TAMIU Student Collaboration Mergers Literacy with Planetarium

A pilot collaborative student project between Texas A&M International University College of Education students merges Literacy strategies with an experience at the Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium this week for local K-6 students.

Dr. Bernice Sanchez-Perez, TAMIU assistant professor of Curriculum and Instruction, said the collaboration arose from a challenge to TAMIU students.

“Students in our Read 3309 class were challenged with the task of incorporating literacy strategies learned in the course into other content areas such as science and history that could somehow incorporate our Planetarium.

“Students reviewed Science/History planetarium shows that targeted grades K-6 and familiarized themselves with Science/History TEKS, developing lesson plans across content areas in conjunction with the Planetarium shows,” Dr. Sanchez-Perez explained.

This week, students are providing hands-on activities based on the most innovative activities they created to students from local schools, including Tarver Elementary, Ligarde Elementary, Sanchez-Ochoa Elementary, and Ruiz Elementary. The activities are 30-40 minutes in length across various grades levels and incorporate a Planetarium showing.

Sanchez-Perez said the project goals are mutually beneficial.

“Our students get an opportunity to work with K-6 students here on campus, and those K-6 students see the importance of literacy: Read, Write, Communicate, Speak, Listen, View, Technology, across various content areas,” she explained.

TAMIU dean of the College of Education, Dr. Catheryn Weitman, said the collaborative initiative speaks well of the College’s teacher education program.

“Like all the programs we offer, this is an innovative project that works across disciplines and also embeds elements of our TAMIU campus to render an experience that strategically advances both our students and the youngsters that are participating in the project.  This is teacher education that truly impacts the classrooms of the future,” Dr. Weitman said.

For additional information, contact Dr. Sanchez-Perez at (956) 326-2670 or email bsanchez@tamiu.edu.

University office hours are from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu