1. Enshan LIU Beijing Normal University May, 2011
Advocacy for innovation education in China through Intel Schools of Distinction project
Enshan LIU
Beijing Normal University
May, 2011

2. Agenda The Program Background SODA program in China
Goals of SODA in China
Criteria for SODA School in China
Judge Procedure
Training & Exchange
Next steps

3. Background 1 School Education Reform launched in 2001
Nationwide science education reform focus on developing students’ scientific literacy.
To develop students' curiosity, interest and desire for science & engineering;
Refresh course content on science subjects
Develop & implement new teaching materials curriculum focus on inquiry activities.
PBLs (problem-based learning & project-based learning) as a part of curriculum in many schools.

4. Background 2 CASTIC & Intel ISEF
CASTIC (China Adolescents Science & Technology Innovation Contest) is the highest level national science fair for students, which had been held from 1982 to 2010.
About 10 millions students take part into CASTIC related science fair every year.
CASTIC became affiliation of Intel IESF from 2001.
CASTIC Recognition just focused on students & teachers, not involving schools before 2010.

5. Innovation Education in China
Innovation Country
Capable Human Resource
Education
每一位了解青少年科技创新工作的人都知道：在每一个青少年科学创新项目的背后，都有着一个甚至一群默默奉献的科技教师。而在科技教师后面，是一直倾尽全力予以支持的校长和学校。那么，我们该如何表彰学校的巨大贡献？如何推广优秀科技创新教育学校的理念和实践？
179 million
students
in elementary, junior & senior middle school
10 million
teachers
in elementary, junior & senior middle school
350 thousand
schools
for elementary, junior & senior students

6. Intel Schools of Distinction (SODA) Background
US based program.
Recognizes schools for implementing innovative math and science programs in K-12 school:
USD 1 million in grants and awards to winning schools
6 winning schools selected out of 18 finalists
Gala event in Washington, D.C. in October to recognizes top winning schools and honors the top winning school, the “Star Innovator”
US School of distinction program: $100K cash donation; rest are inkind donations; joint program with AMG… industries to showcase products, solution companies.
Gala event now turns into a more modest event, target at govn’t officials, school district leaders…to participate
Each school receives $25K from intel.

7. Goals of SODA in China
Drive the development of nationwide innovation of science education focuses on school practice.
Recognition and encourage school science and technology education practice in PBLs.
Offer more opportunity for:
exchange ideas and experience on science teaching between SODA and other schools;
science teachers for professional development for SODA schools.
Other school principals & administrators to concern different way of improving science education;

8. Criteria for SODA School in China
All of criteria focus on:
Students’ performance on PBLs
The quality and variety of science and technology courses valuable to students
Inquiry and PBL Teaching strategy
Professional development for science teachers
Leadership
Infrastructure & investments for STEM.

9. Criteria for SODA School in China
Performance
Students
Teaching
strategy
Infrastructure
Investments
Curricula
Activities
Teachers
Professional development
Principals
Implementation
Leadership

10. Judge Procedure Final judge Top ten All criteria Visit checklist
step3
Final judge
Top ten
All criteria
Visit the 1th to 10th school of the list, & also other candidates if necessary
Visit checklist
Interview outline
step2
School visit
step1
Application material judge
candidates list involving 33 schools in order
Rubric for application materials
Province judge
144 schools from different provinces

11. Step 1：Application materials judge
According to the rubric, science educators judge the application materials from the candidate schools.
Priority give to:
Students’ & teachers’ performances in PBLs and science fairs;
STEM curriculum & teaching materials developed by school.

12. Step 1：Application materials judge
We consider following:
Awards earned by students and teachers;
Curricula and activities implemented in the school;
Curricula and activities beyond classroom are the most indispensable.

13. Step 2： School Visit To see what is reality happened in the classroom,
Receive qualitative data about the school innovation education and its impacts on students, the learning outcomes.
During this step, experts give more priority to:
For each curriculum and lesson plans, how does the process of development, implementation, reflection, and revise keep going on?
Students’ reflection on science courses and their projects,
Is there a meaningful experience available for other schools.

14. Step 2： School Visit Data collection mainly from: Students’ interview
Curricula documents
Teachers’ interview
Policy/regulations documents
Principle’ interview

15. Step 3： Final judge & Recognition
Organize all the material & data collected
Choose two stars school in top ten
Summary characteristics & replicable
well mechanism of each winning school
& afford feedback to these schools.

16. Improvement and Inspiration
Beyond the Recognition
국가 지식정보 자원관리의 비전과 목표
Improvement and Inspiration
Teacher, Principal
Training
&
Development
Exchange
Program
Case
Study

17. Training
Inquiry workshop for teachers from elementary and secondary schools
Focus on : teaching science through inquiry and PBLs approaches
Only recognition is not enough, help the winning schools to develop the quality of science education through tailor-made training to both teachers and leaders and exchange programs are the key to attract target audience. 17

18. Exchange Communicate with U.S. SODA winning school
Focus on : instruction mode for excellent students in innovation
education.

19. Case Study Share successful experiences among domestic winning schools
Focus on : how to guide students doing science and engineering projects.

20. CAST Study: Yuxin Elementary School

21. School Background
A Rural school with 110 years history students and 98 teachers;
Innovate in technology · Dream the future
Conduct Science Education in 3 ways:
Effective classroom teaching 
Fruitful afterschool science and technology related activities;
Fostering scientific research talents

22. Effective Classroom Teaching
Integrate the education of STEM with the Curriculum Reform;
integrate the four areas of work skills, social investigation and social practice, and research-oriented learning in integrated practical activity;
Integrate the science concept into other courses

23. After school Activity
“afterschool activities”: scientific inventions and papers that must be achieved through investigation, visit, research, experiment and creation out of class.
Integrated practical afterschool activities are the main source of innovation with the knowledge learnt from classroom

24. Fostering scientific Research Talents
Focus on the development for both teachers and students;
Solve the problem in real life through the scientific thinking;

25. CASE: High school Attached to Renmin UNiversity

26. School Background The tier 1 school in China;
4750 students, 400 teachers;
Science education philosophy: Cultivating the student’s innovation consciousness and skills has to be prescient and of high quality from the start. Equip today’s students with tomorrow’s technologies and give them access to the leading-edge technologies during the years when they have the strongest desire for knowledge and enthusiasm for innovation.

27. STEM is
An important means to foster innovation awareness and special skills
An important part of curriculum reform and teaching quality improvement efforts
An important way to drive the growth of the school and its faculty

28. The STEM curriculum
Curriculums are used as the vehicle of science education ,offers nearly 90 national optional courses and over 210 school optional courses, 80 of which are science or technology-related.
Unique curriculums: invention and creation, popular science, scientific research, intelligent robots, astronomical observation and practice.
Leverage resource from the community, parents and alumni;

29. Through the STEM: Self-motivated and exploring learning
Rationale and procedures
Communication skills

30. Looking forwards Enhance the program awareness to more schools;
Influence other schools through the case studies and sharing from winning schools;
More exchanges with US SODA winning schools and other schools;

31. Questions & Answer.

32. Contact information
Enshan LIU:
Yubin ZE, Principal of Yuxin Elementary School:
Hailing WANG, Deputy Principal of High School Attached to Renmin University:

33. Thank you!