Projects

The Nanoscale Science and Engineering Education (NSEE) Center for Learning and Teaching (NCLT) would focus on the research and development of nano-science instructional resources for grades 7-16, related professional development opportunities for 7-12 teachers, and programs infused with nano-science content for education doctoral students.

This project will develop a Professional Learning Community (PLC) model for engaging science and education researchers from a university with science and mathematics faculty at community colleges to increase the number, quality and diversity of middle school and high school mathematics and science teachers; apply design-based research to assess the effectiveness and replicability of the PLC model; and disseminate replicable project and research findings.

This project aims to: (1) develop, implement and study the impact of a subject matter-focused, Problem-based Learning professional development model; and to (2) design ways of incorporating Problem-Based Learning (PBL) into key subject matter and teacher preparation courses taken by pre-service teachers, and study the impact on pre-service teachers' learning. This project is designed with and for teams of K-12 science and mathematics teachers from school districts of mid-Michigan.

CISIP is a professional development program that enables English and science teachers to help students to learn content and communicate scientifically. The CISIP program: Translates How Students Learn Science in the Classroom and Common Core State Standards for student success; targets learning within a classroom discourse community that focuses on argumentation; and takes a team of science and English teachers at schools from middle level through university who collaborate.

This project is developing a series of print and web resource guides in science and mathematics based on curriculum topic study (CTS), an approach developed and tested successfully. CTS is used to provide a systematic way of intellectually engaging K-12 mathematics and science teachers with national standards and cognitive research. It is used to engage teachers in thought and discussion about both content and appropriate ways of teaching that content.

This is a project to develop a learning community model that spans the educational continuum. It connects teacher research participation experience (TRE) projects and science, technology, and mathematics (STM) industry and university scientists/professionals to research the factors that contribute to the success of such a model. It will mine both the Principal Investigator's and TRE projects, education and industry partnership immersion projects, and provide new education/workplace experiences for STM participants.

Project staff are developing a two-year integrated science course for grades 9–10. The Science and Global Issues course includes a complete year of new material, along with a major revision to the Science and Sustainability high school course. This two-year sequence will complete the SEPUP sequence for grades 6–10. When these courses are published, they will provide the equivalent of a year-long biology course and a semester each of chemistry and physics.