first research strand concentrates on the relationship between educational policy and STEM education. This provides policymakers and the educational community an improved understanding of how changes in educational policies impact STEM teaching and learning. His second research strand focuses on studying STEM classroom interactions and subsequent effects on student understanding. He is a co-developer of the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) and his work has been cited more than 1200 times and his publications have been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals such as Science Education and the Journal of Research in Science Teaching.Dr. Ying-Chih Chen, Arizona State University Ying-Chih Chen is an
theme that changes each year. Individual students write a paper of findings, which is evaluated by a judging committee. Top performers are invited to present their work in a conference format to their parents, teachers, peers and the general public. Page 13.23.4 3. A poster session competition that provides an additional forum for student teams to address the same open-ended problem as the career exploration contest. 4. A civil engineering related project which has included a bridge building contest in which student teams design, analyze and construct bridges to given specifications and then test the
understanding of how DET affects society. 4.53 1.28 My motivation for teaching science is to help students develop an understanding of the technical world. 4.50 1.10 I would like to be able to teach my students to understand the process of communicating technical information. 4.47 0.94 My motivation for teaching science is to prepare young people for the world of work. 4.44 1.15 I am interested in learning more about DET through college courses. 4.12 1.69 I am interested in learning more about DET through peer training
before theproject, but used no gendered terms after the project, or included the term “she” when referringto engineers. For example, Sara described an engineer with the following words: I feel like she would try any material she thinks would work. She would also test it out a lot. She would write a lot of notes, so when other people look at her experiments or when she tries to show it to someone, she could show she did trial and error. And be like “This is why this is the best one I did, this is why I think it’s a better material to use.”Sara changed her perception of engineering as being male-oriented to a field were females arealso active participants. Her perception of engineering included activities where women
need for peer collaboration and a focus onencouraging teacher community, a finding that has now emerged as a repeating theme within theliterature1,6,7 This focus is included in the National Staff Development Council’s (NSDC)Standards for Professional Development.8 In his synthesis, Guskey did not find evidence of“Data-Driven” or “Family Involvement” NSDC Standards, but in the context of No Child LeftBehind, these characteristics must surface and will become increasingly important.9Increasing the expectations for professional development requires an evaluation process thatreflects the critical characteristics of effective PD. Kirkpatrick’s 4-levels, with over 40 years ofuse in evaluation and formative assessment, outline this process: “Reaction
the importance ofteamwork in engineering. As students move through the sequence of courses, they are engaged inincreasingly complex hands-on design projects that peer into a variety of engineering disciplines.The focus on the iterative design process allows students choose the topic that interests themmost and learn about engineering disciplines through those choices. Through the Academy,students are engaged during the school day, making science, technology, engineering, and mathpart of their world every day.The first four-year STEM Academy cohort to graduate will do so in 2013. Evidence that theSTEM Academy is moving students beyond the average level of academic preparation are the2011 school wide state NCLB assessment test results, which
the number of STEM professional Page 25.268.8development opportunities for teachers. The professional development offered educatorsopportunities to gain resources and learn interactive techniques to be used in the classroom. Inaddition, there was an increase in the number of near-peer role models from local colleges anduniversities and an expansion of the partnership with the Society of Military Engineers (SAME).The SAME partnership supported elementary school STEM activities efforts and goals. Theseindicators of institutionalization increased both the depth and scope of the Initiative.Option Year 3Today, STEM-UpTM serves 13 elementary schools
Makes An Authentic Research Why Do I Have to Know This?Program for Girls Work?Awareness of College Scholarships Robotics Supports STEMUsing the Legacy Cycle to Challenge Leadership, Persistence, Mindset andStudents in STEM STEMEngaging Girls In STEM Beyond The Finding Your Passion – Presenting theClassroom Possibilities with STEMClues to becoming a STEM Major: How the Write Less, Think MoreSAT Questionnaire and AP exam takingpatterns & performance can predict STEMmajorsFlowers, Food, and Farms: An Edible Expanding STEM Options ThroughGarden STEAM Project Online ClassesThe Innovation Portal and the
