Team Teaching

1. Team Teaching A Global Education Consortium Collaboration in Teaching Virtual Classrooms Immersive Game Platforms Informal Learning Projects & Exhibits Media Projects for Public Awareness Advisors, Overviews, Consulting

2. Team Teaching requires cross disciplinary discussions • Integration of subjects requires collaboration and team teaching • In the current era of converging technologies, students are being faced with decisions concerning integration of courses that were once single focus fields of study. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

3. Major issues for students • Guidance counselors in high schools have not been informed about the nano-bio-info-cogno converging technologies. • Therefore, teachers and counselors are still following outdated state and federal requirements for course selection. • Student achievement is still based on individual testing assessments resulting in competitive barriers that do not foster the type of individual who works well in collaborations or team learning. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

4. The art of listening in groups • Courses in communication and collaboration need to be offered to teachers and professors of K-20. The art of listening and sharing knowledge between disciplines has not been taught, nor encouraged. • To achieve the training of good scientists and teachers who have the capacity to work well in multidisciplinary groups, there are several new kinds of traits necessary. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

5. Most difficult for teachers • The first and perhaps most difficult is to learn new ways to communicate across the disciplines. Professors have been required to use the technical language of their respective disciplines to convey their thoughts in a lecture as clearly and precisely as possible. • However, researchers and teachers in other disciplines are usually unfamiliar with their technical language of preference. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

6. Teach/learn is a sharing process Simplify the language whenever possible. • When talking across the bridges we seek to build, we must learn to translate accurately but clearly to an audience who will not necessarily be familiar with our respective languages and begin to train our students to learn the skill of communicating across the disciplinary divides. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

7. How do we accomplish this? • New programs where students are systematically called upon to explain their work or the work of others to their peers in other areas of study. • Since Mathematics is the foundation of all sciences and engineering, a common language might surface from math, that can be extended to explore commonalities of integrated subjects to open discussions among peer groups. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

8. Physics should be taught first… According to Leon Lederman PhD, Nobel Prize Laureate in Physics, our education in the basic sciences has been taught backwards for the past 100 years. His project states that Students who learn PHYSICS FIRST will gain a better understanding of Chemistry as the second science and Biology as the third. Engineering needs to be introduced to students in all the major areas of science Cross-disciplinary communication between students will expand the knowledge base for research excellence in the next decade. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

9. Starting in primary grades • Physics First concepts are now being taught in 1000 of our 15,000 school districts across the nation. • By introducing the concepts for physics in grades 7-9, along with Algebra I and II, we will be able to encourage students to take more math and science courses in high school. • Our current proficiency requirements for grades K-12 are the lowest of all nations. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

10. Attend lectures on all subjects • In order to solidify these changes, we need to pose challenges to our university students to work in teams of mixed skills which include engineers, physicists, mathematicians, biologists, chemists, and cognitive scientists. • Team members should attend lectures in each of the cross-disciplinary subjects and develop presentations for their peers as part of their course work for communication skills. • The resulting papers could then be developed into textbooks for teachers/students in primary grades. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

11. A Broad range of fields • Since we cannot train our students to be experts in this broad range of fields, we must encourage them to communicate across the complete range and to seek out speakers who offer this expertise. • Attending cross-discipline lectures expands their focus and knowledge base while challenging their minds to grasp the complexity of the interwoven subjects to introduce a holistic approach to science. • The resulting balance complements the single-focus reductionist method of inquiry necessary for research. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

12. Diverse team research • Thus, the best programs will be those that throw the students from diverse disciplines together. • The next generation of researcher will need to successfully form multi-team collaborative efforts between all the diverse disciplines to develop the new converging technologies. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

13. Full integration programs • Summer workshops can provide incentives by exposing individuals to the potentials of the union, but only through full-fledged educational programs can the efforts move forward effectively and evolve the integration of physics, chemistry and biology with engineering. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

14. Integrated subject device • Example: Nanobiosyms Inc., developed by Anita Goel, PhD Physics, MD from Harvard/MIT combines biology and physics at the nanoscale. • Her company developed a hand-held detector for bio-warfare, which also detects diseases for the medical field. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

