent. However, my husband is a scientists and my son is a science teacher. I know how difficult it is to master the science content of chemistry, physics and biology. I have seenDCSS. Once or twice a year of science instruction - no matter how excellent it is - cannot compensate for the lack of daily excellent science instruction in reasonably sized classrooms with adequate access to science equipment and supplies. <br /><br />Please walk in the shoes of a regular education middle or high school science teacher for a week or a month. You will see that DCSS needs every penny we can get to ensure our students master science content, and this will only happen with DAILY high quality science instruction.<br /><br />It's not so difficult to conduct a dynamic science lesson and hold the interest of students for a one shot lesson. Try to do that for 180 days and with an overcrowded class and scant equipment. FSC talked to me about working there as an instructor.<br /><br />Sorry - but $7,000,000 for 28 science instructors giving one shot lessons - no matter how good they are - cannot improve our science achievement. That's not the way science works - my husband spent 5 years methodically working to develop a vaccine when he worked at CDC. That's science - and it begins with daily science instruction. <br /><br />Science, math and engineering are hard subjects and we only have 20% of our students majoring in these subjects in college (China has 80% of their students majoring in these subjects). The basics cannot be learned in a day or two.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-60449079490927780852011-02-07T22:41:42.730-05:002011-02-07T22:41:42.730-05:00That's certainly the way my son's PhD leve...That's certainly the way my son's PhD level teacher at Lakeside taught freshman biology. She also made them make Powerpoint presentations explaining scientific concepts to the class. Not sure my son learned a single thing that year.Cerebrationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-91162485520561185742011-02-07T22:38:10.216-05:002011-02-07T22:38:10.216-05:00@ anonymous 10:09
"The biggest problem with ...@ anonymous 10:09<br /><br />"The biggest problem with the labs taught at many of the DCSS high schools is not the crowding or lack of equipment but lack of an experienced and competent teacher to lead the lab effectively."<br /><br />You are wrong. Labs in overcrowded classrooms are unsafe for students. Do you need me to cite the studies that show this? They are listed on the National Teachers of Science Association website. <br /><br />Do you want science teachers to conduct labs when all the statistical studies show it is unsafe for students at the current levels of classroom sizes?<br /><br />Do you think science can be learned with students just reading out books?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-16379297504742952062011-02-07T22:33:26.526-05:002011-02-07T22:33:26.526-05:00@ Anonymous 9:40
"These instructors work the...@ Anonymous 9:40<br /><br />"These instructors work their butts off. For all 5 periods that classroom teachers teach. From bell to bell.<br /><br />If you don't know what you are talking about, step out of this discussion. "<br /><br />And what do the 36 admin and support personnel left behind at the science center do?<br /><br />Actually, I know a lot about what they do. I also can divide and dividing 96,000 students by 28 FSC teachers = 3,428 students per FSC instructor.<br /><br />They may "work their butts off" as do all science teachers in DCSS, but science scores are declining and 28 science teachers cannot improve science achievement for 96,000 students. You know this. <br /><br />Use the $7,000,000 to hire 100+ science teachers for the 22 middle schools or spend that money so the science teachers in the regular education schools don't have to spend their own money on supplies (my son was a science instructor so I know how much money he spent on science supplies). This would improve our EOCT scores.<br /><br />And please justify the millions spent on the 36 admin and support at FSC. Tell me what they do to improve science achievement for students.<br /><br />ONLY day to day to day science instruction by highly qualified science teachers can improve science achievement, and if you don't know this then "you don't know what you are talking about, (and need to) step out of this discussion. "Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-65070495358035017052011-02-07T22:16:22.048-05:002011-02-07T22:16:22.048-05:00I totally agree with you 9:40, 8:28 does not have ...I totally agree with you 9:40, 8:28 does not have a clue.<br />Our school took our entire 3rd grade to our feeder HS (a 5 minute bus ride away) for a Fernbank program. We were combined with 2 other schools in the auditorium at the High School. The Fernbank Instructors were awesome. They kept 300 3rd graders on the edge of their seats for an hour, covered all the state standards in the content area, and then turned around and did the program again an hour later for another 300 kids. Then they taught a follow-up staff development class for all the teacher that same day at our school. This is the second year in a row we have taken all our 3rd graders to this program. I am looking forward to taking my students to it for years to come.DeKalb Teachernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-46627586286047649432011-02-07T22:09:46.579-05:002011-02-07T22:09:46.579-05:00The biggest problem with the labs taught at many o...The biggest problem with the labs taught at many of the DCSS high schools is not the crowding or lack of equipment but lack of an experienced and competent teacher to lead the lab effectively.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-43845808577687971822011-02-07T22:05:29.810-05:002011-02-07T22:05:29.810-05:00@anon 9:40
