NSF program officer and DRK-12 program lead, Michael Steele, opens our year-end newsletter with a message for the DRK-12 community.
To the Discovery Research PreK-12 PI Community,
What a long, strange year it’s been! I want to start by thanking you all for your contributions, service, and perseverance in supporting the STEM education research community. This has been a challenging year to engage in STEM education research and development with our institutional capacities limited by COVID-19, PreK-12 schools adapting to emergency remote learning and a variety of instructional models to support students, and teachers challenged to learn new modes of engagement in the midst of their already-busy lives. I appreciate the work that all of you have done in adapting to new challenges and circumstances and keeping at the heart of our collective work the goal of improving STEM education for students and teachers across the nation.
We also recognize the changes to the educational landscape brought about by increased local and national attention to social injustice. We appreciate the efforts that many projects are making to connect to issues of justice and equity in their work. In concert with the global health pandemic, 2020 has brought into stark relief the inequities in our educational systems, particularly related to STEM. I’d like to challenge our community to continue to think about ways to support more equitable outcomes for PreK-12 students and their teachers in the context of STEM education as we consider both our current projects and our future work.
As our education and research landscapes continue to change and evolve, I’d like to encourage you to stay in touch with your DRK-12 program officer about your project plans. We are happy to help think together with you about sensible adaptations to your research that move you towards your research goals in ways that are sensitive and responsive to the current state of PreK-12 education locally and nationally. And as you begin thinking about your next DRK-12 submission, please be in touch with us! Program officers are always happy to think through research ideas together with you and provide feedback to strengthen your proposals.
Thanks also to the CADRE team for their work in supporting the DRK-12 PI community. We all were disappointed to not be able to hold our scheduled PI meeting this past summer, but CADRE has been working hard to plan for a 2021 virtual PI meeting for us to share our work, network with colleagues, and learn from one another. I’m indebted to their flexibility and thoughtfulness as we explore new ways for us to convene.
Be well, and thank you for all that you do for our STEM students and teachers,
Mike Steele
Program Lead, Discovery Research PreK-12
Most Popular DRK-12 News and Resources in 2020
We're looking back on DRK-12 work in 2020 and sharing some of the most popular content.
Most Visited Spotlights
COVID-19 and Online Learning |
Modeling in Science & Mathematics Education |
Visual Representations in Mathematics |
Most Clicked Newsbites
- Special Issue on Computational Thinking from a Disciplinary Perspective | Journal of Science Education and Technology | Authors: Several former and current DRK-12 awardees.
- A Tool for Visualizing and Inquiring into Whole-Class Sensemaking Discussions | Research in Science Education | Authors: Carolyn Colley and Mark Windschitl
- Consequences of Curricular Adaptation Strategies for Implementation at Scale | Science Education | Authors: Brian Drayton, Debra Bernstein, Christian Schunn, and Susan McKenney
Popular Social Media Posts
- Featured #onlinelearning resource: Seismic Explorer. Explore the pattern of earthquakes on Earth, including magnitude, depth, location, and frequency: https://t.co/v7oTzZggYS @ConcordDotOrg @NSF_EHR #NSFfunded #STEMEd #Edchat #NGSSchat #remotelearning #EarthScience https://t.co/q8UJCUFMcg
- Featured #onlinelearning resource: Data Nuggets. Free data activities for students of all ages: https://t.co/srajLuufD4. @Data_Nuggets @NSF_EHR #NSFfunded #STEMEd #Edchat #NSFSTEM #remotelearning
- Today's featured #NewDRK12Award: Locally Adaptable Instructional Materials and Professional Learning Design for Place-based Elementary Science https://t.co/QBGTm1HIUv #NSFfunded #EdResearch #STEMEd @NSF @KateCookWhitt @mmsa_org https://t.co/RFtWJiZyf4
Most Viewed DRK-12 Videos in the 2020 STEM For All Video Showcase
Formative Assessment with a Bang! |
Culturally Responsive Indigenous Science |
A Medical Mystery: Middle School Body Systems for the NGSS |
Most Viewed DRK-12 Project Resources
- Supporting Sense-making with Mathematical Bet Lines | Publication
- Productive Struggle for All: Differentiated Instruction | Publication
- Building Statistical Thinking with Social Justice Investigations and Social Science Data | Poster
Find a compilation of 2020 DRK-12 publications in our Reading List.
Most Viewed DRK-12 Project Pages
- SimScientists Human Body Systems: Using Simulations to Foster Integrated Understanding of Complex, Dynamic, Interactive Systems
- Online Practice Suite: Practice Spaces, Simulations and Virtual Reality Environments for Preservice Teachers to Learn to Facilitate Argumentation Discussions in Math and Science
- Teaching STEM with Robotics: Design, Development, and Testing of a Research-based Professional Development Program for Teachers
Most Viewed DRK-12 Community Voices Blogs
Most Clicked Project Tip of 2020: It's a Tie!
