67. Wisconsin Teacher Enhancement Programs in Biology
This collaborative project between the Department of Medical Genetics, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences - Center for Biology Education, and the School of Education offers quality education in the biological sciences by providing teachers an opportunity to review and update their science education. Teachers learn about recent research developments and applications in the fields of human genetics, special education, biotechnology, cell biology, neuroscience, and plant and animal biology, as well as other topics in health and disease. The program offers more than 30 one- and two-week modules - as well as one- and two-day workshops - for elementary, middle school, junior high and high school teachers. Teachers review and update their science education through modules offered in a variety of subjects, including human genetics; molecular and cell biology; plant, animal and environmental biology; and elementary science. Courses focus on systemic change issues, special education, and alcohol and other drug abuse issues.

68. Project X
Project X, a College of Engineering program, brings together counselors and math, science and technical education teachers for a review of technical programs and career options for Wisconsin students. The program promotes knowledge of technical careers and technical/science/math education, including internships, apprenticeships, technical colleges and universities.

69. Wisconsin Fast Plants
Funded by the National Science Foundation, the program is based at UW-Madison under the direction of plant pathologist, Professor Paul Williams. Professor Williams initially developed the plants to speed up his genetic research. Today more than 1,000 scientists in 45 countries utilize these rapid cycling brassicas in their research. The program provides instructional materials and workshops to teachers and scientists. Regional teams of master teachers and scientists spread the Fast Plants story and provide scientific expertise. The program fosters networking among teachers at all levels and encourages curriculum adaptations of Fast Plants materials.

70. Teachers and Students Investigating Plants in Science
A component of the Wisconsin Fast Plants Program, the Teachers and Students Investigating Plants in Science, funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and a component of the Wisconsin Fast Plants project, is a collaborative effort between UW-Madison and the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. In October 1997, the United States and Ukraine will fly aboard a Space Shuttle mission, which will include 12 separate experiments as part of the science payload. Several plant biology experiments will run in an environmentally controlled Plant Growth Facility. During the same time as the joint Space Shuttle flight, students throughout the United States and Ukraine will be undertaking experiments to determine what is normal for biological events or stages in the life cycle of AstroPlants under the Earth's gravity. The information that students gather will help them understand a number of biological phenomena and principles. Students can compare their observations with those made by the researchers.

71. Wetland Perspectives: Ways of Looking at the Landscape
This Institute for Environmental Studies program, held in conjunction with the Precollege Program for Native American Teens, is a field-based teacher education program that gives educational professionals a greater understanding of some of the aquatic habitats through exploration from a variety of perspectives.

72. Madison Education Extension Programs
The School of Education houses the Madison Education Extension Program that manages more than 130 workshops, conferences and institutes each year for teachers, child care workers, administrators, parents, students and boards of education where knowledge is applied, integrated and disseminated. Examples include A Breakfast Series for Teachers (approximately 210 teachers attend); Wisconsin Summer Conference on Effective Instruction; and Cake and Culture: An After-School Dessert Series for Teachers.

73. Center on Education and Work
The School of Education's Center on Education and Work delivers a wide array of technical support, staff development, workshops and leadership training programs for school district staff. The CEW annually offers a rich variety of workshops, services, conferences, print materials, curriculum resource materials, videos and games, and software services to consortium members.

The CEW sponsors the National Consortium for Product Quality (NCPQ) that provides technical assistance to educators in the area of school-to-work curriculum integration. The NCPQ offers specific in-service teacher/staff development focusing on integrated curriculum design, development and evaluation.

The CEW provides technical assistance to two Milwaukee and four other Wisconsin high schools. The CEW assistance includes Continuous Quality Improvement support in areas related to school-to-work, such as integrated and applied curriculum, work-based learning and career development.

The CEW provides leadership to secondary and post-secondary schools in the development of vocational and academic learning programs that serve students who are at-risk, teen parents, individuals with limited English proficiency and students with disabilities.

74. Super Science Connections Workshop
The workshop, taught by a team of award-winning elementary school teachers, integrates children's literature, writing, mathematics, art projects, social studies and health instruction with hands-on science. It models ways in which the K-3 classroom can become a place where students learn and enjoy science in context. The workshop is sponsored by the Chemistry Department and the Institute for Chemical Education.

75. Summer Advanced Placement Institute
The Summer Advanced Placement Institute, in partnership with the College Board and administered by the Division of Continuing Studies, provides entry-level and experienced advanced-placement high school teachers with university seminars in American history, calculus, English, Spanish and French. This one-week credit program grew out of the university's goal to improve the instruction for Wisconsin high school teachers active in the Advanced Placement Program. The Advanced Placement Institute's primary goals are to prepare high school teachers to teach or improve their teaching of Advanced Placement (AP) courses; to familiarize teachers with AP program management, curriculum materials, testing and reading processes; and to provide the opportunity for professional networking.

