Partnerships for Innovation
ORAU Center for Science Education Classroom Fact Sheet (PDF, 577 KB)
SNS to the Classroom Connects High School Physics Teachers with ORNL’s Spallation Neutron Source
Engaging in authentic research changes the way teachers educate their students. That was the premise of a pilot workshop hosted by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) where seven high school physics teachers were introduced to the world's most powerful pulsed neutron source—the accelerator-driven Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
The U.S. has, in recent years, found that a high percentage of its science and technology workforce is nearing retirement age. It has also become increasingly difficult to attract students into the scientific and technical fields necessary for our nation to compete in a global arena.
For this reason, promoting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and creating a talent pool of future scientific and technical talent is vital. The U.S. has renewed its national commitment to improve education, research, and innovation in America, and Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) is providing the support for this effort.
With more than 60 years of experience, ORAU is developing and managing science education programs that motivate and inspire tomorrow’s scientists and engineers. The mission of the Center for Science Education, which features a technologically advanced classroom, is to provide a multi-faceted resource for accomplishing this.
Mission and Vision
The mission of the Center for Science Education is twofold:
- To bring tomorrow’s science into today’s classrooms
- To use science and technology to improve science and technology education
The vision of the Center for Science Education is to leverage partnerships with federal agencies, specifically the U.S. Department of Energy, to help strengthen America’s educational competitiveness by:
- Bridging the gap between the authentic scientific research being conducted in U.S. national laboratories, such as Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and research centers and the curriculum being taught in the classroom
- Providing an education laboratory for experimenting, learning, demonstrating and showcasing results
- Creating a virtual learning environment including technology-based visualization, simulation, and modeling to enhance the study of the STEM disciplines
- Serving as a resource center featuring proven products, services, and programs that can help make K-12 STEM education more effective
Click image to enlarge.
Through the Center for Science Education, students and educators will have the capabilities to:
- Analyze authentic data from remote laboratories and research centers
- Manipulate simulations and visualizations using actual scientific models
- Access assignments and information from home and elsewhere
- Connect with other students and teachers through learning networks
Center for Science Education Classroom
A key focal point of the Center for Science Education is a physical classroom featuring advanced technologies and creative classroom configurations to support educating a new generation of students in the digital age.
The classroom is equipped with:
- A video wall of nine, 42-inch plasma screens with multi-window video processing to allow for efficient video conferencing and state-of-the-art online and in-class presentation capabilities
- Teaching technologies such as interactive whiteboards, tablet PCs, and classroom performance or “clicker” systems for student participation, and a teacher station will control and integrate all technologies in the room including audio and lighting
- Laptop computers and wireless connectivity to allow participants optimum flexibility when working on group projects and research and to allow participants’ computer screens to be easily shown on the video wall or the projector
- Classroom furniture that is flexible for a variety of teaching and learning formats, whether a classic lecture, a teacher center, or small group discussion, and that allows for maximum accommodation of computer and other technology needs
The nine-screen video wall in the Center for Science Education’s classroom. Click image to enlarge.
Contact Us
For more information about the Center for Science education, the classroom, student and educator opportunities, or other science education programs, please contact:
Marie Westfall
Oak Ridge Associated Universities/
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
865.576.3425
Marie.Westfall@orau.org
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Upcoming Events
Please contact us if you would like to schedule a workshop or in-service for your school.
ORAU’s new Center for Science Education, located in the heart of Oak Ridge, Tenn., is certified to the Gold level by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification for New Construction from the U.S. Green Building Council.
As a sustainable building, the CSE efficiently uses resources–energy, water and materials–while minimizing the building’s effects on human health and the environment during its lifecycle, while positively affecting economic performance. Sustainability is achieved through better siting, design, construction, operation and maintenance.