An Education Above
TM
Laurel Leaf Spring 2014
Unique Partnership Forges Professional Development
BD is taking a handson approach by getting involved in the teaching process. The TfA teachers can see how a local company is creating products that can relate to the content learned in the classroom.
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BD scientists use a process similar to paper chromatography to identify patients with the flu.
or the past two years, Roland Park Country School has teamed up with Becton Dickinson (BD), a medical diagnostics company in Sparks, Maryland, to improve the way students learn science. In this partnership, expert scientists and master teachers collaborate to provide training workshops for Teach for America (TfA) in Baltimore. It is a prime example of how RPCS and other private institutions, as well as career professionals, can invest in education. The partnership’s goal is to train new teachers in TfA how to incorporate inquiry and other “best practices” in science education into their classrooms. The BD scientists provide a model for scientific investigation, which they use in their daily jobs, and the RPCS faculty show how to use this investigation to help TfA corp members develop their own inquiry lessons. Upper School science teachers David Brock and Meredith Moore, along with Martha Barss, the Sustainability and Environmental Education Coordinator, are RPCS’s masterminds behind this partnership, which has provided Teach for America three workshops to date. The program began when Steve Kaiser, a public relations professional and independent school parent, connected Becton Dickinson with Roland Park Country School. BD, which prides itself on being a socially responsible company, had historically been a monetary supporter of Teach for America but wanted to improve the quality of its contribution. Knowing that there might be untapped expertise in the independent school community, he used a Hopkins intern to explore science curricula and programs in the area independent schools. RPCS’s name kept coming up again and again for the quality of its science program and reputation for other private-public relationships, such as Growing Girls and Gardens, BEST, SuperKids, and most recently the Lillie May Carroll Jackson Charter School. Steve requested a meeting with Upper School Head, Ereni Malfa, who asked veteran teacher David Brock to join the conversation. When asked which was a better use for BD’s money—equipment or professional development— both Ereni, a former Upper School science teacher, and David explained why funds spent on professional development would get more results. “Apparently, I am quite enthusiastic when discussing science education,” David said. “Steve put me on the spot, wanting to know if I would spearhead the effort.” Because of that conversation with Ereni and David, BD is taking a hands-on approach by getting involved in the teaching process. The TfA teachers can see how a local company is creating products that can relate to the content learned in the classroom. When you are faced with a new concept that doesn’t have relevancy, you are not likely to take interest in it. BD is helping to make those connections more transparent to the TfA teachers, and thus, excite them to see how science impacts things in everyday life. With some of the area’s top science educators on board, Steve interviewed several current TfA corp members, asking what their biggest teaching challenge was. The response was clear: teaching inquiry within the limits of public education. A preliminary model was developed to employ BD scientists volunteering their time and RPCS faculty providing the educator training at two workshops, funded by BD, in January and February 2013—one for middle school and one for high school science teachers. In January 2014, RPCS and BD again offered a workshop for TfA science teachers to help them learn how to translate a real world science activity (like those happening at BD) into an inquiry lesson where students are engaged in the processes Martha Barss, Meredith Moore and David Brock participated in the workshop. and skills of a scientist while investigating a new situation. “One of Steve Kaiser’s long-term goals is to expand this model of teaching into other disciplines,” David said, “So we are not just field-testing an idea for improving TfA science education—we’re laying potential groundwork for helping improve TfA teaching across the board.” RPCS is pleased to be involved in this important partnership and professional development opportunity.
Roland Park Counrty School