For two and half months this summer, the iCons summer interns diligently toiled to produce the first set of iCons Case Study materials for use in the high school science classroom. Interns Dominique Kiki Carey, Rebecca Howard, and Corrine Losch (all iCons class of 2019) joined iCons alumna, Erica Light (Class of 2016) to form a team charged with the mission of creating and executing high school curriculum that prepares students to be leaders in solving the world’s challenges through problem solving and critical thinking.
Using the 5 steps of an iCons case study as their guide (Inception, Engagement, Research, Create, and Reflect) – the interns developed four case studies for use in a high school classroom, with a range of topics: Environmental Sustainability, Ocean Acidification, Oil Spills, and Antibiotic Resistance.
In the true spirit of iCons – this team was integrated and student-driven. Each of the four students hail from various majors (Biology, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Math, and Environmental Science). Although College of Education graduate student Stephanie Purington was their fearless leader, it was the students who sailed the ship.
Their endeavor began with a mere two weeks’ time set aside to plan and create two case study lesson plans in time for them to be facilitated in three Chicopee high school chemistry classes before the end of the school year. Preparation included research on the city of Chicopee, in order to determine how best to engage the students on issues in their community.
Next, they moved into the classroom. The interns facilitated one case study over a two-week period in three different Chicopee high school classes. As this was the first experience with teaching for all of the them, much was learned. The feedback from the students was great --- hearing comments like, “This was the first time I got to do a presentation in science” and the case study experience “put the science in real-life” let the interns know that they were on to something. The students’ products were pushed outside the classroom (just as they are in iCons) – reaching places such as the United Nations, the Mayor of Chicopee, and the CDC.
Check out their awesome work here: Read more
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