James G. MaKinster 1

JAMES G. MaKINSTER

Associate Professor of Education

Hobart & William Smith Colleges

300 Pulteney St.

Geneva, NY 14456

(315)-781-3141

CURRENT POSITIONS

Associate Professor of Education

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Fall 2002 – Present

Chair, Education Department

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

July 2009 – Present

Visiting Fellow

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Cornell University

Fall 2009 – Present

EDUCATION

Ph.D. Indiana University, Bloomington, IN

Science and Environmental Education, Curriculum and Instruction

Completed: May, 2002

M.S. University of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA

Environmental and Evolutionary Biology

Completed: May, 1998

B.S. Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA

Biology

Completed: May, 1995

James G. MaKinster 1

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Hobart and William Smith Colleges (2002 – Present)

EDUC083-01: Teaching Elementary Science

EDUC083-02: Teaching Secondary Science

BIOL146: Biology for Elementary Science

EDUC225: Contemporary Concepts in Educational Leadership

EDUC336: Science and Cognition: Ways of Thinking In Science

EDUC346: Technology In Education: From the Chalkboard to Online Communities

EDUC348: Our National Parks

EDUC349: Nature of Science and Scientific Inquiry in Schools

EDUC401: Analysis of Teaching in Secondary Schools

EDUC420: Research in Education

EDUC791: GIS in Schools

EDUC792: Teaching with Emerging Technologies

EDUC820: Graduate Seminar in Education

Brown County High School – Nashville, Indiana (Fall 2001)

Environmental Science

Advanced Chemistry

Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana (1998 – 2001)

EDUC328: Elementary Science Methods – Indiana University

EDUC200: Inquiry Science Skills for Elementary Education

EDUC346: Integrated Science for Elementary Education

EDUC446: Middle School Science Early Field Experience

James G. MaKinster 1

Master’s Students – Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Lara Thomas (2014) - “Yo Ms. Thomas, why the moon gotta move so slow, it’s boring.”: Using Technology to Engage the Digital Native Generation in Nature-Based Science

Alie Reindel (2013) – Cats, Cows and Care: The Role of Communication in Three Different Veterinary Practices

Ashley Yang (2012) – Students Perception of Gender, Gender Norms and Adolescence

Clare Morgan (2009) – Learning Secondary Science Using Geospatial Technology: Understanding Student Experiences and Perceptions

Shannon Times (2009) – Understanding How Identity Affects the Development of Environmental Literacy within a Residential Summer Program

Elizabeth Megroz (2008) – Elementary Achievement Within Elementary Social Studies: Do Students Vary by Gender?

Stephanie Sadlon (2007) – Environmental Studies Summer Youth Institute: A Case Study of Environmental Education from the Socioscientific Perspective

Erin Trumble (2007) - The Relationship Between Maternal Employment and Maternal Perceptions of Elementary-School Children’s Academic Achievement

Lindsay Brown (2006) – Understanding Students’ Conceptions of Mathematics in the Context of a Middle School Math Tutoring Program

Craig Swanson (2005) – Examining Inquiry in the Inquiry Learning Forum: Exploring The Foundations Of A Web-Supported Community

Gail Reynolds (2005) – Combining Dialogue and Science Journals as a Means To Strengthen the Student-Teacher Relationship: Teaching With An Ethic of Care

Lindsay Meyer (2005) - The Effects of Global Education on Third Graders’ Cultural Sensitivity: Understanding the Japan Bridge Project

Honor’s Student

Lindsay Brown (2005) – The Development of A College Student Tutoring Program For Middle School Mathematics: Launching America Counts At HWS

Internship Students

Courtney Wilson (Fall 2007) – Crossing Boundaries Project

Michael Ellis (Fall 2009) – Crossing Boundaries Curriculum Development

Michael Ellis (Summer 2010) – Mpala Research Centre – Nanyuki, Kenya

Student Teachers

James G. MaKinster 1

Lara Thomas – Earth Science

Rachel Crisco – Elementary and Special Education

Morgan Gibeault – Elementary and Special Education

Nate Ginetty – English

Tracy Burlingham – Mathematics

Meredith Eppers – General Science/Earth Science

Trista Harris – Biology

Katie Wood – Mathematics

Alfred Croteau – Chemistry

Carol Tolley – Biology

David Szentesy – Biology

Craig Swanson – Physics

Gail Reynolds – Earth Science

Ted Wilson – Earth Science

Jen McDonald – Earth Science

Peter Hoffman – English

Jolene Beck – French

James G. MaKinster 1

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Associate Professor of Science Education

Member of the Environmental Studies Faculty

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

July, 2002 – Present

Like all faculty in the Education Department at HWS, I divide my time between contributing to the Teacher Education Program at HWS and the general liberal arts curriculum on campus.

