2010 Brandwein Medal Recipient Jerry Schierloh

Summary of Qualifications

Jerry Schierloh

Jerry Schierloh

Over 40 years experience providing K-12 professional development support in the life, physical, and earth sciences

Fourteen (14) years experience correlating K-12 science enrichment curricula with New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Science Standards and indicators

Ten (10) years of experience as an environmental science consultant specializing in environmental science outreach and mentoring support for K-12 educators, team-building, Professional Learning Community team support, and the creation of K-12 place-based science curricula

Essential skills:  science instructional mentoring, K-12 science PD facilitation, Professional Learning Community support, correlation of science curricula to NJ CCC standards and indicators, place-based science learning and instructional methodologies, strategic planning, and curriculum design

Professional Activities

PRISM PD and Mentoring Support (2002 –present)

Through Montclair State University’s PRISM program:

  • Mentored e-CUSP participant  schools in NJSSI strategies
  • Mentored some ten (10) e-CUSP partner schools on best-practice science methodologies through PRISM’s Adopt-a-Professor Program (Clifton, Englewood Cliffs, Englewood, Leonia, Lodi, Ogdensburg, Park Ridge, River Edge, Roseland, and Rutherford)
  • Instructor in PRISM Summer Institute, demonstrating science field practices that support New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Science Standards
  • Mentored three districts on the development and use of outdoor classrooms to enrich science curricular and support New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards in Science (Ogdensburg, Rand, and Rutherford)

Watershed Curriculum Development and PD Support (2005-2009)  Co-coordinated the development of a Middle School Watershed Curriculum for the East Orange School District.  Supervised a curriculum writing team and facilitated extensive professional development training for a Professional Learning Community team of ten participating teachers.  Introduced a middle school field study science component into the Watershed Curriculum focusing on the East Orange Water Reserve.  Partnered with Montclair State University’s Center of Pedagogy and the ADP center in providing curriculum and technology support.

Outdoor Inquiries  (2008)   Assisted in the field testing of a five-part, inquiry-based, field-study curriculum called “Outdoor Inquiries” (NSF funded project of Firsthand Learning, Inc.)  Facilitated PD training for Linden Public School District educators in the use of Outdoor Inquiries methodologies.

Linden Public Schools Science Curriculum Enrichment  (2000-2006)  Collaborated with the K-12 District Director of Science to infuse outdoor environmental science methodologies into every grade level of the K-12 Science curriculum (based on strategies conceived by the Merck Institute for Science Education, and in concert with New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards in Science).  Created a Grade 8 Environmental Issues curriculum unit component to the District science curriculum.  Provided extensive professional development training in outdoor field science to Linden teachers.

EIC Program Mentoring and Monitoring  (2001-2003) Co-coordinated a New Jersey based pilot program of a nationally-acclaimed educational reform initiative called EIC (Using the Environment as an Integrating Context for Learning)  This program (funded by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation) trained ten New Jersey teams of K-12 educators to infuse local, inquiry-based site investigations into their existing curricula; incorporated ‘best educational practices’ identified from current research; and focused on the use of local environments as integrating contexts for student learning.

Other Outdoor-Based Science PD and Mentoring Support  (1980-present)  Served in PD facilitation and advisement capacities for such environmental curricula as Project Learning Tree, Project WILD, WILD School Sites, Project WET, WOW! Wonders of Wetlands, New Jersey Waters, and Bridges to the Natural World. Served on regional and national project writing teams for Project WET and WILD School Sites.  Extensive experience correlating the above curriculum enrichment supplements with New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Science standards.

Professional Experience

Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, New Jersey School of Conservation, Montclair State University  (1967-1999)

  • Established and supervised a comprehensive natural science curriculum
  • Team-taught a graduate course in Curriculum Development in Environmental Education
  • Supervised some 40-50 graduate-level independent studies on topics relevant to environmental education/science curriculum development.

Education

B.S. Biology / Earth Science, Western Michigan University, 1965

M.S. Conservation Education, Purdue University, 1967.