15. Nanodevices require unity of focus • It is likely that the full potential for nanodevices will only be reached by uniting engineers with biologists, chemists, physicists, and cognitive scientists. • To actually understand what will emerge when nanotubes are directly contacting neurons, stimulating them, and recording from them will require considerable research, and multi focus-team expertise. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

16. Collaborative global advantage • Collaborative versus competitive projects in education • A collaborative effort among nations would initiate team learning and integrated courses while introducing real-time multi-cultural experiences. All courses would be offered in multiple languages increasing the desire of U.S. students to become multi-lingual at an earlier age. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

17. An Example from Taiwan • A large textbook with instructions for experiments was developed by teachers from the lectures they attended for one year. • The textbook (451 pgs.) was printed in Chinese, but the diagrams and photos included with the text clearly showed the quality of the teachers understanding. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

18. Multi-discipline training for teachersfrom the textbook lessons • The next step in Taiwan was the development of teacher workshops as the primary method of knowledge transfer where experts, professors and experienced “seed” teachers gave the talks and led hands-on activities based on the textbook development to primary grade teachers. • Topics included carbon nanocapsules, carbon nanotube models, and making nano solar cells. Laboratory tours were then arranged for all the teachers TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

19. Taiwan K-12 edu project initiated by the engineering faculty • In just two years of operation, engineering faculty from 17 universities and 193 teachers from 169 K-12 schools participated in programs at the regional centers. • Even though the teachers knew very little about the science or technology when they entered the program, they were able to develop 224 lesson plans, write one set of textbooks, a comic book, and create one animated film for K-12 students. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

20. Unifying the subjects as a 3-part Symphony in Nanotechnology • To assemble the instructional materials, the lessons, pictures, and text created by the teachers were collected and published as a three-part set of books titled: Nanotechnology Symphony: Physics, Chemistry and Biology, which encouraged the early integration of these three important subjects in the primary grades of 7-12. • As introductory material about nanotechnology, the books contain concepts such as nano-size, nano-material, nano-catalyst, photonic crystal, and various applications, along with 6 experiments designed to give students hands-on experiences in a regular high-school laboratory. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

21. Videos and comic books prevail • For the younger students, The 15 min. animated film titled: A Fantastic Journey for Nana and Nono introducing the basic theory of nano technology and applications for daily life from a child’s perspective, along with a Super Hero Comic Book adventure titled: Nano Blasterman TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

22. Science fiction to science lesson • A high school lesson was also developed from the best-selling science fiction book PREY by Michael Crichton, where the teachers took advantage of the story line to show the real science of bio-nanotechnology and to discuss the social implications with high school students. • By addressing the story in class, it gave the teachers an opportunity to teach discernment between real science and science fiction and created a more informed student. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

23. Encourage teachers to investigate options • We need to encourage teachers to investigate creative ways of sharing knowledge with their students so that they are not just “teaching to the test”. • Changing our methods of teach/learn knowledge sharing in the classrooms is necessary and the teachers can make the difference if they are encouraged to work as teams and collaborate with their colleagues at the local school level. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

24. K-12 students rate an equal priority in Asian countries for education. • Teaching Nanotechnology in Grades 1-6 in China • A perfect example of this type of teach/learn activity was shown to us by China, who introduced Nano Science and Nanotechnology to grades 1-6 in January 2005. • Balestier Hill Primary School introduced a nanotechnology program for all its pupils - from Primary grades 1 to 6, and I believe it to be the first primary school to do so. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

25. Ideas implemented quickly in China • The school set up a $25,000 air-conditioned nano lab for 'hands-on' experience lessons. Associate Professor Belal Baaquie, whose daughter Tazkiah, 11, attends the school, came up with the idea. “Nanotechnology is an emerging area in science and technology,” he said. “Students should be exposed to it from young - when they are open to new ideas.” • The first meeting was in December, 2004. It only took one month to build the lab and open the doors. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

26. Nano Room in China School has the youngest students using lab tools • There are eight electron microscopes - with X1600 resolution. • This means the students can see objects the size of a micron - which is about the size of a dust particle. Each microscope costs about $3,000. • Lab is for grades 1- 6. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

