For the project, AGPA officials will work with school districts including the Akron City Schools, Barberton City Schools and Medina City Schools, as well as 20 additional public and private districts represented by the Educational Service Centers serving Medina and Stark counties.
Through intensive courses offered at the University, Web resources, regular meetings offered via distance learning technologies, and site visits by project leaders, the program will assist in the professional development of fifth- and eighth-grade teachers and administrators in the Ohio Academic Content Standards of Science and Technology.
The project's goals include improving learning outcomes measured by teachers' reports of students' acquisition of science skills, and knowledge of science and technology topics; building teachers' course content knowledge through professional development; developing administrators' understanding of research-based teaching techniques; and forming relationships among the University, K-12 educators and the scientific community.
“Education is a collaborative process,” Owens says. “This project will benefit administrators and science teachers as they provide meaningful and challenging learning experiences for their students.”
The Akron Global Polymer Academy has assembled fully developed lesson plans and videos of sample lectures, and links to science standards, best teaching practices and polymer resource materials.
For more information on polymers, click here.