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ty! CHEMICAL
EDUCATION
R - m S * Report from the Subcommittee on Communication among Chemistry Teachers The Subcommittee was established by the Curriculum Committee to study means of improving communication between teachers of chemistry a t different levels of instruction. This Report in concerned with communications between high school and college teachers.
1 . Become Acquainted with High School Teachers. College teachers too often are inactive in their local schools but conlplain about the poor backgrounds in chemistry and other sciences their freshmen bring to college. Complaints should be replaced by action. By making an effort to know high school teachers in his area and by building a friendly relationship with them, a college teacher can do much to improve education in science. When visiting high school teachers, a college teacher should meet the administrative staff to talk over the high school science program and to point out the good work being done by the teachers involved. Suggestions for change accompanied by recognition of current achievements are much more effective than destructive criticism alone. 2. Invite the High School Teacher and His Class to Visit the College. Scheduling visiting days is an effective method for improving liaison between high school and college teachers-and for recruiting better students. A visit during the week will afford the high school student a good overall view of campus activities but if this is impractical a Saturday visit will do. Restricting visits to one special day has the advantage of encouraging concerted efforts toward presenting a worthwhile program and enlisting widespread staff participation. Programs may include chemical lectures and demonstrations, talks about careers in various areas of chemical activity, and discussions between high school students and college students or between high school and college teachers. .3. Be Willing lo S~~ggest Whal Should he T m q h l . Though no thoughtful college teacher woold approach his colleague in high school with an attitude of "I'm right, you're wrong" he should be willing to state his views on course cont,ent and methods when asked. B u t if he makes suggestions, he m r ~ be t willing to fallow thmngh in helping the high school teacher to make t,he impravements s o ~ g h t . Advice without supporting aetiau is uwlally of little help.
4. Promote an Active ACS Local Seelion Education Committee. Through t,he study of local school science programs, edilcation committees of Local Sections heve lsnnehed effective campaigns to encourage both teachem and students of chemistry in their locale. Awards far excellence in high school chemistry, contests i~~volving chemical projects, awards far science st,udents attending local colleges, and seminars held a t such colleges for interested high school students have been wecessfully employed. A recognition night or dinner arranged for high school students and their teachers is particularly effective. On suchsn occasion a panel of speakers imm college, industry, and government agencies can
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Journal of Chemical Education
pared entering students. 5. Hold Local Smznars. Same seminars for high school stndents and others for their teachers wzll be of great help. Those for students might provide special instructionfor gifted strrdents; seminars like these have been financed by foundations or local industry. One seminar may present a detailed coverage of one topic; another may offer a n inte~.disciplinaryappmach to a srientific problem; still another may survey many areas in the physical and biological sciences and engineering to assist s t d e n t s in choosing a career. The success of mch seminars depends on finding capable lecturers, having gods clearly in mind, and planning a sequence of events as a whole. 6. OfferEpuipment, Publiealias, and Personal Help. TJnused equipment, ranging from balances and volbmeters to used glassware and wire gauze can he donated or placed on indefinite loan. Chemicals, from acids to zinc salts, are also ,~sefol. General chemistry texts and some of intermediate level which are mpplied to college teachers by publishers make exeellent gifts to high school science libraries. Laboratory mnnrlals, paperbacks on special topics, scientific magazines-especially the J o u n ~ aOF~ CHBMIC.LL EDUC,\TLON and Chemistry arc vahinble gift,& ScC entifie American offprints, "Tested Demonstrations," and "Readings i n . ." are also useid. If the donor can arrange for the binding of magaaines, their valoe will be prolonged. A college teacher can he very helpful in planning, operatiug, and judging in local and regional science fairs. With the help and guidance of collaborating college and high school teachers, science fnim can he much more effective. 7. Prmide Joint College Tcacher-High School Teacher Programs. College teachers often find i t difficult t.o offer assistance to high school teacher8 without appearing to intrrtde or meddle. Same "icehrertking" techniques heve been usefi~l. Individual radio or TV oroerams,. desipned - l o serve a specific limit,ed porpose, can involve high school teachers, college teachers, atid stndents. Topics such as "Cooperation betweeu High Schools and Colleges" or others of general interest can involve all participants. College teachers earl present some specific new concept or development; college students might talk on such a topic as "The Problems of a Freshman." Academies of Science in some states operate a. program in which colleges, indimtrial concerns, the ACS Local Sections provide visiting lecturers for high sehaols. This program can promote close liason between college and high school teachers. Some nniversities have a chemistry staff member visit high schools; such visits stimrrlate enrollments in chemistry in both high nehaal and college and often lead to continrdt~gtollsultations on the improvement of chemistry teaching.
