MISSION BAY — Mission Bay High School (MBHS), partnering with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO), continues to make new inroads into one of the nation’s leading marine-sciences programs at the high school level. MBHS marine sciences program, originally launched as part of the magnet program at the high school, became officially linked with SIO after the award of a GK-12 grant two years ago that partnered high school staff, researchers and students to bring up-to-date science and technology into the classroom. Steve Walters, a science teacher at MBHS, said it would be hard to overestimate the impact of the program on the students, the department — even on his own teaching. A big part of the enrichment comes from the science instructor’s direct immersion into the research programs taking place at SIO, which are conducted by researchers and graduate students. A graduate student is assigned to partner with teachers like Walters, so that Walters and the classroom have a direct point of contact and access to ongoing research. “We see how we can bring research into the classroom,” Walters said. “We bring animals in from the experimental lab. I can send in real data from the labs at Scripps to the classroom. Being paired with a PhD candidate helps this process work smoothly.” UCSD PhD candidate Alison M. Cawood, who works in the Integrative Oceanography Division, has been working with Walters and his students for the past two years. Cawood comes into the classroom and works with the students during specific labs. “It is key to see these graduate students come in and talk to the kids. They serve as role models to the students,” Walters said. The graduate student involvement becomes more intense once the instructor — Walters in this case —is involved in research or training at SIO. One major component of the training occurs during a week-long, student-led excursion on the SIO research vessel Melville. Walters is able to send back real-time data to the classroom from the research vessel as Cawood oversees the class with the support of a substitute teacher. “I never even thought of teaching in a classroom, but since I’ve been participating in this program, I realize that I enjoy interacting or teaching as a part of my work,” said Cawood. Walters sees the connectivity with the researchers, the access to up-to-date science and exposure for the students as critical in engaging them. He and Cawood produce the curriculum for the labs they teach based on the ongoing research at SIO. These labs are available to other educators online and they are specifically written so that other instructors can use the same material in their own classes. When asked about the future of the program, Walters unequivocally endorsed its continuation. “I wish every science teacher could have this opportunity,” he said. “I want to continue participation in this program as long as possible.” Walters points out that the hands-on experience and the access to facilities and researchers both at SIO and UCSD generates interest with the students and gets them to think more seriously about their education. He feels that having a graduate student around only strengthens that interest and gives his own students direction. Cawood also said she is regularly approached by students interested in pursuing a college education in science. Under the current nationwide effort to make the nation’s children more competitive globally, the MBHS partnership with SIO exemplifies one of the more innovative programs designed to give local schools an edge. The revitalization that the program offers the entire science department and the students at MBHS is just another benefit. “After doing this for 26 years, I look forward to coming to school every day and teaching,” Walters said. “The students are engaged, and the gap between high school students and a future at a UC school is that much lower.” For more information on student-led research excursion on the Melville, visit calechoes.ucsd.edu/.
