CAPE TEACHERS ATTEND INSTITUTE

Ten Cape Girardeau public schools teachers again spent two weeks of their summer in Huntsville, Ala., at the National Faculty Delta Teachers Academy summer institute learning more about how to teach science, and broadening their own science backgrounds.

Attending the institute were Helen Arrington, Winona Crampton, Bonnie Kerr, Judy Gau, and Tammy Raddle from Franklin Elementary School; Melanie McVey and Lorna Mueller from Washington Elementary; Rosalyn Conrad and Sharon Spencer from Alma Schrader Elementary; and Margaret Little from Clippard Elementary.

The institute was held on the University of Alabama campus.

This summer's institute represented the end of the Cape Girardeau team's three-year commitment to the National Faculty program. The group has now been invited to be a part of the National Faculty Fellows program, which allows any of the academy graduates to continue their relationship with the National Faculty on an individual basis. Fellows may apply to attend any National Faculty workshop or summer institute.

Also attending the Huntsville summer institute were teams from Richland Parish, La., and a Fellows team from Cairo, Ill.

The focus of the summer's institute was on the interaction of the sciences used in studying the environment. The teachers conducted experiments and studied the effects of carbon dioxide on the atmosphere as related to the Greenhouse Effect and on soil and water quality and its effects on plant life.

Cape Girardeau team leader Bonnie Kerr said it was possibly the "best summer institute we've attended."

"We had three absolutely great professors working with us this summer," said Kerr. "And two of those professors were from Southeast Missouri State University, which I think speaks very well of the job SEMO is doing and of how SEMO's involvement with the National Faculty is helping teachers throughout the Delta region."

The three professors conducting the summer institute were Dr. Sharon Coleman of SEMO's chemistry department; Dr. Ernie Kern of SEMO's geoscience department; and Patty Watts of Northeast Louisiana University's department of agriculture.

"All three presented not only great background information for the teachers, but also some wonderful experiments and activities that the teachers can take back into the classroom to help students understand the effect we all have on our environment and the impact we can all have on our planet's future," said Kerr.

Dr. Andrew Talmadge, director of the summer institute, commented that the Cape Girardeau, Louisiana, and Cairo, Ill., teams were among the most enthusiastic of teachers he has ever had the opportunity with which to work.

"They were there every day from morning to afternoon working hard, learning a lot, and having a lot of fun in the process. This group and the professors really worked well together," said Talmadge.

He is sorry to see the Cape Girardeau team's three-year commitment end because of the great talent and leadership that has been tapped from the team.

"The Cape team has really been a great model of what the National Faculty aims to do -- to take great teachers and help give them the information and tools they need to become even better. Cape is truly fortunate to have teachers that are this enthusiastic and willing to learn themselves, and then take that learning back into their own school buildings to share with other teachers and their students."

Talmadge said he hopes several of the Cape Girardeau team members will continue their affiliation with the National Faculty through the Fellows Program.

"We don't want our relationship with the Cape team to end. They have been a great team for us in terms of program development, and we want to continue to be there for them to help them in any way we can," said Talmadge.

He added that a September meeting is being planned at SEMO University in which area teams will have the opportunity to learn more about how that relationship can be continued.

"It really has been a great three years," concluded Kerr. "It's been a lot of work and effort on the part of our team, but I have to say we've all grown a lot in our knowledge and application of science in our classrooms.

If another National Faculty team is begun in Cape Girardeau, I can fully recommend participation. It's been a great experience."