  • Teach seminars for the Teacher Education Program focused on teaching science at the elementary and secondary levels
  • Teach liberal arts courses that reflect my scholarly interests and expertise
  • Supervise the school placements of early field experience students
  • Supervise and evaluate student teachers during a 14-week full-time field placement
  • Contribute to the Master of Arts in Teaching program by serving as a graduate advisor and teaching the Research in Education course when needed
  • Supervise independent study students in Education and students completing their senior integrative experiences in Environmental Studies

Chair, Education Department

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

July, 2009 – June 2012 and July, 2013 – July, 2014

  • Facilitate the Education Department faculty (10 full-time and 3-5 part-time individuals) in accomplishing the academic mission and vision of the department and institution
  • Supervise a half-time faculty secretary
  • Supervise and work collaboratively with the Director of Teacher Certification and Placement
  • Facilitate weekly department meetings
  • Schedule courses for the upcoming academic year
  • Write the staffing plan for department faculty that includes full-time tenure track, ongoing faculty, and part-time adjuncts
  • Chair hiring committees for faculty and staff
  • Mentor newer faculty with regards to both teaching and scholarship
  • Plan and manage departmental budget across multiple years in terms of both allocation and accounting
  • Lead the effort for national accreditation through the Teacher Education Accreditation Council
  • Coordinate intra-campus communications for the Education Department
  • Present information about the Teacher Education Program to students and faculty

Director and Principal Investigator, Crossing Boundaries Project

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

September, 2008 – September, 2013

Funding: National Science Foundation ($1,498,811) - Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers

Crossing Boundaries was a collaborative effort between the Hobart and William Smith Colleges and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. This teacher professional development project ultimately provided middle and high school students with knowledge, skills, and inspiration to use information and communication technologies (ICT) in addressing biodiversity conservation issues in regional and international contexts. The project entailed curriculum development, sustained teacher professional development, and opportunities for students to see scientific and environmental careers in action. Using geospatial technology, secondary students analyzed biodiversity conservation issues in their local environment, Brazil, Mexico, and Kenya.

  • Supervised a full-time project manager
  • Supervised a half-time administrative and research assistant
  • Co-managed a full-time curriculum development specialist working at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (2008-2011)
  • Work collaboratively with project members at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  • Led and conducted, 340 hours of face-to-face professional development workshops for 20 teachers per year (60 teachers) who were teaching a total of 6000-8000 students
  • Led the development of a middle and high school curriculum focused on issues in environmental conservation on local, state-wide, national and global scales
  • Led science education research efforts, along with the external evaluation collaborators (Edu. Inc), to understand the impact of this project on teacher knowledge and practice, student interest in science, student technological ability, and student career awareness and interest
  • Facilitated the development of six high quality video-based profiles of Cornell graduate student scientists doing conservation-related science research in national and international settings through the Multimedia Program at the Lab of Ornithology.
  • Wrote project reports for the National Science Foundation in collaboration with external evaluation firm(Edu Inc.)
  • Co-authored articles for teacher journals, science education research journals and book chapters related to this project
  • Plan, manage and oversaw project budget and accounting
  • Author and managed collaborative agreements with partners
  • Designed and facilitated the design of print and web-media that promote the project through the region and help to recruit new teacher participants
  • Trained and supervised college student interns
  • Led curriculum development trip of three project staff and two teachers to the Laikipia region of Kenya, October 2009
  • Established partnerships with conservation, private and non-governmental organizations in Kenya (Mpala Research Centre, Laikipia Wildlife Forum, Ol Pejeta Nature Conservancy)
  • Use Web 2.0, distance learning, and other technologies to provide resources and support to participating teachers (Skype, Adobe Connect, blogs, Wikis, podcasts, etc.)
  • Wrote and discussed evaluation reports for staff
  • Website:

Director and Principal Investigator, GIT Ahead Project

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

September, 2006 – November, 2010

Funding: National Science Foundation ($899,500) – Advanced Technological Education

The GIT Ahead Project was a collaborative effort among the Finger Lakes Institute at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Cayuga Community College, Cornell University, and the Institute for the Application of Geospatial Technology. The ultimate goal of this teacher professional development project was to help rural and urban high school students see geospatial technology as pathways to relevant, exciting, and high-demand careers, and to create higher education pathways for students who might not otherwise pursue such goals. GIT Ahead accomplished these goals through teacher professional development, the development of the Internet-based Finger Lakes GIS Explorer software, and a series of classroom and job–focused GIT opportunities for students. Interdisciplinary teams of teachers attended a two-week summer institute that provides training in relevant technologies along with time and support for development of inquiry-based curriculum projects tailored for use in their own classes.

  • Supervised a full-time project manager
  • Co-managed a full-time curriculum development specialist working at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (primarily over email, phone and web-conferencing technologies)
  • Worked collaboratively with project collaborators at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cayuga Community College, and the Institute for the Application of Geospatial Technology (Auburn, NY)
  • Led and conducted, more than 330 hours of face-to-face professional development workshops for 20 teachers per year
  • Led science education research efforts, along with the external evaluation collaborators (Edu. Inc), to understand the impact of this project on teacher knowledge and practice and student interest in science
  • Wrote project annual reports
  • Co-authored articles for teacher journals, science education research journals and book chapters related to this project
  • Managed and oversaw project budget and sub-awards for partnering institutions
  • Authored and managed collaborative partnership agreements
  • Designed and facilitated the design of print and web-media targeted to both students and teachers
  • Trained and supervise college student interns
  • Led web-based software development efforts focused on a database for state-wide GIS data
  • Usedcourseware and other technologies to provide distance learning opportunities for participating teachers
  • Wrote and discussed evaluation reports for staff
  • Website:

Co-Principal Investigator, STORE-GIT Project

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

September, 2010 – September, 2011

Funding: National Science Foundation ($499,965) – Discovery & Research K-12

PI and Director: Dan Zalles, SRI International

STORE-GIT developed new classroom resources that use GIT to stimulate student learning and reasoning about the relationship between weather, climate change, and ecosystems. These resources will consist of (1) a hands-on geospatial tool for the classroom based on ArcGIS Explorer that simulates, visually represents, and supports the analysis of real atmospheric, geospheric, and biospheric data related to global climate change and (2) an adaptable high school-level curriculum unit centered on use of the tool by diverse student populations. The primary goal of this project is to help students develop more sophisticated scientific understanding of the possible impacts of climate change by exploring current and predicted ecosystem data.

  • Worked collaboratively with project members at the SRI International (Menlo Park, CA)
  • Worked collaboratively with middle and high school teachers to co-design and develop the geospatial tool and accompanying curriculum to explore the impacts of climate change
  • Facilitated classroom-based research on the implementation of STORE curriculum and student outcomes
  • Authored project reports
  • Managed and oversaw project budget
  • Facilitated the development of collaborative agreement with SRI International
  • Use wikis and other technologies to provide resources and support to participating teachers

OTHERRELEVANT PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES

Cornell Science Inquiry Partnerships

Cornell University – 2002-2006

The Cornell Science Inquiry Partnership (CSIP) project (National Science Foundation - $1.5 million) connected graduate and upper level undergraduate students (CSIP Fellows) with teachers and non-formal educators in middle school and high school classrooms. CSIP fellows led students in environmental sciences research and related inquiry-based activities based on their expertise and current research. My role in this project was both as a collaborator and as an evaluator. I was coordinating the majority of the research as to the effectiveness of this program. Although the project has ended, we continue to analyze our data, which includes pre and post interviews with both teachers and fellows, classroom observations and a variety of research instruments.

Science On Seneca

Hobart & William Smith Colleges – 2002-2005

Science on Seneca is a middle school and high-school outreach program established by the faculty at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. This program enables regional teachers to conduct environmental investigations with their classes on a 65-foot, steel hulled research vessel, the William Scandling. The objectives of this program are to enhance the teaching of environmental science in area schools, to introduce students to environmental field studies using Seneca Lake as the laboratory, and to expand the Seneca Lake database using long-term monitoring of this Finger Lake. I was co-coordinating this program with the Education Coordinator at the Finger Lakes Institute. I remain involved, but in more of an advisory capacity.