Thank you! I know that these FSC teach...@anon 9:40<br /><br />Thank you! I know that these FSC teachers do work their butts off, dragging heavy equipment to schools most days of the week, teaching the entire day with no break or planning period. <br /><br />Future discussions about the FSC need to be based on all the functions the science center provides and which of these functions are essential and should be maintained or expanded and which are not essential. This focus on the $7 million saved diverts our attention from the important conversation we need to be having about how to harness the tremendous expertise and education of the science center teachers to improve science education for DCSS. Please don't throw the baby out with the bathwater!<br /><br />The other untruth that is plastered on this blog is that the Fernbank elementary community are the only beneficiaries of the science center and the only advocates. As someone who lives well outside this community, I find this offensive.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-38391867549929532272011-02-07T21:45:40.260-05:002011-02-07T21:45:40.260-05:00Sorry Anon 7:11, I meant Anon 8:28
All these Anony...Sorry Anon 7:11, I meant Anon 8:28<br />All these Anonymous posts are so confusing, especially the same night as a crazy board meeting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-49531026559036194472011-02-07T21:40:16.114-05:002011-02-07T21:40:16.114-05:00@ 7:11
"Just what we need - 28 more science I...@ 7:11<br />"Just what we need - 28 more science Instructional Coaches and Coordinators while the science teachers in the regular education classrooms have 36 students per class."<br /><br />Your kidding, right? Don't you know what Science Center instructors do in the schools? They go into regular classrooms with 36 students and they take over instructions for the day. They do hands-on labs, bringing state of the art technology and labs into the schools. At some elementary schools they provide the only hands-on science the kids will get all year. These instructors work their butts off. For all 5 periods that classroom teachers teach. From bell to bell. <br /><br />If you don't know what you are talking about, step out of this discussion.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-65883020060042687372011-02-07T21:04:36.437-05:002011-02-07T21:04:36.437-05:00@Anon 6:17
You just don't seem to get it... i...@Anon 6:17<br /><br />You just don't seem to get it... if the forest is no longer the responsibility of Fernbank Science Center then they will be able to RIF the maintenance staff. That would be a huge reduction to their budget. Of course the Museum would have to start paying to have their lawn mowed and they would have to hire staff to keep maintain the forest, but I'm sure they have the funds to cover that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-58284854561202532962011-02-07T20:46:25.225-05:002011-02-07T20:46:25.225-05:00So what's the 2020 vision for science educatio...So what's the 2020 vision for science education for DeKalb County? What about the 2012 vision? We should be focusing on this vision instead of a vision for redistricting, or a vision for tearing down the science center.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-61470773120201598882011-02-07T20:43:36.186-05:002011-02-07T20:43:36.186-05:00Without strong leadership for science within DCSS,...Without strong leadership for science within DCSS, the state of science instruction will never improve.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-20097610832586612442011-02-07T20:42:17.026-05:002011-02-07T20:42:17.026-05:00Removing Fernbank Science Center will not lead to ...Removing Fernbank Science Center will not lead to smaller class sizes, better science instruction. or more money for science. This is not a "cause/effect" relationship.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-85975518423193161222011-02-07T20:28:47.212-05:002011-02-07T20:28:47.212-05:00@ Anonymous 7:11
"Let the experts at the sci...@ Anonymous 7:11<br /><br />"Let the experts at the science center be the leaders and coordinators for science education for DCSS. '<br /><br />Just what we need - 28 more science Instructional Coaches and Coordinators while the science teachers in the regular education classrooms have 36 students per class.<br /><br />You do realize it's unsafe to run labs with 30+ students in a class - right? So with all the tap dancing in the world science teachers will not be able to keep students "excited about science" if they cannot do any laboratory based learning without being in unsafe conditions.<br /><br />Don't worry too much. The Fernbank Community will probably keep taxpayers on the hook for the $7,000,000 a year because they get a lot of benefit from FSC.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-37637207409945769662011-02-07T19:16:02.238-05:002011-02-07T19:16:02.238-05:00We desperately need leadership in science educatio...We desperately need leadership in science education in DeKalb County.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com