Teaching with Impact

Courtesy of Lionel Green

The Sand Mountain Reporter

Nothing exploded Tuesday but the teachers participating in IMPACTSEED appeared to expect a blow-up anytime soon.

Especially when Snead State instructor Jarrod Shields took a step or two (or three) back from the scientific demonstrations of Jacksonville State physics professor Nouredine Zettili.

Shields assisted Zettili with a number of experiments involving electricity, magnetic forces and other science-based demos in an effort to ignite learning in high school classrooms.

“I’m not here to make a speech,” said Zettili, gesturing to a table of tools for experiments. “I’m here to play with these toys.”

About 30 educators, including teachers from Albertville, Boaz and Douglas high schools, are spending two weeks of their summer vacation involved in a unique training opportunity at Snead State Community College in Boaz.

The training is called IMPACTSEED. The acronym stands for Improving Physics and Chemistry Teaching in Secondary Education. The grant-funded project is offered through the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.

Zettili’s demonstrations snapped, crackled and popped as he showed the teachers how hands-on experiments bridge the gap between the chalkboard and technology.

“Desktop demos give you flexibility with your teaching,” said Zettili, director of IMPACTSEED. “In order to capture the attention of our students, you need to be creative. Have them use their hands. They will remember it for the rest of their lives.”

Steve Owens, a chemistry and physics teacher at Albertville High School, is impressed with the program so far.

“I want to make sure that I give all my kids as much opportunity as I possibly can to learn the basic concepts of chemistry and physics,” he said. “They have some great hands-on demonstrations that I believe I’m going to pick up from here. They’ve actually given us some money to go buy more equipment for our individual classrooms. I just think it’s an all-around good program to be able to do that sort of thing.”

Jennifer Reed-Taunton, a physical science teacher at Albertville High School, agreed.

“Anytime you can further your education and learn something new, it’s great,” she said. “Especially when you can bring it back to the classroom and show the kids and try to get them excited. Getting the actual physics equipment that we can use in the classroom is going to be good. It’s going to enrich the curriculum, I think.”

Jeri Martin, who teaches physical science and biology at Albertville High School, is excited about bringing lively demonstrations to her classroom.

“What I want to get from this is to be able to explain things a little better to my students,” Martin said. “I’m fairly new. I’m finishing up my first year of teaching physical science, so I really wanted to add a little bit more shock and awe to it.”

The IMPACTSEED summer professional institute ends June 17. However, the program continues to provide teachers support with five chemistry and physics technology workshops on Saturdays during the 2011-12 academic year as well as year-round support.

Teachers receive continuing education unit certificates for completing the summer institute and the five technology workshops.

IMPACTSEED programs are free of charge. Teachers who finish the summer institute receive free teaching kits and modules valued at $3,100 for their classrooms.

Zettili emphasized the “terrible shortage of scientists” in the U.S. and the declining number of Americans majoring in the sciences.

Zettili said secondary education teachers are vital to helping reverse the trend by recruiting students to the sciences via creative instruction in the classroom.

“You are the real heroes,” Zettili told the teachers.