Implications of COVID-19 on NSF-Funded Projects Research Instruments |
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Newsbites
Read this month's roundup of news from NSF, NSF networks, and DRK-12 projects and awardees.
News from NSF
- Effective November 23, 2020, NSF enabled three new proposal types (RAPID, EAGER, and RAISE) in the Research.gov Proposal Submission System and in the recently launched Research.gov demo site.
- NSF has released a new Dear Colleague Letter: Career-Life Balance (CLB) Supplemental Funding Requests.
- NSF published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability of a "For comment" draft of the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 22-1). NSF is accepting comments until close of business February 12, 2021.
- What does an NSF program officer do? Learn more in a new webinar recording and browse current NSF EHR job opportunities.
News from NSF Networks
- CAISE hosted a webinar with NSF Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) and Computer and Network Systems program officers on the Smart and Connected Communities (S&CC) solicitation (deadline February 24, 2021). View the slides and recording.
- CAISE recently led a Twitter chat on NSF's AISL Solicitation (deadline January 12, 2021). View the conversation at #AISLRFP.
- EvaluATE has created a list of open-access evaluation resources.
- View a recording of NSF INCLUDES' webinar on Embedding Sustainable Equity-Centered Practices for Broadening Participation in STEM.
News from DRK-12 Projects and Awardees
Awards & Recognition
- Congratulations to Dr. M. Alejandra Sorto, recipient of the 2020–2021 Graduate College Outstanding Mentor Award and Dr. Kathleen Melhuish, recipient of the Presidential Seminar Award and Presidential Award for Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activities from Texas State University.
Publications
- Analyzing Chemistry Teachers’ Formative Assessment Practices Using Formative Assessment Portfolio Chapters | Journal of Chemical Education
Authors: Timothy N. Abell and Hannah Sevian - Bilingual Pre-service Teachers and Their Opportunities to Learn | Investigations in Mathematics Learning
Authors: Gladys Krause (2016-17 CADRE Fellow), Juanita Silva, and Jair J. Aguilar - Connecting Computational Thinking in Everyday Reasoning and Programming for Elementary School Students | Journal of Research on Technology in Education
Authors: Ji Shen, Guanhua Chen, Lauren Barth-Cohen, Shiyan Jiang, and Moataz Eltoukhy - Decoding the Corn Field: Building Third-Grade Students’ Ideas about Plant Inheritance and Variation | Science & Children
Authors: Dante Cisterna, Erin Ingram, Devarati Bhattacharya (2020 CADRE Postdoc), Ranu Roy, and Cory Forbes - Development and Validation of a High School STEM Self‐Assessment Inventory | School Science and Mathematics
Authors: Erin Peters Burton, Tara S. Behrend, Shari Matray, Clarissa Hudson, and Michael Ford - Diego’s Number Understanding Development Through His Subitizing and Counting | Investigations in Mathematics Learning
Authors: Beth MacDonald, Jessica H. Hunt, Kristy Litster, Allison Roxburgh, and Michael Leitch - Engagement and Effectiveness of Symbolic and Iconic Learning Support for Math Problem Representation: An Eye Tracking Study | Interactive Learning Environments
Authors: Sungwoong Lee, Fengfeng Ke, and Jeeheon Ryu - How to Support Young Learners in Racially Diverse Classrooms | Edutopia
Author: Amanda Armstrong (2020-21 CADRE Fellow) - Investigating Conflation of Sex and Gender Language in Student Writing About Genetics | Science & Education
Authors: Molly A. M. Stuhlsatz, Zoë E. Buck Bracey, and Brian M. Donovan - Leveraging Student Thinking to Foster Productive Discussions | Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12
Authors: Jessica Pierson Bishop, Hamilton Hardison, Julia Przybyla-Kuchek, and Erika Hassay - Middle School Students’ Construction of Quantitative Unknowns | The Journal of Mathematical Behavior
Authors: Amy J. Hackenberg, Fetiye Aydeniz, and Robin Jones - Multimodal Text Sets to Use Literature and Engage All Learners in the Science Classroom | Science Scope
Authors: Amy Lannin, Rachel Juergensen (2020-21 CADRE Fellow), Cassandra Smith, Heba Abdelnaby, Delinda van Garderen, William Folk, Torrey Palmer, and Lori Pinkston - Not Just “Implementation”: The Synergy of Research and Practice in an Engineering Research Approach to Educational Design and Development | ZDM - Mathematics Education
Authors: Hugh Burkhardt and Alan Schoenfeld - Reimagining Homework to Connect to Home and Community Knowledge | Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12
Author: Tonya Gau Bartell - Socio-scientific Issues Instruction | The Science Teacher
Authors: Molly Ewing and Troy D. Sadler - Stepping Back and Stepping In: Facilitating Learner-centered Experiences in MOOCs | Computers & Education
Authors: Sarah Blum-Smith, Maxwell M. Yurkofsky, and Karen Brennan - Student Surveys Inform and Improve Classroom Discussion | Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12
Authors: Hannah J. Nieman, Nicholas M. Kochmanski, Kara J. Jackson, Paul A. Cobb, and Erin C. Henrick - Teacher Candidates’ Silhouettes: Supporting Mathematics Teacher Identity Development in Secondary Mathematics Methods Courses | Investigations in Mathematics Learning
