New York, NY – On a field trip across ponds, swamps, and the Long Island Sound, NYIT professors analyzed water samples using their iPod Touches, then shared their findings on social networking sites. The professors are training New York City teachers how to use technologies to reach students in a new way.

The project is part of an interdisciplinary workshop to enhance teachers' skills and knowledge of technology. It is supported by a $1 million, five-year National Science Foundation grant, and is led by School of Education professors, Drs. Shiang-Kwei Wang and Hui-Yin Hsu, and Dr. Lisa Runco, assistant professor of life sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences.

"We want to bridge the gap between formal and informal learning using technology to enhance students' scientific inquiry skills and master new skills," said Wang, principal investigator of the project that will bring training to 45 K-12 teachers.

The NYIT team designed four training sessions for teachers including lessons on human impact on water quality, photosynthesis, DNA, and the human body.

The first session, which concluded last week, brought 15 teachers to Long Island to collect water samples using probeware and iPod Touch. The teachers analyzed data on spreadsheets and charts, and shared their findings via social networks to discuss observations and conclusions.Teachers will use this experience to teach students about water quality and how individuals can prevent negative effects on water temperature and quality.

As part of the project, the NYIT team will teach other groups over the next five years to help them design activities for science classrooms that include simulation, information and communication technology, and cloud computing tools.

For further details about the project, please visit the website: Enhanced Scientific Literacy and New Literacies through ICTs (ESLNL).

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About NYIT

New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) offers 90 degree programs, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, in more than 50 fields of study, including architecture and design; arts and sciences; education; engineering and computing sciences; health professions; management; and osteopathic medicine. A non-profit independent, private institution of higher education, NYIT has 15,000 students attending campuses on Long Island and Manhattan, online, and at its global campuses. NYIT sponsors 11 NCAA Division II programs and one Division I team.

Led by President Edward Guiliano, NYIT is guided by its mission to provide career-oriented professional education, offer access to opportunity to all qualified students, and support applications-oriented research that benefits the larger world. To date, 89,000 graduates have received degrees from NYIT. For more information, visit nyit.edu.

Briana Samuels
Communications Specialist
516.686.1354