Holy Cross Faculty Lead Professional Development Workshops for Worcester School Teachers

As part of a professional development workshop running from July 6 to July 23 on the Holy Cross campus, 19 Worcester Public School teachers are engaged in intensive inquiry about the interface between mathematics and chemistry. The workshop is being taught by two faculty members at the College: Sharon Frechette, associate professor of mathematics, and Richard Herrick, professor of chemistry.

This is the second of a series of three annual workshops made possible by a $150,000 grant from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education. The program is designed to strengthen teachers’ ability to improve their students’ mathematics skills, especially in contexts linked to science.

Last year, teachers examined the interface between mathematics and biology. That workshop was taught by David Damiano, associate professor of mathematics, and Mary Lee Ledbetter, professor of biology.

The participants in the workshops are teachers of middle school science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. That’s because the classroom experiences in middle school can determine the trajectory of students’ high school science and mathematics careers, according to Danuta Bukatko, Joseph H. Maguire ’58 Professor in Education, professor of psychology and chair of the department of education at Holy Cross. Bukatko, who applied for the grant — with the help of Charles Weiss, director of the Office of Grants and Corporate and Foundation Giving — is overseeing the project.

“The workshops are grounded in the idea that the pipeline for students’ success in science begins significantly earlier than the high school years and resides in the science — and perhaps most importantly — the mathematics experiences provided to students in middle school grades,” says Bukatko.

During the morning sessions, teachers concentrate on content using the hands-on discovery method pioneered by Holy Cross’ science and math departments. Afternoon sessions are dedicated to devising new mathematics and science curricula and to developing and testing a series of experiments, simulations, Internet exercises and other materials.

The workshops are being held in the state-of-the-art Park B. and Linda Smith Laboratories, which opened earlier this year. The key is working collaboratively to create active-learning laboratory experiences based on the theme that “mathematics is connected to science.”

“Objectives are met when Worcester Public School teachers and Holy Cross faculty work together during the summer designing project-based science activities in which mathematic concepts play a major role,” says Bukatko. “These activities are designed to show students that mathematical concepts do not stand alone, but are essential to the process of scientific fact-finding.”

Holy Cross and the Worcester Public Schools, the third largest school district in New England, have a very strong relationship. Since 1988, the College has collaborated with the school system in the sciences and other fields such as library research, educational technology, creative writing, poetry, music, theater, and more. With the help of more than $2 million of external funding raised by Holy Cross since 1988, several categories of science collaboration have taken place, including year-long sabbaticals for science teachers.

Related Information:

• Sciences at Holy Cross