MYSCI LAUNCHES WEBSITE
ST. LOUIS, Oct. 16 2007 – The MySci program recently announced the expansion of their educational outreach capabilities to include an online component. Their Web site, www.mysci.info, will serve as a resource for area teachers and as a portal to engage students and provide necessary information about the inquiry-based MySci program.
“We’ve been fortunate to reach thousands of area school children already,” said Ann McMahon, director of MySci, “and this Web site will further increase our involvement in local science education. We know it will be a valuable resource for those already involved in the program and those who would like to learn more.”
EJ Brewer is the owner of Golamac, Inc., the St. Louis-based web development company that created the Web site. “Our objective was to make this site as user-friendly as possible,” he said. “We know how busy teachers can be, so we optimized each section for maximum accessibility. The sections for students were also carefully crafted, to emphasize and encourage further inquiry-based discovery.”
The Golamac, Inc design team, in conjunction with the Washington University Visual Communications Research Studio, created the site layout and interactive elements. The design intent was to match and coordinate with the program materials, curriculum components and Investigation Station interiors and exteriors that the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts’ Visual Communications Research Studio had created for MySci in the past.
The Teacher’s Corner is the go-to page for all educators. Users can find a complete run-down of what to expect when receiving a visit from an Investigation Station. Full curriculum guides for the animal, plant and earth tracks are also available. Area teachers can connect and converse with other colleagues on the Web site’s message board to share tips and insights. Finally, teacher surveys are also posted online as a part of our ongoing commitment to excellence in training the next generation of scientists.
The Kids’ Fun Zone further supplements the interactive and engaging MySci curriculum. Students can access educational games and explore habitats which highlight animals, plants and the earth. These activities can serve to extend learning beyond the classroom, or act as an in-class supplement to traditional teaching activities.
About MySci
MySci, funded by Monsanto, is a collaborative effort among the following institutions: Washington University in St. Louis, the Saint Louis Science Center, the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Saint Louis Zoo. MySci’s mission is to enhance a sense of wonder and interest in science for children and their teachers. The MySci program gives early elementary students all over St. Louis the chance to study science through inquiry. It provides curriculum books and classroom kits in the topics of plants, animals and the earth. It also includes a visit from the newly designed Investigation Station, a roving vehicle of innovative exhibits and specimens which makes learning through climbing, crawling, seeing, hearing and smelling more exciting than ever. MySci is getting an early start on recruiting the next generation of scientists.
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