Weaving Science Inquiry and Continuous Assessment

By combining science inquiry and continuous assessment, you will not only catalyze meaningful changes in your students′ thinking and learning, but also reflect on and enhance your own approach to teaching.

Gregg Humphrey's belief is that you teach the way you are taught. With this in mind, Gregg's courses are inquiry-based, students taking an active role as preservice teachers. As the Director of Elementary Teacher Education, Middlebury College, he works directly with the Middlebury community. Each pre-service student is assigned to a classroom in an elementary school within the Addison Central Supervisory Union where they to apply the ideas emerging from their course work.

Gregg is very familiar with the schools and teachers of County due to his work of over thirty years in this area. He is a graduate of Middlebury College ('70) and spent eighteen years at Mary Hogan Elementary School in Middlebury. He was a classroom teacher, an assistant principal, science curriculum coordinator, and Title I director during his time at Mary Hogan and Addison Supervisory Union. Along with Bob Prigo, Middlebury College Physicist, Maura O'Brien Carlson of Learning Innovations At WestEd, and colleagues from around and the Northeast, Gregg co-directed three large National Science Foundation grants aimed at reforming elementary science. In this capacity he worked with teams of teachers, teacher leaders, and administrators locally, regionally, and nationally to support an inquiry approach to science and the professional development needed to sustain teaching improvement. He has produced a series of videotapes, and has authored many articles science inquiry-based teaching and learning, continuous assessment, and change initiatives in science education. His current area of research is in the area of formative assessment as a driving force behind both student and teacher development.

Gregg holds a B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology, Elementary Teacher Education from Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont, and a M.ED in Administration and Planning with emphasis on curriculum and instruction from the University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont. He has a passion for golf, bluegrass music (his music group is known as Snake Mountain Bluegrass), and cooking!

Karen Reinhardt is a former Co-Director of the Center for Science Education (having worked at the Center as a Program Associate for several years prior to becoming Co-Director.) She left the Center in July, 2002 to pursue graduate study in educational administration and supervision.

Karen's responsibilities at the Center included working with the project team on a National Science Foundation-funded grant to develop video and print materials for professional developers helping teachers incorporate inquiry-oriented science and continuous assessment into their classrooms. She also provided direct professional development services in science inquiry and continuous assessment to teachers, teacher leaders, and other professional developers, both locally and nationally. Prior to working at the Center, Karen served as Professional Development Coordinator for the National Gardening Association in Burlington, Vermont.

While there she directed the professional development component of the National Science Foundation-funded Growing Science Inquiry Project. This role included working with leadership teams of teachers, administrators, and horticultural partners in twelve school districts nationally to support teachers to implement inquiry-based science with plants. As part of this work, she co-authored the Growlab Consultants′ Toolkit and the Windows on the Classroom video series and Facilitator′s Guide.

Karen has a Bachelor′s degree in Child Study from Tufts University, and was the recipient of the Eliot Pearson Department of Child Study Award for outstanding scholarship and teaching potential. She holds a Vermont Level II: Professional Educator's License, with endorsements in Early Childhood and K-6 Education.