CyberBridge

An NSF-ITEST funded project, CyberBridge seeks to expand the use of media and cyber-infrastructure in the classroom while improving science instruction and student experience through interdisciplinary teams of teachers.

Overview

The CyberBridge Program is funded by the National Science Foundation's Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program and is a collaborative among UC San Diego, San Diego State, and the Sweetwater Union High School District. The goals of the program are to expand the use of media and cyber-infrastructure (CI) in the classroom; to improve science instruction and student experience with IT technologies within an interdisciplinary construct; to increase teacher and student understanding concerning the relevance of science and role(s) of technology in future careers; and, to strengthen the relationships between K-12 schools/students and the science community.

Multi-disciplinary teacher teams will participate in a three-week summer institute with other teams to master basic strategies for best implementing IT and integrated interdisciplinary learning in their classrooms, and coordinating their project. During the first two weeks, teachers will acquire necessary IT and media skills, collaboratively develop project ideas, build connections with SDSU scientists, and develop the intra-team rapport necessary to implement academic year curricular project plan. During the final week, individual school site teams will pilot their projects with summer program students.

During the Academic Year teacher teams with work with multi-disciplinary classes to develop video clips reflecting science research. Project implementation takes place periodically (e.g., once a week, three days a month, or 2 solid weeks) during a designated period where they collectively they share ~120 students. Students are teamed in interdisciplinary groups of 5-6 students that will each produce a science-related multimedia product. Students often interface with SDSU and UCSD scientists on project days and occasionally visit local IT or research firms. Completed projects are posted on Internet-based SciVee where peers, parents, teachers, administration, and the science community can post feedback and potentially vote to identify the most effective projects.