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In this issue...
Changing of
the Guard
PIMMS Vision
Farewell
Symbiosis: PIMMS and Wesleyan University
Borello to Direct
PIMMS Science Programs
CSDHE Funds
Hartford Elementary Science Professional Development Project
GE Awards PIMMS $437,800 for Bridegport
Project
New Directions for PIMMS
Hartford Numeracy Coaches
2003 Summer Institutes
Shackleton
Memorial Symposium
CPTV Science Expo
PIMMS Staff Featured in National News
Accolades
Previous Issues:
Fall
2002, Issue #21
Spring 2002, Issue #20
Fall 2000, Issue #19
Fall 1999, Issue #18
PIMMS
Sponsors
Wesleyan University
United Technologies Corporation
Texas Instruments
CT Center for School Change
The GE Fund
Pitney Bowes
Regional Alliance at TERC
CT Renewal Team Center, Hartford
Greater Hartford Academy for Mathematics and Science
EASTCONN
Cooperative Educational Services (CES)
CSDHE – Teacher Quality Partnership Grant
CSDE – Bureau of School Improvement and CT AP Grant
Special Education Resource Center (SERC)
CT Academy for Education in Mathematics,
Science, and Technology, Inc.
University of Bridgeport
Hamden School District
Middletown School District
Trumbull School District
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 Changing of the Guard
Bob Rosenbaum
As PIMMS approaches its quarter-century mark, we are
experiencing a change in leadership: Wilma Toney, Associate Director
for Science, has returned to her former post as Chair of Science at
Manchester High School; and Dan Dolan is retiring after 12 highly
productive years as Director of PIMMS.
How we shall miss them, professionally and personally!
Our distress at their leaving, profound as it is, would be even more
severe were it not for our good fortune in recruiting a new Director
worthy of the example set by Dan: Mike Zebarth, Chair of the PIMMS
Advisory Council, has come aboard as Director of PIMMS, and, after a
learning-period of overlap with Dan, has taken hold admirably. With
12 years of teaching of physics and math at middle schools, high
schools, and two year colleges in Illinois, and 20 years of
managerial and executive positions in science/technology based firms,
culminating as Vice-President of Investor Relations and Corporate
Communications with the Packard BioScience Company, in Meriden, CT,
Mike’s background makes him ideal as Dan’s successor.
We also have a prime candidate as Wilma’s successor.
Recognition of our personnel changes will be part of the Shackleton
Memorial Symposium on 4 Nov. 2003.
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PIMMS Vision
Mike Zebarth
When I first
became involved with PIMMS in the early 1990’s, I was impressed
by the leverage that PIMMS achieved with the Fellows program. In
industry, one of the bywords is “leverage” or, in the vernacular,
“getting the biggest bang for your buck”. It seemed to me that
the idea of creating a cadre of teachers who would go back to
their districts and become resources for other teachers was the
ultimate way to affect as many students as possible.
Today, we see an increasing need for improving math and
science instruction at the middle and elementary schools in
Connecticut. The PIMMS Fellows concept offers an attractive
solution. However, recent experience with Summer Institutes
indicates that significant revisions need to be made to the
multi-four week format of the program. That experience coupled
with PIMMS recent success in offering on-site Professional
Services may provide a viable model.
My vision would be to reconstruct the Fellows program.
The program might involve a one-week content-rich summer
institute followed by five days of smaller, regional academic
year institutes. These one day institutes would bring together
participants from the summer program at central locations, which
would minimize travel, for content enrichment as well as
pedagogical enhancement. These one day institutes would be
supplemented by on-line distance learning opportunities. The
final element of the Fellows program would be three days of
onsite professional services which would afford the teachers the
opportunity to observe a model lesson, participate in
team-teaching, and have a lesson of their own critiqued in a
non-threatening environment.
The Fellows program, would be a two year program. At
the end of the program, teachers who had a general K-8
certificate would qualify for a subject-specific cross
endorsement.
The second part of my vision is the continued growth of
the PIMMS Professional Services program. It has become obvious
over the last three years that there is a rapidly growing need
for these services. In order for PIMMS to grow this aspect of its
mission, it will be necessary to find more high quality
consultants, especially as some of our consultants decide to
enjoy the fruits of their retirement and spend less time working.
A second requirement will be to look at alternate methods of
delivery. The distance learning concept will provide us a way to
have consultants in more than one place at a time and can
significantly reduce travel time for everyone involved. Finally,
the development of standard on-line units presents another way of
leveraging our resources.
The most important part of my vision for PIMMS is the
maintenance of the very high quality reputation that PIMMS
enjoys, while growing our impact significantly.
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Farewell
Dan Dolan
The past 12 years working at PIMMS
have been the capstone of my educational career. I owe it all to
my charming and talented wife Mari, and to Bob Rosenbaum. In
1991, Mari said YES to my proposal and then suggested that Bob
talk to me about a position at PIMMS. Bob and Marjorie
interviewed me and as a result, the man from MT moved to CT. The
opportunity to work with Bob daily has been a dream come true. He
is not only a brilliant mathematician; he is an outstanding
teacher, an excellent writer and man of letters; best of all he
is a good friend. He is truly the epitome of the phrase,
gentleman and scholar.
In the fall of 1959, I began my
first year of teaching high school in Oakland, CA. For 22 years,
I taught middle and high school math, physics, and chemistry.
That was followed by 10 years as the Mathematics Consultant for
the MT Office of Public Instruction, before coming to PIMMS. It
has been a wonderful and rewarding 44 years, working in
mathematics and science education.
Each segment of this career
brought unique satisfactions. When asked why I would want to
leave the classroom to go the State office, I wondered myself.
But the move provided an opportunity for me to impact many
teachers who could then affect more students than I could in my
classroom. Working with K-university colleagues, we developed and
conducted successful professional development programs that
resulted in a cadre of leaders statewide who then initiated
positive changes in district curriculum that has helped improve
instruction and student learning.
Since 1991, PIMMS programs have
evolved to meet the changing needs of teachers. In the early
1990s, 250-300 teachers attended two Fellowship programs, the
Technology Leadership Institute, and Academic Year Institutes in
Physics and Biotechnology. By the mid to late 90s, 1200-1500
teachers participated in 35-40 programs each year and thousands
of others were affected through PIMMS outreach activities. The
new Early Childhood Math and Science Institute, the substantial
growth of on-site professional services, new and closer relations
with Wesleyan, and the establishment of a permanent PIMMS
endowment fund breathe new life into the stability of our future
programming.
PIMMS celebrates its 25th
Anniversary next year. I am very proud to have been a part of
half of that history. I gained so much working with many
outstanding people on state, regional and national projects.
These interactions enriched my life through a wealth of
experiences and personal contacts that have helped me grow
throughout my career.
I leave PIMMS with mixed emotions.
I will miss my fellow staff members, close relations with the
teachers who staffed our programs, and the many program
participants who have become good friends. I thank everyone I
have worked with while at PIMMS and for assisting me as director.
I know that you will continue your support by helping the new
director, Mike Zebarth, to maintain our reputation for excellence
in PIMMS high-quality mathematics and science professional
development programs.
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