76. Wiscnet
Wiscnet, Wisconsin's statewide data communications network, offers an inexpensive means for private individuals, schools, libraries, and small businesses to obtain full access to the Internet by telephone. Since 1991, Wiscnet provided direct, high-speed leased-line service to the Internet for Wisconsin colleges, universities and businesses. Wiscnet is a nonprofit association created to provide access to national and international network resources and data communications for Wisconsin organizations. Wiscnet was formed in 1989 by 24 charter member institutions, including the University of Wisconsin institutions and eight private colleges and universities. Wiscnet is operated by the Division of Information Technology (DoIT) at UW-Madison, under a facilities management contract. DoIT's Network Operations Center staff monitor the network 24 hours a day and provide prompt reporting and resolution of problems.

77. Instructional Materials Center
Supported by the School of Education, the IMC has a collection of more than 55,000 items covering teacher education, instruction, and children's print and nonprint materials. Recently, the IMC has initiated meetings with the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) leading to the creation of the Internet Committee Association. The IMC has also established an ongoing series of workshops, "Information for Educators," for local district personnel. IMC staff also presented "Exploring the Internet: Biology and Life Sciences Teachers Navigating the Networks," a UW System offering attended by local and statewide district personnel. IMC staff participate in monthly MMSD Internet Committee meetings.

78. UW-Madison Comprehensive Regional Assistance Center Consortium
Located at the Wisconsin Center for Educational Research in the School of Education, the Comprehensive Regional Assistance Center is part of a network of 15 centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The center provides technical assistance and training to school personnel and state educational agencies to improve teaching and learning for all students. The service region comprises Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

79. Cooperative Children's Book Center
The CCBC is a non-circulating examination, study and research library for children's and young adult literature. The purpose of the CCBC is: to provide a collection of current, retrospective and historical books for children and young adults; to provide Wisconsin librarians, teachers, students and others informational and educational services based on the collection; and to support teaching, learning and research needs related to children's and young adult literature. The center provides various staff development workshops, including a three-session, six-hour interactive Satellite Educational Resource Consortium (SERC) television course on multicultural literature for K-8 students. The CCBC offers free subscriptions to the CCBC-Net, a new electronic forum that encourages awareness and discussion of issues essential to literature for children and young adults. The CCBC-Net provides opportunities for spontaneous as well as guided discussions of contemporary literature for children and young adults; the book arts; book publishing; and intellectual freedom issues involving minors' access to books in classrooms, school library media centers and public libraries. Each year, the CCBC publishes CCBC Choices, a publication that analyzes publishing trends and that frequently is quoted nationally. It is distributed to Wisconsin teachers and librarians.

80. Teacher to Teacher, the Institute for Multicultural Science Connection
The IMSE is a long-term in-service experience for secondary science teachers from Milwaukee and Madison schools. Located on the UW-Madison campus and administered through the Center for Biology Education, the IMSE receives major funding from the National Science Foundation. Science teachers participate in an intensive four-week summer session. The IMSE supports its participants throughout the academic year with on-site classroom visits, Saturday seminars and release time.

The primary goal of IMSE is to encourage science educators to rethink major assumptions about the nature of science instruction and pedagogy that will benefit not only minority and female science students, but all students. IMSE provides educators with resources and time to restructure curricula and the science classroom environment that enriches science education for all their science students.

81. Bionet
The Center for Biology Education program offers biology teachers in-service activities throughout the state. Educators meet with biology resource people from local colleges, universities, businesses and industry. The program, initially targeting the Dane County area, has expanded statewide.

82. Working with At-Risk Students in the Classroom
Professor Hardin Coleman, School of Education, offers a workshop that focuses on at-risk students in the classroom that integrates the literature on multicultural counseling, resiliency and teacher practice.

83. One Bird - Two Habitats
Sponsored by the Department of Wildlife Ecology, Cooperative Extension Service, the program offers teachers curriculum workshops on migratory birds. The workshops are provided to middle school science and social studies teachers. Teachers learn about the issue, practice activities and receive the curriculum, which contains 22 activities, maps, posters, a video and background information.

84. Kickapoo Valley Education Project
The Center for Biology Education program administers this environmental education initiative for the School of Natural Resources, with additional funding from Nuzum, Inc. This model project, which is constructed as a partnership among UW-Madison, eight school districts, and several community and governmental agencies, is located in the Kickapoo Valley because of its unique natural resources and environment. An area biology teacher serves as liaison to the school districts and CBE staff coordinate activities at UW-Madison.

85. UW-Madison CIMSS/SSEC Satellite Technology Education Program
The Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) is involved with enhancing K-12 education using state-of-the-art weather satellite data and interactive data analysis systems. The Satellite Technology Education Program (STEP) was created from a workshop response by teachers to bring the PC version of the Man-computer Interactive Data Access System (McIDAS) to their high school. Two McIDAS systems were initially placed at Watertown High School, and teaching modules were developed with teachers to provide independent, hands-on instruction in McIDAS operations. Recently teachers and students from Edgewood, Verona and Sheboygan North high schools have joined the STEP program and brought McIDAS to their science and technology centers. Access to these global weather satellite data bases using videographic, interactive computer technology must be integrated into the precollege curriculum to introduce students to exciting new ways to investigate scientific problems and to demonstrate modern scientific methods.