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The Institute for Chemistry Literacy Through Computational Science (ICLCS) is a National Science Foundation-funded 5-year program to increase the chemistry literacy and chemistry-related pedagogical skills of rural Illinois high school teachers. We will immerse these “ICLCS Fellows” and their students in new models of instruction, especially focusing on computers and their instructional uses, that will improve student achievement and prepare students for 21 st Century careers through an intensive, multi-year Summer Institute for teachers built upon existing, successful curricula and methods, enhanced with state-of-the-art science research data and applications. The use of computational tools for 21 st Century science will be the context for the delivery of the curriculum that includes particular focuses on medicinal chemistry (biomedicine), materials science, including nanotechnology, agricultural chemistry and the computational aspects of molecular-level chemistry. The Institute is designed to build teachers' competence and confidence in teaching chemistry, to use computational tools and methods in their curriculum, and to create a community of practice among research faculty and high school teachers working together as colleagues to improve student achievement.
Vision, Goals and Outcomes The program goals are to:
- Strengthen rural high school teachers' and students' understanding of chemistry within the context of 21 st Century research.
- Increase teachers' use of, and comfort with, computational and visualization tools.
- Create a cadre of teacher-leaders who will become advocates for excellence in science education.
- Promote institutional change in the university and school district partners.
Professional Development Summer Institutes
The professional development program helps participants learn effective and creative ways to teach chemistry content using visualization tools, inquiry-based activities, and learning experiences relevant to students' lives to enhance high school chemistry courses and to meet learning standards. The Summer Institutes, key to the professional development program, are two-week, intensive residential experiences that build in content-level each year over three years . Additional real and virtual presentations over the course of the year provide 340 hours of continuous professional development, mentoring, and support to ICLCS participants. The program incorporates a training-of-trainers model to help ensure wide dissemination and sustainability.
ICLCS Brochure (pdf)
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