Preparing and Supporting K-12 Science Teachers at Research

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Transcript Preparing and Supporting K-12 Science Teachers at Research

Preparing and Supporting K-12
Science Teachers at Research
Universities
Richard McCray
Stephanie Fonda,
U. of Colorado, Boulder U. of Colorado, Boulder
Michael Marder,
U. Texas Austin
Shannon Padgett,
Pearce Middle School,
Austin Independent
School District
Lillian C. McDermott,
U. of Washington,
Seattle
Donna Messina,
U. of Washington,
Seattle
Why not train teachers at research
(R1) universities?
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Students at R1s won’t learn pedagogical skills in their
STEM classes
Students at R1s won’t choose to become teachers
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Even if R1 universities did produce more teachers,
their impact would be negligible
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Production of teachers is not the main problem;
retention is
Why


train teachers at research
(R1) universities?
Students at R1s won’t learn pedagogical skills in their
STEM classes – This must (will) change
Students at R1s won’t choose to become teachers

Even if R1 universities did produce more teachers,
their impact would be negligible

Production of teachers is not the main problem;
retention is
Why




train teachers at research
(R1) universities?
Students at R1s won’t learn pedagogical skills in their
STEM classes – This must (will) change
Students at R1s won’t choose to become teachers
– unless we provide incentives, both material and
cultural
Even if R1 universities did produce more teachers,
their impact would be negligible
Production of teachers is not the main problem;
retention is
Why




train teachers at research
(R1) universities?
Students at R1s won’t learn pedagogical skills in their
STEM classes – This must (will) change
Students at R1s won’t choose to become teachers
– unless we provide incentives, both material and
cultural
Even if R1 universities did produce more teachers,
their impact would be negligible – we should take the
lead and see what happens
Production of teachers is not the main problem;
retention is
Why




