Southern Tier SciFair
Southern Tier SciFair (STSciFair) is a Distance Learning program of Greater Southern Tier (GST) BOCES in partnership with MST-Connect and other community organizations. It combines teacher professional development with informal online learning programs for middle school students across the region. STSciFair expands on the SciFair program developed at Cornell as an innovative use of online multi-user virtual worlds in education. STSciFair matches mentors at Corning Community College with teachers and teams at eight middle schools affiliated with GST BOCES.
Spring 2009 ST SciFair
Thanks to the success of the Summer 2008 camp program and the efforts of Senator George Winner’s office, ST SciFair will continue as an after school program for the spring of 2009. The program is expanding to include the Bradford, Odessa-Montour, and Watkins Glen school districts. Mentors continue to come from both Cornell and Corning Community College. Again, Wings of Eagles Discovery Center will host a Showcase on May 1, 2009.
Building 21 st Century Skills
Virtual Worlds are an emerging technology used for corporate training, distance learning, and multimedia entertainment.
Students gather inworld for a discussion on genetically modified crops.
Mastery leads to motivation and deeper engagement in learning.