The Wellesley College Department of Education operates a certification program for both Wellesley and MIT undergraduates who want to teach at the high school level. I have worked on the structure of the physics program as well as advised the prospective physics teachers on their courses, projects and practice teaching experiences.
I have served on the national advisory boards of two science education television series broadcast on public television: "3-2-1 Contact" and "The Voyage of the Mimi". These series are both designed to excite eight to twelve year olds about science and technology. They are aimed in particular at female and minority children who are often socialized away from science at the critical target age range. In addition to my service on the advisory boards, I have contributed to the design and scientific content of both of these ventures. For "3-2-1 Contact", I worked full time on developing the structure of the shows and on the scientific content of the first 65 shows. The series has produced over 200 shows and has been seen in more than 40 foreign countries. There are now videotapes and associated materials for use in both classroom and after-school settings. "The Voyage of the Mimi", produced at the Bank Street College of Education, includes computer software and measurement probes for classroom use in addition to the text and broadcast material.
Another national video project was the adaptation and transformation of the book The Way Things Work to a Saturday morning animated TV series - "CRO" - broadcast on ABC. This series, aimed at 6-12 year-olds, dealt with science and technology imbedded in cartoon adventures.
I also consulted with "Sesame Street" on the development of a science curriculum, "The Science of Discovery", for their 29th season. This was a most interesting experience and a challenge. As one of only five invited consultants, it was a real opportunity to have some creative impact on science and math exposure for pre-schoolers.