Southern Tier SciFair
Southern Tier SciFair (ST SciFair) is a partnership between Cornell University's SciCentr Outreach program and MST-Connect (a consortium of businesses, educational institutions, and state agencies in the Greater Southern Tier of New York State). This program combines teacher professional development with informal online learning programs for middle school students across the region. It expands on the SciFair program developed at Cornell as an innovative use of online multi-user virtual worlds in education. ST SciFair matches mentors at Corning Community College with teachers and teams at eight middle schools affiliated with the Greater Southern Tier BOCES. Cornell staff and master mentors provide support at all sites.
Summer 2008 ST SciFair
The five-week ST SciFair program begins with a week of teacher and mentor training at Corning Community College on July 14. The next week, with the help of the trained teacher/coaches and their mentors, eight teams of virtual campers will join in from computer labs at their schools. Participating school districts include: Addison, Bath, Campbell-Savona, Corning, Elmira, Elmira Heights, Horseheads, and Spencer-Van Etten.
The Menu
Each team of summer camp students will research a scientific topic and present it using the virtual platform. Sample topics include Genetics: Engineering the Cure; My World: Conserve & Protect!; Highways of the Human Body; and BioDome—preparing for Life on Other Planets.
STSciFair Showcase, August 14, 2008 Wings of Eagles Discovery Center
Join us on Thursday, August 14, for the summer Showcase event hosted at Wings of Eagles Discovery Center (link to www.wingsofeagles.com here). Friends and family are invited to see explore hands-on the wonderful worlds created by STSciFair teams across the Greater Southern Tier. Find out what the virtual world looks like to the digital natives and learn how their teachers and mentors have expanded their horizons through this exciting camp experience. Then enjoy the hospitality of Corning Incorporated for a luncheon celebration. Luncheon speakers include Mark Vaughn, Corning Incorporated and Sandra Kearney, IBMs Global Director for 3D Internet and Virtual Business.
Demonstrations begin at 10:00 AM
Luncheon celebration at 11:30 AM.
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.