Different Strokes for Different Folks: Supporting New Teachers Using Multiple Approaches

1. STEMTEC II Different Strokes for Different Folks: Supporting New Teachers Using Multiple Approaches Allan Feldman, Morton M. Sternheim, Marlina Duncan, Sharon Palmer, Janice Wing University of Massachusetts Amherst

2. Original STEMTEC Program • CETP 1997-2002 • More, better prepared, more diverse K12 math and science teachers • 8 (21) colleges, 7+ school districts • 195 college faculty attended institutes • 350 scholarships for prospective teachers

3. STEMTEC II: Follow-on Grant • 2002-2005 • Summative Evaluation • New Teacher Support • Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars • New Teacher Dinner Club • Online course • Research experiences for teachers – “appropriate master’s degree”

4. Funded in part by Raytheon, Engineering School Low cost program, easily replicated anywhere Build ties between schools, UMass faculty 6 Saturdays, 8:30-1 Grad credit option (free PDP’s) Lesson plan / class project; book review Reduced tuition 25-35 teachers/session, some new, some experienced Very popular; people drive 1-2 hours Science and Engineering Saturday Seminars

5. Fall 2003 Program • Teaching basic physics concepts • Geology field trip • Civil Engineering field trip (all day) • Environmental evolution • Food safety / microbiology • Recall for those receiving grad credit

6. Sample Projects • Science Overnight, Westfield Middle, 300 students • Engineering Expo, Forest Park Middle, Springfield, 40 students • Manufacturing lesson, Milford High • Science in Industry, Great Falls Middle, 70 students • Lip Balm engineering project, Agawam Junior High, 617 students

7. The New Teachers Dinner Club: What is it? • The New Teachers Dinner Club is a support group for new math and science teachers. • The sessions are facilitated by Janice Wing, a middle school science teacher, and myself, a former science teacher now working on my Ed.D. at UMass.

8. Meeting Format • All meetings provide time for members to discuss classroom or educational topics of personal concern such as: • Classroom management issues • Relating lessons to the frameworks • Assessment techniques • Planning tips • MCAS discussion • Resources (including best web sites, etc)

9. Vision of the Group • Create a Peer Mentoring Environment which fosters: • Support • Sharing of Ideas • Sounding Board • Gain Resources (classroom, personal, professional)

10. Being a New Teacher • University course to support new teachers • Hybrid on-line/face-to-face • Five regular class meetings • Use of web-based environment (WebCT) for discussions, assignments, feedback

11. Being a New Teacher Topics: • Classroom management • Assessment • Inclusive pedagogy • Special education • Web-based instruction • Teacher research

12. Being a New Teacher Sample assignments: • Written reflections on readings • Classroom Management Plan • Case study • Construct a website • Final Presentation/Showcase of teaching

13. Professional Licensure MA requires new teachers to obtain the “Professional License” by the end of the 5th year of teaching. The Professional License requires substantial work in the subject area.

14. Professional Licensure Problems: • Advanced subject matter courses are not usually offered when teachers can take them (after school or summers) • Advanced subject matter courses usually are not designed to meet the subject matter needs of practicing teachers. [Academic discipline ≠ School subject]

15. Professional Licensure Solution: Research Experience for Teachers • Model includes spring semester before and fall semester after summer RET. • Teachers get graduate credit in the discipline for their participation in the RET. • Teachers learn engage in authentic science practices on NSF-funded research projects.

16. Acid Mine DrainageResearch Experience for Teachers (RET) Klaus Nusslein, Microbiology Richard Yuretich, GeoSciences Sarina Ergas, Civil and Environmental Engineering David Ahfeld, Civil and Environmental Engineering Allan Feldman, Education NSF funded interdisciplinary project University of Massachusetts, Amherst

17. Teacher Participation • Spring – Journal Club (1 credit) • Summer – 160+ hours of field work/lab research in microbiology and civil and environmental engineering ($2500 stipend and 9 credits) • Fall – Journal Club (1 credit) • Curriculum Development (3 credits) • Spring – Implementation of developed curriculum (3 credits)

18. Davis mine

19. Drainage below tailings pile

20. Tailings pile

21. AMD Project Goals • Research aims to understand the natural biogeochemical processes involved in the remediation of acid mine drainage. • Outreach focuses on involving teachers in real research experiences to aid in classroom instruction.

22. Stream confluence up close

23. Measuring well water depth

24. Preparing enrichment media under anoxic conditions.

25. Opening sediment jars and inoculating sediment into media bottles under anoxic conditions

26. Incubation and observation

27. Enrichment bottles with Postgate’s medium at pH 3.0 4.0 5.0 7.0

28. Microscopy using a live/dead bio-stain with this fluorescent microscope. Pictures were taken.

29. Postgate pH 7.0 sediment from Well 4 Thread-like filament

30. Classroom Curriculum Topics • Metals / nonmetals and chemical cycles • Mineral formation • Topography • Microbiology: micro-organisms in stream water • Enrichment media technique • Water quality tests: pH, ions (Fe, SO42-, Ca), hardness test, dissolved O, N, C, P. • Soil test – capillary action

31. Importance to Education • Practiced full scope of developing and implementing a research project. • Different perspective on science and what it means to really do research. • More of a supporter for science than before. • New respect for what it takes to earn a Ph.D (motivation, patience and resilience).