Target 1 – Student-Centered Learning
FWSU students will engage in personalize learning involving collaborative inquiry, problem solving and creative learning opportunities.
Action Step – Highlight, create and model innovative learning opportunities that promote
collaborative inquiry, problem solving and creativity for students and staff
Indicator of Success – Students and staff will participate in a global dialogue to engage in authentic investigation and problem solving with partners located outside of their school
community.
BFA High School students Samantha King and Devan Borthwick recently attended a four-day workshop with Science teacher Thomas Lane involving research on carbon sequestration in plants at St. Michael’s College.
The “Leaves of Green” workshop, hosted by the Center for Workforce Development and Diversity at Saint Michael’s College, is an opportunity for high school teachers and students to explore how carbon is assimilated and partitioned by plants and how these processes affect agriculture, global climate change, and biofuel production.
This program is funded by a National Science Foundation grant. It was developed by a consortium from the University of Missouri, Purdue University, University of Florida, University of Nebraska, Saint Michael’s College, and VT EPSCoR (Experimental Programs to Stimulate Competitive Research). Students conducted experiments in stomatal density, transpiration, photosynthetic rate and sugar concentration using lab equipment provided by Saint Michael’s College.
Students conducted research on a project they developed. At the conclusion of the workshop they presented an oral report of their work.
Samantha and Devon decided to examine how relative atmospheric humidity effected photosynthetic rate.
The “Leaves of Green” workshop was a fantastic experience. It gave students the opportunity to conduct authentic research, learn laboratory techniques and work with college professors and students from around the state of Vermont.
The FWSU Story 