Teachers

Aligning the Science Teacher Education Pathway: A Networked Improvement Community

Principal Investigator:

The A-STEP project fosters collaboration between university faculty and pathway partners to implement common set of tools (Next Gen ASET Toolkit) across a science teacher training and development pathway. Partnerships across steps function under shared goals and paradigm shifts for pedagogical reform along the teacher pathway. A-STEP promotes change across our Networked Improvement Community (NIC) and the local pathway partners working with each university, ultimately impacting the enactment of the NGSS in respective K-12 classrooms.

Click image to preview:
Target Audience:

Transforming Scientific Practices to Promote Students Interest and Motivation in the Life Sciences: A Teacher Leadership Development Intervention

Principal Investigator:

How Do Teacher Leaders Transform Scientific Practices to Promote Students Interest and Motivation in STEM? Formal and informal K-12+ educators learn to employ strategies of community mapping, curricular mapping and place-based, culturally sustaining pedagogy to write, teach, and evaluate NGSS lessons that engage underrepresented students in mathematics, life, earth, and physical sciences. Two case studies highlight how educators apply these strategies to intersect three domains: experiential/place-based learning, culturally sustaining learning, and disciplinary learning .

Click image to preview:
Target Audience:

Professional Development Materials to Support Geometry Learning and Instruction, the Common Core Standards, and English Language Learners

Day
Fri

Two projects that are investigating how middle school geometry professional development materials support teachers’ learning. Presenters compare approaches, present preliminary results, and discuss strengths and challenges.

Date/Time
-
Session Type
PI-organized Discussion

This session focuses on two professional development projects, both aimed at increasing geometric content knowledge of middle school mathematics teachers and their students. The goal is to engage grantees in considering what the presenters are learning about the impact of these projects and to consider next steps in advancing the field. The two participating projects are:

Specifying Equity in Practice: A Focus on Ambitious Mathematics and Science Teaching

Day
Thu

Three projects report findings about supporting mathematics and science teachers’ development of ambitious teaching and focus analyses on equity perspectives related to students’ opportunities to learn.

Date/Time
-
Session Type
PI-organized Discussion

In this session, presenters from three projects seek to elaborate teaching practices in mathematics and science that support the development of central mathematical or scientific ideas and result in significant learning opportunities for students. More specifically, they seek to ground a larger conversation about equity in mathematics and science education in the sharing of specific analyses of their work. All three presentations focus on supporting teachers’ development of ambitious (rigorous and equitable) instructional practices.

Using Analysis of Practice to Improve Science and Mathematics Teaching: Ways to Support and Study Teacher Learning

Day
Thu

This session examines different approaches to engaging mathematics and science teachers in analysis of practice (e.g., using video, student work, and online tools) and different strategies for assessing impact of this work.

Date/Time
-
Session Type
PI-organized Discussion
Session Materials

There is much support for embedding teachers’ professional learning in the analysis of practice. This approach can engage teachers in deepening both their content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge in more meaningful contexts than typical courses or professional development workshops. The purposes of this session are (1) to examine four different approaches to analysis of practice in professional development work with mathematics and science teachers and (2) to consider the affordances and constraints of different strategies for assessing the impact of these approaches.

The Teacher's Role in Game- & Simulation-based Learning

Day
Thu

A 2011-12 CADRE Fellows presentation

The panel presentation addresses the role of the teacher in online, game- and simulation-based learning. 

Date/Time
-
Session Type
Working Group

This panel presentation showcases various NSF DR K–12 projects (Data Games, Evidence Game, MathSnacks, PhET, and TESLA) and the role of the classroom teacher in these project-related online, game-, and simulation-based learning environments. The session presenters highlight the envisioned role teachers play when implementing each game or simulation project. Presenters also discuss how the vision of the teacher’s role has evolved during the life of some of the projects.