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Active investigation of students engaging in problem solving in natural settings has consistently been shown to greatly benefit their learning process. They gain skills and knowledge, while increasing their interest, aspirations, and motivation to learn more. But how can we provide these rich opportunities in densely populated urban areas where resources and access to natural environments are limited? The Curriculum + Community Enterprise for Restoration Science (CCERS) project has developed and begun testing an educational model of curriculum and community enterprise to address that issue within the nation's largest urban school system. Middle school students study the New York Harbor estuary and the extensive watershed that empties into it, while conducting field research in support of restoring native oyster habitats. This project builds on the existing Billion Oyster Project, and is being implemented across different settings by a broad partnership of institutions and community stakeholders, including Pace University, the New York City Department of Education, the Columbia UniversityLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, the New York Academy of Sciences, the New York Harbor Foundation, the New York Aquarium, the River Project, the University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Science, and Good Shepherd Services. Keywords: community, curriculum, New York Harbor, restoration science, middle school, STEM-C
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Billion Oyster Project: Linking Public School Teaching and Learning to Ecological Restoration of New York Harbor Using Innovative Applications of Environmental and Digital Technologies
Research consistently shows that children who have opportunities to actively investigate natural settings and engage in problem-based learning greatly benefit from the experiences. They gain skills, interests, knowledge, aspirations, and motivation to learn more. But how can we provide these rich opportunities in densely populated urban areas where resources and access to natural areas are limited? This project will develop and test a model of curriculum and community enterprise to address that issue within the nation's largest urban school system. Middle school students will study New York harbor and the extensive watershed that empties into it, and they will conduct field research in support of restoring native oyster habitats. The project builds on the existing Billion Oyster Project, and will be implemented by a broad partnership of institutions and community resources, including Pace University, the New York City Department of Education, the Columbia University Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, the New York Academy of Sciences, the New York Harbor Foundation, the New York Aquarium, and others.
The project focuses on an important concept in the geological, environmental, and biological sciences that typically receives inadequate attention in schools: watersheds. This project builds on and extends the Billion Oyster Project of the New York Harbor School. The project model includes five interrelated components: A teacher education curriculum, a student learning curriculum, a digital platform for project resources, an aquarium exhibit, and an afterschool STEM mentoring program. It targets middle-school students in low-income neighborhoods with high populations of English language learners and students from groups underrepresented in STEM fields and education pathways. The project will directly involve over forty schools, eighty teachers, and 8,640 students over a period of three years. A quasi-experimental, mixed-methods research plan will be used to assess the individual and collective effectiveness of the five project components. Regression analyses will be used to identify effective program aspects and assess the individual effectiveness of participation in various combinations of the five program components. Social network mapping will be used to further asses the overall "curriculum plus community" model.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1440869
- PAR ID:
- 10020749
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- International journal of digital content technology and its applications
- Volume:
- 10
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2233-9310
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1-14
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Abstract Active investigation of students engaging in problem solving in natural settings has consistently been shown to greatly benefit their learning process. They gain skills and knowledge, while increasing their interest, aspirations, and motivation to learn more. But how can we provide these rich opportunities in densely populated urban areas where resources and access to natural areas are limited? The Curriculum + Community Enterprise for Restoration Science (CCERS) project has developed and begun testing an educational model of curriculum and community enterprise to address that issue within the nation's largest urban school system. Middle school students study the New York Harbor estuary and the extensive watershed that empties into it, while conducting field research in support of restoring native oyster habitats. This project builds on the existing Billion Oyster Project, and is being implemented across different settings by a broad partnership of institutions and community stakeholders, including Pace University, the New York City Department of Education, the Columbia University Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, the New York Academy of Sciences, the New York Harbor Foundation, the New York Aquarium, the River Project, the University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Science, and Good Shepherd Services.more » « less
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This article provides an overview of the work pioneered by the consortium of collaborators in the Billion Oyster Curriculum and Community Enterprise for Restoration Science Project (BOP-CCERS). The BOP-CCERS are working to support computational thinking in the New York City public school classrooms by creating curriculum which combines:1. The Field Station Research (Oyster Restoration Stations) and data collection2. The Billion Oyster Project Digital Platform and data input and storage 3. The New York State Science Intermediate Level Learning Standards. 4. The Computer Science Teachers Association K-12 Computer Science StandardsThe integration of computational thinking in the STEM middle school classroom is showcased through the intertwining of these dimensions into a trans-disciplinary learning experience that is rich in both content and practice. Students will be able to explain real-world phenomena found in their own community and design possible solutions through the key components of computational thinking.The Curriculum and Community Enterprise for Restoration Science Project digital platform and curriculum will be the resources that provide the underpinnings of the integration of computational thinking in the STEM middle school classroom. The primary functions of the platform include the collection and housing of the data pertaining to the harbor and its component parts, both abiotic and biotic and the storage of the curriculum for both the classroom and the field stations.more » « less
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The Billion Oyster Project and Curriculum and Community Enterprise for the Restoration of New York Harbor with New York City Public Schools (BOP-CCERS) program is a National Science Foundation (NSF) supported initiative and collaboration of multiple institutions and organizations led by Pace University. The NSF project, Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST), had generated a large amount of data through engagement with teachers and students throughout New York City public schools. One purpose of this project is to engage with middle and high school science teachers to assist them in using project-based learning and real-world data collection in their classrooms with their students through harbor restoration initiatives. It was found that Underrepresented Minority (URM) students reported having higher levels of interest in STEM and science than did the non-URM students. While this is a success, it was found that the URM students had lower expectations for success in STEM courses and interest in STEM careers. It was concluded that URM students may need additional support in order to build their confidence and help them to become aware of opportunities in STEM education and careers.more » « less
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The Billion Oyster Project and Curriculum and Community Enterprise for the Restoration of New York Harbor withNew York City Public Schools (BOP-CCERS) seeks to integrate harbor restoration activities with science teachers inorder to provide their students with experiential learning through environmental impact in New York City with thevision that public school students in New York City can benefit from environmental science and experiential learningwork through authentic research, data collection, and experimentation. The purpose is to engage science teachers withexperiential learning opportunities in the New York Harbor that helps them create engaging lessons for their ownstudents. It was found that teachers responded most positively to workshops that included hands-on activities,specifically the oyster restoration station trainings, classroom oyster tank setups and activities with scientists. Teachersreported that the BOP-CCERS program prepared them to support student learning of the program content and scientificresearch activities. Students who engage in real-world science are more likely to see the relevance of science and seethemselves working toward a career pathway in STEM.more » « less
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