George Kolodiy

Ed.D., Rutgers University, 1975, Science Education

M.S., Drexel University, 1970, Physics

B.S., City College of New York, 1968, Physics

I came to Kean University in September 1983 with a joint appointment in the Educational Arts and Systems Department and the Technology Dept. The Technology Dept. was located in what is now OCIS building and performed many of the functions that OCIS now performs, helping setting up computer systems at the college. At the time there was only one computer lab in the college with 20 Apple IIe computers. My job was to develop computer courses for teachers and generally help prepare the University for the coming revolution. At the time professors did not have personal computers, but slowly each department was set up with one departmental computer. I set up the first computer lab for the college of education on the second floor of Willis Hall (later moved to the first floor), initially with Apple IIe computers and in 1986-87 with the first Macintosh computers. I still have a 1985 Mac sitting on a shelf in my office. We ran many workshops with the Technology department for teachers at the High School locations in Red Bank and other places and for many years our lab served as a general computer lab for students, manned by a graduate assistant, When we moved to Hutchinson Hall our computer lab was changed to PC’s and was now changed to a classroom lab. In 1999 I developed and taught the first completely online course at Kean, EMSE 5223 WWW Technologies for Education.

As the computer situation changed and the Technology Department was slowly phased out, I replaced my teaching responsibilities first in the physics/chemistry department and later with the earth science department where I now coordinate the Astronomy course and just recently did a course conversion for it.

In 2009-2010 I was instrumental in bringing The PSI program to Kean. The Progressive Science Initiative (PSI) is a sequential, integrated approach to teaching the inter- related high school science subjects of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. PSI begins in 9th grade with an Algebra-based approach to Physics. This provides the necessary foundation for student success in modern Chemistry, which is based on Physics. The sequence then moves to modern Biology, which is, in turn, based on Physics and Chemistry. The Progressive Science Initiative (PSI) is a sequential, integrated approach to teaching the inter- related high school science subjects of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. PSI begins in 9th grade with an Algebra-based approach to Physics. This provides the necessary foundation for student success in modern Chemistry, which is based on Physics. The sequence then moves to modern Biology, which is, in turn, based on Physics and Chemistry. For this program I developed 10 new courses. 

• Physics 2091
• Physics 2092
• Physics 1000
• EMSE 5033 Experiences Teaching Science with Technology
• EMSE 5223 WWW Technologies for Educators
• EMSE 3122 Computers in Education
• EMSE 3123 Mathematics and Science in Education
• ES1100 Introduction to Astronomy
• ID 1400 Computing in Modern Society
• EMSE 3230 Science Education K-12