MS 206B CSD 10

After School

Science, Math,  Technology, and Literacy Club

Dr. C. DeJesus: Principal

Mrs. R. Barsuhn: Assistant Principal, Program Supervisor

Milton Evertz: Coordinator-Project LISTO

Instructors: G. Solano, M. DeLaCruz, M. Talty

Original Curriculum and Program Concept designed by Geraldine E. Solano

          The MS 206B SMTL Club is a program is funded by the L.I.S.T.O grant, and is designed to allow students who are excelling in math and science during their daily instruction to continue exploring topics in math, science, and literacy after regular school hours. The club runs every Monday, Wednesday, and Tuesday afternoons from 2:50 – 4:50 pm .

Students are nominated and selected by the program instructors based on attendance, class participation, and academic performance. Students are advised that they have been selected and must return a consent form before they can participate in the program.

          Students undergo investigations in science that encompass math and literacy as a part of the learning process. Students learn and understand connections made between math and science and are able to then reflect their acquired knowledge through development of a literary piece in the form of a reflection and/or laboratory report.

          Laptop computers are a great asset to the program. By using the laptop computers, students learn to use technology in a purposeful and appropriate way. The Internet is used as a source of data analysis and collection that supports the topic being studied. Students become engaged, and are delighted to use technology as a part of their learning process. Spreadsheets are used to record, organize, and interpret experiment data. Graphs and laboratory reports are then created from the data as a means of comparing and contrasting text based and visual based data.

          Students also learn appropriate laboratory safety and instrumentation techniques that will support and ensure successful experimentation in the science lab. Habits of practice and appropriate use are priority to student participation.

          The SMTL Club has demonstrated that teaching and learning is simultaneous, and there is no real separation between the two. As teacher work on scientific investigation together with students, discoveries are made that help teachers and students as a whole realize that there is something to be taught or learned by each participant. Teachers value and respect students opinions and observations as they work together to come to conclusions and explanations of natural phenomena.  Instructors work together as co-teachers, using their individual strengths and expertise in unity, to implement the goals of the program. Teachers take turns leading the students into experiments and inquiry based activities by providing whole group instruction. Students are then allowed to work individually or in cooperative groups to complete tasks and engage in hands on scientific experimentation using appropriate laboratory tools and technologies.

          The year ended with a spectacular display of science projects that demonstrate the learning of scientific methods and theories by the students. The MS 206B Science Expo showed detailed evidence that students can learn under the proper conditions. The after school club funded by  Project L.I.S.T.O. has given us the opportunity to provide and document this evidence, and prove that students can excel with the support and vision Project L.I.S.T.O. provides. 

          We look forward to the continued success of the MS 206B After School Math, Science, Technology and Literacy program with the continued support of Dr. DeJesus, Mrs. Barsuhn, Mr. Evertz, and our consultant Dr. Fernando Espinoza who is the director of the Science Education Program in the Department of Middle and High School Education at Lehman College . We look forward to continuing this program next year, and further hope that the grant will be renewed so that we may bring even more exciting opportunities to the students and school community of MS 206B in the future.