[June 28, 2009] Teachers become students -- and have a ball: Fun, hands-on workshop aims to improve teaching in math and science Jun 28, 2009 (Houston Chronicle - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The broom sprang forward, striking a metal tray, sending it and three cardboard toilet paper rolls flying. Three eggs, which had been balanced atop the toilet paper tubes, dropped into three waiting cups on the table below. The audience watched intently, exhaling with relief when the eggs landed. It was not the first time they had seen the trick. Many likely had done it themselves. But this time, they were the students, not the teachers. It was not the first time they had seen the trick. Many likely had done it themselves. But this time, they were the students, not the teachers. "They are modeling exactly what we're going to need to do (in our classrooms)," said Cherry Alaird, instructional specialist for math and science at Bammel Elementary in Spring Independent School District. "It's just fun as a teacher to be a learner. We have to keep learning because society is changing so much." Two hundred educators from around the globe converged at The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center this week for the annual Mickelson Exxon Mobil Teachers Academy, aimed at improving elementary school math and science teaching skills. Every lesson, program director Joe Sciulli said, was accompanied by a hands-on exercise. "There really aren't any experiments -- they're experiences because they envelop not just the content, but the process of how this happens," he said. "It's the process of how you, the teacher, do this and how I, the learner, process it." Role reversal In addition to the egg drop, teachers made origami, played with rubber balls and toy cars and demonstrated Newton's three laws of motion. On Friday, teachers participated in an "Iron Scientist" competition in which random tools were provided and the educators had to devise ways to turn them into a science or math exercise. The role reversal did not apply solely to taking notes and conducting experiments. More than once during the week, an instructor had to tell the teachers to quiet down and clean up their tables. Occasionally, a cellular phone would ring or someone would throw a piece of paper. The academy was founded in 2005 by the oil company and pro golfer Phil Mickelson and was expanded to include a Houston location in 2007. Approximately 1,400 teachers have been a part of the invitation-only program since its inception, officials said. "Math and science is not drudgery," Exxon Mobil spokesman Crawford Bunkley said. "It can be fun if you make it fun for them. We have an opportunity to have a direct impact on math and science education, and we've found if you start early, in these third- to fifth-graders, there is really an opportunity to have a positive influence on a young person's understanding of math and science." Inner youthfulness Ramona Changenjoyed the program so much she came back as an instructor. "Sometimes it can be rather daunting because they are your colleagues," said Chang, director of curriculum in the Torrance school district in California. "No one is really better or knows more than others, but we know different things. Working with children, there is that natural curiosity and they are always asking, 'How come?' or 'Why did you say that teacher?' Adults are a little more reserved, but we hope this week that we can revitalize that youthfulness and do that once again." Sally Howell, one of four teachers who traveled nearly 9,000 miles for the event, said the training was all about getting students involved. "It makes you think about how the students in your class feel," said Howell, a third-grade teacher from Longford, Australia. "It makes you relate a bit more to them, especially when the teachers are talking, and they want you to answer questions." allen.reed@chron.com To see more of the Houston Chronicle, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.HoustonChronicle.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Houston Chronicle Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. [ Back To the Online Project Management Community's Homepage ]