; ≠ Provision of a rich variety of experiences with peers and adults; ≠ Space and time for talking, food and fun; ≠ Field trips; ≠ Allow students some choice of activities; ≠ Flexibility with respect to enrollment and attendance; and ≠ Effective outreach to families about the program. To reach out to the families of potential participants in our bioengineering club, parents wereprovided with information about the new program, including specific details regarding thebioengineering topics we planned to introduce. In addition, the middle school teacher devotedsome time during class to discussion of the club with her students, with particular emphasisplaced on the fun, hands-on nature of the planned activities, as
for total number of comments written, teachers can write no comments or more than one comment) Teachers have gained experience 23 22% EDP & Poster related workshops/seminars 22 21% All Aspects of the Summer Program 18 17% Resource Team Support Given During Development, Revision, Implementation, and Review of the Units 16 15% Technology, Supplies & Materials Provided through the Project 7 7% Topic or Nature of the Unit Ideas and
andClaudia) run away from home and hide out in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NewYork City (museum). While they are there, they encounter all sorts of problems (e.g.,running out of food and money, finding a place to sleep at night), and eventually have tosolve a mystery.In this classroom, the teacher, Ms. M., had read over half of the story aloud to the classbefore stopping to do an engineering activity. As Ms. M. read the story in the weeksprior, she had her students reflect on the problems the main characters were facing andcollectively list the problems on a large piece of chart paper in the front of the classroom.She then had students write down the problems they wanted to solve as engineers for thecharacters, and grouped the students based
Methods MAutoethn nographyAutoethn nography (a combination n of autobiog graphy and eethnography) is a qualitaative approacch toresearch and writing that “seeks to t describe anda systemattically analyyze personal experience iin [10]order to understand u cultural c expeerience” . In this papeer we use auttoethnographhic techniquues tosituate Michael’s M periences as a freshman engineering student in thhe context oof engineerinng expprogramss that, we arg gue, are in tu urn nested within w and coonnected
as students work withtheir teachers and peers 2. When engaged in active learning, students make gains not only incontent knowledge, but in process skills and attitudes towards science. When teachers use acurriculum based on active learning, their behaviors also become more student centered, withless focus on worksheets and lectures, and more focus on lab work and inquiry 3. In general,active learning reaches students who possess a wide variety of learning styles, much more sothan traditional teaching and learning 4.In contrast to traditional lecture-style classrooms, active learning takes place when teachersengage students such that that they think about and perform meaningful activities. This can be assimple as pausing several times during
to think about the different variations that go behind the application. This project got the students thinking on a higher level than they were used too. The activities that were developed in a way for the students to be interacting among their peers as well as with undergraduate students got them out of their comfort zone. The project involved a simulation application that controlled environmental parameters. The students were much more involved in developing such an application that had processing information that would affect other people. The students were also concerned for the long term effect of decisions made. The teachers were impressed by the connections made between science, math, and technology
the solution (or parts of the solution) to the problem. FeasibilityAnalysis (FEAS): Assessing and passing judgment on a possible or planned solution to theproblem. Evaluation (EVAL): Comparing and contrasting two (or more) solutions to theproblem on a particular dimension (or set of dimensions) such as strength or cost. Decision(DEC): Selecting one idea or solution to the problem (or parts of the problem) from among thoseconsidered. Communication (COM): The participants’ communicating elements of the designin writing, or with oral reports, to parties such as contractors and the community. Other: None ofthe above codes apply. See table 1. Page