train teachers at research
(R1) universities?
Students at R1s won’t learn pedagogical skills in their
STEM classes – This must (will) change
Students at R1s won’t choose to become teachers
– unless we provide incentives, both material and
cultural
Even if R1 universities did produce more teachers,
their impact would be negligible – we should take the
lead and see what happens
Production of teachers is not the main problem;
retention is – if R1s become engaged in production,
they will be able to contribute to retention
UTeach
College of Natural Sciences Takes Ownership
Employing Master Teachers
Genuine Collaboration with Education
Early Field experiences
Four-year, flexible, degree plans
Growth of program
Continuing inservice support
Improvement of undergraduate instruction
Collaboration and Master Teachers
College Administrators
Dean Mary Ann Rankin, College of Natural Sciences
Dean Manuel Justiz, College of Education
Co - Directors
Michael Marder, Physics Larry Abraham, Science Education
CNS Staff
Hank Vice, Equipment Manager
Jason LaTurner, UTeach Advisor
Sara Taylor, UTeach Advisor
Education Partners
Larry Abraham, Chair of Curriculum
and Instruction
Jim Barufaldi, Science Education
Julie Luft, Science Education
Jill Marshall
Jennifer Smith
Jason LaTurner, UTeach Advisor
Mary Long, UTeach specialist
Martha Smith, Mathematics
Tony Petrosino, Science Education
Karen Ostlund, Uteach Specialist
Master Teachers
Mary Long, UTeach Specialist
Janis Lariviere, UTeach Specialist
Gail Dickinson, UTeach Specialist
Marilyn Fowler, UTeach Specialist
Pamela Powell, Uteach Specialist
Karen Ostlund, Uteach Specialist
Mark Daniels UTeach Specialist
Early Field Experience
Multiple Entry Points
Freshman
Pathway
Semester
1
Semester
2
STEP 1
STEP 2
Semester
3
Knowing
and
Learning
STEP 1
Sophomore
Pathway
Semester
4
Semester
5
Semester
6
Semester
7
Semester
8
Classroom
Interactions
Perspectives
Research
Methods
ProjectBased
Instruction
Student
Teaching
STEP 2
Classroom
Interactions
Perspectives
Research
Methods
ProjectBased
Student
Teaching
STEP 1
STEP 2
Knowing &
Learning
Classroom
Interactions
Research
Methods
ProjectBased
Student
Teaching
Knowing &
Learning
Junior/Senior
Pathway
Perspectives
Black: Three-hour courses
Blue: 1-hour courses
Post-Baccalaureate
Pathway
STEP 1&2
Knowing &
Learning
ProjectBased
Student
Teaching
Research
Methods
Perspectives
(Under Development)
Classroom
Interactions
Number enrolled in UTeach
UTeach Enrollment
400
375
350
325
300
275
250
225
200
175
150
125
100
75
50
25
0
F
1997
S
1998
F
1998
S
1999
F
1999
S
2000
F
2000
S
2001
Semester
F
2001
S
2002
F
2002
S
2003
F
2003
Future Plans
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Regional Induction Support Center for all first
and second year math and science teachers in
region.
Master’s Program for Inservice Teachers
Other consequences
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Improvement of undergraduate instruction
New types of courses
Faculty mentoring
Colorado STEMTP
Co-Investigators:
Dick McCray, Astronomy and Planetary Science (APS)
Jim Curry, Applied Math
Valerie Otero, School of Education
Carl Wieman, Physics
Bill Wood, Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology (MCDB)
Participating Faculty
Steve Pollock, Physics
Mike Klymkowsky, MCDB
Jenny Knight, MCD Biology
Doug Duncan, APS
Steve Iona, Adams County School District
Colorado STEMTP Goals
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Introduce collaborative learning into
introductory STEM courses
Attract talented undergraduates into careers in
K-12 STEM education
STEMTP Project Design
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Partnership between 4 academic departments (Applied
Math, Astronomy, Physics, Molecular Biology) and
School of Education
Transform introductory undergraduate STEM courses
by replacing lectures with small (~ 4 – 12 students)
group collaborative work
Employ undergraduate learning assistants to guide
small groups
Each transformation is different
Extensive use and development of information
technology to support these efforts
Undergraduate Learning Assistants
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Any qualified student can become learning
assistant for one semester
“Qualified”: must have earned A in the course
and demonstrate high interest in project and
leadership skills
Take seminar in education
To continue as learning assistant, student must
invest time toward earning teaching credential
High in incentives
Incentives
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Financial: $1500 per semester
Intellectual: play integral role in course
transformation effort
Summer research opportunities
Social: opportunities to work with exciting
people in pleasant surroundings – treated as
colleagues
Colorado STEMTP today and
tomorrow
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Project has been underway for only 7 months
Employing ~40 undergraduate learning
assistants
Hope (expect) ~25 % of learning assistants will
become teachers
Aim to graduate ~ 20 - 30 STEM teachers per
year
Our unfinished agenda
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Introduce early field experience
Reduce credit hour requirements, both in A&S
depts and for education license
Establish new Bachelors/Masters Program
Develop support infrastructure for in-service
teachers
Include Chemistry and Geology
Raise $$$
Teacher education program
UW Physics Department
(NSF–ESIE, DUE, and MPS–Physics)
Contributions to other UW teacher professional
development programs
(including Teachers for a New Era, a Carnegie
Foundation collaboration between CoE and A&S)
Lillian C. McDermott
Donna L. Messina
Physics Education Group
Current members of the Physics Education Group
at the University of Washington
Faculty
Lillian C. McDermott
Paula Heron
Peter Shaffer
Lecturers & Post-docs
Romana Crnkovic
MacKenzie Stetzer
Teachers (K-12)
Physics Ph.D. Students
Hunter Close
Matt Cochran
Sean Courtney
Andrew Crouse
Mila Kryjevskaia
Matt Lautenschlager
Beth Lindsey
Lezlie S. DeWater
Donna Messina
Karen Wosilait
Our coordinated program of research, curriculum development, and instruction
is supported in part by grants from the National Science Foundation.
Physics Education Group
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research on the learning and teaching of physics and
physical science
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research-based curriculum development
with application to
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undergraduate instruction
professional development of teachers (K-20+)
Application of research
to development of curriculum
Curriculum
Development
Research
Instruction
at UW
Instruction
at pilot sites
K-12 Teacher Preparation and Professional Development Programs
Physics/Physical Science Courses: preservice teachers
Elementary &
Academic
Middle School
year:
teachers
Middle
School
Teachers
High
School
Teachers
Second
Career
Teachers
Physics/Physical Science Courses: inservice teachers
Summer:
Summer Institute for
Inservice K-12 Teachers
Academic
year:
Continuation Course
for K-12 Teachers
Workshops
for local
teachers
Faculty development workshops
Short
workshops
(at national meetings
and universities
Summer
week-long
workshop
(at UW)
Graduate
students
in GK-12
(Applied Math)
Workshops
for Seattle
LSC
Instructors
How should we teach teachers?
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Identify the science content that teachers are
expected to teach
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Determine the background teachers need to
teach science by guided inquiry
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Teach teachers in a manner consistent with how
they are expected to teach
What do teachers need in order to teach science by guided
inquiry?
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More than reformed lecture-based courses (Courses for physics majors and
descriptive courses for non-majors are not adequate.)
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Discipline-based courses that
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teach concepts and process together within a coherent body of content (not isolated activities)
are laboratory-based and begin with direct experience
emphasize reasoning by requiring explanations (verbal and written) of how we know what
we know
ask teachers to reflect on how they developed their own understanding, including identification
of difficulties they encountered
In-depth, guided-inquiry science courses increase the potential
for impact of subsequent science methods courses