CSS Engineering Teachers Build for the Future

For the month of July, new hires Nathan Finney, Mark Schober, and John Eggebrecht join engineering Professor Philip Hubbard and teacher Andrew Stillman at the Arizona State University (ASU) in Tempe, Arizona, where they are taking graduate courses in physical science education and collaborating on the refinement and extension of CSS-MSE's unique 7-year engineering curriculum.

ASU's program, "Modeling Instruction in Physics" was designated in 2000 by the U.S. Department of Education as one of the seven best K-12 educational technology programs out of 134 programs evaluated, and was designated in 2001 by the U.S. Department of Education as one of two exemplary programs in K-12 Science Education out of 27 programs evaluated.  The immersive professional development model employed at Arizona State University Modeling Instruction program has data-proven effectiveness in transforming teacher practice in ways that strongly impact student learning.  The program has recently expanded its reach into Mathematics, Chemistry, and Biology curriculum development.

Stillman attended ASU's Modeling Mechanics course in 2004, performed extensive action research on the use of the Modeling Approach in his physics classroom, and co-taught a similar course for teachers at Buffalo State College in 2007.  Professor Mark Schober has been using and developing these same methodologies for 15 years at the John Burroughs school in St. Luis, and he has led numerous summer workshops for teachers at a variety of institutions of higher learning.  Because of his expertise, ASU selected Prof. Schober to teach the workshop currently being taken by Stillman and Eggebrecht, called "Modeling Light."

Schober sought out CSS as his next workplace because he was convinced that the leadership and faculty of CSS were supportive of the kind of depth-over-breadth science teaching he believes in.  When Schober was interviewed, Stillman recognized an opportunity for collaboration that had the power to create a common frame of reference that would enable an entire department to build a coherent program together.  "Collaborative opportunities like this are too rare to pass up.  I had to find a way to get the whole Engineering department down to ASU where they would have no bearable option but to sit in air conditioned rooms and build something beautiful together!" Stillman muses.  Summer temperatures in Tempe regularly surpass 110 degrees.

John Eggebrecht is a 20 year veteran teacher of the magnet Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy and the Illinois Virtual Academy.  Prior to teaching, he was a professor of Chemical Engineering at Iowa State University, and a research scientist at the Argonne and Fermi National Laboratories.  His most recent, high profile assignment was as the Director of Advanced Placement Science at the College Board, where he led the 2013 revision of the Advanced Placement curriculum for all sciences.   John's experience with standards development and curriculum leadership has proved an invaluable resource in the short time the group has been working together at ASU.  John takes great interest in developing curricular standards in engineering, a field of education that essentially has none.

Nate Finney is a recent graduate of Columbia University Teachers College with student teaching experience at School of the Future and a physics and art double major from UC Berkeley.  His work with flash animation, computer programming, and superconducting electromagnets are highlights of a profile that promises to enrich the CSS faculty enormously.  Nate expresses total exhilaration at the opportunity to collaborate with masters like Schober and Eggebrecht on a curriculum design project, and in the coming school year as colleagues. "I am completely stoked!" Finney says.  It must be noted that Finney is an avid skateboarder.

Prof. Phil Hubbard's experience at ASU has been likewise transformative.  Hubbard, a 25-year veteran master builder and general contractor, along with Finney, is taking a course called "Modeling Instruction in Physical Science II (motion, force, intro chem)" co-taught by two 25-year veteran teachers from Pheonix.   Hubbard and Finney both express great enthusiasm for the course thus far.  Finney remarks, "I am getting so many amazing teacher-tips on class management, and I'm learning a coherent and well-developed instructional framework. Taking this course is seriously going to help me build a positive, engaging and safe environment for my students next year."  Hubbard, who has been a powerful teacher of shop fabrication (and life) skills this year at CSS states, "this is exactly the content and methods exposure I needed."

After a day in the classrooms at ASU, this motley crew of educators convenes for evening planning sessions in which everything from teaching philosophy to project ideas are hashed out, documented, and refined.  While CSS-MSE has been able to pay the costs of tuition, room, and board, each of these teachers is giving up their time in pursuit of excellence in teaching and learning.  For this inspired willingness to go above-and-beyond, we must recognize the powerful influence of the growing project that is Columbia Secondary School, and the remarkable quality of individuals we have been fortunate to hire.