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June 4, 2011: Amidst laughter, tears, and thoughtful reflection on their teaching practice, the pioneer group of
Sci-Ed Fellows graduated in an emotional event at New York University before welcoming a new group of
fellows into the program.
Over the past year, these eighteen innovative science teachers have supported each other to make their
classrooms more democratic and to enable their students to achieve science literacy. Their time together
began with a one-week workshop last summer and continued through the year with frequent gatherings,
sharing online windows into each other’s classrooms, and participating in the annual Sci-Ed Innovators Expo.
Low-Income Minority Youth in Science. Professors Catherine Milne of NYU’s Steinhardt School and
Christoper Emdin of Columbia’s New Teacher College joined Radha and Dipak Basu for this special event.
It was then time to welcome the new Fellows who will officially begin their immersion in the democratic
science teaching framework this summer. The new Fellows observed as the pioneer fellows presented their
windows into the classroom projects, one of the culminating fellowship activities. Some of the new Fellows,
like Michael Holmes, who teaches AP Chemistry and Environmental Sciences at the High School of American
Studies in the Bronx, did not want to wait for the summer workshop to begin to open a window into his
classroom for the other Fellows to see. He volunteered that he already had a video of his teaching that he
offered to post to the collaboration site right away to spark dialog.
Sci-Ed Fellows graduated in an emotional event at New York University before welcoming a new group of
fellows into the program.
Over the past year, these eighteen innovative science teachers have supported each other to make their
classrooms more democratic and to enable their students to achieve science literacy. Their time together
began with a one-week workshop last summer and continued through the year with frequent gatherings,
sharing online windows into each other’s classrooms, and participating in the annual Sci-Ed Innovators Expo.
Low-Income Minority Youth in Science. Professors Catherine Milne of NYU’s Steinhardt School and
Christoper Emdin of Columbia’s New Teacher College joined Radha and Dipak Basu for this special event.
It was then time to welcome the new Fellows who will officially begin their immersion in the democratic
science teaching framework this summer. The new Fellows observed as the pioneer fellows presented their
windows into the classroom projects, one of the culminating fellowship activities. Some of the new Fellows,
like Michael Holmes, who teaches AP Chemistry and Environmental Sciences at the High School of American
Studies in the Bronx, did not want to wait for the summer workshop to begin to open a window into his
classroom for the other Fellows to see. He volunteered that he already had a video of his teaching that he
offered to post to the collaboration site right away to spark dialog.
| First Sci-Ed Fellows graduate and welcome new Fellows to the annual program |
Although the fellowship was officially at an end for them, the last thing on the
Fellows' minds was saying goodbye. Richard Doherty described how in a
Trebuchet Project he had planned for his engineering elective course “needed
help to make it work for all students. A lengthy discussion among the Fellows
resulted in the creation of the Shop Order - an entrance/exit document to be
completed during class each day.” Richard thanked Kelly Houston for the idea
and all of the fellows for their inputs that “brought a disastrous unit out of the mud
and to every student in the class.”
The graduation itself was a celebratory event in which each fellow received a
certificate, a scarf designed by Prof. Jhumki Basu, and a copy of her newly
released book, Democratic Science Teaching: Building the Expertise to Empower
Fellows' minds was saying goodbye. Richard Doherty described how in a
Trebuchet Project he had planned for his engineering elective course “needed
help to make it work for all students. A lengthy discussion among the Fellows
resulted in the creation of the Shop Order - an entrance/exit document to be
completed during class each day.” Richard thanked Kelly Houston for the idea
and all of the fellows for their inputs that “brought a disastrous unit out of the mud
and to every student in the class.”
The graduation itself was a celebratory event in which each fellow received a
certificate, a scarf designed by Prof. Jhumki Basu, and a copy of her newly
released book, Democratic Science Teaching: Building the Expertise to Empower
| Radha Basu, Kelly Houston and Chris Emdin |
