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.

The Partnership for the Assessment of College and Career Readiness (PARCC) is a consortium of 24 states that received a Race to the Top Assessment Grant from the U.S. Department of Education in the fall of 2010 to build a next-generation student assessment system. The assessments will be based on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics and target students in grades 3–11.

Synopsis
How can we sustain and improve our innovations to promote lifelong science learning? What have we learned about designing computer-based materials that transform science education? What are open questions and promising directions? How can we collaborate to stimulate change? What strategies and revenue streams will lead to sustainability of promising innovations?

For a description of the Crossroads session structure, please see the initial Crossroads session.

Participants are invited to play online games embedded in a data-analysis environment, analyzing their game data to improve their strategy. The structure follows an abbreviated version of classroom activities that presenters are now field testing. Product release is scheduled to begin in fall 2012. (Participants should bring a laptop computer that can connect with conference wifi.) With each game-based activity, subsequent discussion focuses on different issues about which presenters would like feedback.

The purpose of this session is to engage participants in discussing and sharing strategies for designing classroom uses of data sets and visualization technologies, including large archives and portals of geospatial data sets, data from field sites, Web-based graphing and data analysis tools, and technologies that simulate a field environment. Each of these technologies and data sets is tied to curriculum and instructional resources.

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.

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.