). With this in mind, the RETprogram was designed to include each of these five features: 1) Active Learning: Teachers wereinvolved in discussion and planning, as well as research, 2) Coherence: Activities built on whatthey were learning, and led to more advanced work, 3) Content Focus: Content was designed toimprove and enhance teachers’ knowledge and skills, 4) Duration: Professional development forthe teachers extended over 6 weeks during the summer and continued during the school year, and5) Collective Participation: Teachers met in teams as well as a group to discuss strategies andcontent, and to develop approaches that they presented to their peers
given context”3 to eliminate therole of false assumptions and stereotypes. Gender analysis seeks to achieve equity rather thanequality in that gender equity accounts for the differences in women’s and men’s “lifeexperiences, needs, issues, and priorities”4. Page 23.1042.2Gender analysis in STEM education allows us to more deeply understand the effects of existingSTEM programs and new STEM initiatives: whom they are most affecting and in precisely whatways. This knowledge provides policymakers, educators, parents, and students with the toolsnecessary to determine how to, for example, allocate limited funding, write a successfulcurriculum, or
courses, and has developed engineering education courses for middle school pre-service teachers and practicing ele- mentary teachers. She has provided science and engineering professional development (PD) to multiple schools and school systems in Maryland, and has significantly contributed to the writing of many inte- grated STEM units of instruction used by teachers and school systems. Her research has examined factors that support and those that hinder elementary teachers as they learn to teach engineering, and currently focuses on how children and teachers learn to engineer and in the process, learn to fail and productively persist. She currently serves as the Chair-Elect of the K-12 and Pre-College Division of
graduate students, whoacted as teaching fellows. At this writing, ten Fellows are currently working during the secondterm 2007-8 with ten YPSD Faculty Affiliates. Fellows contribute time, knowledge, and energyto the classroom to increase student understanding, appreciation, and interest in science,technology, engineering, and mathematics. Each Fellow assists in one or two teachers’classrooms each week for at least two, two-hour periods, along with an additional one to twohours of preparation time outside the classroom. Each team determines the exact role that theFellow will play in the classroom so that each partnership is mutually beneficial. Fellows alsoassist with design and help conduct labs, group work, and class discussions. They are free
, research posters, and research articles. YSP participants were challenged to read journal articles, collaboratively write a scientific article based on a group experiment (making ice cream without an ice cream maker), as well as prepare an abstract, poster, and talk focused on their own research project. In addition to the weekly communication course, participants from all of the Center’s summer research programs—including YSP students—attended a weekly seminar series. Topics varied slightly from year to year. For example, the summer 2014 seminar series included the following topics: responsible conduct of research, ethics of animal research, neuroethics, industry, communicating to lay audiences, and applying to graduate school. In 2014, a new
projectsassociated with the real world problems such as air pollution, nanoparticles, desalination. Theirstudy findings demonstrated that the offered activities were a means for students to developcritical thinking, teamwork, writing and leadership skills. As the students gained real-worldexperiences, they developed positive attitudes toward engineering fields.Inspiring students to pursue STEM related careers at the early ages is crucial. Outreach programsfor middle school students were designed by a group of researchers through the use of the LEGO Page 23.98.5MINDSTORM NXT robotics kits29. The outreach program consisted of lessons and competitiveevents
student must understand someof the interrelated concepts from geometry, physics and measurement, among otherthings. Often the math skills are captured in the NCTM’s 22 process standards.Table 4: Skill CodesCode DescriptionMathematics: Organize and consolidate mathematical thinking through coherent and clearCommunication communication to peers, teachers, and others; Analyze and evaluate the mathematical thinking and strategies of others; Use the language of mathematics to express mathematical ideas precisely.Mathematics: Recognize and use connections among mathematical ideas; Understand howConnections mathematical ideas build on one another to produce a
their own classroom, most of the grant funds targeted forworkshop equipment and supplies at the teachers’ individual discretion. Interestingly, only eightteachers have ordered equipment as of this writing. Teacher equipment purchases to date consistof the following: ≠ Roller coaster kits ≠ “Building Homes of Our Own” software (residential architecture) ≠ Air compressor (for rocket launches) ≠ Lego catapult kits ≠ Lego Maglev Vehicle kits (three teachers, three individual orders) ≠ Assorted DVD’s and books; miscellaneous equipment such as scales, stopwatches, analog multimeter
