Four-Square Fund, 2009 Application

Four-Square Fund, 2009 Application Form

David M. Stone
Science Department
Project Title: Extracurricular Research and Development Teams

Biography
25 years teaching biology, 2 years teaching chemistry at Uni
M. Ed. Curriculum, Technology and Education Reform (UIUC)
M.S. Entomology (UIUC)
B.S. Biology (University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point)

Significant Multi-Year Technology-Related Project Involvement
National Center for Supercomputing Applications - Biology Workbench, Bugscope
University of Illinois Institute for Genomics – BeeSpace

National Teaching Awards from the National Science Teachers Association, Toshiba, Tandy Technology Scholar, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, National Center for Supercomputing Applications, Human Genome Project, Entomological Society of America, National Science Olympiad
Local Awards from Carle Foundation. Provost’s Initiative for Teaching Advancement (twice, UIUC)
School Awards - Ella Leppert Outstanding Teacher Award (4 times), Makino Foundation Awards (seven times)

Journal Publications - National Science Teachers Association, Illinois Science Teachers Association

Name of Ongoing Program: Extracurricular Science Research and Development Teams

Program Background

In 1997 I began working with four students interested in participating in the Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision competition (http://www.exploravision.org/). That effort has led to my current extracurricular work with six to eight student research and development teams each year. I meet weekly with each team to discuss their recent findings, technologies of interest, and how they can meld those technologies into a vision of the future. On weekends I host open labs for project work. My role is a combination of mentor, cheerleader, mediator, editor and technical consultant.

The results have been phenomenal. Uni teams have placed first three times (including a first placement this year - http://www.exploravision.org/winners/) and have placed second once in NSTA/Toshiba ExploraVision competition, the world’s largest international science competition. ExploraVision participants have earned $120,000 in scholarships and Toshiba has awarded the school most of its televisions, VCRs, some DVD players, and several laptop computers. Subfreshmen and freshmen have earned top national honors in the eCYBERMISSION competition, winning almost $20,000 in scholarships.

Aside from the occasional purchase of a computer software guide and mailing of entries, the cost of this program is minimal. Students can begin as subfreshmen and work on different teams over the next four years of their high school career. Students develops skills in researching areas of interest, presenting their findings, negotiation, collaboration developing a shared vision, organization of findings, writing, editing, storyboarding and final presentation of a product. Students who advance far in the competitions learn additional skills in web page design and video production.

Use of Funds
$2,500, Apple Mac Pro Desktop computer system (2x2.26Ghz Quad Core Nehalem Processor, 6GB (6x1GB) Memory, 640GB Hard Drive, NVidia GeForce GT 120 512MB Video, SuperDrive)

Our major limitation in production of project-related video has been lack of ready access to high end computer hardware capable of rapid rendering student-created video required our final products. If granted funding, the purchased machine would be made available to research and development team participants during free periods and weekend open labs throughout the year so that they could develop skills in high end scientific modeling. We could offer a scientific image modeling class open to all students during Agora Days, and those working with anything beyond rudimentary modeling would be able to explore an area of scientific communication that they currently are unable to explore using our current technology.