Our STEM Fellows
STEM Education is new approach to teaching and learning characterized by challenging, problem-based learning experiences that tear down compartmentalized disciplines and curriculums, and engage students in scientific inquiry and the engineering design process. To support this learning revolution, the Dayton Regional STEM Center (DRSC) coordinates an established network of regional institutions and professionals that provides rich opportunities for STEM education by training and supporting educators, designing curriculum aligned to the workforce needs, training school leaders at the district and building level, and supporting schools and program models committed to STEM teaching and learning.
The DRSC has created a STEM Fellows Model which has brought together 100 of the best and the brightest professionals in the region—a mix of preschool through high school teachers, higher education faculty and researchers, and practicing STEM industry professionals—to work in teams to align academic standards, curricula and assessments with the expectations of college and work in key regional economic clusters.
Two of our Bishop Leibold teachers, Melissa Cox and Joyce Kerschner, were selected as STEM Fellows with twenty other area educators in the program’s inaugural year. They completed a rigorous training prior to the beginning of BLS STEM in the fall of 2010, and during the school year engaged in weekly training and development sessions at the Dayton Regional STEM Center. Their work involved visits to area business and research sites to learn more about educational requirements for these fields, professional training in selection and development of STEM curricula, and instruction on methods to implement and integrate STEM education in their school. Their STEM Fellow responsibilities include piloting and providing feedback about the Dayton Regional STEM lessons, and acting as STEM education advocates in their educational community.
Mrs. Kerschner is a graduate of the University of Dayton, and has taught math and science at Bishop Leibold for the past 25 years. She logged over 40 hours of writing experience as a STEM Fellow, working on the “Let’s Generate” and “Mission to Mars” lessons. In addition to her work with the STEM Center, Mrs. Kerschner has 30 hours training in Waterbotics, with completion of a course at Sinclair. Waterbotics is a STEM-directed underwater robotics program where students learn to use icon-based programming to control underwater robots. What she enjoys most about teaching STEM is the satisfaction students have when they overcome difficulties they experience on a challenging problem. "They learn so many lessons as they work through the Engineering Design Process. The lessons carry over to all of their school subjects and challenges. Students start to see reasons to learn some of the topics they formerly considered ‘when-are-we-ever-going-to use-this?’ topics. I particularly enjoy seeing students discover the math they learn in class really does have a use in real life!"
Miss Cox is a graduate of Ohio University and has been teaching math and science at BLS for four years. She is beginning her second year working with the STEM Fellowship, and in 2011 began serving as a Senior Fellow. She has had over 70 hours of training and observation in the engineering fields and industries, and 40 hours writing curriculum. Last year along with her team she co-authored three STEM lessons centered around inquiry- based learning: “What’s Up with Weather?” dealing with weather instruments and maps, “The Amazing Solar Race” centered around the alternative energy source of solar power whereby students put together and race solar cars, and a plant lesson where students determine and test the essential needs of plant survival. This year she will be co-authoring two more lessons with a new team. Due to her training and experience writing STEM lessons Miss Cox has been able to bring this knowledge back into her classroom at BLS. Last year she piloted the chemistry lesson “Slime Time” with her fifth grade class. She says that the best part of teaching STEM is getting the students to think and problem-solve on their own and watching as they take their ideas and run with them.