Authors: Teresa K. Dunleavy, Alison S. Marzocchi, and Maisie A. Gholson - The Derailing Impact of Content Standards—An Equity Focused District Held Back by Narrow Mathematics | International Journal of Educational Research Open
Authors: Tanya LaMar, Miriam Leshin, and Jo Boaler - The Role of Instructional Materials in the Relationship Between the Official Curriculum and the Enacted Curriculum | Mathematical Thinking and Learning
Authors: Jeffrey Choppin, Amy Roth McDuffie, Corey Drake, and Jon Davis - Understanding the Unique Contributions of Home Numeracy, Inhibitory Control, the Approximate Number System, and Spontaneous Focusing on Number for Children’s Math Abilities | Mathematical Thinking and Learning
Authors: Alex M. Silver, Leanne Elliott (2020 CADRE Postdoc), Adwoa Imbeah, and Melissa E. Libertus - Young Children’s Actions on Length Measurement Tasks: Strategies and Cognitive Attributes | Mathematical Thinking and Learning
Authors: Douglas H. Clements, Holland Banse, Julie Sarama, Curtis Tatsuoka, Candace Joswick, Aaron Hudyma, Douglas W. Van Dine, and Kikumi K. Tatsuoka
Upcoming Opportunities
The following funding and publication opportunities, listed by deadline, may be of interest to you and your DRK-12 project members.
Funding
- December 18 – NSF | EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: Track-2 Focused EPSCoR Collaborations (RII Track-2 FEC) (Letter of Intent)
- January 12 – NSF | Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL)
- January 21 – IES | Department of Education Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Education Phase I 2021
- January 21 – IES | Department of Education Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Special Education Phase I 2021
- January 25 – NSF | EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: Track-2 Focused EPSCoR Collaborations (RII Track-2 FEC) (Full Proposal)
- January 26 – NSF | Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoveries in Engineering and Science (NSF INCLUDES)
- February 1 – NSF | Growing Convergence Research (GCR)
- February 4 – NSF | ADVANCE: Organizational Change for Gender Equity in STEM Academic Professions (ADVANCE) (Catalyst Full Proposal)
- February 10 – NSF | Computer Science for All (CSforAll: Research and RPPs)
- February 25 – IES | Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice
- February 25 – IES | Transformative Research in the Education Sciences Grants Program
- February 26 – NSF | EHR Core Research (ECR): Building Capacity in STEM Education Research (ECR: BCSER)
- March 10 – NSF | Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers Program (IUCRC) (Preliminary Proposal)
- April 13 – NSF | EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Track 4: EPSCoR Research Fellows (RII Track-4)
- April 22 – NSF | ADVANCE: Organizational Change for Gender Equity in STEM Academic Professions (ADVANCE) (Preliminary Proposal)
Publications
- January 1 – Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12 | Special Issue on Digital Equity and the Digital Divide
- January 10 – The Journal of Environmental Education | Revisiting Justice in Environmental and Sustainability Education: What Pandemics (Can) Reveal about the Politics of Global Environmental Issues (Call for Abstracts)
- January 15 – Connected Science Learning | Science Communication
- February 1 – Science & Children | The Language of Science
- February 1 – Science Scope | Creativity in the Science Classroom
- February 1 – The Science Teacher | COVID-19 – One Year Later
- February 15 – International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education | Reading in Science and Mathematics Education (Call for Abstracts)
- February 28 – Teaching Mathematics and Its Applications | Restarting the New Normal
- March 1 (Extended) – Journal of Engineering Education | Effects on the Engineering Education Community of the COVID-19 Pandemic
- March 1 – Review of Research in Education: Call for Editors
- April 1 – Science & Children | Design Thinking
- April 1 – Science Scope | Professional Development
- April 1 – The Science Teacher | Social Justice in the Science Classroom
- April 30 – Science & Education | Why Trust Science and Science Education?
- January 4 (Extended) – 10th Annual NSTA STEM Forum & Expo (Call for Session Proposals)
Career & Professional Development
- Until filled – NSF Methods Training Institute for STEM Education Research
- Until filled – Purdue University: Assistant Professor in Early Childhood Education, Development and Learning (Review begins December 10, 2020)
- Until filled – Purdue University: Postdoc Research Associate (Review begins January 15, 2021)
- Until filled – University at Buffalo: Postdoctoral Associate
- Until filled – University of Florida: Advanced Learning Technologies Assistant Professor
- Until filled – Utah State University: Assistant or Associate Professor in Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences
In Case You Missed It
Highlights from recent newsletters and announcements:
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