Walter Smith
Education
BS in Biology, Cornell University, 1964.
MSEd in Student Personnel Administration, Indiana University (Bloomington), 1965.
PhD in Science Education, Indiana University (Bloomington), 1973.
Research
Smith has been active in development of science teaching materials for teachers to use with middle school children. He led the development of the two volume COMETS – Career Oriented Modules to Explore Topics in Science – science teaching materials to encourage students, especially girls, in grades 5-9 to continue taking science courses and consider science careers. COMETS was published by the National Science Teachers Association, used across the country, and became a model for a similar program in Australia. Currently he heads the International Virtual (I. V.) STEM Classroom coalition of faculty from 12 universities on three continents to develop, implement, and research best practice STEM instruction in which children collaborate with other children worldwide. The major I.V. STEM Classroom activity is the MOON Project in which children worldwide observe the moon for a semester; and for the latter half of the semester they share their observations on the Internet and collaborate to identify lunar patterns and devise explanations for the moon’s behavior. He has published in journals such as the Journal of Science Teacher Education, Science Education, Journal of Elementary Science Education, International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, and all four of the National Science Teacher Association’s journals for teachers. He has had over three million dollars in grants that frequently have focused at the middle level; and he has previously and presently serves on the National Science Teachers Association’s Board of Directors.
Courses
Since 1972 he has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in elementary, middle, and secondary science education, including teaching methodology, field experience, student teaching, seminar in science education and masters and doctoral research. He has also taught an undergraduate course in using microcomputers in the classroom, graduate courses in gender equity and analysis of teaching and learning.