27. How do they teach children so young? • All the children go to the lab two or three times a week. Lessons are made fun and simple, especially for the younger ones. • Grade 1 & 2 are allowed to fiddle around with the microscopes under supervision. • They are then encouraged to talk or write stories about their experience. So as they familiarize themselves with a science lab and the objects found there, they are also improving their speaking, reading and composition skills. • Grade 3 & 4 learn how to construct models of atomic structures, using golf balls and Lego sets. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

28. Things get a little more in-depth in Grades 5 & 6. • Grade 5 pupils are able to peer down microscopes to examine a strand of hair. They are then required to record their findings on worksheets which instills good research skills at an early age.. • The Grade 6 pupils also have to do a project on nanotechnology. • Photo shows skin on hand at 1 nano meter under an STM. Cornell University “It’s a Nano World” TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

29. No exams or tests. • Instead, it becomes a part of their syllabus by being integrated with other subjects. This is a key factor in the success of integration of subjects. • TNTG Inc would like to expand this wonderful idea with a Virtual Classroom online reaching children in Grades 1-6 globally. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

30. Educational Game Platform • Our next project is the development of an education platform of a role playing game for grades 7-12 integrating math, science, chemistry, biology, and nano technology for space applications designed for global online access. • Students are multi-digital oriented and recent research points to a new level of exciting learning experiences in the next few decades. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

31. What Kids Learn from Video Games by Marc Prensky • Whenever one plays a game – video, computer or otherwise – and whatever game one plays, learning, not just about that game but "about life," happens constantly, whether the players want it to and are aware of it, or not. • In fact, learning "about life" is one of the great pleasures and positive consequences of all game playing. And it happens every time, in every game, continuously and simultaneously, on several levels. • But most adults are ignorant of the games their kids are playing – not because they want to be, but because they are "Digital Immigrants" from a very different culture than their "Digital Native" children. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

32. Interactive learning • The most explicit level of learning that takes place as you play a video or computer game is that you are learning how to do something. As you play you learn, gradually or quickly, the moves of the game. • You have control of what goes on in the game and on the screen, unlike when you are watching movies or TV. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

33. Complex strategy and tactics • Just as in the other levels, there are deeper "Why" lessons that get learned from video and computer games as well. Among these important and valuable "real-life" lessons are: • Cause and effect. • Long term winning versus short term gains. • Order from seeming chaos. • Second-order consequences. • Complex system behaviors • Counter-intuitive results. • The value of persistence. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

34. Immersive learning environments • One of the great games techniques for transmitting knowledge is through immersion. It seem that the more one feels one is actually "in" a culture or a new environment, the more one learns from it – especially non-consciously. • Language teachers especially are aware of how much learning goes on in immersive situations, along with science experiments and microscopy immersion in on-line labs. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

35. Setting policy for games • In a time when the skills and interests of today’s "Digital Natives" are fundamentally different from those of their "Digital Immigrant" parents and teachers, it makes little sense to even try to make public policy about things like video and computer games without seriously including the “Digital Natives” point of view. TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

36. What do kids want? • Kids – especially today’s kids – really do want to have fun – it’s an important part of being a kid. That is why they play thousands of hours of videogames – just ask any of them!. • So whatever policies we decide to make about video and computer games for education, and whatever educational or social messages we try to put into them and communicate to the kids who play them… • none of it will matter unless their games remain really, really fun • – not from our perspective, but from theirs! TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

37. Life long learning is our future University Instructional materials that teach the nano scale of science must be introduced to the primary and secondary grades to properly develop the skill sets and patterns for life long learning so we all know ‘how the world works in real-time’ from the bottom up and the nano to the macro! K-12 Colleges Technical Schools TNTG Inc. (c) 2006

38. Thank you for your participation…Support a Project to Create a Future. The NanoTechnology Group Inc. A Global Education Consortium www.TNTG.orgJudith.LightFeather@TNTG.org Judith Light Feather, President PO Box 456, Wells, Texas 75976 Cell Ph: 830-660-0054 TNTG Inc. (c) 2006