Progress 08/01/05 to 07/31/08
Outputs
The Curriculum Enhancement for Aquaculture at Saul High School for Agricultural Sciences program had two key objectives: (1) development of an enhanced aquaculture curriculum for exposing students to advanced scientific subject matter and cutting-edge experimental techniques and technologies, while engaging them in meaningful field-based learning opportunities; and (2) development of a sustainable framework for professional skill-building that exposes a core faculty group to effective strategies for both augmenting their respective courses of study and conducting quality turn-around training related to curricular modification for other agriculture and science teachers throughout the school. *Program Successes (Objective 1): Students had more opportunities to engage with cutting-edge technologies, and with equipment aligned with industry standards. The aquatics classroom and lab were upgraded with four (4) new laptop computers, an LCD computer projector, and additional tanks for raising a greater variety of species than before. The LCD computer projector supports class demonstrations, PowerPoint presentations, learning videos, and other multimedia activities. The laptops enhance the total complement of computers available in the classroom, and also are used for data entry in the lab; students now can record measurements, weights, temperatures, and observations, and then use for analyzing and presenting their data from lab activities. Students experienced field-based learning (in West Virginia) when visiting the Freshwater Institute and National Center for Cool & Cold Water Aquaculture and so drew explicit connections between classroom learning/industry standards & practices. Knowledge gained on the visits enriched Instructor Krill's lesson planning, classroom activities and student assessments. In November 2007, thirty (30) students visited Cheyney University campus and its Aquaculture & Hydroponics Lab and classrooms, getting a first-hand understanding of hydroponic facility operations, and observing college students work with rainbow trout. Saul High students reportedly enjoyed touring the dorms, meeting/speaking with Cheyney students about college life, and the opportunity to discuss internships, student housing, and financial aid with Cheyney faculty and staff. *Program Implementation Challenges: Objective 1: Although he continually updated his curriculum units with current information and materials, Mr. Krill and his students did not benefit from the enhanced curriculum that Consultant Dr. Steven Hughes (Director, Aquaculture Research & Education Center, Cheyney University) was slated to complete. Unforeseen circumstances delayed its development, and consequently no enhanced curriculum was ever implemented in W. B. Saul School's aquatics classes. Dr. Hughes did create an outline of curricular topics (advising Mr. Krill on materials necessary for implementation) but the anticipated curricular units were never delivered. Objective 2: Fostering strategic modification of curricula to better align with industry standards/technologies was a goal unmet; Dr. Hughes did not deliver any of the planned professional development sessions for teachers. PRODUCTS: *Student Experiential Learning: In May, 2006 twelve (12) students from Philadelphia's Walter Biddle Saul High School for Agricultural Sciences were accompanied by school personnel on a three-day field trip to West Virginia; students visited facilities that provided information to enhance their mastery of concepts and materials with which they were working in the Aquatics classroom. Students visited the Freshwater Institute in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, where they learned about alternative wastewater treatment technologies in the aquaculture industry, and the various types of equipment currently used to handle the wastewater resulting from working with fish. Students toured the facilities to gain a greater understanding of this technology. The high school students also learned about the role that aquaculture currently plays in such rural economic development in areas as Appalachia. In addition to learning about innovations in the field, students were also exposed to career opportunities. While in West Virginia, students also visited the USDA National Center for Cool & Cold Water Aquaculture, where they met with scientists and toured the facilities. Students were given an opportunity to observe the actual day-to-day workings of the Center, learned about the Center's research in aquatic animal health, and about their efforts to encourage economically and environmentally sustainable systems and practices in the industry. The tour of the Cheyney University classroom and laboratory facilities provided students with a first-hand understanding of the elaborate workings of a hydroponic facility, and also allowed them to observe the college students' work with rainbow trout. *Computer Technology: Approved materials/supplies has been purchased through grant funds to enhance the curricular content students are learning and materials they engage: an LCD Computer projector and four (4) laptop computers (iBook-G4) have been purchased for use in the classroom and laboratory. OUTCOMES: As a result of their visit to The Freshwater Institute and the National Center for Cool & Cold Water Aquaculture, students were able to draw explicit connections between classroom learning and industry standards and practices. Further, knowledge gained from these visits was later incorporated into Mr. Krill's lesson planning and student assessments. The LCD computer projector has been used for class demonstrations, including PowerPoint presentations, learning videos, and other multimedia activities. The four laptops have been added to the computers that were already available in the classroom, but have also been used for data entry in the lab. Students are able to record measurements, weights, temperatures, and observations that they can then use for analyzing and presenting their data from lab activities. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: During the term of this grant-sponsored initiative, no project activities have been disseminated. However, future activities for sharing project results may include participation in FFA events and contests, science fair projects, and classroom presentations. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Continuing the program's underlying goals - to enhance Saul High School's aquaculture curriculum and offer expanded hands-on learning opportunities - some operating funds may (in future) be used to purchase additional materials and equipment, both for the classroom and the laboratory. Such purchases will supplement those improvements made to date, and may also utilize Perkins Grant funds, ultimately resulting in a lab setting that is more closely aligned with industry standards and innovative technologies.
Impacts
Project achievements/impacts appear in: student experiential learning, improved instruction delivery systems, and awareness of agriscience/agribusiness career information. While new curriculum units were never fully developed by Cheyney University's consultant, Saul High's Aquaculture teacher did incorporate up-to-date content knowledge/materials into his aquatics courses. **Project Director Wendy J. Shapiro Comments: Students were provided with such hands-on, real-life, learning experiences as are unavailable in classroom settings; key off-site instruction included field-trips to: The Freshwater Institute; National Center for Cool & Cold Water Aquaculture; Cheyney University Campus & Labs. Computer technology purchased for the Aquaculture Classroom will continue to enhance greatly student learning experience. A key barrier to full project implementation was inability of the university partner to deliver an enhanced curriculum, absent which professional development (and other) project components also proved impossible to conduct. A lesson was learned in project design/administration: future projects will seek outside expertise via partnerships with multiple entities rather than rely on a single university and a sole consultant. Saul Agricultural High remains committed (long-term) to developing an enhanced aquaculture curriculum, and to promoting careers and post-secondary study in aquaculture. We are grateful to USDA/CSREES for this SPEC grant award, and appreciative of lessons learned and impact/gains achieved, through the Curriculum Enhancement for Aquaculture initiative.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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