Innovating Science Instruction
We created Stan-X and Stan-X Teachers Academy to foster experience-based science instruction.
Science is about making discoveries. Over a decade ago, we began to implement innovative programs at partnering secondary schools to foster the development of new ways to teach science. Collectively these programs are called ‘Stan-X’. These Stan-X curricula enabled students to perform open-ended research, and provided exciting possibilities to generate original data and resources that can be published and used by practicing scientists. The Stan-X network currently includes public and independent secondary schools, and universities. To nurture the development of instructors at new partner schools, we started a teaching academy called Discover Now (now called Stan-X Teachers Academy) in 2019 (see below). To target and support the inception of new Stan-X programs at schools teaching students under-represented in science, we founded Experimental Science Now.
Stan-X Teachers Academy:
Teaching the Teachers
To implement courses, we train instructors in the theory and practice of fruit fly genetics and biology. To achieve this goal and maximize our training and network building, in 2019 we formed a summertime teaching academy called Stan-X Teachers Academy. Over two weeks, new instructors – most without prior experience in fruit fly biology – receive intensive didactic and hands-on laboratory training. They also receive teaching materials from established successful Stan-X courses, including syllabus, texts, video links, and testing materials. Meetings and outings with teachers from existing Stan-X programs and Stan-X leadership establish mentoring connections that nurture the inception of courses at new partner schools and help sustain those courses over the years.
Experimental Science Now: Beneficiary Schools
Experimental Science Now is committed to bringing experience-based science instruction to students and their teachers. We engage current Stan-X partner schools, industrial partners, philanthropy, and extramural funders of educational initiatives to provide seed grants that foster the development of Stan-X programs at beneficiary schools. To become a beneficiary school, a school must have large percentages of underrepresented students in STEM and show financial need for ESN resources. We then work with Stan-X leadership to coordinate the implementation of Stan-X programs by these schools. This package includes expert training through the Stan-X Teachers Academy, followed by active mentoring of instructors by Stan-X program faculty during term time.
Email us at experimentalsciencenow@gmail.com if you are interested in becoming an ESN beneficiary school.
