Louisiana Tech University - College of Applied and Natural Sciences::Welcome!

The mission of the Experiment Gallery Project is to improve PK-16 student achievement in mathematics and science, and to strengthen teacher preparation programs at both the baccalaureate and alternative certification pathways in these areas. In support of this mission, the project will have the following goals:
1. Support and enhance teacher preparation program reform efforts
2. Provide innovative, standards-based professional development opportunities for practicing teachers
3. Support and enhance teacher recruitment and retention efforts
4. Provide K-12 students with standards-based hands-on, discover learning experiences in mathematics and science
5. Promote parental involvement in K-12 student education

The funds requested herein will be combined with funds provided by nine participating school districts and our corporate sponsors to purchase the Experiment Gallery, a collection of interactive exhibits created by the Science Museum of Minnesota. The Experiment Gallery features exhibits in the areas of Light, Weather, Mechanics, Sound, Wave and Oscillations, and Electricity, and will support Louisiana science content standards and benchmarks K-12. The exhibits will be permanently housed in the IDEA Place, a children’s mathematics and science discovery center located in the College of Education. In addition to supporting reform-based instructional strategies by practicing teachers by providing resources not otherwise available, the Experiment Gallery will be incorporated into teacher preparation programs to strengthen science content knowledge for all teacher candidates while providing opportunities for field-based experiences where teacher candidates can hone their skills in lesson plan preparation and implementation in an environment that is less intimidating than a classroom which will better prepare them for student teaching and internship experiences. As part of the reform initiatives underway at Tech, all teacher candidates will be required to perform a minimum of 200 hours of service to the profession. As many as 15 of those hours may be earned by serving as guides or conducting lessons, activities, and demonstrations in the IDEA Place.

In addition, the College of Education will partner with area Teacher Cadet programs to give these future teachers opportunities to serve as guides in the IDEA Place and to present activities and demonstrations in the Activity Station.

The College of Education is developing a LaSIP project that is planned for the summers of 2002, 2003, and 2004. Fifty teachers from participating school districts will receive three hours of graduate credit for completing the training provided. Part of the course will require that each teacher present to at least 10 other teachers from their home parish which will result in expanding the impact of this project to 500 teachers per year for a total of 1500.