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STEM Teacher Preparation Program - Addressing Math and Science Gaps

A program focusing on improving math and science education for middle to high school students, aiming to recruit and train future teachers. Collaborating with UC Irvine, offering hands-on experiences and courses to develop highly qualified educators.

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STEM Teacher Preparation Program - Addressing Math and Science Gaps

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  1. Mt. SAC STEM Teacher Preparation Program (STEM TP2)NSF ATE Award # 1400650 Iraj Nejad & Charles Newman TEACH Los Angeles Regional Collaborative September 2018 Pasadena Community College

  2. Program Rationale • Middle and High school students need improvement in both math and science education*. • 4th graders performed poorly in math and science • 8th graders scored worse • High school students unable to compete • Ranking: • 8th grade students ranked 28th out of 41 in math with a below average scores • 12th grade students ranked 19th out of 21 of the more developed countries *Reference: Institute of Education Science, National Center for Education Statistics, Trends in International Mathematics and Science, 1999 & 2007

  3. Program Rationale • In California from 2009 to 2011*: • 47% of 8th graders scored below the basic science levels (National Av. 64%) • 61% of Hispanic 8th graders scored below the basic science levels • Nearly 40% of 8th graders scored below the basic math levels (2011) • California will need an estimated 33,000 math and science teachers in the next decade**. * Institute of Education Science, National Center for Education Statistics, 2012 ** California Senate, Office of Research, Keeping California Competitive, The Impact of Math and Science Teachers, October 2009.

  4. The Overarching Goal “to develop a sustainable, multidimensional program that will recruit, counsel, and direct likely students that have the desire and potential to become highly-qualified middle school and high school math and science teachers”. Collaborating very closely with the UC Irvine Cal Teach program.

  5. Project Strategies & Activities Strategies (Completed in 15 months) • Summer Science Exploration Experience (S2E2) (Summer 1) • Co-enrollment in the UCI Cal Teach “Introduction to Math & Science Teaching Course” (Fall Semester) • Early Research Experience (Spring Semester)* (i) Independent Study courses at Mt. SAC (ii) Enrollment in the UCI Cal teach “Research Methods Course” 4. Summer Research Experience (UCI) (Summer 2) Activities • Program Advertisement and Communication • Recruitment and Academic Advisement • Advisory Committee • Teaching Opportunities at Campus and schools • Family Science Nights

  6. Summer Science Exploration Experience (S2E2) • 2-week (4 days/wk) program focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic all hands-on experience • Student cohorts participate as the instructional partners - delivering content • The S2E2 participants • 45-50 grade 6th thru 9th grade students selected by their their middle school science teachers come to campus for the 2-week program.

  7. S2E2 Summer 2018 • Making a solar cell from scratch (Chemistry/Engineering) • Splitting water using a solar powered fuel cell (Chemistry/Engineering) • Robotics – building, programming and driving robots (Engineering) • Building a card structure strong enough to support a brick (Engineering) • Dawn of the Space Age - Planetarium show (Astronomy) • Telescope Viewing & Astrophotography (Astronomy) • Making Biodiesel from Algae, Making Paint w/pigments extracted from fruits and vegetables (Chemistry) • Making polymers, Solutions & Reactions (Chemistry) • Dissection - cow eye and frog (Life Science) • Pathology/Histology Lab, Veterinarian hospital & Wildlife Sanctuary (Biology) • Whirly Copters & Math Bingo & Wind Tunnel (Math/Physics) • Wildlife Animal Museum – Meek Center (Biology) Summer 2018 Field Trips • iFLY Indoor Sky Diving • Cabrillo Marine Aquarium & Mammal Rescue Center

  8. Robotics With the assistance from the Mt. SAC Robotics Club, S2E2 students built a robot from a kit, downloaded command programs and drove the radio controlled robot.

  9. S2E2 Summer 2018 Using nothing more than 3X5 cards and staples, students design & build a 7 inch high card structure that could support a brick or two or three for at least 10 seconds

  10. S2E2 Summer 2018 Construct a solar energy collection system: Students build and test a “Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell” from scratch using TiO2 paste, blackberry juice and aqueous triiodide solution. Experiment with Fuel Cell: Using a small solar panel and a fuel cell filled with water, solar energy splits water into H2 and O2 gas. They then use the fuel cell and the collected H2 and O2 gas to make water and electricity, sufficient to power a small electrical fan.

  11. S2E2 Summer 2018 Under the supervision of faculty and staff experts, cohort students instruct and guide middle school students through a variety of scientific and engineering activities. Viewing Jupiter and its four Galilean moons. Practicing accuracy and performing experiments. Collecting, tabularizing and graphing experimental data

  12. UCI - PHY SCI 5 - Cal Teach 1Introduction to Science and Mathematics Teaching. 3 Units The first in a series of courses for students interested in becoming middle or high school STEM teachers. In this course, students gain an understanding of effective, research-based teaching strategies. Includes 25 hrs. of supervised field experience in a K-12 classroom.

