High School

Understanding How Integrated Computational Thinking, Engineering Design, and Mathematics Can Help Students Solve Scientific and Technical Problems in Career Technical Education

INITIATE is a 3-year, STEM+C Partnership Program Design and Development project that partners high school Mathematics and Career Technical Education (CTE) teachers in Toledo Public Schools (TPS). Due to mathematics oftentimes serving as a gatekeeper for further STEM study, including technical careers, and to the strong reciprocal relationship between mathematics, computational thinking, and preparation for STEM careers, the project includes teachers of Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and Statistics/Analysis.
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Synchronous Online Video-Based Development for Rural Mathematics Coaches (Collaborative Research: Amador and Choppin)

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The goal of the project is to support mathematics coaches to (a) facilitate productive planning and debriefing conversations with teachers; (b) notice salient coaching practices and their impact on teachers' thinking; and (c) use evidence of teacher learning to make decisions about their own coaching practices. We engage coaches in a three-part professional development model that includes (a) an online course on content-focused coaching, (b) one-on-one video-based coaching cycles, and (c) an online video club.

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Synchronous Online Video-Based Development for Rural Mathematics Coaches (Collaborative Research: Amador and Choppin)

Principal Investigator:

The goal of the project is to support mathematics coaches to (a) facilitate productive planning and debriefing conversations with teachers; (b) notice salient coaching practices and their impact on teachers' thinking; and (c) use evidence of teacher learning to make decisions about their own coaching practices. We engage coaches in a three-part professional development model that includes (a) an online course on content-focused coaching, (b) one-on-one video-based coaching cycles, and (c) an online video club.

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Environmental Innovation Challenges: Teaching and Learning Science Practices in the Context of Complex Earth Systems

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This project investigates learning as students, supported by social media and crowdsourcing, design and test innovations focused on reducing carbon emissions. Our hypothesis is: Competitive Challenges supported by social media and crowdsourcing will engage a diverse array of students in sustained and meaningful scientific inquiry. We anticipate that team members will engage with each other and other teams, using such science practices as modeling, experimentation, error-analysis, argumentation, representation and communication.

Co-PI(s): Brian Drayton, TERC

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Integrating Chemistry and Earth Science

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Integrating Chemistry and Earth science (ICE) has developed innovative units bringing Earth science concepts and practices into the high school chemistry curriculum to address NGSS expectations in the absence of high school Earth science courses. ICE features 3D teaching about local phenomena with student-designed investigations in the schoolyard and labs, exploration of BES datasets and conceptual modeling. ICE built a community of practice with teachers, school leaders, education researchers and scientists supporting rigorous, responsive teaching.

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Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Teaching in Rural Areas Using Cultural Knowledge Systems

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Science, Engineering, Engineering & Mathematics Teaching in Rural Areas using Cultural Knowledge Systems (STEM TRACKS) engages Iñupiaq people in northern Alaska in all aspects of curricular development and tests the Cultural Connections Process Model for community engagement. Our advisors in Kotzebue, Alaska selected the theme topic (snow), told us what is important about the topic, and provided content to support curriculum development. Pilot testing recently concluded.
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Reasoning Language for Teaching Secondary Algebra

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Reasoning Language for Teaching Secondary Algebra (ReLaTe-SA) is working in partnership with the San Antonio Independent School District to investigate the algebraic reasoning and discourse tools that secondary mathematics teachers use to make algebra concepts accessible for students and orchestrate and respond to student work on mathematics tasks. We are investigating teachers' algebraic discourse through written surveys, interviews, and a year-long professional development program focused on enhancing students' opportunities for algebraic reasoning in the classroom.

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Professional Development Supports for Teaching Bioinformatics through Mobile Learning

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Bioinformatics is an emerging area of research that develops new knowledge through computational analysis of vast biological data. This project investigates the professional development (PD) supports needed for teaching bioinformatics at the high school. Building from a robust literature in PD design research, project team worked with science teachers to co-design instructional modules to engage students with core bioinformatics concepts and data literacies, by focusing on local community health issues supported through mobile learning activities.
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Professional Development for K-12 Science Teachers in Linguistically Diverse Classrooms

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A sustained professional development program designed to support teachers who teach linguistically diverse group of English learners (ELs). It targets science teachers who teach Grade 9-12 courses in an urban high school that enrolls immigrants and former refugees. Roughly 45% of the student population are classified as ELs and collectively speak more than 40 different languages. Our team engages science teachers in this school in online PD workshops and lesson study throughout a school year.
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PBS News Hour Student Reporting Labs StoryMaker: STEM-Integrated Student Journalism

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Sneak peek at StoryMaker, a video storytelling platform /educator co-learning community supporting students to produce videos about STEM projects.
PI: Leah Clapman, PBS NewsHour
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