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The Center for Innovation in Science Learning, initiated in 1995 as the learning research and development arm of The Franklin Institute, is led by Frederic Bertley, Ph.D. Dr. Bertley is responsible for the sustained development of the learning research portfolio in school partnerships, educational technology programs, gender and family learning, and youth leadership in science and technology. For additional information about the Center for Innovation, contact Dr. Bertley - fbertley@fi.edu.
Center for Innovation program leaders are profiled below.
Wayne
Ransom, PhD - wransom@fi.edu
Since the early 1980s, Dr. Ransom has directed teacher development at
the Institute and served as a national spokesperson for the role of science
museums in promoting inquiry science learning. As the Center for Innovation's
key liaison with the School District of Philadelphia, Dr. Ransom and his
staff have supported the NSF urban systemic programs and conducted professional
development for many hundreds of School District teachers and administrators.
Dr. Ransom was Co-Principal Investigator for the NSF-funded Science Learning
Network (SLN/1994-98), a groundbreaking alliance of six science museums,
Unisys Corporation, and partner K-8 schools; and was Project Director
for the NSF-funded Keystone Science Network (KSN/1998-2003), which supported
K-8 teachers in 26 school districts in Eastern Pennsylvania. Both the
SLN and KSN pioneered the use of online resources for teacher development
and classroom use to promote science inquiry. In 2003, Dr. Ransom was
named the "Distinguished Informal Science Educator" of the year
by the National Science Teachers Association.
Dale
McCreedy, PhD - mccreedy@fi.edu
Since the late 1980s, Dr. McCreedy has led the development of national
programs that demonstrate how science museums can help girls and adults become confident,
capable science learners and facilitators. As Project Director for two NSF grants, the
National Science Partnership for Girl Scouts and Science Museums (NSP/1992-96)
and Girls At the Center (GAC/1996-2001), Dr. McCreedy established a sustained
collaboration with the Girl Scouts of the USA. This collaboration, in
turn, created a national network of science museum/Girl Scout council
partnerships in 48 states to promote gender-based science learning and
family support for girls' science learning. Girls At the Center also led
to the publication of Girls and Adults Learning Science Together in 2002. Both NSP and GAC will be the focus of a research initiative beginning in 2005 that will look at the impact of these programs on girls' futures. Currently, Dr. McCreedy is Project Director for the NSF-funded Parent Partners in School Science (PPSS/2001-2005), a multi-year collaboration
with three Philadelphia elementary schools which has developed a promising
model to cultivate collaboration between parents and teachers, as they
help students learn science in school and at home. Dr. McCreedy was the
2002 winner of the Maria Mitchell Award for Women in Science.
Karen
Elinich - kelinich@fi.edu
Ms. Elinich has established The Franklin Institute
Online as a leading worldwide provider of online science resources,
with a sustained focus on K-8 teachers. Launched in 1994, TFI Online has
received numerous awards, including the 2002 Forbes "Best of the
Web" for "education and innovation," as well as recognition
for excellence by the US Department of Education, the Eisenhower National
Clearinghouse for Math and Science, the American Association for the Advancement
of Science (AAAS), and the National Science Teachers Association. Ms.
Elinich was senior staff for the NSF-funded projects, the Science Learning
Network (1994-98) and the Keystone Science Network (1998-2003), which
pioneered the use of online resources for teacher development and classroom
use to promote science inquiry. Ms. Elinich has directed national online
projects for teachers and schools, including Public Science Day (1998-2003),
in collaboration with Unisys Corporation and the AAAS; the Online Museum
Educators program (1999-2003) for participants from the US and UK; and
the Wright Flight Forecast, with the US Centennial of Flight Commission,
that involved 400 teachers and their students around the world. Currently, she is developing the Institute's educational presence for the K-12 Internet2 community and investigating effective uses of Internet2 for teachers, students, and public audiences.
Michael
Burch - mburch@fi.edu
Since 1993, Mr. Burch has led PACTS (Partnerships for Achieving Careers
in Technology and Science), which has become The Franklin Institute's
signature program for diverse middle school and high school students interested
in science and technology and a national leader in youth programming by science museums.
PACTS offers students a year-round program of science and technology learning,
field-based research, career development, and leadership opportunities,
including events throughout the year for high school students in the Philadelphia
Region. Mr. Burch was Project Director for the original NSF grant for
PACTS (1993-96) and has also been Project Director for two grants promoting
field-based environmental research for Philadelphia students at Centennial
Lake in Fairmount Park: Student Leaders in Science (Howard Hughes Medical
Institute, 1997-2001); and the NSF-funded PACTS Environmental Education,
Research, and Service (PEERS/2002-05). Since 2000, PACTS has also sponsored
a Robot Team for students ages 9-14 and has hosted the Regional LEGO Robot
Challenge.
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