example visually, in physical form,and in writing—can facilitate learning, research shows.43 But integration can also impedelearning because it can place excessive demands on resource-limited cognitive processes, such asattention and working memory.44,45,46While fundamental to all learning experiences, social and cultural experiences such as thosewhich require students to work with each other and actively engage in discussion, joint decisionmaking, and collaborative problem solving may be particularly important in integrated learning.Some social processes can support learning through deliberate efforts to convey knowledge andstrategies to children. Techniques such as scaffolding47 and peer collaboration can help studentsbe successful with
Gives the students a real world experience of solving a problem or addressing a situation and then being able to test and redesign. The hands on aspect of design. Students can immediately test their designs, re-design and retest. It is an engaging, interactive class. They liked the freedom to learn and design an open- ended solution, enthusiastically entering into the room and getting busy with their work instead of sitting and listening. Each mini lesson was given when it was needed. After the class was over, the students said the presentation and learning to write technical documentation would help them in college. Teaching students to take a complex problem and break it down into
, writing the programs, and testing the robotsthat students gained a deeper understanding of the concepts.ModelModels were used to illustrate the robotics concepts and design challenges throughout thecurriculum, especially during the building and testing phases. It was important for instructors todemonstrate what the robots were supposed to do because the challenges typically involved therobot interacting with an environment, such as following a line, avoiding obstacles, or picking upan object. It may also involve pushing other robots around. Since these environments are Page 25.404.9dynamic in nature, it makes the challenge more complicated. So
with a BS in Logic and Computation from Carnegie Mellon University, and is now engaged in the research and development of STEM curricula using classroom robotics technologies and game-like systems.Christian D Schunn, University of Pittsburgh Christian D. Schunn is an Associate Professor of Professor of Psychology, Intelligent Systems, and Learn- ing Sciences and Policy at the University of Pittsburgh. He received his PhD in Psychology from Carnegie Mellon in 1995. His research ranges from cognitive / social psychology studies of science/engineering and connections to classroom science instruction to studies of peer feedback in science and instruction
into the Montessori curriculum. Theyinclude preliminary results from teacher competence, confidence and comfort with the materialas they include engineering in their classroom. Section 6 draws some conclusions and discussesthe next steps in the elementary engineering professional development process.2 The Development ProcessTo prepare for the summer course the Montessori expert and content area expert spent a yearprevious to the course in collaborative dialogues and writing. The phases of this processincluded: 1. Learning about each other: As a first step, the Montessori expert gave the engineering expert readings while the engineering expert had the Montessori expert go through introduction to engineering exercises. This gave the
new ideas than other members of a system”(p. 22). Based on their innovativeness, individuals can be classified into five adopter categories:innovators (2.5%), who are risk-takers willing to try new things and prepared for associateduncertainty; early adopters (13.5%), who are role models assuming leadership in furthering theadoption of the innovation; early majority (34%), who are individuals deliberately adopting aninnovation before the other half of their peers; late majority (34%), who are suspicious ofinnovations and wait until it is perceived as safe to adopt them; and laggards (16%), who are moresuspicious of innovations than the late majority and adopt innovations last.Rogers’s diffusion of innovation model provides us with both a
lessons, students improve their recall ability, apply their existing knowledge, constructnew ideas, and formulate their own questions. Moreover, by engaging in group-work, studentsare afforded opportunities to share their discoveries and explanations with their peers, thusconcretizing their understanding of newly learned concepts. We posit that linking robotics-basedlessons with Bloom’s cognitive domains can allow students to draw connections between diverseSTEM concepts, apply their learning to new situations, and control their own learning. The example lessons address typical educational objectives of K-12 STEM disciplinesand strengthen students’ ability to learn the subject material. Three lessons, based on LEGOMindstorms robotics, are