Michael J. Padilla is the former Director of the Eugene P. Moore School of Education and Associate Dean of EC at
Clemson University
Clemson University () is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university near Clemson, South Carolina, United States. - The blue-shaded pattern denotes university property. This shows Clemson University is ''out ...
, from Spring 2007 until July 2012. Before then he was Aderhold Distinguished Professor of Science Education at the
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...
in
Athens
Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
.
Dr. Padilla was recognized wit
The Walter B. Hill Award for Distinguished Achievement in Public Serviceat the University of Georgia and was presented with the
National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Distinguished Service award in 2003. In 2012 Padilla was awarded th
NSTA Robert H. Carleton awardfor national leadership, the association's most prestigious award. The Carleton Award recognizes an NSTA member who has made outstanding contributions to and provided leadership in science education at the national level and to NSTA in particular; it is NSTA's highest award. He has extensive leadership experience, having served as PI on four
National Science Foundation
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is an Independent agencies of the United States government#Examples of independent agencies, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that su ...
and numerous US Department of Education grants for a total of over $36 million in funding. In recent years he has focused on the issue of English Language Learners through the Center for Latino Achievement and Success in Education (CLASE) at UGA and the Clemson University Commission on Latino Affairs, both of which he directed.
Education and early career
Padilla received a B.S. in biology from the
University of Detroit
The University of Detroit Mercy is a private Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is sponsored by both the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy. The university was founded in 1877 and is the largest Catho ...
in 1967, an M.Ed. in science education from
Wayne State University
Wayne State University (WSU) is a public university, public research university in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 375 programs. It is Michigan's third-l ...
in 1972, and a Ph.D. in science education from
Michigan State University
Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...
in 1975.
He began his career as a middle and high school science teacher, and then taught at the
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria (UVic) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay, British Columbia, Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. Established in 1903 as Victoria College, British Columbia, Victoria Col ...
in
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
. In 1978 he went to the
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...
, where he rose from assistant to full professor, to associate dean.
National Science Teachers Association
In 2005-2006 he was president of the National Science Teachers Association. Padilla is well known to the international science education community and engaged in a cooperative research project with Japanese scholars on Japanese education. The theme of his presidency was "Developing a World View for Science Education."
When President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
suggested teaching Intelligent design in classrooms, then NSTA president Padilla replied: "It is simply not fair to present pseudoscience to students in the science classroom," and that "Nonscientific viewpoints have little value in increasing students' knowledge of the natural world."
He remains active with NSTA through several international and national efforts..
He helped develop the National Science Education Standards, released in 1995, contributed to the review of the Next Generation Science Standards, released in 2013, and has written extensively about science education, including many articles, books and book chapters.
With Pearson, Dr. Padilla has been a lead author on these titles:
Prentice Hall
Prentice Hall was a major American publishing#Textbook_publishing, educational publisher. It published print and digital content for the 6–12 and higher-education market. It was an independent company throughout the bulk of the twentieth cen ...
Science Explorer, has been the nation's leading middle school science program through 2011, and is still considered an exceptional fit for today's classroom. Lead author Michael Padilla weaves together content with hands-on science inquiry that's sure to reach every student. By making the program available in 16 small books or as the Life, Earth, and Physical series, teachers have found customization and curricular options to better match local standards, scope and sequence, and divergent teaching styles.
Interactive Science is a comprehensive K-8 science program, that utilizes the practices in science instruction, featuring the Understanding by Design learning framework, the 5-E Instructional Model, and an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), as well as 21st Century skills.
Written by an influential team of scientists and science educators, the Interactive Science program is based on research and effective pedagogy. This ground-breaking program:
:* Employs a distinct and unique student experience - an interactive write in student text. This allows students a medium to process information while they are learning it, to focus on key reading, writing, and communication skills in perfect partnership with science content.
:* Offers multiple pathways to learning that is also unprecedented with informal, formal, STEM, and activity-centric learning to ensure a key focus on inquiry at every stage of instruction.
:* Ensures all students can learn with a robust digital component - the Digital Path - that both mirrors and extends the core instruction through interactive media, videos, virtual labs, and an online "kinesthetic" that requires students to be active, participatory learners and not simply "press play."
Resources
* Prentice Hall Science Explorer (books).
PHSchool Website
Footnotes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Padilla, Michael J.
American education writers
University of Georgia faculty
University of Detroit Mercy alumni
Wayne State University alumni
Michigan State University alumni
Clemson University faculty
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)