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1 . Become Acquainted with College Teachers. A high school chemistry teachcr should secli to know the college teachers in his area. When high school and college teachers meet together, he should join n group
that includes college teachers. They have many of the same likes and dislikes, problems and worries, attitudes and philosophies as high school teachers. Like high school teachers, they feel incompetent in certain areas of chemistry, uncertain of what to teach, and concerned about how best to prepare their students for further study. Z. Invite a College naeher for a Visit. A high school chemistry teacher often is unaware that a college teacher might welcome an invitation to visit a school, to meet its staff, and to talk to some of the students in classes. Some teachers may he ashamed of their facilities but a visit from a college teacher may afford an opportunity for bringing some pressure to get improvements. College people conld recommend ways of improving the physical plant, not only to the teacher, hut t,o the administrative staff as well. This kind of recommendation carries considerable weight when proposed by a recognized authority outside of the school system. Invitations conld he extended to college teachers to attend high school faculty meetings, particularly of science teachers. They conld act as a source of information when technical questions arise. 3. Ask a College Teacherfor Help. Most college teachers have studied considerably more chemistry than have lheir colleagues in high schnols. The latter can obtain help in most areas merely fur the asking. If there is x college within n diztance of fifty miles, it would be a simple matter to visit a pldessor who teachthere. Some school districts provide t,ime off for such v i i t r . A prior phone call or letter will pave the way for such a visit. 4. Join the American Chemical Socicly or One of its Divisions. In order to be awave of progress in chemistry, a high school teacher should join the American Chemical Society if he is eligible or affiliate with one of its Ilivisions if he is not. Membership in the Society brings the weekly magazine Chemical and Engineer.. ing Arms and carries the privilege of admittance to all sessions a t national meetings and participation i n Local Section activities. Every up-and-coming high school chemistry teacher shatdd belong ta l.he ACS Division of Chemical Education which is a powerful force for the improvement of all phases of the tearhing of chemistry. A t local and national meetings a teacher-member can hear fimt-hand report3 of recent developments, discuss problems oi chemical education with others in the field, and obtain many sr~ggest.ionsof immediate value to him. Also he e m work on l o r d and national committees. These ael.ivit,ies eost money but some boards of education help to finance &hem heca~lsethe teacher receives such a boost in morale nnd brings hack t,o the school such a wealth of immediately usable informatiam 6 . Atlrnd Institutes, Conferences, and Seminars. One of the most vahable opport,unities availahlo to secatdary school teachers for getting t o know college teachers and the content of the coumes they teach is attendance a t loesl, regiond, or national training sessions. Such sessious may very in length from one meeting of an hour to a series of meeting8 for R yew. They may be sponsored h y the National Science Fu,uldatiu~c,the American Chemical Society, the National Science Teachem Associntion, a college, a school, or some other organization of scientisbs. Those whirh involve both high school and college teachem establish an open road of eommlmication between these t,wo g r o ~ p s . 1Tet.ethe teacher can discover tmnds in high school and college chemistl.y teaching, sources of information about a w l w i t books, magasines, and experiments, and make good fricnds among the members of his profession. 6 . Read Scicnlijk Magarinrs. A teacher has s responsibilit,y to himself and t o his sti~dentsto keep abreast of recent advances in the sciences. Reading the monthly magasines Chemislq, and the JOCRNAL or. CHEMTCAL EI>T:C.\TION will help greatly. These are useful not only to teachers but t,o their stnde~lts. Weekly magazines published primarily for srudents are Cnrrcnl Science and Science 1Vew.s Ldlcr. Seient