  13. UCI - PHY SCI 5 - Cal Teach 1 Topics include: • Inquiry based learning practices • California Standards • Learning differences in children • Curricular planning • Classroom management • The cognitive ability of elementary students • Learning assessment Students also receive opportunities to practice competencies in subject-specific pedagogical skills for single subject teaching, monitoring students learning during instruction, student engagement, appropriate teaching practices, instructional time management and instructional planning.

  14. Research Methods Course • Offered as a series of Workshops (4 hours each) and Seminars (2 hours each) that included: • Workshop 1: Developing and Testing Hypothesis • Workshop 2: Experimental Design and Data Collection • Seminar 1: How to Read a Scientific Paper • Seminar 2: Data Analysis and Statistics • Seminar 3: Data Visualization, Figure and Graphing • Seminar 4: Presenting Scholarly Work • Seminar 5: Writing a Research report The two workshops were offered during the first two weeks of summer and the seminars during the following six weeks as the students worked on their research projects.

  15. Early Research Experience UC, Irvine – 2nd Summer of the program Selection of research projects is coordinated with the UCI Office of Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP). • 8-week Summer STEM Research • Oral presentation and a Research report or a Poster of research results • Stipend paid ($3000/8 week + $500 transportation’s cost to UCI)

  16. What Have We Learned? Program Findings • Accomplishments • Evaluation • The Future of the Program

  17. Accomplishments • Eight students have attended the annual ATE PI meeting in Washington DC (six on NSF scholarship (three in 2015, three in 2016, two in 2017). • Additional Financial Support by Mt. SAC (supported cohort students working S2E2 in summer 2016 ($10K). • Additional Financial Support from Boeing ($2K in 2016 & $4,750 in 2017) • Of the students that began cohorts 1 and 2 (24), 79% have transferred to four year institutions.

  18. Positive S2E2 Impact(Cohorts 1,2 & 3)

  19. Positive PS 5 Course Impact(Cohorts 1 & 2 )

  20. Value of Research(Cohorts 1 & 2 )

  21. Overall Impacts(Cohorts 1 & 2)

  22. Cohort Survey ResponsesSummer Research Methods Course • The research methods course was extremely beneficial. • The research method course helped me start my research with confidence. • The research method course planted a confidence in teaching. • I learned the best and most efficient ways to read research articles. • The research methods course was far more useful and fun than I had anticipated. • The knowledge and presentation skills I gained in the course will help me as a future teacher. • As a teacher, I will use the knowledge I gained from this research course to teach to my future student • Everything we learned in the course applied to what I did in lab.

  23. Responses from S2E2 Kid’s Parents • Summer enrichment programs are priceless. This program opened my son up to endless possibilities in the various fields of study and career options. • This program is engaging, didactic and fun. Hands-on science topics conducted by top notch educators and brought to a level that awakes curiosity in future scientists and engineers. • The program is well thought out and well planned by the professors and cohorts. • In a nutshell, S2E2 is a superb program where everyone wins. The weekly field-trips were a blast! • The program is enriching, inspiring and FUN!!

  24. Overall Impacts on Cohort Students Mt. SAC students are being highly prepared and motivated. • Student 1: “This program has helped me see how strongly I want to become a teacher. We have been given many opportunities to interact with children and be their mentors. This program has been wonderful to me and I cannot say enough times how appreciative I truly am.” • Student 2: “Being a part of the program has truly solidified my goal of becoming a teacher ... And I am confident enough to know that I can do great things for students [in] science and math courses. • Student 3: “By participating the program, it helped me determined what I need to become a teacher and what I should improve ... to reach my goal of being a teacher.”

  25. Funding Sources National Science Foundation (NSF) ATE Program… $624,670/3 years Mt. San Antonio College ~ $10,000/in 2016 Parent/Student& Community S2E2 ~ $15,000/year Boeing $2,000 in 2016 $4,750 in 2017

  26. Acknoledgements • National Science Foundation (ATE Award # 1400650) • UCI Cal Teach & UROP Staff • Mt. San Antonio College (Administration, Faculty and Staff) • Mt. San Antonio College Teacher Preparation Institute (TPI) • James Rudd, Cal State LA (External Evaluator) • Walnut Valley Unified School District • Collegewood & Westhoff Elementary Schools • STEM TP2 Advisory Board members • Mt. SAC Robotics Club • Dr. David Brown, Southwestern College • The Boeing Company

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