More local schools inducted into AMSTI

The Alabama Department of Education announced the induction of 219 new schools into the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative Feb. 25.

Eight of those schools are local.

AMSTI focuses on hands-on learning of math and science. Schools must apply to become an AMSTI school.

Teachers from schools who are inducted into the AMSTI program must complete a two-week training in the summer for two consecutive summers, said Steve Ricks, the state coordinator of AMSTI.

“(We) make them do every activity they do with their students,” said Ricks. “The program sells itself to the teachers.”

Auburn High School and Auburn Junior High were both inducted from the Auburn City School System.

Smiths Station High School, Smiths Station Intermediate School and Wacoochee Junior High School were accepted from the Lee County School System.

And from Opelika, Morris Avenue Intermediate School, Northside Intermediate School and West Forest Intermediate School were inducted.

Local teachers go to Auburn University for training. Beth Hickman, the Auburn AMSTI director, runs an off-campus site that houses the kits.

The kits give the teachers everything they need to carry out the lessons they learned at summer training, she said. Some kits have to do with weather, others biology, some geology.

“Each kit is grade specific and subject specific,” she said.

One kit, the catastrophic events kit, includes materials to build model volcanoes, earthquakes and tornados.

Students can make a volcano, or a tornado out of soda bottles.

This year 8,000 to10,000 teachers will take part in the summer training program, Ricks said.

Governor Bob Riley hopes to have all schools in Alabama on the program by 2011, Ricks said.

Last year, J. F. Drake Middle School, Opelika Middle School and Samford Middle School took part in the program.

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