The Hog Wild Project

Finger Lakes Institute at Hobart and William Smith Colleges – 2004

Director

This program engaged middle school students in interdisciplinary inquiry around an environmental issue of significance in the local Seneca Lake watershed. Students prepared for and engaged in a simulated Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) hearing on the establishment of a particular hog farm in their area. Participating groups of students took on the role of different special interest groups under the guidance of teachers from Geneva Middle School and a student leader from HWS, and were mentored by other HWS students with relevant backgrounds to each special interest group. The middle school students communicated with HWS students through computer technologies and presented and defended their positions within a simulated DEC hearing.

Bringing Relevant Internet Dialogue to Global Education: Vietnam, Japan and Senegal

Hobart & William Smith Colleges – 2002 – 2004

Co-Director

The BRIDGE project (Freeman Foundation - $350,000) linked HWS students studying abroad with local elementary classrooms. The college students used internet technologies to share stories and pictures with local elementary students during their travels. These experiences then served as the basis for student inquiry into Vietnamese, Japanese or Senegalese culture. The goals of this project were to help Geneva’s elementary school students to become more sophisticated users of technology, improve their critical thinking skills, enhance their awareness of another culture, investigate their own community, and integrate the use of computers with books, maps, and other instructional materials.

GRANT FUNDING
New York Six Liberal Arts Consortium – Ithaca, NY
The Design and Implementation of a Blended Learning Course in Educational Leadership($30,000) / 2014-2016
George I. Alden Trust – Worcester, MA
Creating a Geospatial Learning Lab at Hobart and William Smith Colleges $150,000 / 2010
National Science Foundation: Discovery Research in K-12 Education
Studying Topography, Orographic Rainfall, and Ecosystems (STORE) with Geospatial Information Technology ($449,965) / 2010-2011
Finger Lakes Wired – Rochester, NY
Providing Young Women From Rural Schools With New Visions of Science and Technology Through the Environmental Studies Summer Youth Institute ($24,200) / 2009
National Science Foundation: Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers
Crossing Boundaries and Exploring Biodiversity Conservation Using Information Technologies ($1,498,811) / 2008-2012
Finger Lakes Wired – Rochester, NY
Providing Young Women From Rural Schools With New Visions of Science and Technology Through the Environmental Studies Summer Youth Institute ($13,650) / 2008
Rochester Area Center for Excellence in Mathematics and Science – Rochester, NY
Using Geospatial Technology to Teach Science ($8,050) / 2008
National Science Foundation: Advanced Technological Education
The Finger Lakes GIT Ahead Project: Creating Career Paths for Geospatial Technology Professionals Through Teacher Enhancement and Student Engagement ($899,500) / 2006-2009
John Ben Snow Memorial Trust
HWS Education Student Center($15,000) / 2005
New York State Department of Education
Finger Lakes Institute Educational Outreach($300,000) / 2005
Independent College Fund of New York/John Ben Snow Memorial Trust
Should We Go Hog Wild? Exploring Environmental Issues in the Finger Lakes ($12,500) / 2004
Hobart & William Smith Colleges Faculty Research Grant
National Parks Web Site and Image Database Development($1200) / 2004
Hobart & William Smith Colleges Faculty Research Grant
BRIDGE Vietnam: Co-Creating Teacher Professional Development Resources($2000) / 2003
Independent College Fund of New York/John Ben Snow Memorial Trust Public-Private Collaboration Program (MaKinster, Brophy and Sherman)
BRIDGE Senegal: Bringing Relevant Internet Dialogue to Global Education ($10,000) / 2002
Grants Submitted But Not Funded
National Science Foundation: Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) Crossing Boundaries 2.0: Scaling Collaborative Science Teacher Professional Development($1,999,988) / 2012
National Science Foundation: Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) Collaborative Conservation Careers: Fostering Visions of Collaborative
Inquiry in Conservation Science ($1,197,331) / 2011
National Science Foundation: Informal Science Education
Environmental Literacy In The Finger Lakes: Exploring the Connections Between Science and the Political, Social and Economic Dimensions of Environmental Issues ($1,093,925) / 2005
Environmental Projection Agency
Science On Seneca Curriculum Expansion ($60,000) / 2005
National Science Foundation
Educational Materials Development of an Inexpensive Data Logger / 2004

PUBLICATIONS